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European Commission - Enlargement - Newsletter - 0 views

ec.europa.eu/...index_en.htm
shared by Prof. Dr Wolfgang Schumann on 11 May 07 - Cached
  • In this issue Enlargement high on EU agenda for 2008 too Mixed reception for Albanian local elections Turkey's pension reform is "in the right direction" Strategy for civil society in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia EU support for upgrading Albania’s civil registration Helping Bosnia and Herzegovina in communications regulation Serbian wine sector gets EU assistance Discussions start in Vienna on Kosovo settlement proposal Cooperation in south east Europe border security Croatia in media freedom spotlight Student grant database for South-East Europe Positive prospects for Turkey and Western Balkans
  • In this issue > Croatia's progress measured at SAA Council Wallström visits Turkey for Women's Day EU awaits Serbia's new government Kosovo status discussions to move to New York Bosnia and Herzegovina to remain under surveillance Montenegro comes closer to EU EU assistance to Albanian justice system Improving policing of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia Hopes of Cyprus breakthrough from a breach in a wall Rehn reminds the EU of its power to act EU foreign affairs ministers extend backing for ICTY "Boost EU commitment to Western Balkans", says paper Stability Pact successor takes shape EU Presidency comments on the ICJ Balkan genocide judgement
  • EU summit backs enlargement strategy European Union leaders gave their full backing to the enlargement strategy at their summit in Brussels on December 14. They looked forward to further rounds of accession negotiations with Turkey and Croatia before the end of the year. They confirmed the EU's vital role in assuring stability in the Western Balkans, and agreed to send an ESDP mission to Kosovo. And they agreed precise terms for the reflection group on the long-term future of Europe. This final issue for 2007 of Enlargement News provides highlights from the European Council, as well an update on other key enlargement-related developments. In this issue Endorsement for the enlargement strategy EU willing to send mission to Kosovo Progress on Turkey's accession negotiations Western Balkans "belong in the EU" Serbia invited to make "rapid progress" to EU Croatia "on track" towards EU membership SAA initialled with Bosnia and Herzegovina Albania makes progress, but governance and rule of law require further efforts The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia must accelerate the pace of reform Montenegro entering "critical phase" Limited remit for Reflection Group EU allocates pre-accession assistance to candidate countries Rehn contrasts past and present of EU foreign and security policy Turkish Students win trip to EU
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  • In this issue Bright future for enlargement, says Rehn Presidency highlights enlargement in EP debate New political cooperation agreement with Serbia to be signed EU reaffirms commitments to Kosovo Focusing on local democracy in Croatia Prospects good for the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia "No doomsday" for Bosnia and Herzegovina, says Rehn Montenegro signs up to EU research programme Further moves envisaged on Western Balkans visas Rehn underlines momentum in Turkey talks
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The French EU Presidency - 0 views

www.euractiv.com/...article-168202 eu-policy_memberstates france french_presidency_2008
shared by Prof. Dr Wolfgang Schumann on 01 Jul 08 - Cached
  • Under the motto "a more protective Europe", France takes over the rotating EU Presidency with an additional challenge – getting the EU out of an institutional crisis triggered by the rejection of the Lisbon Treaty in Ireland. More on this topic: News LinksDossiers Analysis France looks east ahead of EU Presidency (23 May 2008) Commission further waters down Med Union proposal (21 May 2008) France promises 'citizen-oriented' EU Presidency (16 May 2008) France outlines EU Presidency priorities (30 August 2007) The Portuguese Presidency: In Brief (03 August 2007) EU Presidencies (19 April 2005) Nicolas Sarkozy: A new style of EU Presidency? (08 May 2008) How France intends to meet all those EU presidency expectations (20 June 2008) Seen from America : What to expect from the French EU Presidency (20 June 2008) Sarkozy at the wheel of Europe: What to expect from the French EU Presidency (11 June 2008) Milestones: July-Dec. 2008: French Presidency. 11 July: Sarkozy visit to Ireland. 15-16 Oct.: EU Summit (Brussels). 11- 12 Dec.: EU Summit (Brussels). Policy Summary Links From 1 July to 31 December 2008, France will organise and chair the European Council meetings. The French government has already announced that its motto will be "a more protective Europe" (EurActiv 06/11/07).
  • Links Policy Summary Governments French EU Presidency website Permanent Represenation of France to the EU: French Presidency agenda | FR Prime Minster: Europe pages | FR Foreign Affairs Ministry : Europe pages French Senate: Budget for the French EU presidency General Secretariat for European Affairs (SGAE) Permanent Represenation of France to the EU Conference of Committee Chairmen of the European Parliament [FR] [DE] (20 May 2008)
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European Union External Governance - Journal of European Public Policy, Volume 16 Issue... - 0 views

