‘With Whom We Talk?’ Drawing Regions in 21st Century Africa

2020 ◽  
Vol 65 (2) ◽  
pp. 157-177
Author(s):  
Mădălin-Cătălin Blidaru
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
21St Century ◽  
Regional Integration ◽  
Regional Cooperation ◽  
Development Cooperation ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Member States ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
New States

"The African continent inherited borders drawn by foreign actors for centuries, with a limited influence exerted by its internal political structures. This impacted its development across decades, acting as a contributing factor to economic, social and political conflicts, some of them resulting in further divisions in time: new states emerged, while the federal structures developed within some states remain unstable. In this paper, the author investigates the current regional groupings of states established in different African frameworks in an attempt to answer the question “how external actors influence and legitimize the development of regions” in 21st century. From a functionalist perspective, it explores the motives for the formation of a wide range of regional integration and cooperation organizations. The case study of G5 Sahel, an institutionalized regional arrangement focused on security and development of its member states, is analyzed as an arrangement emerged with support from France and the European Union. The case study analysis trails the cooperation with these two foreign actors with the G5 Sahel member states in the five years, focused on evolution, financing and joint initiatives – including to what extent these contributed to consolidation of the regional borders. Keywords: region-building, G5 Sahel, regional cooperation, European Union, development cooperation "

scholarly journals Protection possibilities of agricultural minor crops in the European Union: a case study of soybean, lupin and camelina

2019 ◽  
Vol 127 (1) ◽  
pp. 55-61 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ewa Matyjaszczyk
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Active Substance ◽  
Plant Protection ◽  
Plant Protection Products ◽  
Agricultural Crops ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Member States ◽  
Minor Crops ◽  
Chemical Products

Abstract In the central part of the European Union soybean, lupin and camelina are minor agricultural crops. The paper presents analysis of plant protection products availability for those crops in Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Germany, Holland, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia. Data from year 2019 show that availability of products is generally insufficient. For camelina in some countries, there are no chemical products available whatsoever. For lupin and soybean, there are not always products available to control some pest groups. However, the products on the market differ significantly among the member states. The results show that in protection of soybean, lupin and camelina, no single active substance is registered for the same crop in all the analysed member states. In very numerous cases, active substance is registered in one out of eight analysed member states only.

scholarly journals Regional Convergence in the European Union, new Member States and Croatia

2013 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 9-21 ◽  
Author(s):  
Davor Mikulić ◽  
Željko Lovrinčević ◽  
Andrea Galić Nagyszombaty
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
National Level ◽  
Growth Patterns ◽  
Regional Convergence ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Potential Growth ◽  
Member States ◽  
New Member States ◽  
Factors Influencing ◽  
Wide Range

Abstract Over the past two decades, the issue of regional convergence in the European Union has been the subject of a wide range of empirical research. This paper aims to provide more information on the differences in regional growth patterns of new member states (NMS), as well as Croatia, in addition to the factors influencing regional disparities within each country. This research provides an analysis of regional convergence in the period 2001-2008 at the NUTS II and NUTS III level. The most widely used model for testing convergence hypotheses is beta-convergence analysis. Other factors commonly included in the econometric modelling of convergence are demographic variables, labour market conditions, industrial structure, institutional factors and overall government policy. The main hypothesis is that the process of regional convergence in NMS and Croatia is not strong enough to dominate over other factors, influencing regional potential growth (mainly industry structure and quality of human capital). Absolute β-convergence can be found at the national level for EU countries. Convergence also can be found for NMS regions, but the pace of convergence on the regional level is lower in comparison to the national level and the estimated β-convergence parameter is less significant.

scholarly journals Mass immigrations in the 21st century. Case of Belgium and the Netherlands

2019 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 59-80
Author(s):  
Ryszard Żelichowski
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
The Netherlands ◽  
21St Century ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Member States ◽  
European Union Countries ◽  
Immigration Issue

The uncontrolled wave of immigrants to the European Union countries, which reached its peak in 2015, challenged not only the well-established system of asylum policies in the Member States but also revealed the fundamental differences among them concerning the so-called “immigration issue”. The article focuses on the mechanisms and institutions which evolved during the different waves of immigrants in Belgium and the Netherlands. It also looks for an answer to the question: is mass immigration to Europe a threat or an opportunity? Depending on one’s attitude to the topic, the answer may be positive or negative.

scholarly journals Raising compulsory automobile insurance minimum amounts: a case study from the United States

2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (2019/4) ◽  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
European Union ◽  
Union Member ◽  
The United States ◽  
Automobile Insurance ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Automobile Accidents ◽  
Member States ◽  
European Union Member States

This article discusses a decision both European Union Member States and states in the United States must make: whether to raise their compulsory automobile insurance minimum amounts. The authors review a case study from the United States, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and conclude a proposed increase in the compulsory minimum amounts should pass the legislator. The purpose of compulsory automobile insurance is to compensate victims of automobile accidents. Due to inflation, the minimum amounts in Pennsylvania no longer compensate adequately. Moreover, the data do not support the contention that an increase in the minimum amounts will cause large increases in premiums and uninsured rates. The authors conclude that compulsory minimum amounts should be periodically reviewed, as they are in the European Union, and that arguments about large increases in premiums and uninsured rates should be subjected to a careful review based on data.

scholarly journals A historical and judicial approach on the transformation of the European Communities, the predecessors of the European Union, into an institutional model across the region

