*** JEAN-LOUIS ARNAUD, MALGORZATA ZABOROWSKA. L'élargissement de l'Union européenne, vers un grand espace de solidarité et de coopération. Notre Europe (41 bld des Capucines, F-75002 Paris. Tel: (33-1) 44589797 - Fax: 44589799. E-mail: notreeurope@notre-europe.asso.fr - Internet: http: //http://www.notre-europe.asso.fr ). July 2002, 51 pp.
"One has to start thinking of post-enlargement for the EU to be able to efficiently deal with the challenges it will find itself facing" claims Jean-Luc Dehaene, summing up the message of thirty-odd experts at a seminar organised by the Lucchini Foundation and the study group "Notre Europe", so close to Jacques Delors' heart. This report gives a detailed run-down of their interventions on three main topics, namely the economic impact of enlargement, factors of instability and inequality and the advantages of a European Union extended at last.
The economic weight of candidate countries compared with the EU seems too slight for their joining the Community to cause a "significant shock". Françoise Lemoine from the CEPII think tank, specialisation will be stepped up in high capital industry, high tech and work requiring highly qualified manpower, abandoning labour intensive industries in the new Member States. Current Member States the closest geographically to the new Member States will be the most exposed. That said, Andrea Szalavetz (Institute for World Economics in Budapest) explains that it is highly likely that "after enlargement, big multinationals will reassess the location of their subsidiaries, shutting down some of them".
In terms of the potential instability and inequality that enlargement might lead to, opinion is relatively divided, as are the possible approaches that are put forward. Jan Szomburg from the Gdansk Market Economy Institute cites the case of the former GDR, where "the potential of the new Länder was not made the most of", therefore calling on the EU to respect the solidarity principle. It is in those countries' interests, he argues, to accept market rules and market forces, but solidarity means that constraints are not imposed on them that will hold back their development, since their development is of benefit to capital-rich high productivity countries.
In at attempt to sum up, the third topic looks at the benefits of an enlarged Europe. Paraphrasing Kennedy, Joyce Quin basically asserts that candidate countries must not ask what Europe can do for them, but should ask what they can do for Europe. Marjorie Jouen, "Notre Europe" advisor, stresses the high value added of the acquis communautaire which on top of being thousands of reams of legislation, it above all a rich apprenticeship in cooperation and a laborious dispute settlement technique qui. Bronislaw Geremek calls for the moment to be seized, stressing that in an organisation based on the principle of economic freedom and competition, there is no solidarity without calling on citizenship and that in order to feel jointly responsible for EU decisions, citizens have to be engaged through tax contributions. In the race to win a political and citizens' Europe, would it be daft to suggest that the citizens of the twelve Member States might be the first? Alain Dremière
*** JEAN-LUC DEHAENE, ANIA KROK-PASKOWSKA: The Political Dimension of EU enlargement: Looking Towards Post-Accession. The Robert Schuman Centre for advanced studies (European University Institute, Convento, 9 via dei Roccettini, I-50016 San Domenico di Fiesole. Fax: (39-055) 4685775 - E-mail: forinfo@iue.it - Internet: http: //http://www.iue.it/RSC/PublicationsRSC-Welcome.htm ), 2002, 131 pp.
Enlargement will open doors to "new opportunities", from the reaffirmation of the solidarity principle to the creation of a feeling of European citizenship, via a redefinition of structures and consideration of the principles that should establish "good governance". It is in the light of the above that the members of the think tank created by the European University Institute in Florence and the European Commission's Political Advisors Group (formerly known as the Forward Studies Unit), chaired by Jean-Luc Dehaene, directed their thoughts and exchange of view (which are outlined in this report). They considered the welfare state, the labour market and industrial relations, which led them to note, for example, that necessary social protection measures have generally given rise to fears about their potential negative impact on candidate country economies, but that the countries that implemented them have more effectively maintained social stability and restricted inequality.
This therefore suggests that each candidate country has to find its own configuration in order for it to match their own economic context and society against a particular (suitable) model of society. For candidate countries, this means accepting that growth and welfare are not incompatible, as the current EU countries have demonstrated in the past. When it comes to "democracy and nation", the participants point out that most candidate countries function according to basic EU values and that their institutional setup is virtually ready. (AD)
*** JEAN-LUC DEHAENE, PAL DUNAY: Boxes: why CFSP and CESD do not matter much to EU candidate countries. The Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies (European University Institute, Convento, 9 via dei Roccettini, I-50016 San Domenico di Fiesole. Fax: (39-055) 4685 775 - E-mail: forinfo@iue.it). "Policy Papers" No. 01/5. 2001, 26 pp.
This report by Pal Dunay from the European University Institute in Florence based on work chaired by the former Belgian prime minister (currently Vice-Chair of the European Convention) Jean-Luc Dehaene, aims to shed light on the links between the second pillar and candidate countries and understand how candidate countries see the EU's Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) and Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) in the light, for example, of recent changes to the two EU policies. (AD)
*** RENE ANDRE: Le Pacte de Stabilité pour l'Europe du Sud-Est: premier bilan et perspectives. Délégation pour l'Union européenne de l'Assemblée nationale (Kiosque de l'Assemblée nationale, 4 rue Aristide Briand, F-75007 Paris. Internet: http: //http://www.assemblee-nationale.fr ). "Les documents de l'Assemblée nationale" No 3644. 2002, 121 pp, 5 euros. ISBN 2-11-115036-3.