www.informaworld.com/...itle~content=g913925143~db=all eu eu-research literature enlargement enlargement_theory
shared by Prof. Dr Wolfgang Schumann on 15 Aug 09 - Cached
  • EU rules beyond EU borders: theorizing external governance in European politics Sandra Lavenex; Frank Schimmelfennig Pages 791 – 812 Abstract | References | Full Text PDF | Full Text HTML | Request Permissions Related Articles  buy now Modes of external governance: a cross-national and cross-sectoral comparison Sandra Lavenex;  Dirk Lehmkuhl; Nicole Wichmann Pages 813 – 833 Abstract | References | Full Text PDF | Full Text HTML | Request Permissions Related Articles  buy now Which rules shape EU external governance? Patterns of rule selection in foreign and security policies Esther Barbé;  Oriol Costa;  Anna Herranz Surrallés; Michal Natorski Pages 834 – 852 Abstract | References | Full Text PDF | Full Text HTML | Request Permissions Related Articles  buy now ./content%7Edb=all%7Econtent=a
  • EU rules beyond EU borders: theorizing external governance in European politics Sandra Lavenex; Frank Schimmelfennig Pages 791 – 812 Abstract | References | Full Text PDF | Full Text HTML | Request Permissions Related Articles  buy now Modes of external governance: a cross-national and cross-sectoral comparison Sandra Lavenex;  Dirk Lehmkuhl; Nicole Wichmann Pages 813 – 833 Abstract | References | Full Text PDF | Full Text HTML | Request Permissions Related Articles  buy now Which rules shape EU external governance? Patterns of rule selection in foreign and security policies Esther Barbé;  Oriol Costa;  Anna Herranz Surrallés; Michal Natorski Pages 834 – 852 Abstract | References | Full Text PDF | Full Text HTML | Request Permissions Related Articles  buy now bo
  • Prof. Dr Wolfgang Schumann on 15 Aug 09
     
    Articles - EU rules beyond EU borders: theorizing external governance in European politics - Modes of external governance: a cross-national and cross-sectoral comparison - Which rules shape EU external governance? Patterns of rule selection in foreign and security policies - Constraining external governance: interdependence with Russia and the CIS as limits to the EU's rule transfer in the Ukraine - Hierarchy, networks, or markets: how does the EU shape environmental policy adoptions within and beyond its borders? - Democracy promotion as external governance? - EU promotion of democratic governance in the neighbourhood
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EurActiv.com - Choosing 'Mr. Europe' | EU - European Information on EU Treaty & Institu... - 0 views

www.euractiv.com/...article-171837 eu-foreign_chief eu-president lisbon-treaty
shared by Prof. Dr Wolfgang Schumann on 14 May 08 - Cached
  • The Treaty of Lisbon, expected to enter in force in 2009, introduces two new European top jobs: a high-profile president who will chair EU summit meetings for a two-and-a-half year term and a revamped foreign policy chief. However, selecting the right people to fill these positions will prove a politically sensitive task in the months ahead.
  • Policy Summary Links The EU's new 'Reform Treaty' was agreed upon by EU leaders at a summit in June 2007 and the updated final text was formally approved in October at an intergovernmental conference (IGC) (EurActiv 19/10/08). The "Treaty of Lisbon ", as it was finally named, was officially signed by EU heads of state and government at a summit in the Portuguese capital on 13 December 2007 (EurActiv 14/12/07). 
  • Rules and timing unclear  The criteria for who to choose for these two new top positions were not written down in the Lisbon Treaty. It will therefore be up to Europe's heads of state and government to decide on who they want to choose as their new representatives. 
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  • The big question: who to choose?  In the absence of formal criteria, much speculation has broken out over who should take up the role of EU president. According to Stanley Crossick, a veteran EU policy analyst and founding chairman of the European Policy Centre (EPC) - a Brussels think tank - the new EU Troika needs to strike a balance between the following criteria (see blog post on Blogactiv for full analysis ):  Nationality;  geography;  size of country, and;  political affiliation. 
  • What do the citizens think?  According to a poll by Harris Interactive published in early April, most European citizens consider German Chancellor Angela Merkel to be the most influential leader in Europe, while Tony Blair is the preferred candidate for the job of EU president. 
  • Prof. Dr Wolfgang Schumann on 14 May 08
     