2021 ◽  
pp. 19-23
Author(s):  
Mihail Poalelungi ◽  
◽  
Mihai Poalelungi ◽  
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
International Organizations ◽  
Regional Integration ◽  
Regional Cooperation ◽  
The European Union ◽  
European Level ◽  
Broad Area ◽  
Institutional Governance ◽  
Institutional Model ◽  
The Eu

The process of European integration has never followed a clear path and the current EU predecessors had never been by far the only efforts of the regional integration in Europe. Created in the 1950s, the European Communities as today’s EU predecessors, have overdue emerged in a very broad area populated by international organizations and various cooperation institutions. This organization, only by matching economic and political challenges, succeeded in becoming the most important cooperation forum between European states. Although in the early 1950s the Western European states could often choose between various forms of regional cooperation, today the EU is frequently seen as the only available at the European level option and the only model of institutional governance.

scholarly journals Geographical context of energy prices in the European Union Member States with special emphasis on the Slovak Republic

2014 ◽  
Vol 24 (24) ◽  
pp. 135-159
Author(s):  
Martin Mačanga ◽  
Martin Plešivčák
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Union Member ◽  
Slovak Republic ◽  
Energy Markets ◽  
Human Society ◽  
Energy Prices ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Member States ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
European Union Member States

Abstract The issue of energy prices presents an extremely topical subject with a major impact on human society. Energy demand is constantly increasing and most regions of the world are facing serious difficulties in ensuring sufficient energy supplies. However, not only global events affect energy prices in the particular country. National energy markets are highly specific and some local factors may also prove significant. In our contribution we focus on the Slovak Republic and try to analyze the major political and economic factors affecting the final price of energy, particularly of gas and electricity. We pay attention to the period from the accession of the country to the European Union in 2004 until 2011 characterised by ‘third liberalisation package’ that is associated with a wide range of major changes. Largely monopolized energy market has been gradually opening up to competition and the countries with regulated prices have been facing the increasing pressure to let the free market decide. Progressive liberalisation of energy markets enables consumers to use the energy services offered by various private companies. This new element operating in the energy sector is largely reflected in final energy prices. Thus, the main goal of this study is to highlight the price disparities between different energy commodities in European Union member states since we are at present witnesses to of significant regional disparities in energy prices. We try to analyze current energy prices with respect to GDP (regarding purchasing power parity as well) to ensure that resulting comparison would reflect the financial potential of the population. Demonstrating the effects of the economic crisis on energy prices in different countries will be another important aspect of this contribution.

MERCOSUR and the Challenges of Regional Integration

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mahrukh Doctor
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
21St Century ◽  
Regional Integration ◽  
Common Market ◽  
The European Union

In 1991, the Southern Common Market (MERCOSUR) was launched with the aim of fostering regional integration among its four original members—Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay. MERCOSUR evolved from open regionalism to postliberal regionalism in the course of the first 15 years of the 21st century. The organization has faced several challenges since its inception: internal struggles that result from significant asymmetries between members as well as underlying deficits in the regionalism process and external difficulties in managing MERCOSUR’s relations within the hemisphere and beyond (such as relations with the European Union and China).

Regional Organizations’ Relations with International Institutions

2019 ◽  
pp. 446-464
Author(s):  
Joris Larik
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
International Organizations ◽  
Regional Integration ◽  
International Institutions ◽  
Legal Person ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Regional Organizations ◽  
Member States ◽  
Asean Member ◽  
External Relations

This chapter compares the law and practice of regional organizations regarding their engagement with international institutions. This includes treaty-making, joining and participating in international organizations, and the question to which extent member states are being replaced by their regional organizations. The chapter uses the European Union and the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) as case studies given that they represent two radically different forms of regional integration. While the former is a case of deep, supranational sovereignty-pooling, the latter is an example of distinctly sovereignty-friendly intergovernmental cooperation. Both ASEAN and the European Union have codified sets of internal norms for conducting their external relations. Both are avid treaty-makers and interact systematically with international institutions. However, this chapter explains how the difference in the organizations’ internal modes of operation translates into different approaches in their external relations. The European Union’s highly formalized approach leads to taking on a state-like position in many situations, but without always replacing its member states. By contrast, ASEAN’s sensitivity toward national sovereignty results in its member states and the Association never appearing together. It is always either one or the other that engages internationally. ASEAN member states interact with other powers, whereas ASEAN as a legal person interacts with other international organizations, with the one exception—the European Union.

scholarly journals Qualitative monitoring of information infrastructures: A case study of INSPIRE

2016 ◽  
Vol 45 (2) ◽  
pp. 330-344 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ian Masser ◽  
Joep Crompvoets
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
European Community ◽  
Spatial Information ◽  
European Parliament ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Member States ◽  
Information Infrastructures ◽  
Building Information ◽  
Nature Of Information

This paper considers the experience of the implementation of the Directive 2007/2/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 March 2007 establishing an Infrastructure for Spatial Information in the European Community (INSPIRE) as a case study of qualitative monitoring in building information infrastructures. It considers the nature of information infrastructures and possible approaches to qualitative monitoring in situations of this kind and describes the outcomes of two rounds of qualitative country reports prepared by the European Union national Member States in 2010 and 2013. The findings of the analysis highlight the great diversity of approaches developed by the participating countries and the complexity of the tasks involved as well as pointing to a number of areas of potential research on the implementation of information infrastructures.

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