*** MICHAEL KEATING (Ed.): Regions and Regionalism in Europe. Edward Elgar Publishing (Glensanda House, Montpellier Parade, Cheltenham, Glos GL50 1UA, UK. Internet: http://www.e-elgar.com ). "The International Library of Comparative Public Policy" series, No. 16. 2004, 692 pp. ISBN 1-84376-127-0.
Anyone interested in regional affairs will see this wonderful book as a true "bible"! The fact that the regions and the phenomenon of regionalism have been asserting themselves - especially in Europe - for more than half a century is patently obvious to everyone. Michael Keating points out in the introduction, however, that "the term 'region' can have several meanings and be approached from many different angles". Keating, who lectures in regional studies at the European University Institute in Florence (he also lectures at Aberdeen University), explains that a region is a geographical area, of course, but can also be conceptualised at several different spatial levels, from the local to the supra-national. Only considering regions from the sub-state level below the level of cities (as is done in this book), a wealth of other definitions come to light - a region can have resonance in history or be a vector of identity for its inhabitants; it can make one think of a particular landscape, a particular architecture or type of cuisine; it is often differentiated culturally through language or dialect; it can also give life to a different civil society or form an economic unit, not to mention the fact that it can also - increasingly so - be a level of government and administration. Michael Keating explains that these various aspects can mesh to varying degrees or never meet one another at all.
The authors of this book aim to forge a path through this confusion and almost completely cover the issue from the European point of view in getting on for seven hundred pages. The authors are historians, political scientists, geographers and economists. They use all the various methods employed by the scientific community to take the pulse of regional and regionalist phenomena in Europe, including against the backdrop of the rising power of European integration. The book's editor managed to gather together for this effect new contributions and authoritative essays already in print (published by other publishing companies). Taken as a whole, this makes a reference book that is impossible to summarise given its wealth of detail. An indispensable book that will no doubt remain a reference for a long time to come!
Michel Theys
*** ERNST MÖNNICH: Erklärungsansätze regionaler Entwicklung und politisches Handeln. Kritik und regionalökonomische Konsequenzen. Peter Lang (1 Moosstrasse, Postfach 350, CH-2542 Pieterlen, Suisse. Tel: (41-32) 3761717 - Fax: 3761727 - e-mail: publicity@peterlang.com - Internet: http: //http://www.peterlang.de ). "Strukturwandel und Strukturpolitik" series, No. 10. 2004, 471 pp. ISBN 3-631-52827-2.
In this highly detailed research, Ernst Mönnich, lecturer in economics at Bremen University, analyses both theoretically and empirically the concepts and outcome of regional and structural policies in Europe. A systematic comparison of the economic development of the regions of Bremen and Munich is used as a case study to illustrate theoretical conclusions. The author suggests that an effective and re-distributive regional policy should focus on endogenous human resources rather than encouraging mobility or material investment.
(PB)
*** STEPHEN WEATHERILL, ULF BERNITZ (Eds.): The Role of Regions and Sub-National Actors in Europe. Hart Publishing (Salter's Boatyard, Folly Bridge, Abingdon Road, Oxford OX1 4LB, UK. Tel: (44-1865) 245533 - Fax: 794882 - E-mail: mail@hartpub.co.uk - Internet: http: //http://www.hartpub.co.uk ). "Essays in European Law" series. 2005, 170 pp. ISBN 1-84113-488-0.
Directly echoing the book reviewed first in this book review, this fine collection of essays, the direct result of a conference held at Lincoln College in Oxford in April 2003, focussed on the involvement of sub-national governmental and regional authorities in the European integration process. Academic specialists explore the way (or ways, given the huge diversity of types of region in existence) regional bodies behave to ensure their views are heard in Europe (paying particular attention to the Committee of the Regions and initiatives taken 'in the regional field' by regions with legislative powers) and, moreover, to counteract pressure on regional bodies from the existence of Europe. From this point of view, we are talking of a genuine battlefield. In the introductory essay, Stephen Weatherill, lecturer in European law at Oxford University, describes the real 'regional blindness' displayed by the European Union with its refusing to take into account the way power is shared in countries themselves, not to mention between countries. He explains that while some capital cities take exceptionally kindly to the idea of subsidiarity when they look in an upwards direction, they are at pains to remove all thought of it from their minds when they look down … Begging the (im)pertinent question: "Is it really possible or sensible for the European Union to continue to be blind to a situation where Westphalia-Nortd-Rheinland has a bigger population than 18 of the 25 Member States? Is it right to see it simply as a domestic German issue?". Other questions arise, even more laden with meaning - are the regions sometimes the victim of plots and collusion between national and European levels of government? Whether they are or not, Stephen Weatherill observes, it is impossible to deny that the regions scarcely benefit in European courts from a more favourable status than private individuals even. And they cannot be defended by their state which is perfectly capable of disapproving of their action. From there it is one step to imagining that a state can sometimes be tempted to remove powers from the regions to attribute them to European level where states are the only authorised players. Some essays in this accusing yet rigorous book encourage one to make that step. (PBo)
*** FRANCESC MORATA, RICARD RAMON: Regiones y Constitución Europea. Institut Universitari d'Estudis Europeus (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Edifici E-1, 08193 Bellaterra, Spain. Tel: (34-93) 5812016 - Fax: 5813063 - Internet: http://www.uab.es/iuee ). "Quaderns de treball" series, No. 44. 2005, 35 pp, €12.01. ISBN 84-95201-16-X.
