*** DAMIEN HELLY, FRANCK PETITEVILLE (Eds.): L'Union européenne, acteur international. L'Harmattan (5-7 rue de l'Ecole-Polytechnique, F-75005 Paris. Tel: (33-1) 40467920 - Fax: 43258203 - E-mail: harmattan1@wanadoo.fr - Internet: http://www.editions-harmattan.fr ). "Logiques politiques" series. 2005, 270 pp, €23. ISBN 2-7475-7862-3.
The wars in the former Yugoslavia and, more recently, in Iraq in 2003 have naturally fed into scepticism about the 'consistency' of the European Union's role as a player on the world scene. There are glimpses of hope, however, outlined in this cross-discipline collection of essays looking at all aspects of the European project's global dimension. In the introduction, Franck Petiteville points out that thus far, the European Community has developed an international mode of action based on institutional, economic and cooperative means rather than military resources, attraction rather than coercion, exporting rules and values, based at the end of the day on the ability to form a model for the rest of the world. An over-idealistic view? Perhaps. But to take an example, who these days would claim that simply in terms of the effectiveness of resources used to reach the same objective of contributing to democracy and the rule of law, Turkey's desire to join the European 'club' and its values (which some criticise it for) is far more promising than the sinking sands of Iraq? Using paths other than military muscle, the European Community has its own, innovative, way of existing, and is becoming permanent.
These facts are set out to varying extents in the various parts of this very comprehensive book, whose main characteristic is approaching the question of the European Union's global role in the broadest possible sense. The first part looks at institutionalisation of the EU's international action and the legitimacy problems arising from this with regard to public opinion in the Member States. On the latter point, there is an interesting article by Céline Belot, CNRS research manager at the 'Institut d'Etudes Politiques' in Grenobles (France), outlining three coherent visions of the international order determining different types of expectations of the EU's role as a foreign policy instrument for the Member States, looking at public opinion in the UK and France. The first vision sees the international order based around the existence of the Great Powers. A dominant view among French people and also found among some British people, this tends to see the EU as the appropriate body for taking action at international level. The second vision, hugely dominant in the UK, measures power in terms of spheres of influence, with the UK seen as being at the centre of a multinational sphere of influence, with the EU simply one connection among many. The third vision, with few followers in either the UK or France, rejects the idea of power structuring the world order, seeing the globe as being a single unit these days, a global village. The second part of the book studies the possibility of a European foreign policy and the question of the EU's borders, in terms of defence, human rights and humanitarian action. The EU's cooperation with the United States, Russia, China, developing countries and Europe's Mediterranean and Caucausian fringes are then studied, with the final part of the book considering the EU's role in regulating globalisation through its trade policy and, more specifically, its broadcasting, farm and environmental policies.
Michel Theys
*** ANGELIKA HABLE: The European Constitution: Changes in the Reform of Competences with a Particular Focus on the External Dimension. Europainstitut der Wirtschaftsuniversität Wien (39-45 Althanstraße, A-1090 Vienna. Tel: (43-1) 31336-4135, 4134 - Fax: 31336-758 -756 - E-mail europafragen@wu-wien.ac.at). "IEF working paper", No. 67. 2005, 60 pp, €7-20.
This research published by the European Studies Institute at Vienna Business University looks at the changes the Constitution could make (could have made?) to the EU's external dimension and the balance of power in the EU's external dimension. Angelika Hable pays particular attention to the impact of establishing an EU Foreign Minister and the greater powers of the European Council in this field. She also looks at the aims and objectives of the EU's newly defined foreign policy, and the tools at its disposal.
(LD)
*** ALESSANDRO COLOMBO, NATALINO RONZITTI (Eds.): L'Italia e la politica internazionale. Società editrice il Mulino (Bologna. Internet: http://www.mulino.it ). 2005, 310 pp, €25. ISBN 88-15-10644-8.
This is the sixth edition of this almanach on Italy in international affairs, with two dozen essays on the international political, military and business issues of 2004, namely Iraq, counter-terrorism, reform of the United Nations, the EU Constitution and enlargement, EU macro-economic policies, globalisation and Afghanistan… Published by two prestigious Italian international policy institutes, the Istituto Affari Internazionali (IAI) and the Istituto per gli Studi di Politica Internazionale (ISPI), the essays by experts and researchers give an Italian perspective on global affairs in this very useful reference book. There is also a chronology of Italian foreign policy and international events in 2004.
(PB)
*** GEORGES GRINDA: La Principauté de Monaco. L'Etat, son statut international, ses institutions. Editions A. Pedone (13 rue Soufflot, F-75005 Paris). 2005, 218 pp, €30. ISBN 2-233-00476-0.
