*** BRUNO THERET: Protection sociale et fédéralisme. L'Europe dans le miroir de l'Amérique du Nord. Presses Interuniversitaires Européennes-Peter Lang (1 av. Maurice, B-1050 Brussels. E-mail: info@peterlang.com - Internet: http: //http://www.peterlang.net ) and Presses de l'Université de Montréal. "Travail & Société" series, No. 40. 2002, 495 pp. ISBN 2-7606-1854-4 and 90-5201-107-9.
Research Director at France's Centre National de la Recherche scientifique, economist Bruno Théret - who also works at the Institut interdisciplinaire de recherche en socio-économie de l'Université Paris Dauphine - does not hide the fact that he is a federalist through and through. His bent is not due to a kind of romanticism but is based on scientific observation of the world the way it is, between segmentation and territorial integration, in his time of "reorganisation of the entire world political order", from the establishment of new territorial ladders for socialising individuals and the emergence of stable relations between these ladders "where the nation state will no longer predominate". According to Bruno Théret, it will clearly be necessary to consider new polycentric forms of political order in which several orders of government coexist. Hence the compulsory use of federalism since "a division of sovereignty can only be considered based on the ideal of federalism that allows the coexistence of several orders of government within the same political order". This is all the more pertinent in that the idea of federalism, far from being a mere abstract political philosophy principle, organises public life in the United States and Canada, not to mention its work in "working on" the European project "to the extent that one can consider that Europe will only be political if it is federal".
So is this another tome looking at federalism? No. The book does not aim at considering federalism from a purely institutional or general angle. Its originality - and its undoubted utility - is that it examines how a political order governed by federalism deals with the issue of social protection, aware that federalism is only a means, a tool, but social protection is "at the foundations of the political order", and is even its "legitimising content once the order can no longer impose itself by brute force". One of the ideas defended in this book is therefore that "political Europe, if it is to emerge, will not only be federal, but will also have to be social". It is because they clearly understand this, points out the author in passing, that British Conservatives "oppose social Europe to the extent that they oppose political Europe"…
Bruno Théret takes as his starting point the fact that in modern individual societies, one no longer owes one life to a sovereign claiming to represent all social matters - on the contrary, "the latter owes you and can only legitimately preserve their delegation of sovereignty if they carry out their job of protecting their constituents in what is considered a satzsfactory measure". If this idea makes sense, says the author, moving from Economic and Monetary Union to a political union, if it is to take place, has to be achieved through building a social Europe, in other words a European social welfare system in which the EU's institutions would have to play a significant operating role in the eyes of European citizens. Basically "To construct a new political order in Europe, it is no longer simply question (…) of ensuring the survival of European companies in the global economic battlefield, but on a wider level of promoting a social link acknowledging the protective nature of life for all Europeans". A potential European federalism of the future therefore remains to be defined, based on current experiences on the other side of the Atlantic. In this connection, the author very convincingly demonstrates that even though the United States "have been able to get away with a minimum welfare state as an exception to the sacrosanct leave-it-to-the-market rules that are, however, anchored in the radical individualist ideology that serves as a religion there", it is Canada that should inspire the European Union where the "social debt" has taken the form of a full, universal welfare state along the lines of the European systems. Hence, the Canadian welfare state is a kind of "prototype for the construction of social Europe". The book is divided into thirteen chapters in four separate sections which, taken as a whole, provide awareness that Canada and the European Union use similar institutional forms leading them both, assuming all goes to course, in the direction of a brand new type of asymmetrical inter-governmental federalism focussing on social policies.
Michel Theys
*** PHILIPPE POCHET (Ed.): Politique salariale dans la zone euro. Presses Interuniversitaires Européennes and Peter Lang (see below). "Travail & Société" series, No. 36. 2002, 308 pp. ISBN 90-5201-100-1.
