*** JEAN-CHRISTOPHE DEFRAIGNE, VIRGINIE DE MORIAME (Eds.): Quelles politiques industrielle et sociale pour l'Europe du XXIe siècle - Which industrial and social policies for 21st century Europe? La redéfinition de l'intervention publique dans le cadre de la stratégie de Lisbonne - Redefining public intervention within the framework of the Lisbon strategy. Editions Academia Bruylant (29 Grand Place, B-1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium. Tel: (32-10) 452395 - Fax: 454480 - email: promotion@academia-bruylant.be - Internet: http://www.academia-bruylant.be ). "Etudes européennes Louvain" series. 2008, 232 pp, €20 in Belgium and France (€31.50 elsewhere). ISBN 978-2-87209-924-5.
Publishing the proceedings of the twelfth AGC Chair (formerly the Glaverbel Chair) organised by the European Studies Institute of the 'Université Catholique de Louvain' in Belgium in the 2006-2007 academic year, this fine book comes at exactly the right moment. The authors, Commissioner Vladimir Spidla, MEP Philippe Busquin and various specialists reflect on the twin challenge posed by the forces of globalisation for the European economy - industry on the one hand and social affairs on the other. These concerns, of course, are of literally existential acuity now that the current economic and financial turn of events has shot to pieces all the certainties that so recently formed part of the dogmatic "pensée unique" that appeared so impregnable. The current meltdown has dissolved both masks and blinkers. This scientific book is a thousand leagues removed from the type of scathing ideological attacks that would be perfectly accessible to the general public and may be of help here.
In one of his recent "Behind the News" editorials, Ferdinando Riccardi listed journalistic battles he has been leading for Europe, like the one to get the necessity recognised in the year 2000 for a new EU industrial policy that does not simply try to preserve the noble aspects of industrial activity in Europe. His well-founded struggle of ideas is recognised as important in the excellent introduction by Prof. Jean-Christophe Defraigne, an economist lecturing at the European Studies Institute of 'Université Catholique de Louvain' in Belgium. He argues that the acceleration of European integration in the 1980s and 1990s, with the push for a Single Market and monetary union, restrained state interventionism without a parallel and balancing rise in power of public authorities at EU level, but it is true that the process was at that time largely inspired by economic paradigms that were hostile to state intervention, preferring a system of free competition within the EU as a solution to the problems of growth, international competitiveness and employment. The book explains that although Jacques Delors, the then President of the Commission, tried to change direction, nothing was achieved on the social and fiscal fronts because the Thatcherite programme inspired by the economic doctrines of Hayek and Friedman and backed by the City of London (which was hostile to any EU regulations) and Thatcherite ideas were viewed as gospel truths at the time. The same applied to industrial policy. The EU Commissioner responsible for this in the 1990s, Germany's Martin Bangemann, went as far as explicitly rejecting a sector-specific industrial policy inspired by Colbertist or Listien ideas and aiming to ensure backing and strong protection for strategic industries whose companies were still felt to be in their infancy. Against the backdrop of globalisation, this form of washing ones hands of the matter was accompanied by an explosion of foreign direct investment from the most advanced economies in emerging economies and, for multinational companies and their outsourcing, relocation and/or externalisation of certain sections of their production lines to low-pay countries. Resulting in the economies of Western Europe no longer having any comparative advantages in most of their labour-intensive activities that no longer require geographical proximity to the end consumer amidst pressure on European social and taxation systems. In order for the EU to concentrate on technology-intensive and capital-intensive stages of the process, the EU27 pinned its hopes on the Lisbon Strategy. Jean-Christophe Defraigne notes, however, that the Lisbon Strategy still faces lack of budget resources for research, lack of training of human capital and "redundancy" in industrial and research projects, "the cause of which is to be sought among the competing 'national champion' industrial policies implemented by the Member States". Hence the need, in Defraigne's view, to "improve the coordination of industrial policy at EU level" and "determine the model on which the convergence of EU industrial strategy will be built". This conference is essential because, at the moment, "Europe is far from committed to a credible, coherent solution" to the twin challenge of preserving the European social models and the technological upgrading of the European economy. Tracing out paths that can help address this twin challenge is an aim that runs throughout this collection of essays which looks rather like a potential lifebelt in these times of financial and economic tsunamis…
Michel Theys
*** CHRISTIAN PHILIP, PANAYOTIS SOLDATOS (Eds.): Quelle relance de la construction européenne ? Bruylant (67 rue de la Régence, B-1000 Brussels. Tel: (32-2) 5129842 - Fax: 5119477 - email: jean@bruylant.be - Internet: http://www.bruylant.be ). "Centre d'études européennes de la Faculté de droit de l'Université Jean Moulin - Lyon 3" series. 2007, 258 pp, €50. ISBN 978-2-8027-2467-4.