The creation of the Stability Pact for South-East Europe in July 1999 raised enormous hope because for the first time, it set out an overall approach to stability and reconstruction in the Balkans. Turning its back on a fragmentary approach to the Yugoslav crisis, it made an effort in practice to coordinate initiatives in Bosnia-Herzegovina and Kosovo. All the same, as the French MP who penned this report notes, the process is torn between the sheer scale of its aims and the paucity of its means. Moreover, "not all the ambiguities have been settled" since neighbouring countries have continued to display their fears and, at times, their lack of enthusiasm, while the members of the international community do not offer to participate to the same extent. As René André explains the second part, which concentrates more on future prospects, "stability, reconstruction and integration in the European Union call for political, economic and cultural challenges to be tackled".
In terms of politics, it is a question of setting up democratic institutions and the rule of law. The Stability Pact will clearly be a heavyweight ally in this project. In terms of the economy, it is a matter of both instituting genuine regional cooperation and creating the conditions for sustainable development. Finally, in terms of culture, once reconciliation has been brought about, it will be necessary o work on developing Europe's common values. (AD)
*** ALESSANDRO COLOMBO, NATALINO RONZITI (Ed.): L'Italia e la politica internazionale. Il Mulino (Bologna. Internet: http://www.mulino.it ). 2002, 335 pp, 24 euros. ISBN 88-15-08832-6.
Now in its third edition, this annual review of Italian policies on the international arena looks at the year 2001, looking in turn at the parts of the world that are of particular interest to Italy, namely the Balkans, the Middle East, and Central and South Asia. It also considers major aspects of European integration and, in more general terms, globalisation "governance" (coordinated by Sandra Passariello).
In the introduction, Alessandro Colombo, Professor of Strategic Studies at Milan University, and Natalino Ronzitti, Professor of International Law at Lluis "Guido Carli" University in Rome, claim that despite the Ruggiero case, it is possible to discern overall in the Berlusconi government a continuity in favour of Italy's traditional pro-European vision.
In one of the first chapters, Alessandro Colombo refocuses Italian politics against the international backdrop following the 11 September 2001 attacks. (MG)
*** ANNE PEETERS, DENIS STOKKINK (Eds.): Mondialisation. Comprendre pour agir. Editions GRIP (33 rue Van Hoorde, B-1030 Brussels. Tel: (32-2) 2418420 - Fax: 2451933 - E-mail: admi@grip.org - Internet: http://www.grip.org ) and Editions Complexe. "Les Livres du Grip" series, No 256-257. 2002,197 pp. ISBN 2-87027-836-5.
To assess globalisation, the analysis set out in this book is based on analysing long, "de Kondratiev" economic cycles. The authors of these essays come both from academia (economists, political analysts, sociologists, etc) and from the field, with space also being given to proponents of a different globalisation. They shed light on the banal nature, so to speak, of a phenomenon intrinsically enmeshed with he history of capitalism. Once again, history is claimed to repeat itself, except insofar as this new phase (or end of cycle), first linked to the development of new technology and the arms industry, is also characterised at international level by military and cultural hegemony of the US superpower and the emergence of the "right to intervene". The authors claim the previous de Kondratiev cycle ended at the beginning of the last century with the 1914-1918 war. There is "nothing irrational" about claims that the current cycle could also, in the very near future, end in violence since the hypothesis is based on an "objective historical base". Nevertheless, the authors of the book basically point out that the future has not yet been written and "being aware of the save convulsions that might accompany capitalism's next metamorphosis can (…) help to better prepare for the future". It is in this spirit that the book urges reflection as much as action, with the authors arguing that against this backdrop, Europe has a historic role to play - implementing a development plan for the Euro-Mediterranean region and Africa to put forwards an alternative to the savage enterprise of uniting the world, "which for five centuries has proved incapable of entering agreements with others and working alongside those who are different "… (MT)
*** THOMAS O'NEIL, JEAN DE KERILY: Opération Fi@t Lux. La nouvelle guerre de la National Security Agency. Editions du Rocher (28 rue Comte-Félix-Gastaldi, Monaco). 2002, 432 pp, 21 euros. ISBN 2-268-04067-4.
In this roman-à-clefs, two journalists set out to explore the hidden face of globalisation and European current events. Combining espionage, piracy, terrorism, ECHELON, IT pirating and other financial manoeuvring, they look at the economic war's new weaponry and invite readers to take a mind-boggling plunge into the corridors of globalisation and the voracious economic appetites it has unleashed (has there ever been smoke without fire?). The book's subheading reveals where the predator hails from … (LD)
*** Rapport mondial sur le développement humain. Approfondir la démocratie dans un monde fragmenté. United Nations Development Programme (1 UN Plaza, New York, 10017 USA) and De Boeck (39 rue des Minimes, B-1000 Brussels). 2002, 277 pp. ISBN 2-8041-4006-7.