Monetary Union has certainly been achieved but "the institutional tools that are meant to accompany this centralisation of monetary policy have not yet been put in place", although a framework is being constructed. Pay negotiations therefore have to be analysed from a more general standpoint in the context of burgeoning institutions and policies. The research into wage policies in the eurozone published in this collection of essays cannot be held back by taking the issue of economic and social governance into account. Hence the first part of the book provides a series of transversal essays exploring various views of pay coordination. Jelle Visser, of Amsterdam University, outlines the different dimensions of trade union activity, combining historical analysis and suggestions of future trends. She goes on to examine the near future, exploring the European dimension of work relations. Anne Dufresne, researcher at the Observatoire social européen, makes a preliminary assessment of trade union pay coordination initiatives. Franz Traxler, of Vienna University, examines "the main hypotheses surrounding the comparative performance of the various institutional measures for setting pay, in the light of the available empirical data" and then goes on to establish links between these measures and monetary policy, ending by assessing their consequences on pay policy in the eurozone. Bob Hancké, from the London School of Economics, suggests that in the medium- term, pay will no longer be an inflationary pressure in the eurozone. The final essay in the first part of the book, by Anke Hasel, comparative industrial relations specialist, looks at public authorities' role in pay negotiations on Europe. The second part of the book describes a series of national cases in order to illustrate the different models of pay coordination. The countries selected are Belgium, Ireland, Spain, Germany and France.
(AD)
*** IVO MAES: On the origins of the Franco-German EMU controversies. National Bank of Belgium (Archives Service, 14 bld de Berlaymont, B-1000 Brussels. Internet: http: //http://www.nbb.be ). "Working papers" No. 34. 2002, 40 pp.
As a researchers at the National Bank of Belgium, Ivo Maes' study deals with the different monetary and economic differences that arose between France and Germany in order to obtain European monetary union. Advancing under the cover of "republican tradition", France used to grant the State a central role in its economic life. At the opposite end of the spectrum, the federal structure of Germany went hand in hand with the social economy of the market. The author describes the developments in these modes of thought as manifested in the Treaties of Rome, the Werner report and the process that led to the Treaty of Maastricht. To this end, Ivo Maes met up with a number of figures such as Raymond Barre, Jacques Delors, François-Xavier Ortoli, Otmar Issing, Karl-Otto Pöhl, Hans Tietmeyer, Pierre Werner, Alexandre Lamfalussy and Tommaso Padoa-Schioppa. A good bibliography accompanies this book.
(LD)
*** MACRINO SUAREZ: Le système financier espagnol (1986-2001), de l'émergence à la maturité. L'Harmattan (5-7 rue de l'Ecole-Polytechnique, F-75005 Paris). "Finances publiques" series. 2002, 397 pp, 29 euros. ISBN 2-7475-2899-5
Spain used to be known for its closed and rigid financial system before it joined the European Community in 1986. Forced to make changes, Spain did so quite rapidly, radically changing its structures (the Bank of Spain, savings banks, etc) in parallel with profound institutional; technological and philosophical changes to the stock exchange. These days, Spain has joined contemporary financial Europe with full aplomb. This highly technical book in some respects, makes a highly detailed review of the pre-1986 system, obsolete and inflexible, the efforts made to change it and the current situation, before discussing the challenges that still have to be taken to round off modernisation, such as the partnerships to be encouraged with the integrated markets of other EU Member States.
(PBu)
*** ROGER DIPPEL (Editor): Kreditwirtschaftlich wichtige Vorhaben der EU. Bundesverband Öffentlicher Banken Deutschlands (VÖB-Service GmbH, Postfach 201355, D-53143 Bonn. Tel: (49-228) 8192-119 - Fax: 8192-234 - E-mail: verlag@voeb.de - Internet: http: //http://www.voeb.de ). 2002, 309 pp. ISBN 3-927466-69-7.