Following on from a conference in Lyons, France, in April 2006, this book is a little late in the sense that the ideas explored in the book about how to adjust the EU's path and stimulate the European project do not take account of the Reform Treaty (the Lisbon Treaty). It remains a very interesting book all the same because of the sheer academic calibre of the authors and, above all, because the first section is a kind of X-ray of the long process of weakening of the European integration process, a weakening that was confirmed again by the Irish no vote and misgivings in the Czech Republic. There is a mind-blowing and pertinent article on the erosion of the EU governance model and the impact of this on the weakening of the European integration process, in which Prof. Soldatos describes "the movement of the pendulum of a tottering supranationality" constantly being stabbed by forces trying to get the system returned to nation states. The French Presidency of the Council of the EU that is drawing to a close has not been an exception to this rule, quite the contrary in fact, despite all its many successes and strong points.
The book opens with a reflection by Michel Barnier on possible approaches for a recovery plan which could put perspective back into the European project, the perspective of the 1950s that is still relevant today (peace, stability and democracy) and again demonstrate its imperative and unavoidable nature within sustained dialogue (at last) with citizens. What should citizens be told? They should be informed about the virtues of the achievements of integration, be they the big Common Market, the EU speaking with one voice at the World Trade Organisation, formidable EU programmes like Erasmus whose budget should be doubled or tripled, and so on. Next, and more offensively, the man who was then busy crossing the desert after his stint as French foreign minister explains that tomorrow's world will be fashioned by the great powers of the present or future. Whence this call to reason: "Do we too, all Europeans, also want to be at the table? Do we want to submit to this new world order as a spectator or do we want to have great ability to influence it?". No single European countries, not even the big ones, would be able to have any great influence if they enter the fray alone. Finally and most importantly, the former EU Commissioner stanchly defends the idea that the right dimension for economic patriotism is the European dimension. He explains: "There is a place for an EU industrial strategy based on a great research policy, on the maintenance of an EU competition policy, on pursuit of the Single Market, for the establishment of common rules, including rules on protection against aggression from others. A targeted strategy is required on what will be the big companies and big projects of tomorrow. What will be the Airbuses of 2020 or 2025? What will be tomorrow's Airbuses in every domain? European industry, researchers and politicians should agree among themselves to diagnose the big projects in new technology, public health and airspace based on which our existence, solidarity and European independence is to be preserved." One can only hope what was politically incorrect yesterday is no longer politically incorrect today … (MT)
*** Les négociations transnationales en Europe. Où en est-on? - Problèmes rencontrés - Quelles perspectives? Europe et Société (29 rue Cardinet, F-75017 Paris. Tel: (33-1) 55651919 - email: europeetsociete@wanadoo.fr - Internet: http://www.europeetsociete.com ). "Les Cahiers de la Fondation" series, Nos. 69-70. 2008, 159 pp, €45. Annual subscription: €80.
