European Union at the crossroads: The European perspectives after the global crisis
European Union at the crossroads: The European perspectives after the global crisis
Contributor(s): Attila Ágh (Editor)
Subject(s): Politics / Political Sciences, Politics, Social Sciences, Economy, National Economy, Business Economy / Management, Political Sciences, Sociology, Labor relations, Economic policy, Social differentiation, EU-Accession / EU-DEvelopment, Globalization, Geopolitics, Corruption - Transparency - Anti-Corruption
ISSN: 1589-6781
Published by: Kossuth Kiadó Zt.
Keywords: European Union (EU);global crisis;
Summary/Abstract: In May 2011, during the Hungarian EU presidency a big international conference was organized in Budapest that offered a good occasion to review of the SBH team presidency and to look beyond to the competitive Europe in the postcrisis period in both national and regional terms. No doubt that the European Union arrived at the crossroads and it necessitated to deal with the European perspectives after the global crisis. So this issue has become the central topic, and also the title of the present, 14th volume of this series, based mostly on the papers of the Budapest expert conference. The protracted global crisis took a “W” shape that culminated in the summer 2011, in such a way the authors closed their chapters in an open ending game in August 2011.
- Print-ISBN-13: 978-963-889-432-8
- Page Count: 337
- Publication Year: 2011
- Language: English
Centre-Periphery conflict in the European Union? Europe 2020, the Southern European Model and the euro-crisis
Centre-Periphery conflict in the European Union? Europe 2020, the Southern European Model and the euro-crisis
(Centre-Periphery conflict in the European Union? Europe 2020, the Southern European Model and the euro-crisis)
- Author(s):José Maria Magone
- Language:English
- Subject(s):Business Economy / Management, Economic policy, Government/Political systems, International relations/trade
- Page Range:71-121
- No. of Pages:51
- Summary/Abstract:This paper intends to address the growing diversity and heterogeneity of the European Union in the terms of socioeconomic governance. From the very start, the South European enlargement of the 1980s – Portugal, Spain and Greece – was characterised by considerable amounts of the financial transfers in terms of structural funds, paid mainly by net payer countries to these lagging behind economies and social systems. Meanwhile such transfers have been happening for the past 26 years, however, the results in terms of socioeconomic structural change have been so far modest. The recent finance crisis has shown that instead of convergence, a structural socioeconomic gap still persists between the southern regions and the EU average. Moreover, the structural funds contributed to a modernization of infrastructures, nevertheless failed to achieve a restructuring of the economy from a labour intensive to an upgraded high technology one.
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The EU media policy and the EU2020 Strategy: New roles and actions for players of the Creative Europe
The EU media policy and the EU2020 Strategy: New roles and actions for players of the Creative Europe
(The EU media policy and the EU2020 Strategy: New roles and actions for players of the Creative Europe)
- Author(s):Violaine Hacker
- Language:English
- Subject(s):National Economy, Supranational / Global Economy, Business Economy / Management
- Page Range:123-151
- No. of Pages:29
- Summary/Abstract:The Old Europe is used to promoting the notion of cultural diversity which represents the spirit of its singularity. Indeed, this orientation means the opportunity to realize the potential of Medias as a key driver for EU integration, values and prosperity – both material and spiritual. As a consequence the EU – entity with strong shared cultural values and traditions –, is still struggling to implement a worthwhile cultural agenda across its policy fields. Also promoting a competitive and diverse single market for audiovisual works is a top EU policy priority. In this respect, branding Europe as the place to create entails political economy reform. The newly proposed ‘Creative Europe’ programme will therefore help preserve cultural heritage while increasing the circulation of creative works inside and outside the EU. The programme presented in July 2011 will play a consequential role in stimulating cross border co-operation, promoting peer learning and making these sectors more professional. The Commission will then propose a financial instrument run by the European Investment Bank to provide debt and equity finance for cultural and creative industries. It supposes to tailor the regulatory and institutional frameworks in supporting private-public collaboration as a model of coresponsibility. This entails a new paradigm closed to the one of the ‘experience economy’.