    Provides a comprehensive overview of the topic in question (selecting a president and a foreign policy chief) including the contractual basis to be found in the Lisbon-Treaty
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30.05.08: Commission adopts code of conduct for EU lobbyists - 0 views

www.euractiv.com/...article-172840 eu-commission eu-interest-groups governance interest-groups
shared by Prof. Dr Wolfgang Schumann on 30 May 08 - Cached
  • The European Commission has adopted a code of conduct regulating lobbyists' behaviour as a forerunner to the voluntary register to be launched by Administration and Anti-Fraud Commissioner Siim Kallas on 23 June.
  • The 'Code of Conduct for Interest Representatives ', officially adopted on 28 May, contains "clear and precise rules" for lobbyists to follow in their relations with Commission staff, according to the EU executive. 
  • The code of conduct is intended to complement the lobbyists register the Commission is set to publish on 23 June and constitutes part of the wider transparency initiative launched by Vice President Kallas in 2005. 
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  • Links European Union European Commission: Communication: A framework for relations with interest representatives (Register and Code of Conduct) (27 May 2008) [FR] [DE] European Commission: Press release: The Commission adopts a code of conduct for interest representatives (28 May 2008) [FR] [DE] European Commission: Coming soon: the Commission's Register for Interest Representatives European Commission: Results of the Consultation on the Code of Conduct for Interest Representatives (27 May 2008) European Commission: Transparency Initiative [FR] [DE] European Commission: Frequently Asked Questions on Transparency Initiative EU Actors positions ALTER-EU: ALTER-EU submission to the consultation on a Code of Conduct for Interest Representatives EPACA: EPACA Response to the Draft European Commission Code of Conduct for Interest Representatives (15 February 2008)
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10.06.10: Common Security and Defence Policy and the Lisbon Treaty Fudge: No common str... - 0 views

www.ceps.eu/...mon-strategic-culture-no-major eu cfsp lisbon-treaty literature eu-research
shared by Prof. Dr Wolfgang Schumann on 04 Aug 10 - Cached
  • Prof. Dr Wolfgang Schumann on 04 Aug 10
     
    With the establishment of the European Security and Defence Policy (ESDP) in 1999, the EU achieved considerable progress regarding the institutionalisation of its foreign policy. Various innovations were included in the Lisbon Treaty to address the cohesion and effectiveness problem of the EU. The renamed Common Security and Defence Policy has not found it easy to establish a common policy, however, and the strategic actorness of the CSDP has so far been mostly limited to relatively small missions. But such cautiousness risks rendering the EU a repository of small symbolic humanitarian missions with little impact on the global geopolitical agenda, argues Vasilis Margaras, a visiting Research Fellow at CEPS.
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Keukeleire/MacNaughtan (2008) The Foreign Policy of the European Union - 0 views

www.palgrave.com/...title.aspx cfsp esdp eu-policies literature
shared by Prof. Dr Wolfgang Schumann on 02 Apr 08 - Cached
  • Description Set clearly in the changed context of the 21st century, this major new text provides a comprehensive analysis of the foreign policy of the European Union assessing the history, actors, processes, partnerships and rivalries of this key area of EU policy. Contents The Context and Nature of (EU) Foreign PolicyEuropean Integration and Foreign Policy: Historical OverviewThe European Union’s Foreign Policy System: ActorsThe European Union’s Foreign Policy System: Policy-makingEuropean Union Foreign Policy and National Foreign PoliciesThe Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP)The European Security and Defence Policy (ESDP)European Union Foreign Policy beyond CFSPThe Foreign Policy Dimension of Internal PoliciesThe Main Areas of European Union Foreign PolicyThe European Union, Multilateralism and Competition with Structural PowersConclusions: Theorizing European Union Foreign Policy
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13.05.08: EP report on European External Action Service (EEAS) - 0 views