"We are convinced that European society will be far stronger and prove more capable of facing the problems posed by globalisation and the emergence of new economic and political powers if it manages to create the conditions for social consensus based on a voluntary approach by the different social partners." It is in this spirit that the association "Europe et Société" piloted by Jacques Moreau organised a conference in February 2008 on transnational company negotiations in Europe, the proceedings of which are published in this book. In the first section, the authors study the current situation by discerning what is different in this field in Europe. The book then looks at existing agreements and the problems encountered are reviewed in the light of the process at ENI, EDF, Daimler, Schneider Electric and Club Méditerranée, and the failed attempts at Sanofi-Aventis. The third section of the book examines the nature and scope of transnational negotiations in companies from various angles, while the final section looks at measures to be designed for the future to consolidate the process of transnational dialogue between employers and trade unions. (MT)
*** GEORGES W. LESER: Veranlagungskriterien für Investmentfonds. Die OGAW-Richtlinie und deren Umsetzung in das Investmentfondsgesetz. Springer (P.O. Box 89, 4-6 Sachsenplatz, 1201 Vienna, Austria. Fax: (43/1) 3302426 - email: books@springer.at - Internet: http://www.springer.at ). 2008, 181 pp. ISBN: 978-3-211-77878-4.
Listing the investment fund tax criteria, this book looks at implementation of the money market fund directive on UCITS (Undertakings for collective investment in transferable securities) covering the coordination of legislation and other rules and paperwork in this area. The analysis draws up a panorama of the various existing taxation options and suggests rational use of the various alternatives to ensure investor protection. A technical work suitable only for experts. (EPi)
*** CHRISTOPH GRABENWARTER, STEFAN GRILLER, MICHAEL HOLOUBEK: Europäisches und öffentliches Wirtschaftrecht I. 5., neu bearbeitete Auflage. Springer (see above). 2008, 260 pp. ISBN: 978-3-211-74429-1.
Written by members of Vienna University's European Institute and Institute of European and Austrian Public Law in connection with the undergraduate courses in law and economics, this handbook analyses the essential elements of Austrian and European public economic law. Providing full details about a case study and providing several further examples for each chapter, it also describes the legal innovations and literature in this field. This edition has updated section on material law, administrative procedures surrounding legal protection, the legislation organising the European Union, common market law and competition law. The book provides invaluable information for students. (EPi)
*** DANIEL GARRIGUE: Les fonds souverains, révélateurs de nos propres faiblesses. Délégation pour l'Union européenne de l'Assemblée nationale (Boutique de l'Assemblée nationale, 7 rue Aristide Briand, F-75007 Paris. Tel: (33-1) 40630033 - Internet: http://www.assemblee-nationale.fr ). "Documents d'information" series, No. 963. 2008, 66 pp, €3-50. ISBN 978-2-11-122838-2.
This newsletter briefly analyses the way sovereign wealth funds connect with the general free-ing up of movements of capital and how their rapid snowballing and lack of transparency run the risk of modifying power relations in the world. The author argues that their different types of intervention should lead the EU27 to seriously question these foreign investment inputs demanding a cross-EU safety net. French parliamentarian Daniel Garrigue also argues that the long-term investment potential of wealth funds should encourage the EU to ensure it is able to channel and direct the funding provided.
(PBo)
*** Economia Exterior. Estudios de Politica Exterior SA (49 Núñez de Balboa, E-28001 Madrid. Tel: (34-91) 4312711 - Fax: 4354027 - email: suscripciones@politicaexterior.com - Internet: htpp: //http://www.politicaexterior.com ). 2008, No. 46, 170 pp, €14. Annual subscription: € 80.
Virtually of all this issue of Economia Exterior is devoted to political and economic relations with Russia, particularly in the light of the Georgian crisis and the energy issue (on which there are several articles). In his contribution, journalist Rafael Poch-de-Feliu explains the need for the EU to normalise relations with Russia, failing which it will not be possible to free itself from the United States. A very comprehensive special report. (PBo)