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NATO’s Transformation in the 21st Century: The Expansion of the NATO to the East
NATO’s Transformation in the 21st Century: The Expansion of the NATO to the East
(NATO’s Transformation in the 21st Century: The Expansion of the NATO to the East)
- Author(s):Jungwon Park
- Language:English
- Subject(s):Military policy, Geopolitics
- Page Range:153-170
- No. of Pages:18
- Summary/Abstract:As its opponent military alliance, the Warsaw Treaty Organization, vanished with the end of the Cold War, NATO fell into a position where its raison d’être became qustionable. NATO has been corresponding to this identity crisis with both consistency and change. The first step was to keep the unified Germany within the purview of NATO. The next one was to expand NATO to the East. The participation of the former Soviet bloc communist countries as new members of NATO went through three stages. These moves represent the aspect of NATO as an alliance. However, in the Kosovo War in 1999, NATO intervened advocating the principle of collective security, which follows the Kantian tradition in international politics and is quite different from the logic of alliance. The 9/11 terror became the occasion to newly give meaning to Article 5 of the NATO Treaty, and the “war on terror” manifested again NATO’s character as an alliance. Bush Administration’s Missile Defense policy also aimed at strengthening the alliance. From the Russian standpoint, the Bush Administration started a neo-Cold War. NATO is taking charge of the role of collective security once again in the Libyan War. This war has some similar points with the Kosovo War, just except the fact that the latter was not mandated by the UN Security Council. Like this, NATO has been showing its double character since the end of the Cold War. If NATO’s eastward expansion and anti-terrorism activities represent one aspect of its function, namely the function of alliance, the Kosovo War and the Libyan War represent another aspect of NATO’s function, namely the function of collective security.
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Prospects and Challenges in Post-Lisbon EU Politics and Decision-Making: Presidentialisation, Parliamentarisation and Partycisation
Prospects and Challenges in Post-Lisbon EU Politics and Decision-Making: Presidentialisation, Parliamentarisation and Partycisation
(Prospects and Challenges in Post-Lisbon EU Politics and Decision-Making: Presidentialisation, Parliamentarisation and Partycisation)
- Author(s):L. Zoltán Simon
- Language:English
- Subject(s):Geopolitics
- Page Range:171-193
- No. of Pages:23
- Summary/Abstract:The Lisbon Treaty is a milestone in the history of European integration, even if scholars express diverging views about the significance of the reforms.1 Lisbon provisions will certainly have a major transformative effect in EU politics as they are expected to last with both their qualities and inadequacies. As Étienne de Poncins, a senior French diplomat and EU expert, emphasises: “the difficulties encountered during the ratification of the Lisbon Treaty led to the ruling out of any idea even of a treaty exclusively or mainly dealing with EU governance and institutions for undoubtedly a long time to come. Heads of State and of Government, who spent years leaning over the engine of the European car will certainly not open the bonnet for a long time to come. They want the vehicle to move forward again, even if it lacks power. Institutional fatigue is well and truly here and it will take years before it subsides. The only reforms conceivable could therefore be introduced in homeopathic doses in future accession treaties (Croatia, or even Iceland) or through sectoral treaties dealing uniquely with one subject, for example energy or immigration issues”
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The external dimension of the EU’s global competitiveness
The external dimension of the EU’s global competitiveness
(The external dimension of the EU’s global competitiveness)
- Author(s):Miklós Losoncz
- Language:English
- Subject(s):Supranational / Global Economy, Geopolitics
- Page Range:195-210
- No. of Pages:16
- Summary/Abstract:The objective of this paper is to analyse the external dimension of the EU’s global competitiveness. For a rather long time, only the supply factors of competitiveness have been considered by EU institutions. No attention has been paid to demand factors in general and external demand in particular. This is surprising because the EU’s global competitiveness EU depends not only on the nature of supply in terms of rate of growth, changes in its structure, etc., but to a large extent on external factors as well. Therefore, external demand needs to be addressed and influenced by the EU. In a possible approach two factors should be distinguished in the external dimension: the first one is trade in a broad context including not only goods, but services as well, and the second one is trade policy with its objectives, institutions and policy tools meant to promote external economic relations, including trade. As it is well-known trade policy was the first common policy in the predecessors of the European Union. Its scope has broadened over time, since emerging tradeable services and other activities enriched it. Therefore it seems to be justified to refer to common external economic policy rather than trade policy to address the changes of the past 20-30 years.
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The future of European cohesion policy: The paradoxes in domestic governance of CEE countries
The future of European cohesion policy: The paradoxes in domestic governance of CEE countries
(The future of European cohesion policy: The paradoxes in domestic governance of CEE countries)
- Author(s):Ilona Pálné Kovács
- Language:English
- Subject(s):Geopolitics
- Page Range:213-233
- No. of Pages:21
- Summary/Abstract:The European cohesion (or regional) policy underwent several changes during its almost four decades existence and referring to the new label of territorial cohesion it seems that new directions will start again after 2013. The changes are necessary since the dimensions of regional inequalities have changed of course during time and by regions. Due to the higher level of economic, infrastructural development and the urbanisation in Western Europe the differences between villages and towns as the types of settlements lessened, the locally converging living-conditions are determined by strong connections within the urban areas. At the same time the regional dimension of territorial inequalities has become more important so that larger regions permanently exhibit the divergent economic, infrastructural, and demographic and income conditions. The divergences depend on the economic performance of central, larger cities and on the distance of the peripheries from the main centres. The factors of competitiveness are constantly concentrating in the core urban areas of Western Europe.