www.euractiv.com/...article-172309 cfsp eu-policies europeanparliament interinstitutional_relations lisbon-treaty
shared by Prof. Dr Wolfgang Schumann on 14 May 08 - Cached
  • The European Parliament is trying to influence the ongoing preparations for the establishment of a 'European External Action Service' (EEAS), to be set up jointly between the EU Council of Ministers and the Commission after the entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty. But critics say this major novelty in the EU architecture is about to be introduced in almost complete secrecy.
  • On 6 May, the European Parliament Foreign Affairs Committee put forward a draft report on the Common Foreign and Security Policy, which is intended to constitute MEPs' wish-list vis-à-vis the Council and the Commission on establishing EEAS.  The report points out that the future office of High Representative/Vice-President of the Commission will derive its legitimacy directly from the European Parliament. It also stresses the need for "transparency and democratic input" into the process of setting up the planned European External Action Service, and calls for a mechanism to be set up to provide confidential information to select Foreign Affairs Committee Members. 
  • "The key expectation of the Parliament is that it has more to say on that and Parliament can add additional democratic legitimacy from taking positions. And we expect to be involved in shaping these decisions ex ante, and not only post factum," Saryusz-Wolsky said. 
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  • EU official documents Lisbon treaty see Article 2, Title VI European Parliament Draft report on CFSP by Jacek Saryusz-Wolski European Parliament Press release: A more effective EU foreign policy in prospect, but more parliamentary scrutiny needed The European Commission Sppeech by Benita Ferrero-Waldner, European Commissioner for External Relations and European Neighbourhood Policy
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02.09.08 Lack of Lisbon Treaty leaves EU weak on Georgia - 0 views

www.euractiv.com/...article-175040 cfsp esdp eu-policies eu-policy_memberstates georgia lisbon-treaty options_after_irish_no
shared by Prof. Dr Wolfgang Schumann on 09 Sep 08 - Cached
  • Although the fate of the EU's Reform Treaty was not officially discussed at the bloc's extraordinary summit on Georgia on 1 September, it proved to be a highly topical issue, with various top-level European politicians highlighting the importance of its entry into force if the EU is to become a more powerful global player.
  • Political analysts have underlined that the EU was lucky to have a country as big as France at its helm during the Georgia crisis as this tempered the lack of real EU leadership.  "The EU was lucky France held the EU Presidency, because Russia agreed to engage with Mr. Sarkozy on the ceasefire. But they may not have engaged with the EU if a smaller country such as the Czech Republic were EU president, especially with its difficult bilateral relationship with Moscow as a result of its decision to host US missile defence," said Antonio Missiroli, the director of the European Policy Centre, quoted in The Irish Times. 
  • Even the Polish President, who in the recent past called the Lisbon Treaty "pointless" and said he would not sign it (EurActiv 01/07/08), spoke a very different language after the summit.  Asked by EurActiv if he was now more in favour of the Lisbon Treaty, Kaczynski conceded that indeed, several EU leaders had mentioned informally that the Lisbon Treaty would have given the EU better instruments to deal with challenges such as the current Georgia crisis. He then added that Ireland should hold a second referendum. 
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03.11.10: EU leaders back 'limited' treaty change, budget cap - 0 views