Established in the thirteenth century, the independence of the principality of Monaco, under the leadership of the Grimaldi family (originally from Genoa), was recognised at the end of the Middle Ages. Its status as an independent country was granted by the 1815 Vienna Treaty, the 1919 Versailles Treaty and various agreements signed with France. It is now a Member State of the United Nations, the OECD and the Council of Europe, but not the European Union (it is, however, a member of the EU's customs union and the euro is legal tender in Monaco). A high ranking civil servant in Monaco, author Georges Grinda describes and comments on various aspects of the way Monaco functions. The preface is by Prof. Weil, one of the authors of the 1962 Monaco Constitution.
(LD)
*** KENNEDY GRAHAM, TÂNIA FELÍCIO: Regional Security and Global Governance: A Proposal for a Regional-Global Security Mechanism. Royal Institute for International Relations (69 rue de Namur, B-1000 Brussels. Tel: (32-2) 2234114 - Fax: 2234116 - E-mail: info@irri-kiib.be - Internet: http://www.irri-kiib.be ). "Egmont Papers", No. 4. 2005, 46 pp. ISBN 90-382-0694-1.
This book from the Belgian 'Institut Royal des Relations Internationales ' is an abridged version of research carried out by the regional integration comparative studies department at the United Nations University. Like the other books in the series, the subject of the book is tangibly connected with diplomacy and international relations. Before the setting up of the Society of Nations and the United Nations, regional security was the highest geostrategic level considered by security policy. The 1945 to 1991 period saw a global order based on rivalry between the United States and the USSR, later giving way to a new epoch and new challenges. In this new situation, regional organisations are growing in importance as part of a global security mechanism, despite the fact that they were not very credible a few decades ago for security issues. But will the the United Nations and, more importantly, its Security Council, undermined and shaken to an even greater extent by pressure on its traditional doctrine following the first Iraq War, be able to adapt to this? Is it possible to take the same approach to all regional organisations? How will regional and global issues mesh? These are some of the questions considered by the book's authors, highlighting changes in security mechanisms linking the global and regional levels, opening up the prospect of a time when such changes mark a kind of turning point in the global security strategy that could well impact on the United Nations for the next half a century. (FRo)
*** ROBERT KOLB: Le droit relatif au maintien de la paix internationale. Evolution historique, valeurs fondatrices et tendances actuelles. Editions A. Pedone (13 rue Soufflot, F-75005 Paris. Tel: (33-1) 43540597). "Cours et travaux" series, No. 4. 2005, 118 pp, €10. ISBN 2-233-00470-1.
The first part of this book looks at changes over time in international peace-keeping operations. There follows a chapter on broad changes in international peace-keeping law and the book ends with a summary. The historic background is fascinating in itself, for readers who enjoy learning the lessons of history at least. One of the lessons outlined in the book is that there are many similarities between the nineteenth century and the start of the twenty-first century when it comes to the rules of war, particularly since we are witnessing the collapse of an established order and the start of a new phase of international anarchy. It is worrying, for example, to see nineteenth century movers and shakers' arguments being repeated during the Kosovo War, where it was argued that humanitarian intervention "could not be called legally right but [could] be morally justifiable and even commendable". A professor at Bern University in Switzerland, the author reviews the various multilateral attempts to put an end to war throughout the twentieth century, like the Society of Nations and the United Nations, describing their peace-keeping mechanisms. But this is not history for history's sake. The first chapter gradually outlines the current set-up, explaining the crisis in the UN for example. Prof. Robert Kolb points out that it is not by opposing the United States' action against Iraq that the United Nations became irrelevant but on the contrary, the fact that the UN avoided opposing the United States as far as most countries are concerned. International peace-keeping law is basically a reflection of international relations. This book is useful for understanding international relations, but unfortunately ends on a distinctly gloomy note in terms of future prospects…
(FRo)
*** FERNANDO BUSTAMANTE, GUILLAUME FONTAINE, HERNAN IBARRA CRESPO, MARCO ROMERO CEVALLOS, JOSE SANCHEZ PARGA, JURGEN SCHULDT: Dépendances et démocratie en Amérique andine. Colophon (25 rue Gratès, B-1170 Brussels. Fax: (41-32) 3761727 - E-mail: colophon@online.be - Internet: http://www.colophon.be ). "Essais" series. 2004, 128 pp. ISBN 2-930254-12-2.
