*** ANDRE DUMOULIN, PHILIPPE MANIGART, WALLY STRUYS: La Belgique et la politique européenne de sécurité et de défense. Une approche politique, sociologique et économique. Bruylant (67 rue de la Régence, B-1000 Brussels. Tel: (32-2) 5129845 - Fax: 5117202 - E-mail: info@bruylant.be - Internet: http: //http://www.bruylant.be ). 2003, 676 pp. ISBN 2-8027-1814-2.
While it makes good journalism to focus on errors, failures and foot-dragging in the European project, there is at least one field where grouches feel stymied by a lack of sad events to chew over, namely the European Security and Defence Policy. The last few years have seen an expansion of this new EU policy, alternating from being in the shadow of its big brother (NATO) and being under its wing. The policy has been given organic, operational and commitment limits and is currently confined to what is known as the Petersberg tasks, but in four years it has been able to establish decision-making structures, military tools on demand, codification with the initial draft sketches of strategy and a paper on CSDP as a forerunner of a European White Paper on Security and Defence.
European at heart, Belgium has taken great care to play its part in this historic structure. The book notes that it was vital to examine the maturing of the CSDP in the field of diplomacy and Belgium's defence policy and the book provides the first attempt to consider the premises and commitments made by Belgium. The authors chose chapters on specific themes in line with their areas of expertise.
In the first part, André Dumoulin analyses the diplomatic and strategic elements of the subject. The eminent defence policy expert explores the position of Belgium at the end of the Cold War leading up to the most recent intervention by the Allies in Iraq. He outlines the Belgian desire to find cohesion in Europe through greater support for the CSDP, which allows a level of strategic autonomy. In the second part, Professor Dumoulin casts a critical eye over national military issues. He explains that considering the policy of restructuring the Belgian armed forces cannot be avoided if one wishes to understand Belgium's current attitude to the CSDP. In fact, the Belgian army is characterised by deep reforms, sometimes at a high social and financial cost, that the author sees as expressing both a strong capacity for controlled flexibility and the respect of inherent hierarchical constraints given the army's role as serving the nation.
In the third part, Wally Struys, also a Professor at Belgium's Ecole royale militaire, looks at economic aspects. After giving a broad analysis of Belgium's military budget and defence spending, he considers Belgian and European industry. In this area too, Belgium never ceases to recall the importance of EU integration, with the current prime minister, Guy Verhofstadt, stressing in a speech in The Hague on 19 February 2003 the absolute necessity of working towards the constitution of a unified and liberalised European defence industry. To conclude, Wally Struys considers inter-state cooperation in the manufacture and acquisition of arms and the direction this collaboration is moving in. Politically, it reflects the commitment by Member States to collective defence. Militarily, it facilitates the pursuit of objectives like standardisation and interoperability, while economically, it attempts to optimise the allocation of defence equipment budgets.
In the fourth part of the book, Philippe Manigart, a defence sociologist and Professor at the Ecole Royale militaire, analyses major sociological factors impacting on the structure and mission of Belgium's armed forces and more generally, on all Western armed forces. Adopting a comparative approach, he considers the macro-sociological changes that have transformed the older mass armies into post-modern armies. He then takes a close look at the macro-social consequences of this change in terms of human resources. Finally, he looks at public opinion with regard to the CDSP.
The final part of the book is given over to political concerns with André Dumoulin outlining the broad characteristics of Belgium's defence policy. He also looks at each aspect of the armed forces, one by one. This innovative and multi-disciplinary book gives readers the chance to discover or rediscover the CDSP in an unusual manner through the prism of the history of Belgium.
Alain Dremière
*** HELENE RUIZ FABRI, JEAN-MARC SOREL (editors): Le contentieux de l'urgence et l'urgence dans le contentieux devant les juridictions internationales: regards croisés. A. Pedone (13 rue Soufflot, F-75005 Paris. Tel.: (33-1) 43540597 - fax: 46340760 - E-mail: edition-pedone@wanadoo.fr). "Les Contentieux International" series. 2003, 210 pp. 20 euros. ISBN: 2-233-00426-4.
This book is the result of a collective work effort by university academics in the context of study days used to analyse convergence and divergence in the application of laws within international and national courts. The examination focuses on two current trends. International tribunals are increasingly dealing with cases normally judged by national bodies. The first study day, the editing of which was carried out by a panel of international and national legal specialists, looks at emergency and litigation procedures, mainly in the remit of international courts but also, as suggested in the title of the publication, a convergence on the nature of emergency procedures, the reasons behind them, what they mean and what impact they have
(PBu)
*** PHILIPPE-EMMANUEL PARTSCH: Le droit international privé européen. De Rome à Nice. Larcier (39 rue des minimes, B-1000 Brussels. Tel.: (32-2) 5480711 - fax: 5139009 - E-mail: lawbooks@larcier.be - Internet: http: //http://www.larcier.be ). "De thèses" series. 2003, 500p.. ISBN 2-8044-0984-8.