www.euractiv.com/...-change-budget-cap-news-499297 eu-policies eu-budget currency-policy economic-policy constitution eu-policy_memberstates france germany uk interinstitutional_conflicts europeancouncil europeanparliament
shared by Prof. Dr Wolfgang Schumann on 04 Nov 10 - No Cached
  • Britain and other European Union countries put their weight behind Franco-German calls for tougher eurozone rules at a summit today (29 October), agreeing on "limited" changes to the EU's main treaty in return for a cap on the EU budget.
  • Officials struggled to deliver the message that legal tricks could accommodate both Germany's push for treaty change and conflicting calls from several other countries which had rejected the idea. Regarding treaty change, the key word is "simplified", officials explained. A simplified provision, enshrined in Article 48, Section 6 of the Lisbon Treaty, allows member countries to unanimously adopt a decision amending all or part of the main elements of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU (TFEU), which governs how the Union carries out its work. Such a procedure would avoid the need to call a constitutional convention, experts explained. In addition, the European Parliament would only be "consulted" instead of enjoying full voting rights as part of the normal co-decision procedure. The changes to the treaty are to be settled by mid-2013, before the expiry of the present emergency fund agreed earlier this year to deal with crises such as the one that hit Greece. The objective is to replace that with a permanent mechanism. The simplified treaty change procedure will not enter into force until it is approved by member states in accordance with their constitutions. Most EU countries are expected to ratify the decision by a simplified procedure in their parliaments. As for Ireland, it remains unclear whether a change effected in this way would require another referendum.
  • UK Prime Minister David Cameron appears to have been instrumental in forging a deal, lending his backing to Franco-German calls for treaty change in return for keeping a lid on the EU's 2011 budget. 11 member states, including Britain, France and Germany, will send a letter to the European Commission and Parliament today saying that their plans to increase the EU budget by 5.9% in 2011 are "especially unacceptable at a time when we are having to take difficult decisions at national level to control public expenditure". The letter was signed by the leaders of the UK, Germany, France, the Netherlands, Sweden, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Austria, Finland, Slovenia and Estonia. The bloc's finance ministers had earlier voted for a limited increase in the EU budget of 2.9%. "We are clear that we cannot accept any more than the 2.9% increase proposed by the finance ministers," the leaders say in the letter. Cameron argued that a planned increase in the EU budget would cost his country's taxpayers the equivalent of one billion euros. The 2.9% rise would still cost them £435m (500m euros). Parliament to fight back By agreeing to cap the budget, EU leaders set themselves on a collision course with the European parliament, which has the power to approve or reject the proposed budget. Negotiations between the European Parliament and the Council, which represents the 27 member countries, over the EU's 2011 budget kicked off on 27 October (see 'Background'). "If Cameron is prepared to give up the British rebate [...] then we can for sure discuss a reduction of the budget," said Martin Schulz, leader of the Socialist & Democrats group in the European Parliament, speaking to EUX.TV, the European policy news channel powered by EurActiv. "The European budget is not to be compared with national budgets," said Schulz. "There are no own resources. We have no European taxes. We have no own money. It is money coming from the member states. We can make no debts. The British budget must be reduced because there is enormous debt. Europe has no debts," he said.
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29.05.08: EU, UN in talks to share leadership of Kosovo mission - 0 views

www.euractiv.com/...article-172819 cfsp eu-policies eulex kosovo un westernbalkans
shared by Prof. Dr Wolfgang Schumann on 30 May 08 - Cached
  • The legal problems encountered by EU-Lex, the EU mission in Kosovo, could soon be solved, with diplomats currently in talks over plans to share the leadership with UNMIK, the United Nations peace-keeping mission.
  • Background: The EU decided in February 2008 to deploy a 2,200 strong 'Rule of Law' mission to Kosovo under the name 'EU-Lex Kosovo'. Its deployment has already started, after having been delayed for both technical and political reasons.  The initial objective was for EU-Lex to take over from UNMIK, the civilian mission established in the Serbian province following the adoption of UN Security Council Resolution 1244 in June 1999. But Serbia and Russia strongly protest against EU-Lex, because this mission has not been endorsed by the UN Security Council (EurActiv 16/04/08). The objective of setting up an EU mission in Kosovo is highly political. The EU has ambitions to take over the post-crisis management of a territory on European soil. It previously failed to do so in 1999 when it had to resort to NATO to stop the ethnic cleansing and acts of extreme violence perpetrated by the regime of Slobodan Milosevic. 
  • Under plans originally foreseen by the EU, the 2,200 strong EU-Lex mission would eventually replace UNMIK as the leading rule-of-law mission in the new-born state of Kosovo.  But faced with rejection from Serbia and Russia, which have both challenged the mission's legal legitimacy, diplomats are now drawing up plans for the two missions to co-exist under joint command.  The solution would provide the EU with a face-saving trick, according to diplomats who were speaking to EurActiv on condition of anonymity. This is because UNMIK has already been accepted by Serbia and Russia, which has a permanent seat at the UN Security Council. 
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14.09.10: The EU's economic governance: Rewriting the rulebook - 0 views

