*** DELPHINE GABORIAU SORIN: Quel avenir pour les aides directes à l'agriculture européenne ? Editions Apogée (11 rue du Noyer, F-35000 Rennes. Tel: (33-2) 99324595 - fax: 99324598 - e-mail: apogee.rennes@wanadoo.fr - Internet: http://www.editions-apogee.com ). "Publications du Centre d'excellence Jean Monnet de l'Université Rennes 1" series. 2007, 190p p., €20. ISBN 978-2-84398-261-3.
This is a book that a few European leaders should have on their bedside tables. Light bedside reading for better preparation for dreamland or at least for having a peaceful night. In any case it should be in their reach while at work: European Commissioners (notably Mariann Fischer Boel in pride of place), agriculture ministers, senior European and national officials, MEPs, leaders of agricultural organisations, farmers and those wanting to get their voices heard. Even heads of state and governments from the EU27 would do well to take the trouble of plunging into its sometimes daunting pages in order to be able, when the time comes and in full knowledge of the facts, have to decide on the future for Common Agricultural Policy . It starts with “Green Europe” and contains an insight into a great myriad of views, including those who oppose everything about the policy. Currently working as a journalist in an agricultural organisation in France, Delphine Gaboriau Sorin's university thesis focuses (graduate in agricultural law and agro-food related subjects) on developments in Common Agricultural Policy and touches on reform, direct aid to farmers, as well as the future promised them. She identifies incoherencies by the European legislator in the area of pressures on the WTO concerning “Green Europe”. The author explains that total cross compliance is a dead-end because multi-functionality will replace production and create a Community system of co-financed aid based on income.
Michel Theys
*** KLAUS DIETER JOHN, DIRK T. G. RÜBBELKE (Editors): Development Aid and Environmental Protection. Peter Lang (1 Moosstrasse, CH-2542 Pieterlen. Tel: (41-32) 3761717 - fax 3761727 - E-mail: info@peterlang.com - Internnal: http://www.peterlang.de ). 2007, 137 pp., €31.80 ISBN 978-3-631-55709-9.
Klaus Dieter John and Dirk T.G. Rübbelke have brought together a number of contributions in this book on the theme of development aid and environmental protection. The contributions were made at the fourth “Europe and the Environment” symposium at the University of Chemnitz, in Germany last year. There were as many contributions as different degrees making up the link between development aid and environmental protection, even if, in fact, we would almost be able to reverse the terms and speak about environmental aid and development protection. This is pointed out in the introduction, one cannot exist without the other due to the simple reason that, “poverty eradication at the expense of the ecological system is impossible since the economic system provides the base of life”. It is therefore in the interest of developed countries to support environmental protection, sustainable development in its broadest sense, in countries that are less developed, not only to help reduce poverty in these countries but also to protect common ecological benefits required by all humanity. This includes, for example, the Congo forest basin region, which, after the Amazonian basin, constitutes the biggest forest carbon sink in the world. Tackling global problems obviously involves examination of globalisation, particularly liberalisation of international trade.
This is what the authors achieve, without any over-simplification. They acknowledge that given current knowledge, it is difficult to accurately assess the whole fall-out from the liberalisation of international trade, in terms of poverty or environment. Therefore, John and Rübbelke point out, “liberalisation of trade is expected to raise global welfare, although the distribution of the gained wealth is a main controversial subject”. Anil Markandya shares this point of view in her composition on the interaction between international trade, sustainable development and the environment, which could change in terms of trade rules and environmental standards. Vivekandanda Mukherjee supported by Dirk Rübbelke, examine the support gained through mathematical modelling, particularly the possibilities of transferring less polluting technologies (in terms of CO2 in these cases) in a free trade environment and as part of the Kyoto Protocol mechanism, which allowed developed countries to count reductions that had been made by the least developed countries. This is a seductive mechanism that could still receive the backing of countries that have less polluting technologies to give them a competitive edge, even if the whole world benefits from it in the end. John Ddumba-Ssentamu tackles environmental protection funding in Africa as part of the Millennium Development Objectives (which are also explored in other essays) and on the basis of the continent's socio-economic characteristics. Juan Llanes-Regueiro explores the benefits of the collaborative approach. The books conclude with a re-transcription of the discussions that followed the above mentioned presentation and allowed us to benefit from the exchange of views between the different participants.
These presentations were made by European researchers but also researchers from the different regions of the developing world. These researchers are strengthened by their knowledge of the specific area and their region of origin. They were also aware of being part of a substantial collaborative venture, not in the form of assistance but rather in a project that was ultimately useful to everyone. The book also looks at the fight against greenhouse gases and the development of poor countries in a globalised environment.
(FRo)
*** A. DENNY ELLERMAN, BARBARA K. BUCHNER, CARLO CARRARO (Editors): Allocations in the European Emissions Trading Scheme. Rights, Rents and Fairness. Cambridge University Press (The Edinburgh Building, Shaftesbury Road, Cambridge CB2 2RU, UK. Tel: (44-1223) 312393 - fax: 315052 - Internet: http://www.cambridge.org ). 2007, 415 pp, £60. ISBN 978-0-521-87568-4.