Published since 1988 by the German banking association, this publication regularly examines Community legislative and political projects involving the banking sector. The batch of polices decided on 1st September provides a brief presentation and commentary on the more than one hundred Union directives, regulations and communications involving banking law, financial and stock market law, corporate and company law, consumer protection, capital flows, taxation and financial and monetary union. The publication also comes with a CD-ROM laying out the content of the book, as well as the texts for the directives and regulations. A very useful and accessible reference guide, even for those who are not specialists in subjects that are sometimes very technical and complex.
(PB)
*** NIKOLA LAFRENZ: Die Pflegeversicherung als Teil der Krankenversicherung im Sozialrecht der Europäischen Union. Die Entscheidungen des Europäischen Gerichtshofs. Zentrum für Europäische Rechtspolitik an der Universität Bremen (ZERP, Universitätsallee, GW 1, D-28359 Bremen). "ZERP Diskussionspapier" series, No. 2. 2002, 57 pp., 8 euros.
In his thesis for his Masters, published in the European Judicial Policy Centre series at the University of Bremen, Nikola Lafrenz examines the rulings of the Court of Justice on cross-border medical services in the Union and the export of financial and material service providers in the heal and care sector. He concludes that the gradual opening up of the national healthcare systems to European citizens who move around in the Union, as well as the export of certain services should be seen as both an opportunity for the social security systems and a chance for greater Cupertino between the institutions that are involved, especially in neighbouring regions. The author, however, is against the promotion of excessive "health tourism", as well as any harmonisation downwards of the European welfare systems.
(PB)
*** AILINE WOLFF-PFISTERER: Sprache als Freizügigkeitshemmnis in der EU. Sprachliche Anforderungen an ausländische EG-Bürger im Rahmen der Anerkennung von Befähigungsnachweisen für den Berufszugang und die Berufsausübung. Zentrum für Europäische Rechtspolitik an der Universität Bremen (see addresses attached). "ZERP Diskussionspapier" series, No. 3. 2002, 47 pp, 8 euros.
Do languages constitute an obstacle to free movement in the Union? As a researcher at the European Judicial Policy Centre at the University of Bremen, Ailine Wolff-Pfisterer examines the issue - often explored at a political level… - in a perspective that is strictly judicial, seeking to identify the Community and national provisions that, in the context of recognition of certificates and professional access, demand a specific linguistic knowledge. The author therefore examines, in this short publication (which is based on her Masters), Community directives, national laws and the jurisprudence of the Court of Justice and the national courts on this subject, especially in the areas involving doctors, dentists and lawyers.
(PB)
*** MICHEL KAHN: Franchise et Partenariat. Développer ou intégrer un réseau d'enseignes en commerce associé. Dunod (Paris. Internet: http: //http://www.dunod.com ). "Fonctions de l'entreprise" series. 2002, 322 pp. ISBN 2-10-005798-7.
Lecturer at the Centre d'études internationales de la franchise of Strasbourg III University, Michel Kahn gives a complete overview in this book of changes in organised trade, describing the various types of associated trade, starting with the transparency that tends these days to move in the direction of new types of organisation based more on partnership. The author also analyses all contractual factors to be taken into account, and questions concerning daily life and development of a network at both local and international level. The book is accompanied by case studies, a deontological charter and assessment tests.
(LD)
*** CORINNE BALAAM: Optimiser son organisation commerciale. Identifier et exploiter les leviers de performance. Dunod (see above)."Fonctions de l'entreprise" series. 2002, 258 pp. ISBN 2-10-006532-7.
Corine Balaam is a consultant for Cegos and in this book details the key stages in the commercial process, as well as underlining the practical steps involved in reconciling customer satisfaction and optimising the company's resources.
(LD)
*** EUROPEAN COMMISSION (Official Publications Office of the European Communities, L-2985, Luxembourg. Internet: http: //publications.eu.int) has published the following document:
*** Innovation & Technologicial Transfer. DG Enterprise (Directorate Innovation, EUFO 2286, L-2920 Luxembourg. Fax: (352) 430132084 - E-mail: innovation@cec.eu.int - Internet: http: //http://www.cordis.lu/itt-fr/home.htlm ). March 2003, No. 2/03, 32 p..