www.euractiv.com/...g-rulebook-linksdossier-496816 eu eu-policies economy currency-policy eu-research
shared by Prof. Dr Wolfgang Schumann on 14 Sep 10 - No Cached
  • The Greek sovereign debt crisis is forcing Europeans to rethink the coordination of their national economic policies, confronting the euro area with its most severe test since its launch eleven years ago.
  • In January 2010, Greece was found sitting on debts that are expected to hit 290 billion euro this year. Its budget deficit stood at 12.7% of gross domestic product, more than four times the EU limit. 
  • Faced with an unprecedented speculative attack on the euro, EU countries were compelled to act decisively in order to calm jittery financial markets. In May, they agreed to establish a rescue mechanism worth €750 billion to protect the euro from collapsing under the weight of accumulated debt (EurActiv 10/05/10). Root causes left unaddressed However, the short-term fire-fighting measured soon proved insufficient to tackle the root causes of the problem as markets started questioning the loose coordination of national policies that underpin the eurozone’s economic governance. Indeed, EU institutions currently only have limited powers on economic policy, an area where unanimity decision-making remains the rule. The EU’s main instruments include reviews and non-binding recommendations by the European Commission, such as the stability and convergence programmes and Broad Economic Policy Guidelines, which are submitted for approval by member states in the EU Council of Minister.
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25.06.08: Kommission legt "Small Business Act" für KMU vor - 0 views

ec.europa.eu/...index_7879_de.htm eu-commission eu-documents eu-policies eu_and_enterprises
shared by Prof. Dr Wolfgang Schumann on 25 Jun 08 - Cached
  • Die EU-Kommission hat heute einen „Small Business Act“ für Europas Kleine und Mittlere Unternehmen (KMU) vorgelegt. Ziel ist, die Unterstützung der KMU zu verbessern, damit sie ihr Potenzial, langfristig nachhaltiges Wachstum und mehr Arbeitsplätze zu schaffen, voll ausschöpfen können.
  • Informationen im Einzelnen zum Small Business Act (SBA) und den zehn Grundsätzen finden Sie hier. Alle Dokumente zum SBA im Überblick gibt es auf der Seite der EU-Kommission. nformationen zum neuen Statut der Europäischen Privatgesellschaft gibt es hier. Weitere Informationen zur Europäischen Privatgesellschaft sind abrufbar auf der Seite der EU-Kommission. Hintergrundinformationen zu neuen praktischen Leitlinien für die Mitgliedstaaten im Bereich der Öffentlichen Auftragsvergabe für KMU gibt es hier.
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01.04.08: Serbia says it remains committed to European perspective - 0 views

www.euractiv.com/...article-171256 belgium enlargement enlargementpolicy_eu enlargementpolicycandidates enlargementpolicymemberstates netherlands serbia
shared by Prof. Dr Wolfgang Schumann on 02 Apr 08 - Cached
  • Despite its steady opposition to the EU's policy on Kosovo, the largest country in the Balkans will continue its move towards EU membership, Serbia's foreign minister Vuc Jeremic told his EU counterparts at their informal meeting in Brdo last weekend (28-29 March).
  • Much will depend on the forthcoming elections in Serbia on 11 May, he added, describing them as "a critical battle for the European souls of the Western Balkans". 
  • Underlining his country's EU commitment, Jeremic said that the Serbian government was ready to sign the SAA "immediately" and continue moving forward rapidly. This step, in addition to an agreement over a road map for the adoption of a visa-free regime, could help counter Serbian concerns fostered by uncertainty over Kosovo, Jeremic suggested.  The Netherlands and Belgium remain opposed to signing an SAA with Serbia before it hands over the former Bosnian Serb political leader Radovan Karadzic and his military commander Ratko Mladic to the court in The Hague.  Jeremic said that "we are very much aware of our obligations to the ICTY," adding that "the only way we'll be able to finish what we started […] is to keep building Serbia's road to Europe".
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  • European Union Presidency: EU Foreign Ministers Discuss the Western Balkans (29 March 2008) Presidency: Brdo Presidency Statement: New focus on the Western Balkans (29 March 2008) Commission: Communication on the Western Balkans (5 March 2008) Commission: EU-Serbia relations Commission: Strategy and Progress Reports 2007 Commission: Key findings of the progress reports on Kosovo and the potential candidate countries: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Serbia (06 November 2007
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02.04.10: Germany Hijacks Iceland's EU Bid - 0 views