Philippe-Emmanuel Partsch, public auditor to the European Court of Justice, analyses the development of the rules in private international law, common to all Member States. In the first part of his book, he synthesises the intra-Community conventions in international private law and looks at their significance in Community law. In the second part of his book, the author presents the implications of the Treaty of Amsterdam in international private law. He examines Community competence in the area of international private law and the relationship between the different competencies, intergovernmentalism and the legal bases likely to support Community initiatives. The author completes his analysis of international private law in the context of Community construction, criticising its weaknesses and putting forward some proposals for its improvement. This book is the result of a PhD thesis at the University of Liege and the Robert Schuman University of Strasbourg. This contribution "enables the reader to appreciate the importance of the normative and institutional context in which it is based, notably , with a view to interpreting it. It also provides a general view of the disparate entities competing within it and illustrates the imperfections that still impact negatively on the competencies of the Community in this domain”.
(AD)
*** STEFANIA BARIATTI: Casi e materiali di diritto internazionale privato comunitario. Giuffrè Editore (40 Via Busto Arsizio, I-20151 Milan. Tel.: (39-2) 38089290 - fax: 38009582 - Internet: http: //http://www.giuffre.it ). Collection "L'Italia e la vita giuridica internazionale". 2003, 751 p.. ISBN: 88-14-10228-7.
The Amsterdam Treaty introduced some important modifications into the field of civil legal cooperation. Over the years, the Community has developed increasing competencies in international private law. In 1991, the Maastricht treaty instituted the cooperation of Member States of the Union in justice and legal affairs. This book examines the different instruments that were produced as a result of these events. It retraces the modifications that the Union has experienced over recent years. It contains may quotes from the Court of Justice. Its intention is to provide the reader with a systematic understanding of current and international private law and Community procedures.
(MRo)
*** DANYEL REICHE (editors): Handbook of Renewable Energies in the European Union - Case studies of all Member States. Ed. Peter Lang (1 Moosstrasse, CH-2542 Pieterlen. Fax: (41-32) 3761727 - Internet: http: //http://www.peterlang.de ). 2002, 268 p.. ISBN 3-631-39309-1.
If the preamble of Doctor Hermann Scheer is to be believed, this work is the result of a young and brilliant researcher at the Free University of Berlin It is intended to serve as a for scientists, political leaders, producers and investors, in a way that bridges the gap in the Union between the different national approaches in the Union concerning the promotion of renewable energies. The book claims to be the first of its kind that offers a global view of countries in the Union, available instruments and bodies that can possibly provide assistance, documentation or advice in the matter On this final point, many details are provided which subsequently demonstrate a very clear aim of the author to provide facts on this subject. The author was able to draw on the support of local specialists from each country studied and reveals, for example that although wind power potential in France is greater than that in Germany (due to ocean capacity), the latter installed 150 more wind powered generators in 2002 than in the former. He also reveals that although there is more sunshine in France , energy policies are less favourable for capturing solar energy. The book is backed up with graphs that are very detailed throughout the pages of the book, revealing progress and weak points alike but always fascinating.
(Foc)
*** JAMES MEADOWCROFT: The next steps: a climate change briefing for European decision-maker. Robert Schuman Centre for advanced studies - European University Institute (9 Via dei Roccettini, I-50016 San Domenico di Fiesole. Fax: (39-55) 4685770 - E-mail: forinfo@iue.it). "Policy paper" series, no 02/134. 2002, 49p..
This book by Doctor James Meadowcroft from the University of Sheffield constitutes the report of a symposium held in June 2002 at the European University Institute. It examines the difficult world wide phenomenon of pollution. It draws up a balance sheet of the deplorable consequences of the USA refusal to participate in the Kyoto Protocol. In Europe, although there is a relative fall in the level of greenhouse gas such as carbon dioxide, predictions are not promising in for the future in this respect. It appears that in 2010, 1990 levels will be reached once more. The author tackles the responses that European decision makes ought to be providing. He also examines the issue in a wider sense and looks at the discussions that are needed at an international level in order to get the Kyoto process up and running again.
(SCh)
*** NATHALIE SCHIFFINO, FREDERIC VARONE (editors): Procréation médicalement assistée: régulation publique et enjeux bioéthiques. Bruylant (67 rue de la Régence, B-1000 Brussels. Tel.: (32-2) 5129845 - fax: 5117202 - E-mail: info@bruylant.be - Internet: http: //http://www.bruylant.be ). 2003, 254 p.. ISBN: 2-8027-1704-9.