Published in French, English, German, Italian and Spanish, this issue focuses on the pooling of the Innovation projects. Over the last three years, the Union has supported 74 of these projects and aims to identify obstacles to innovation. The Commission brought them all together in project clusters in order to strengthen the capability of their participants to communicate with people from different horizons. Commissioner Philippe Busquin explains how he is encouraging Member States to make greater efforts to re-orientate their national policies and initiatives to stimulate innovation. The European innovation scoreboard is also examined, the "good results" of candidate countries being highlighted, as well as the results for some of them in certain domains developing positively.
*** Monthly Bulletin. European Central Bank (Postfach 160319, D-60066 Frankfurt am Main. Tel: (49-69) 13440 - Fax: 13446000 - Internet: http: //http://www.ecb.int ). March 2003, 184 p..
This weighty report from the European Central Bank is useful for those who follow the monthly economic developments in the Euro zone (monetary and financial developments, prices, labour market, taxation, macro-economic environment, exchange rates, balance of payments). The publication also includes many illustrative texts and graphs and statistics on the Eurozone euro.
*** Paneuropa Deutschland. Paneuropa Verlag (2 Hafnerberg, D-86152 Augsburg. Tel: (49-821) 528352 - Fax: 528353 - E-mail: paneuropa-verlag@t-online.de - Internet: http: //http://www.paneuropa.org ). January March 2003, No. 1, 35 pp., 3 euros. Subscription: 12 euros.
This issue of the German PanEuropa-Union publication includes interviews with Ingo Friedrich, vice-president of the European Parliament (also the Parliament's international president, the Croat philosopher Mislaw Jesiz and the publication's Editor-in-Chief, MEP Bernd Posselt (EPP). The publication also develops an appeal in favour of Bulgaria and Romania joining the Union, as well as Croatia but argues that Turkey's accession would mean the end of political union. Contributions are rounded off with a presentation of "rational pacifism" by Pope Jean Paul II.
*** Politica Exterior. Estudios de Política Exterior (6 Padilla, 28006 Madrid. Tel: (34-91) 4312628 - Fax: 5777252 - E-mail: revista@politicaexterior.com - Internet: http: //http://www.politicaexterior.com ). March-April 2003, No. 92, 200 pp., 10.50 euros.
What is the future for international law? Will the use of force predominate? This issue of the well-known Spanish review takes a look at these issues, analysing the repercussions of the Iraqi crisis on the USA, the Union and the trans-Atlantic relationship. In their conclusions, there is a convergence between the contributors: "If the USA is now seeking hegemony as the basis for Western civilisation, they should defend the law and its basic principles". There is also an interesting section examining different books, which, exceptionally, propose detailed documents that enable us to gain a better understanding of the current international situation.
*** Liaisons sociales Europe. Groupe Liaisons (1 av. Edouard-Belin, F-92500 Rueil-Malmaison. Tel: (33-825) 825371 - Fax: (33-1) 41299668 - Internet: http//http://www.ls-europe.com ). 20 March/2 April 2003, No. 76, 12 pp., 31 euros. Subscription: 757.58 euros.
As well as providing a comprehensive insight into European jurisprudence in the area of social security and pregnancy in 2002, this issue clarifies the picture in Germany, where "Chancellor Schröder is launching a social affairs big-bang", Spain (where Union nationals are granted residency permits) and Italy which had just adopted reforms that introduce a measure of flexibility into the labour code.
In brief
*** Paneuropa Intern. Paneuropa-Union Deutschland (Tel: (49-089) 554683 - Fax: 594768). March 2003, No. 3. This issue highlights the developments in the career of president Jacques Chirac as opposed to what is sometime describes as the "national-pacifism" of Chancellor Schröder.