This thesis explores the intersectional commodification of migrant labour from post-socialist EU Accession 8 (A8) countries and its effects on Polish and Slovenian migrant workers in the UK. Using historical and macro socio-economic contexts as its point of departure, the thesis aims to uncover how a postcolonial narrative surrounding A8 countries' transition to market economies and their accession to the EU has legitimised on-going colonial processes that construct A8 countries and their nationals as second class EU citizens and re-evaluate subjectivities in relation to the market. Further, it explores how this narrative has been appropriated by transnational employment agencies that colonise A8 countries and as such play an active role in commodifying A8 workers and supplying them to the UK. Moreover, the thesis sets out specifically to explore how this colonisation and its narrative affect workers' (self)value and emigration from Poland and Slovenia, as well as the value extraction possibilities and strategies of diverse actors involved in transnational labour relations between East and West. Through a transdisciplinary adoption of a Bourdieuian conceptual framework, this research offers an original theoretical and methodological toolkit for complex intersectional analyses that uncovers the multiple and misrecognised power relations associated with embodied categories, spatial and temporal dimensions and varying modalities of knowledge. As such, it uncovers on-going colonial processes that characterise a contemporary post-socialist world marked by changed transnationalised consumption and production processes and the marketization of cultural, diversity and identity politics. In this way, the research uncovers symbolic economy hidden under neoliberal (self)colonisation, which enables strategic utilisation of migrant labour and disciplines, segments and divides the global poor. By providing a broader comparative analysis of diverse actors and A8 groups, the thesis widens our understanding of A8 labour migration to the UK and also leads to insights into the remaking of class, race and gender politics on the local and global scales.

This research study investigates the role of international aid in public service reform and capacity building in the context of post-communist Albania. It takes a two-pronged approach towards exploring the interaction between the key research variables. First, challenging the technocratic, results-based management frameworks used by aid organizations, it offers a qualitative and critical assessment of the role of aid in a specific arena, administrative reform and capacity building, given its significance as key to (and conditionality for) the EU accession process. Secondly, the research points to the specificity of the national politico-administrative context and its ability to modify the process of policy transfer from aid organizations to the Albanian bureaucracy. In doing so, it attempts to illustrate the domestic challenges in the transfer process towards policy learning thus making a contribution to the debate over the (voluntary vs. coercive) administrative reform in Southeast Europe in relation to the politics of EU accession. Therefore, the findings of the study are two-fold. First, based on the multi-level analysis of policy transfer, the research provides an account of (aid-supported) policies/programmes and institutions/mechanisms of transfer towards administrative reform and capacity building. Thus, the analysis reveals the conflicting nature of international aid via the dichotomy between the ‘career’ versus ‘managerialist’ approaches promoted respectively by the EU and the WB as the drivers of administrative reform in post-communist Albania. The study maintains that aid towards administrative reform and capacity building has been confined to regulatory frameworks while its impact on the capacities of the public sector HRM functions has been rather limited. Besides, it claims that programmes and mechanisms of transfer have supported alignment with EU standards and compliance with global aid effectiveness agenda towards a broader public sector reform. The study concludes that while administrative reform and capacity building are conditionality for EU accession, the significantly reduced funding combined with the use of alternative policy incentives (signing into SAA in 2006 and admission into the Schengen agreement in 2010) might be taken to indicate a silent abandonment of administrative reform as a national matter. The findings suggest that this has indeed led to a complacent relationship between the EU and Albania, which may jeopardize the country’s chances of accession into the EU. The study also challenges the views of the literature locating Albania among countries which have adopted the hybrid NWS, drawing on both NPM and Weberian reform doctrines. Accounts of an adversarial and polarized political culture in which political patronage and high staff turnover persist, coupled with a hierarchy-/clan-based administrative culture may explain the ability of the national context not only to modify but also to block policy transfer. The findings imply that the Albanian case provides a ‘classic’ example whereby transfer based on reform doctrines has been used by governing elites to solidify their political position. While the above may explain non-transfer towards policy learning, the role of aid is also reduced by other factors including overreliance on NGOs as ‘implementation partners’, ‘mixed feedback’ to bureaucrats and ‘strong’ informal donor-beneficiary-contractor networks characterized by a certain ability to affect donor behaviour.