In the same spirit as the previous book, this publication from the European Studies Institute of the Autonomous University of Barcelona looks at the precarious role of the regions in the European integration process. First of all, the authors (Director of the European Studies Institute, Francesc Morata lectures in politics and Ricard Ramon is one of his doctoral students) examine the instruments currently at the disposal of regional authorities in the European context. They then make a detailed analysis of the proposals and ideas defended at regional level during the European Convention's work. Finally, they study the main consequences of the final agreement on the European Constitution for countries like Spain which have regions with legislative powers. The fact that the Constitution is in abeyance does not detract in any way from the usefulness of this brief study.
(MT)
*** GERHARD DROESSER, STEFAN SCHIRM (Eds.): Kreuzungen. Ethische Probleme der modernen Stadt. Peter Lang (see above). "Moderne - Kulturen - Relationen" series, No. 6. 2005, 320 pp. ISBN 3-631-53260-1.
Sociological, ethical and theological reflections on the phenomenon of modern, post-modern and utopian cities in a series of academic essays. In their individual articles, the authors analyse the different aspects of urban life - geography, sociography, traffic, psychology, religion, education and communications. Most of the authors are German theologians, researchers and lecturers from cities as diverse as Würzburg, Berlin, Paderborn, Bremen, Tübingen and Louvain-la-Neuve (Belgium), who have contributed to this inter-disciplinary, creative and literary book, with surprising perspectives.
(PB)
*** MICHEL DELEBARRE, DIDIER QUENTIN: La cohésion territoriale à l'épreuve de l'élargissement. Délégation pour l'Union européenne de l'Assemblée nationale (Boutique de l'Assemblée nationale, 4 rue Aristide Briand, F-75007 Paris. Tel: (33-1) 40636121 - Internet: http://www.assemblee-nationale.fr ). "Les rapports d'information de l'Assemblée nationale", No. 2374. 2005, 71 pp, €3-50. ISBN 2-1111-7500-5.
This newsletter looks at the five draft regulations the Commission has put forward to support EU regional policy from next year onwards. The two French parliamentarians who wrote the newsletter give unstinting support to the approach recommended by Brussels, describing the draft legislation as avoiding the three major stumbling blocks that could jeopardise a genuine territorial policy for all regions of Europe. Firstly, the Commission decided not to simply focus on some specific regions which, according to Michel Delebarre and Didier Quentin, would have deprived regional policy of a real EU dimension and would even have condemned it to disappear altogether in the long-term. Secondly, it was careful not to focus, for example for the distribution of funds among former Member States, on technological and economic performance criteria which, as the authors explain, "sometimes turn out to be incompatible with effectively tackling territorial inequalities that restrain growth in Europe and are the main raison d'être for European intervention”. Thirdly, the proposed procedures demonstrate genuine desire to simplify, which leads the two newsletter-writers to hope that the future regional policy will manage to avoid being overly centralised and bureaucratised which, they add, "would refresh the sometimes caricature-like image of the European institutions". Do they think everything is working out for the best in the best of all Europes? The currently deadlock in the Financial Perspectives is there to prove the contrary, since it takes regional policy hostage. However, the authors point out that regional policy is undisputedly a valuable took for introducing or restoring the political link between Europeans and their institutions, and tightening the links between all Europeans. An appeal to good sense, at the end of the day.
(MT)
*** JEAN-MARIE SERMIER: Vers un nouveau dessein pour les campagnes européennes. Délégation pour l'Union européenne de l'Assemblée nationale (see above). "Les rapports d'information de l'Assemblée nationale", No. 2286. 2005, 65 pp, €3-50. ISBN 2-11-119162-0.
This particular Newsletter is a useful adjunct to the previous because it analyses - and defends - ideas put forward by the European Commission to favour rural development without taking farming hostage any more than at present. The author welcomes the fact that by decreasing the emancipation of policy in the direction of rural areas, the EU authorities remove it from the shadows where agricultural market policies along with regional policy programming had left it marooned for too long. The author describes it as a 'wonderful opportunity' for the European Union. As long, once again, as the budget threat is removed…
(MT)
*** PETER KOVACS: La protection internationale des minorités nationales aux alentours du millénaire. Editions Pedone (13 rue Soufflot, F-75005 Paris. Tel: (33-1) 43540597). "Cours et travaux" series, No. 5. 2005, 96 pp, €10. ISBN 2-233-00-472-8.