This book is published with the support of the 'Alliance des éditeurs indépendants et la Coopération belge' by the Colophon publishing company, a member of the 6 November consortium which opts for a pluralist editorial approach, open to stakeholders in society working to establish greater justice and solidarity in North-South relations. The situation facing Latin America is not as dire as that facing Africa of course, but it remains sensitive and problematic nonetheless. Latin American views do not count for much in international gatherings. The situation facing countries around the Andes is particularly awkward, where society and the economy seem to face deeper and more tenacious problems than elsewhere on the continent. The authors are sociologists, political scientists, historians and anthropologists. They do not mince their words, casting a critical eye over governments, politicians, outside intervention and even civil society. The essays look at Amazonia, the functioning of institutions, indigenous movements, relations with the United States and relations with the European Union. Overall, they bear witness to a genuine crisis of democracy in Latin America, both in terms of how democracy operates in practice and in terms of its foundations. The authors are unanimous in their criticisms of the unbridled free market economy policies encouraged by the United States and relayed by local governments to the benefit of the minority.
(FRo)
*** DJAMIL AISSANI, GIOVANNI LOBRANO, ABDELKADER SID AHMED (Eds.): Acteurs locaux et patrimoine immatériel: le rôle des Villes historiques de la Méditerranée. Editions Publisud (15 rue des Cinq-Diamants, F-75013 Paris. Tel: (33-1) 45807850 - Fax: 45899415 - E-mail: edipublisud@wanadoo.fr) et Isprom (32 piazza d'Italia, I-07100 Sassari. Tel: (30-79) 237364 - Fax: 200083 - E-mail: lavleo@tiscalinet.it). "Conférence permanente des villes historiques de la Méditerranée" series. 2004, 336 pp, €48. ISBN 2-86600-987-8.
This book publishes the edited and updated proceedings of an international conference organised by the EuroMed Heritage Programme looking at research and policies concerning local communities in the Mediterranean region, under the assumption that preserving the heritage of towns and cities can be a useful 'trampoline' in the direction of the world under globalisation..
(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). November 2005, special issue, 44 pp..
Following on from the first special issue of RDT Info looking at the results of two Eurobarometer polls on how Europeans see science, this issue takes coals to Newcastle in a way because it looks at the transmission of scientific knowledge. Helga Nowotny, President of the European Advisory Committee on Research, looks at the connection between research and society and research and the media. She regrets the growing opposition to research from movements systematically based on values systems, and the massive domination of research to boost industry competitiveness at the expense of basic research. There are articles on the problems facing scientific journals, debates between researchers and journalists, the role of science in traditional media and the internet, education and the man in the street's interest in science.
*** 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, Nos. 4-5, 200 pp, €10. Annual subscription: €50.
The arrest of Croatian general Ante Gotovina is not directly covered in this issue of Südosteuropa Mitteilungen, but it does highlight all the unresolved issues in the region. There are articles on the impact of the rejection of the European Constitution in the Western Balkans, where its failure has cast a shadow over the prospects of Balkans states joining the EU, the 'Turkish dilemma' and Romanian politics. This issue also includes a hefty dossier on Bosnia Herzegovina with essays from a dozen authors following a conference on the outcome of, and alternatives to, the Dayton Accords. It explains that peace is genuine and the economy of Bosnia Herzegovina has almost returned to its pre-war levels, but that there are still plenty of obstacles in the path of the country's future and the EU and the international community should continue their intervention in Bosnia Herzegovina.
*** Parität EU- Report. EU-Repräsentanz der Paritätische Wohlfahrtsverbandes (159 rue Belliard, B-1040 Brussels. Tel: (32-2) 2381000 - Fax: 2381009 - E-mail: eu.bruessel@paritaet.org). 2005, No. 3, 46 pp.
This publication provides an overview of the EU institutions' work and current events (with links to source documents). It is divided into six topics - health policy, social policy, employment, research/knowledge, and institutional issues. It looks at efforts to boost the freedom, security and justice policy in the EU, a plan to establish health indicators for people living in the EU, the European Youth Policy, the Financial Perspectives and the opening in Warsaw of the Border Security Agency.
*** Metamorphosis. European Environmental Bureau (34 Bd. de Waterloo, B-1000 Brussels. Tel.: (32-2) 2891090 - Fax: 2891099 - E-mail: eeb@eeb.org - Internet: http://www.eeb.org ). October 2005, 12 pp.
The first page of this issue is taken up with an editorial urging MEPs and European governments to preserve REACH, pointing out that over the past thirty years, only 1% of the 100,000 chemicals present on the market have been tested and risk assessed. The magazine also looks at future prospects and the application of the EU's seven environment themes, regretting that Jose Manuel Barroso says that new EU environmental policy will have to make a positive impact on growth and employment.
Reviews in brief
*** La Flandre. Ministère de la Flandre. September-November 2005, Brussels. The magazine has articles on cultural events and artists in Flanders (the Dutch speaking part of Belgium), like Jan Fabre, economic news, like the inauguration of the Deurganckdok at the port of Antwerp, and international news. *** Market Report 2005. European Aluminium Association. 2005, Brussels. The report provides an overview of the aluminium industry in Europe, with facts and figures to boot, looking at aluminium production and use by end consumers.