The European Commission released on 16 July its new publication entitled AGENDA 2000 together with opinions on each of the ten EU Accession Countries' applications for membership. This publication constitutes the Commission's comprehensive response to requests made during the European Council meeting in Madrid in December 1995. In a single framework, the Commission outlines the broad outlook for the development of the European Union and its policies beyond the turn of the century, the impact of enlargement on the Union as a whole and the future financial framework beyond 2000, taking into account the prospect of an enlarged Union. All of AGENDA 2000 documents, taken together, offer a clear and coherent vision of the Union as it enters the 21st century.
The present approach to eastward enlargement of the EU is far too narrow and mechanistic, failing to take necessary political and economic factors into account, say the authors of Not Just Another Accession: The Political Economy of EU Enlargement to the East. Prepared by members of the Economic Programme Group of the Brussels-based European Forum for Democracy and Solidarity, the new publication emphasizes that European integration must be based on both national interest and on solidarity, within and between nations. ÒIf it is not based on the national interest of the existing members it will not happen - there are too many vested interests eager to block it. If it is not based on solidarity, then the short-term costs of enlargement will pose insuperable barriers.Ó The authors believe that this publication will help to inspire public policy debate around EU enlargement and will foster a better understanding of the political economy of European integration.
Society's use of energy is at the heart of many of the most significant environmental problems of recent years, including global warming and acid rain. But new technologies are emerging which may help us move toward a more sustainable approach to energy use, says David Elliott, author of Energy, Society and Environment, a new publication which explores possible strategic solutions to the way in which we use energy. The book also investigates just how far purely technical solutions can take us, and suggests that social, economic and political changes may also be necessary to avoid serious environmental damage in the future. Implications for society in developing a sustainable approach to energy use are also discussed.
The second volume of the Emerging Environmental Market Report was published this September by the REC covering the countries of Bulgaria, Croatia, Romania and Slovenia. The market study describes the status of the environmental business sector, including profiles of businesses, information and training needs, and assistance and barriers to development, and provides an overview of the environmental market, including environmental priorities and expenditures, environmental legislation and enforcement.