Every year since 1990, the United Nations Development Fund (UNDF) has been publishing a reference tool on the political, social, democratic and humanitarian situation in the world. The annual report looks at the great challenges of the year, based on various development statistical indicators. In this year's report, the UNDF notes the importance of a new wave of democracy given the "democratic deficit" that appears to be growing in several countries. It also calls for international institutions to be made democratic, urging governments not to relegate democracy to second place because of the international war on terrorism. The report also looks at progress registered in each country in terms of reaching the Millennium Development Targets. Limited progress - only 55 countries are in the process of meeting them. (BJL)
*** GERD NONNEMANN (Ed.): Terrorism, Gulf Security and Palestine: Key Issues for an EU-GCC Dialogue. The Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies (European University Institute: see above). "Policy Papers" No 02/2. 2002, 60 pp.
This "political document" from the European University Institute in Florence is the second in a series on Europe's strategy for the Gulf and could not have been published at a more opportune time since it looks at the establishment of a Palestinian state to ensure stability in the region and the regime of Saddam Hussein in Iraq, which is currently in the United States' firing line. The document also considers the nature of state regimes in the region, focussing on Iran, Iraq and the Yemen, three countries that are not members of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), also touching on their foreign policies. It then shows describes how the GCC sees the region's stability, including the GCC's position vis-à-vis Iran, Iraq and the Yemen, and the necessary solving of the Middle East conflict. The book sums up with the authors' outlining of an action plan for the EU for extending cooperation with the GCC and carving out a more influential position on the global chessboard dominated by the US. (BJL)
*** The EUROPEAN COMMISSION (Official Publications Office of the European Communities, L-2985, Luxembourg, http: //publications.eu.int) has published the following documents:
*** Cordis Focus. DG Enterprise (Fax: (352-4301) 32084 - E-mail: innovation@cec.eu.int). 12 August 2002, No 204, 27pp. Free subscription.
The subjects covered in this issue include the Commission's continued funding of research into preventing AIDS, an EU plan forming the basis of new directives on sand dredging, that fact that a European Research Council is being considered, and a call for MEPs to increase dialogue over the ethics of research.
*** Nouvelles médecines. La recherche européenne en action. DG Research (Fax: (32-2) 2991860 - E-mail: research@cec.eu.int). 2002.
DG Research is publishing a series of brochures on recent progress in European research, running through research currently being carried out, strategies and new medicines.
*** Les maladies transmissibles. La recherche européenne en action. DG Research (Fax: (32-2) 2991860 - E-mail: research@cec.eu.int). 2002.
The problem of transmissible diseases amounts to a global emergency in the Commission's view. The Commission is planning to take on three big epidemics - AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria by making treatment cheaper.
*** Suivre le mouvement. La recherche européenne en action. DG Research (Fax: (32-2) 2991860 - E-mail: research@cec.eu.int). 2002.
The creation of Marie Curie grants helps in the process of attempting to create an European and international movement by promoting creative synergies.
*** Recyclage des véhicules, La recherche européenne en action. DG Research (Fax: (32-2) 2991860 - E-mail: research@cec.eu.int).
Recycling vehicles and giving them a new life is the theme of another brochure in the series, outlining the EU's objectives from the dumping stage to recycling or re-use. Issues covered include "Recafuta", the rapid dismantling technique for high density polyethylene petrol tanks, and the Compare chemical processing plan for recycling polyamides.
*** Politica Exterior. Estudios de Politica Exterior (6 Padilla, E-28006 Madrid - Tel: (91) 4312628 - 5777252 - E-mail: rivista@politicaexterior.com - Internet: http: //http://www.politicaexterior.com ). July/August 2002, Vol. XVI, No. 88, 179 pp. Price: 10€.
The current issue looks at Bush's proposal for Israel and Palestine and gives a balance sheet of the Spanish Presidency. Other subjects covered include a dossier on morocco, Western Sahara and Spain, the Kashmir nuclear menace and an article on Marcelino Oreja headed "A Constitution for Europe".
*** Prove d'Europa. Diritti, Lavoro, Sviluppo. Centro InEuropa ( Via Ippolito D'Aste 7/5 - I-16121 Genoa - Tel: (39-10) 540928 - Fax: 564356 - E-mail: ineuropa@euroframe.it - http://www.centroineuropa.it ). July 2002, Anno XII, No 2, 69pp. ISBN 88-8163-291-8.
This European studies review covers topics such as current though on the EU's regional policy of the future, cohesion challenges continuing beyond 2006, Italy's relation to the EU and the right to work, Latin American bitterness following the EU/ACP Summit, and an agreement between Moscow, Milan and Genoa Universities to work together on energy.
Reviews in brief
*** Focus sur la Flandre. 31 August/6 September 2002. Tielt The Flemish review draws our attention to the legal world after the summer holidays, the solid link between Wallonia and the arms industry and the partial merger of Unicore and Lamitref.