Professor of international law at Miskolc and Peter Pazmani Universities, Prof. Kovacs has collected in his book the lectures he gave in 2003 at the 'Institut des hautes études internationales de l'Université Panthéon-Assas (Paris II)'. He outlines the broad trends in international protection of minorities, and the activity of organisations like the Society of Nations, the UN, the Organisation for Cooperation and Security in Europe, and the European Union. He takes particular interest in action in this field by the Council of Europe, with its European Charter of Regional and Minority Languages, for example, and the framework-convention on the protection of national minorities in Europe. This approach enables him to discern how minorities, their governments and international organisations tend to think, and the reasons behind changes in their attitudes. He says the recent changes are connected with the metamorphoses in a philosophical, historically determined, concept of the state known as a 'nation state', a concept whose relative nature and gradual changes are becoming ever more perceptible. At the start of the book, Peter Kovacs points out in this connection that modern acceptance of the term 'minority' came about with the birth of the nation-state, since under the feudal system 'being a member of a minority was seen as a privilege.' He argues that the parenthesis of two world wars is being closed today, with borders losing their importance and European economic and social integration picking up speed, all of which indicates that when it comes to preserving the long-term interests of the state, the economy was more important than the army.
(PBo)
*** The EUROPEAN COMMISSION (Official Publications Office of the European Communities, L-2985 Luxembourg. Internet: http: //publications.eu.int) has published the following document:
*** RDT Info. DG Research, Information and Communications Unit (Tel: (32-2) 2959971 - Fax: 2958220 - E-mail: research@cec.eu.int). May 2005, 44 pp.
This special issue is entirely devoted to polar research. Both the Arctic and the Antarctic, with their geophysical particularities and isolation, are unique research environments for disciplines like climatology, biology, meteorology and astronomy. The poles are also the subject of several international protection treaties. The magazine outlines polar exploration, pointing out how polar regions are of such major importance for European research, and describing some areas of current research like the study of global warming and European and international missions.
*** Gérer & Comprendre. Editions ESKA (12 rue du Quatre-Septembre, F-75002 Paris. Tel: (33-1) 42865573 - Fax: 42604535 - E-mail: eska@eska.fr - Internet: http: //http://www.eska.fr ). "Annales des Mines" series, No. 80. June 2005, 98 pp, €23. Annual subscription: €86. ISBN 2-747-20862-1.
In these fluctuating times, this review provides an article entitled 'New Threats and Governance', looking at recognition of new risk horizons and showing how decision-makers are often badly equipped to deal with situations of major crisis. The publication also includes an interview with one of the big names in social science in France, Michel Crozier, and articles on the unusual case of Hanoi Public Transport and women as innovators.
*** Südosteuropa Mitteilungen . Geschäftsstelle der Südosteuropa-Gesellschaft (49 Widenmayerstrasse,
D-80538 Munich. Tel: (49-89) 21254-0 - Fax: 2289469 - E-mail: suedosteuropa-gesellschaft@t-online.de - Internet: http://www.suedosteuropa-gesellschaft.com ). 2005, No.3, 120 pp. €10. Annual subscription: €50.
The majority of essays in English and German in this issue deal with Kosovo. They outline the situation and current challenges of the province of Kosovo, still administered by the United Nations, for which 2005 could well be a crucial years. As shown in several articles, its status may be decided in the months to come. Over and beyond the legal issue of its status, Kosovo still has to find sustainable solutions to the question of multi-ethnicity, rebuilding the economy, and adopting new standards of governance, work which the European stabilisation mechanism may contribute towards. Other articles deal with the impact of globalisation, and fiscal dumping.
*** Paneuropa Intern. Paneuropa-Union Deutschland e.V. (17 Dachauer Straße, D-80335 Munich. Tel: (49-89) 554683 - Fax: 594768). June 2005, No. 6, 4 pp. Annual subscription: €95.
This newsletter looks at the consequences of the No vote in the French referendum and looks at how French Catholics voted (like his predecessor, the new Pope has come out in favour of European integration). Another article recalls the need for political guidance in Europe, such as was dispensed in their day by figures like Gasperi, Adenauer and Schuman, true Catholic believers who opposed clericalism and recommended opening up to other religions.
*** BEUC en bref. Bureau Européen des Unions de Consommateurs (36 av. de Tervuren bte 4, B-1040 Brussels. Tel: (32-2) 7431590 - Fax: 7402802 - E-mail: consumers@beuc.org - Internet: http://www.beuc.org ). 2nd quarter 2005, No.51, 12 pp.
This issue of BEUC's quarterly publication warns against home air fresheners that may spread dangerous substances. The leaflet provides a brief run-down of the state of play in various consumer issues like unfair trade practices, nutrition and health allegations.
*** Waterways Newsletter. Inland Navigation Europe (Office 6G65, 20 av. Roi Albert II, B-1000 Brussels. Tel: (32-2) 5536270 - Fax: 5536272 - E-mail: info@inlandnavigation.org - Internet: http://www.inlandnavigation.org ). June 2005, 4 pp.
This newsletter describes the advantages of inland waterways - safe, few external costs and with excellent energy/freight weight ratios, which make it a means of transport that respects the environment and de-congests roads, as is demonstrated by the transport of waste material on the Thames in London, and the transport of biodiesel.