<p>After regaining independence from Soviet Union in 1991, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania started transition process from centrally planned- to market economy and their rapid progress has claimed to be one of a kind. Baltic States experienced a long period of exceptional economic growth and earned nickname of Baltic Tigers. International economic integration was one their main agenda and the countries signed several Free Trade Agreements during the 1990’s. The integration process culminated in 2004 when the countries joined the European Union.</p><p> </p><p>We were interested in to study how Baltic States trade patterns has evolved after they joined the union and research question was set out to ask:</p><p> </p><p><em>What changes have </em><em>Baltic States</em><em> trade patterns undergone since their EU accession?</em></p><p> </p><p>Complemented by sub-questions:</p><p> </p><p><em>Has the trade with </em><em>Russia</em><em> changed for the </em><em>Baltic States</em><em>?</em></p><p><em>Have there been any changes in size of SITC sectors of export and import when comparing before and after EU accession.</em></p><p> </p><p>The aim of this study was to investigate how the Baltic States EU membership has affected on their trade patterns and also to examine what kind of role Russia still has in their trade. In addition to general changes in the Baltic States trade we aimed to analyze trade patterns on a commodity level and studied trade flows in SITC (Standard International Trade Classification) sectors.</p><p> </p><p>The study is conducted from the positivistic standpoint and by using a deductive approach. Theories of economic integration and international trade have been used to formulate the research problem. We have used a quantitative research strategy and data of the Baltic States trade flows are gathered from Eurostat, Statistical office of the European Communities. The time frame of this study was limited to cover years 1999-2007 and since our focus was to examine trade developments over time, we have computed annual changes of trade flows.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>Our theoretical framework<strong> </strong>consists of theories about economic integration, and Customs Union theory which has been the basis for our analysis.</p><p> </p><p>According to our findings intra-EU trade dominates both in exports and imports in all the Baltic Countries. We can see that EU accession has had impact on import patterns as imports from within the EU has increased and even more so after accession. Russia has continued to be a significant trading partner and exports to Russia have even increased after the countries joined the EU. Our findings suggest that joining the European Union has had effect on their trade patterns but we also argue that major change and specialization has already happened when they signed Free Trade Agreements.</p>

After regaining independence from Soviet Union in 1991, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania started transition process from centrally planned- to market economy and their rapid progress has claimed to be one of a kind. Baltic States experienced a long period of exceptional economic growth and earned nickname of Baltic Tigers. International economic integration was one their main agenda and the countries signed several Free Trade Agreements during the 1990’s. The integration process culminated in 2004 when the countries joined the European Union.   We were interested in to study how Baltic States trade patterns has evolved after they joined the union and research question was set out to ask:   What changes have Baltic States trade patterns undergone since their EU accession?   Complemented by sub-questions:   Has the trade with Russia changed for the Baltic States? Have there been any changes in size of SITC sectors of export and import when comparing before and after EU accession.   The aim of this study was to investigate how the Baltic States EU membership has affected on their trade patterns and also to examine what kind of role Russia still has in their trade. In addition to general changes in the Baltic States trade we aimed to analyze trade patterns on a commodity level and studied trade flows in SITC (Standard International Trade Classification) sectors.   The study is conducted from the positivistic standpoint and by using a deductive approach. Theories of economic integration and international trade have been used to formulate the research problem. We have used a quantitative research strategy and data of the Baltic States trade flows are gathered from Eurostat, Statistical office of the European Communities. The time frame of this study was limited to cover years 1999-2007 and since our focus was to examine trade developments over time, we have computed annual changes of trade flows. Our theoretical framework consists of theories about economic integration, and Customs Union theory which has been the basis for our analysis.   According to our findings intra-EU trade dominates both in exports and imports in all the Baltic Countries. We can see that EU accession has had impact on import patterns as imports from within the EU has increased and even more so after accession. Russia has continued to be a significant trading partner and exports to Russia have even increased after the countries joined the EU. Our findings suggest that joining the European Union has had effect on their trade patterns but we also argue that major change and specialization has already happened when they signed Free Trade Agreements.

We use a production function approach in investigating the relationship between financial development and economic growth in 9 EU accession - mostly transition countries. These findings are compared with the results for the group of 18 developed countries, and separately, with the results for a group of less developed EU countries - structural fund recipients. We use aggregate measures of financial development as well as measures for single segments of financial sectors. In context of transition countries, bond markets are, to our knowledge, taken explicitly into account for the first time. We find that domestic credit and bond markets together with real capital stock growth stimulate economic growth in transition. With progress in cohesion, educational attainment becomes the next important factor that contributes to economic growth followed by labor participation in mature market economies. For the developed countries, financial sector did not play any positive role for growth over the period under study. We conclude that transfer mechanisms for growth differ over the development cycle. This is important to growth theory, to the sequencing of economic reforms and to financial sector development priorities. (author's abstract) / Series: EI Working Papers / Europainstitut

This thesis analyzes the anti-corruption policy in the European Union. Within this framework corruption as a global phenomenon and actions taken by other international organisations is studied as well. Furthermore, this thesis seeks to answer whether the accession process to the European Union has influenced the anti-corruption strategy in Turkey or not. Finally, it identifies shortcomings in the current reform process in Turkey and tries to develop recommendations accordingly.