The European Union is certainly the pioneer and spearhead of the CO2 emissions trading system and can serve as an example to the rest of the international community. The Commission is therefore continuing to work on this question and this book is a result of the project, “Lessons Learnt from the National Allocation of Allowances”, which it developed. More precisely, this book entirely focuses on the creation and distribution of trading permits. The first contribution by Peter Zapfel, exposes the process of the first “round” of allocation (2005-07) and the rules which guided it, as well as the rules which guided it, including the obstacles that confronted the Commission's approach and the way they were tackled. The second pat of the book looks at the implementation of the system by ten of the Union countries (Germany, Denmark, Spain, Hungary, Italy, Ireland, Poland, Czech Republic, United Kingdom and Sweden). The case of the three new members was different because in general they had needed to make less of an effort to respect their Kyoto Protocol objectives than the older EU members. Each of these countries is examined by a national expert according to an approach common to all the other contributions in order to provide a comparative study. The book is not limited to theory alone but also seeks to provide a study of the actual situation involved in applying the system and highlights the difficulties encountered (such as the low level of data collected on emissions from installations and the different sectors) and how these difficulties were resolved, in an effort to illustrate to readers what lessons can be drawn from the first phase in view of the following phase covering the 2008-12 period.
(FRo)
*** Revue politique et parlementaire. Société d'Edition Diplomatique et Parlementaire (3 rue Bellini, F-92800 Puteaux. Tel: (33-1) 46981374 - fax: 47730148). April/June 2007, No. 1043, 184 pp., €24. Annual subscription: €61 (France), €75 (abroad). ISBN 2-85702-158-5.
"L'eau: la guerre aura-t-elle lieu ?" (Water, will there be a War?) accounts for the entire issue and is unlike the customary columns, such as the economic analysis by Christian de Boissieu. This time it focuses on the question of water, its scarcity, purification and irrigation etc. This very comprehensive dossier focuses on certain aspects in France but other contributions deal with other countries. Sylvie Detoc therefore presents “Europe of Water”, Jean-François Donzier describes "The global water stakes at play", other writers centre on aid for the Millennium Development Objectives and the environment.
(MT)
*** CLEMENT VANEECLOO, AUGUSTA BADRIOTTI, MARGHERITA FORNASINI: Fiscal Federalism in the European Union and Its Countries. A Confrontation between Theories and Facts. Peter Lang (see address attached). "International Financial Relations" series, No. 2. 2006, 238 pp., €27.90. ISBN 978-90-5201-044-7.
This book contains a warm preface by Alexandre Lamfalussy, the current president of the international Triffin organisation. The book proposes a far-reaching analysis of "fiscal federalism" in the context of the Union by meticulously comparing theory with empirical proof. The three economists analyse the following to this end: cohesion policy and the Stability and Growth Pact. They also provide a budgetary comparison between German reunification and the "big bang" enlargement of the Union. Their reflections lead them to call for a resolutely pragmatic approach on the road of a genuine fiscal federalism at a European level. They also point out that the pursuit of integration cannot replace the economy because in this area there is also a certain differentiation.
(PBo)
*** RALF FENDEL: Monetary Policy, Interest Rate Rules, and the Term Structure of Interest Rates. Peter Lang (see address attached)). "Studien zu Internationalen Wirtschaftsbeziehungen" series, No. 8. 2007, 187 p.. ISBN 978-3-631-55894-2.
The objective of this book is to contribute to research on economic and financial theories. The author focuses on the “term structure” for interest rates in stabilisation theories, generally known as neo-classical synthesis. The book therefore assesses these theories and the financial mathematics of which they are composed. It inserts term structure into interest rates and compares them with empirical analysis. This book is certainly very technical and focused on its area. It is clearly addressed to economists and mathematicians specialising in this area.
(FRo)
*** FILIPPO DI MAURO, ROBERT ANDERTON (Editors): The External Dimension of the Euro Area. Assessing the Linkages. Cambridge University Press (see address attached). 2007, 211 p., £50. ISBN 978-0-521-86700-9.
The Euro is a recent construction and many things still need to be learned about it, particularly with regard to its integration into the global economy. Based on a workshop that the European Central Bank in 2004 dedicated to the external dimension of the Euro and completed by recent work, this book seeks to further clarify the issue. Elaborated under the supervision of two senior officials at the Bank of Frankfurt, it brings together contributions by around fifteen writers, academics and economic researchers, directors at the major banks and senior officials at the national or supranational institutions. The main aim is to locate the “channels” of integration for the Euro in the context of globalisation and to see how this reverberates in terms of external economic shocks on the Euro zone. This book seeks to identify these various channels: trade, financial and monetary movements or even psychological factors, such as the transmissions of confidence or lack of. These different channels and their impact, particularly their potential to transmit shocks are then subject to detailed and expert analysis. This is essentially a book by economists for economists. Nonetheless, it is a book that seeks to identify the concrete impact of the different channels and locate the levers that can influence them, while emphasising that there are many of these factors, which can fluctuate with time. The book would also be of interest to those involved in the macro-economic management of Euro-zone countries.
(FRo)
*** HARALD BADINGER, FRITZ BREUSS: Trade Effects of the Euro. Small Countries, Large Gains ! Europainstitut der Wirtschaftuniversität Wien (39-45 Althanstraße, A - 1090 Vienna. Tel: (43-1) 313364135 - fax: 31336758 - e-mail: europafragen@wu-wien.ac.at - Internet: http://www.wu-wien.ac.ateuropa/institut ). "EI Working Papers" seminar, No. 77. 2007, 37 pp., €7.20.
This issue of the Working Papers presents the work of Harald Badinger and Fritz Breuss, which tends to demonstrate that although the introduction of the EURO, as illustrated in several studies, shows a 5 to 15% increase in trade in the Euro zone, this increase is uneven and it has generally been the small countries that have benefited. This series mainly aimed to highlight work on European economic issues in the research community. Most of the document looks at theoretical bases (notably inspired by works by Casella) of this research and presents the different statistical results from which the authors base their conclusions. Not a book for beginners then!
(FRo)