www.thetrumpet.com/index.php enlargement enlargementpolicymemberstates germany lisbon-treaty constitutional_court
shared by Prof. Dr Wolfgang Schumann on 03 Apr 10 - Cached
  • Less than one year after the watershed ruling from Germany’s Federal Constitutional Court that empowered Germany’s parliament to trump EU law, Germany is using the ruling to force the EU to conform to its will. The issue Germany has chosen to test this extraordinary power not given to any other EU member nation is Iceland’s bid to join the EU. The EU’s decision to consider Iceland as an official candidate was expected to be made in a late March summit, following a favorable recommendation from the EU commission. It was delayed, however, to give the German parliament time to examine the commission’s opinion. For Iceland to be considered as an official candidate for EU membership, several German parliamentary committees must consent to the move.
  • It is interesting that the first time Germany has forced the EU to consult the Bundestag in an expansion of EU power is in the matter of enlargement—not even if a nation will become an actual member, but in such a trivial matter as whether it will be considered an official candidate. Just look at Turkey’s bid for membership to see how meaningful being an official candidate is. This area of EU power typically doesn’t have a direct impact on any of the current EU members, and so Germany chose to try out its new power in an uncontroversial way. This is apparent by the lack of headlines devoted to Germany’s first use of its national “supremacy clause.” The other heavyweights of the EU, France and Britain, are not calling foul, and none of the other member nations seem concerned that the EU’s enlargement policy was just hijacked by Germany.
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Farrell (2009): EU policy towards other regions: policy learning in the external promot... - 0 views

www.informaworld.com/...ntent=a916687211~frm=titlelink eu-research eu-theories enlargement enlargementpolicy_eu literature integrationtheory
shared by Prof. Dr Wolfgang Schumann on 30 Mar 11 - No Cached
  • Since the 1990s, the European Union (EU) has renewed its support for regional integration in other parts of the world, and incorporated this objective as a part of European external policy. Compared to the embryonic common foreign and security policy (CFSP), the support for regional integration and co-operation has been much less controversial, having been publicly endorsed by European Commission officials, and identified in the policy publications emanating from the various Directorate Generals (DGs). This article adopts a policy learning perspective to investigate this departure in external policy by the EU, and to identify the explanatory capacity of collective learning for the core beliefs, preferences, and policy instruments eventually adopted by European policy-makers. The article identifies what types of learning have taken place, and assesses the impact of learning on the policy outputs and outcomes.
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17.01.08: EU leitet Kartellverfahren gegen Pharmakonzerne ein - 0 views

www.euractiv.com/...article-169610 competition-policy eu-commission eu-policies eu_and_enterprises
shared by Prof. Dr Wolfgang Schumann on 17 Jan 08 - Cached
  • Die Kommission hat die Büros einer Reihe großer europäischer Pharmakonzerne überprüft, um herauszufinden, ob diese sich wettbewerbswidriger Praktiken bedienen, die Innovationen im Sektor und den Eintritt billiger Generika in den europäischen Markt behindern.
  • Sektoruntersuchungen sind Überprüfungen, die die Kommission für Wirtschaftssektoren anordnen kann, die scheinbar nicht so arbeiten, wie sie sollten, oder wenn es Anzeichen für wettbewerbswidriges Verhalten gibt.
  • Die gewonnenen Informationen dienen dem Verständnis des Marktes. Basierend auf der Überprüfung kann die Kommission unternehmensspezifische Untersuchungen in die Wege leiten, um sicherzustellen, dass die Gemeinschaftsregelungen für wettbewerbsbeschränkende Vereinbarungen und den Missbrauch einer marktbeherrschenden Stellung eingehalten werden (Artikel 81 and 82 des EG-Vertrags ). Sektoruntersuchungen wurden bereits in den Bereichen Energie - und Finanzdienstleistungen durchgeführt.
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  • Commission: Commission decision initiating an inquiry into the pharmaceutical sector pursuant to Article 17 of Council Regulation (EC) No 1/2003 (15 January 2008) [FR] [DE]
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28.10.10: Buzek clashes with EU leaders over 'un-European' budget - 0 views