The implications of medically assisted procreation (MAP) are manifold. However, they are still mainly discussed within the confines of a scientific and political elite and barely impact on public opinion. This study attempts to take up this phenomenon and produce an inventory of MAP in Belgium. This publication is the result of the work by an interdisciplinary team from the Catholic University of Louvain. It looks at he social implications of this technique in light of actual cases. The book begins with an insight into public regulation on the subject, finishes with the view that a legal loophole exists and explores the legal changes. Science compels the law to take into consideration situation that precede birth and which, as a consequence, produce new risks. The activities of ethics committees are also explored. The final chapter of the first part looks at the status of human embryos and tackles he problem of parental investment in the MAP process. The second part of the study looks at the direct consequences of new bio-technologies on society. The book involves an anthropological and philosophical reflection on the paradox that exists between the desire to have a child and ethical considerations, as well as our regard for the body and male female relations. An overview of the different contributions concludes the book. In the epilogue the author looks at the notion of democracy, uncertainties, respect for difference, as well as a range of complex relationships and the sharing of responsibilities of the numerous actors involved in MAP.
(STu)
*** EUROPEAN COMMISSION (Official publications office of the European Communities, L-2985 Luxembourg. Internet: http: //publications.eu.int) has published the following document:
*** Going for growth: The economy of the EU. DG for Press and Communication (B-1049 Brussels). Collection "Europe on the move" 2003, 22 p. ISBN 92-894-6143-8.
This issue sets out to explain the economic dimension of the Union to the broad public. It succinctly explains the different stages of the integration process of the European economy, from the Treaty of Rome of 1957, which set up the European Economic community, to the economic and monetary union. It reveals that this process has provided a number of different advantages for all the EU's citizens. In this publication we find examples of the practical benefits, such as the expansion in the number of products and services on offer, the impact of the Euro and the fall in the level of interest payments.
*** Safety Monitor. European Transport Safety Council (34 rue du Cornet, B-1040 Brussels. Tel.: (32-2) 2304106 - fax: 2304215 - Internet: http://www.etsc.be - E-mail: information@etsc.be ). November 2003, n° 50, 8 p..
Safety Monitor reviews the different actions taken by the Commission, Parliament and Council of Ministers in transport safety: air, land and sea. The magazine presents, for example, the draft Commission directives on bull bars or the time spent on the roads by lorry drivers. There is also a report on the discussions between transport ministers from the new Member States. We also learn that the number of accidents on the roads is twice as high as that of the community's average.
*** Rivista di studi politici internazionali. Rivista di studi politici internazionali (40 Lungarno del Tempio, I-50121 Firenze. Tel.: (39-55) 666384). October - December 2003, No. 280, 226 p., subscription: 62 euros.
This publication provides readers with the draft Constitution in Italian. It contains a forward by Maria Rita Saulle, the oral report of Valéry Giscard d'Estaing to the Council of Thessaloniki and the reflections of Carlo Azeglio Ciampi, the president of Italy. It also contains an appeal by Jean-Paul II for a reference to the religious and Christian heritage of Europe in the future constitution. This is followed by a series of commentaries that focus on the place of the small countries in the Union, the distribution of competencies and the role of the regions. As well as in Italian this issue is also produced in French and English.
*** EIB Information. European Investment Bank (100 bd. Konrad Adenauer, L-2950 Luxembourg. Tel.: (352) 4379-1 - fax: 437704 - Internet: http://www.bei.org - E-mail: info@bei.org). 2003, n° 114, 24p..
This issue provides a report of the annual governors council of the EIB. It also contains information on the "i2i" programme, the financial aspects of the Lisbon strategy, funding strategies of accession and candidate countries in eastern and central Europe, as well as the Euro Mediterranean financial partnership of the EIB.
***A new global balance: The Challenge of Leadership. The World Bank (10 rue Montoyer bte 16, B-1000 Brussels. Tel.: (32-2) 5520052 - fax: 5520025 - Internet: http://www.worldbank.org - E-mail: feedback@worldbank.org). 2003, 14p..
This publication includes the speech made by James D. Wolfensohn, president of the World Bank Group to the council of governors in Dubai in September 2003. Wolfensohn highlights the growing imbalance between rich and poor countries in the world and points to ways in which implementing the "Millennium Development Goals" can be speeded up.
*** The World Bank Annual Report. The World Bank (see address attached). 2003, Volume 1 & 2, 192 + 157 p., ISBN: 0-8213-5594-5, 0-8213-5595-3.
This first edition of the report looks back at 2003. It provides an insight into the organisation, strategy and actions of the World Bank. It also contains the "thematic perspectives" such as environmental friendly growth and the social arena. Setting up solid financial systems is also explored, as well as the situation and perspectives for regions in the world where the bank is active. The second edition focuses on financial data. The publication also contains annexes.