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The Committee of the Regions in the postLisbon EU: Smart, sustainable and inclusive multi-level governance?
The Committee of the Regions in the postLisbon EU: Smart, sustainable and inclusive multi-level governance?
(The Committee of the Regions in the postLisbon EU: Smart, sustainable and inclusive multi-level governance?)
- Author(s):Justus Schönlau
- Language:English
- Subject(s):Government/Political systems, EU-Accession / EU-DEvelopment, Geopolitics
- Page Range:235-262
- No. of Pages:28
- Summary/Abstract:The Committee of the Regions (CoR), which will celebrate its 20th anniversary in 2014, is a comparatively young institution in the EU set-up. Since having been created by the Maastricht Treaty in the image of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) as an advisory body, the CoR has sought to develop its role as the most visible institutional expression of the sub-national level of governance in the emerging ‘multi-level governance’ system in the EU, in order to establish itself as a player in the legislative process and to strengthen its role vis-à-vis the other institutions. It has continuously pushed for an increase in the scope of its advisory function and has also taken important steps to broaden the range of its activities. In this sense, the CoR has seen considerable change to its institutional structure and role over the period of its existence.
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Europe 2020 and Macro-Regional Europe: Coping with the Prospect of Differentiation in the EU
Europe 2020 and Macro-Regional Europe: Coping with the Prospect of Differentiation in the EU
(Europe 2020 and Macro-Regional Europe: Coping with the Prospect of Differentiation in the EU)
- Author(s):Stefan Gänzle, Kristine Kern
- Language:English
- Subject(s):Geopolitics
- Page Range:263-288
- No. of Pages:26
- Summary/Abstract:In early March 2010, in the immediate aftermath of the global financial and economic crisis, the European Commission presented ‘EUROPE 2020’, a concept prompting a ten-year strategic vision for Europe’s social market economy in 21st century. In a nutshell, this document seeks to “turn the EU into a smart, sustainable and inclusive economy delivering high levels of employment, productivity and social cohesion” (European Commission, 2010a:3). Although it was met with some ambivalence and reluctance from several EU member states’ governments (see other contributions in this volume), the strategic goals of the initiative were eventually endorsed by the European Council in June 2010. In order to boost economic growth and employment in the EU, the Commission identified, amongst other targets, investments in Research & Development (R&D) as well as renewable energy as of paramount importance. The strategy identified several flagship projects that would ultimately be used to show-case progress achieved along the lines of the main targets. Furthermore, it put on stage a so-called ‘European Semester’, an annual cycle of macro-economic, budgetary and structural policy coordination providing the Commission with a strong role in defining the priorities, setting the agenda and monitoring progress towards to agreed goals whereas the member states would assume responsibility for policy implementation and at the same time perform overall gate-keeping functions.
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Regional competitiveness of the EU in the global context: EU developments from regional policy to cohesion policy
Regional competitiveness of the EU in the global context: EU developments from regional policy to cohesion policy
(Regional competitiveness of the EU in the global context: EU developments from regional policy to cohesion policy)
- Author(s):Attila Ágh
- Language:English
- Subject(s):Geopolitics
- Page Range:291-337
- No. of Pages:47
- Summary/Abstract:The “cohesion challenge” has been present from the very beginning in “the diverse Europe” (ESPON, 2010:8). The main goal of regional/ cohesion policy has always been to “reduce socio-economic disparities and promote real convergence in the European Union by investing in structural change” (European Commission, 2010j:2). The cohesion challenge came to the fore after the Southern enlargement, thus the year 1986 with the Single European Act is considered as the start of regional/cohesion policy, thus its 25th anniversary has been celebrated in May 2011. Certainly, it has become overwhelming in the EU policy universe only after the Big Bang of the Eastern enlargement. By now cohesion policy has turned to be the key policy field in the EU27 and regional policy has been treated as its special application. All in all, regional/cohesion policy is meant for merging the competitiveness and cohesion together in a common public policy with a territorial perspective or territorial development strategy as our motto demonstrates.
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