euobserver.com/31153 summits summit_october2010 belgian_presidency2010 eu-policies eu-budget interinstitutional_conflicts europeanparliament europeancouncil
shared by Prof. Dr Wolfgang Schumann on 29 Oct 10 - No Cached
  • A compromise on the 2011 EU budget is likely to coalesce around a three-percent increase compared to this year's spending after a vivid discussion among EU leaders and the European Parliament's chief about the rationale of raising the figure when most capitals are being forced to cut their own budgets.
  • The meeting, which usually consists of EU Parliament chief Jerzy Buzek reading out a statement and then leaving, took an extra hour to wrap up, as British Prime Minister David Cameron intervened to counter the parliament's plea for a six percent increase in the EU budget. Roughly a dozen other leaders then intervened as well, mostly backing the British premier. The Belgian and the Greek prime ministers were among the few who supported Mr Buzek's plea.
  • He also underlined that the parliament is willing to compromise on the six-percent figure, as long as there is "serious talk" about ensuring future funding for the EU's old and new policies. The Lisbon Treaty, he argued, had created new tasks for the EU: "More responsibilities means more funds." "It is absolutely necessary to have a compromise and finish [budget talks] in three weeks and then we want to start a serious discussion about future funding of EU policies. This is about the future of the EU itself. When we talk about cuts, we also have to think about the cost of non-Europe, of not having the added value of the EU."
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13.12.10: Treaty change to provide for a permanent European Stability Mechanism from mi... - 0 views

euobserver.com/31489 eu-policies currency-policy economic-policy euro eurozone lisbon_implementation eu-policy_memberstates germany constitutional_court
shared by Prof. Dr Wolfgang Schumann on 13 Dec 10 - Cached

  • A two-sentence paragraph to be inserted into the Lisbon Treaty will prepare the legal groundwork for a permanent European Stability Mechanism (ESM) from mid-2013 onwards, under which the costs of future eurozone bail-outs may also be shared by sector private sector participants.

    "The member states whose currency is the euro may establish a stability mechanism to safeguard the stability of the euro area as a whole. The granting of financial assistance under the mechanism will be made subject to strict conditionality," reads the paragraph, contained in draft EU summit conclusions seen by this website on Monday (13 December).

  • German Chancellor Angela Merkel has pressed EU leaders to accept the treaty change as she fears Germany's powerful constitutional court may raise objections to the €440 billion temporary European Financial Stability Facility (EFSF), agreed in May and set to provide aid to Ireland. While EU policymakers insist the temporary facility and earlier aid to Greece do not contravene the EU treaty's 'no bail-out clause', Berlin is keen to remove any legal uncertainty, with a number of legal challenges currently under examination by the German court.
  • The treaty change is to take place under a new procedure introduced under the Lisbon Treaty - the simplified revision procedure - allowing for limited treaty changes without the setting up of a convention, on condition that new powers are not transferred from the national to EU level. In the draft conclusions, EU leaders also call on euro area finance ministers and the commission to finalise work on setting up the permanent aid mechanism, including features that could force sovereign bond holders to accept diminished returns on their investments, should a eurozone government be forced to call for aid under the ESM from 2013 onwards. The move stands in marked contrast to aid terms recently agreed for Ireland, under which holders of Irish sovereign debt and senior debt in Irish banks were not forced to accept a 'haircut.' Instead, Irish taxpayers will indirectly pay back the €85 billion borrowed from the EU-IMF for many years to come. Analysts say this move was partially designed to prevent further instability in the European banking sector, with many firms considerably exposed to the Irish market.
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EUISS: European Union Institute for Security Studies - 4 views

www.iss.europa.eu eu-policies cfsp eu-research portals literature
shared by Prof. Dr Wolfgang Schumann on 05 Mar 11 - Cached
  • Prof. Dr Wolfgang Schumann on 05 Mar 11
     
    The European Union Institute for Security Studies (EUISS) is a Paris-based agency of the European Union, operating under the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP). Its goals are to find a common security culture for the EU, to help develop and project the CFSP, and to enrich Europe's strategic debate.The board of the EUISS is chaired by Catherine Ashton High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy.The EUISS is an autonomous agency with full intellectual freedom. As a think tank it researches security issues of relevance for the EU and provides a forum for debate. In its capacity as an EU agency, it also offers analyses and forecasting to the Council of the European Union.Álvaro de Vasconcelos of Portugal has been the Institute's Director since 1 May 2007.
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