Much of the public policy discourse about immigration in the UK has drawn on the experiences of post-war immigrants from the former British colonies. The volume and composition of immigration flows has changed significantly in recent years with substantial increases in the number of immigrants, particularly from countries without links to the UK, and as a result of the large scale immigration from the EU Accession countries in Central and Eastern Europe. Immigration remains a contested issue with public and political debates focusing on the nature and impact of immigration and its perceived negative effects on employment, public services and social cohesion. In spite of the growing number of studies examining the experiences of new immigrants in local neighbourhoods and labour markets there is a lack of comprehensive evidence about how these experiences differ across immigrant groups and the role of place in shaping the experiences and outcomes of new immigration. This research draws on a variety of data from the census, national surveys, administrative sources and qualitative interviews to explore the settlement patterns, labour market outcomes and neighbourhood experiences of new immigrants. The findings show that new immigrants are more likely to locate in ethnically diverse and socially deprived neighbourhoods upon arrival although there is variation in the factors determining immigrant settlement by world area of origin in line with differences in migration motives and entitlements in the UK. The findings from the qualitative interviews highlight the range of motivations and constraints that shape immigrant settlement patterns and how these change over time with secondary migration and family formation. Analysis of the labour market position of immigrants defined by country of origin and ethnicity shows the persistence of ethnic penalties in the labour market. Immigrants from ethnic minority groups both from established and new immigrant groups are found to be more disadvantaged in the labour market than white immigrants and the White British. The neighbourhood context, specifically neighbourhood deprivation and ethnic diversity, is associated with poorer employment outcomes, with the relationship between area deprivation and employment shown to depend on ethnicity. The qualitative evidence highlights the role of social networks and a range of other factors in facilitating and hindering the socio-economic integration of new immigrants. The findings, particularly in relation to immigrant social networks, access to welfare, settlement intentions and housing aspirations, challenge common perceptions about new immigrants living in deprived areas in the UK. The research evidence contributes to a better understanding of the settlement patterns and experiences of new immigration and has implications for national and local policies.

No description available.

In this study, administrative reform in the EU accession process was analysed with reference to the cases of Hungary and Turkey. The main goal of this study is to show that both objective (economy) and subjective (politics) factors are important and acceding countries to have room to manoeuvre in the context of the social-liberal framework of the EU. To this end, necessary causality between neoliberal administrative reform and EU accession, and determinism in the enlargement process, which leaves no room to manoeuvre for candidate countries, are denied. In conclusion, it is seen that since there is no public administration model, candidate countries are free to determine the content of the administrative reforms within the framework of general principles set by the EU. Moreover, it is found that the EU accession process is closely related to modernisation of the public administration system in the candidate countries and administrative reform has been overlapped and equalized to EU accession. Finally, it is understood that administrative reform with its extensive content, caused centralisation.

Magistro baigiamajame darbe analizuojami esminiai ir probleminiai Europos Sąjungos prisijungimo prie Žmogaus teisių ir laisvių apsaugos konvencijos teisiniai aspektai bei klausimai. Prisijungimo klausimas net 30 metų buvo diskusijų objektu ir buvo vertinamas nevienareikšmiškai, tačiau Po Lisabonos sutarties, kuri įpareigojo ES prisijungti prie Konvencijos ir Keturioliktojo protokolo įsigaliojimo diskusijos dėl prisijungimo poreikio pasiekė kritinį tašką. Be to 2013 metų balandžio mėnesį buvo patvirtintas galutinis Europos Sąjungos prisijungimo prie Žmogaus teisių konvencijos sutarties projektas, kuris numatė visas prisijungimui reikalingas sąlygas ir procedūras. Darbe keliama hipotezė, kad Europos Sąjungos prisijungimas prie Konvencijos sąlygos efektyvesnę žmogaus teisių apsaugą ES. Darbą sudaro 5 dalys. Pirmoje dalyje analizuojama žmogaus teisių apsaugos raida Europos Sąjungoje, Konvencijos statuso pokyčiai ES teisinėje sistemoje nuo Bendrijų įkūrimo iki Lisabonos sutarties įsigaliojimo. Be to yra apžvelgiamas kelias link Prisijungimo sutarties projekto patvirtinimo. Prieinama prie išvados, kad nors šiai dienai Konvencija yra tik neįpareigojantis įkvėpimo šaltinis, EŽTK svarba ir jos ypatingumas yra pripažinti ES Sutartyse, be to Konvencijoje įtvirtintos teisės ir laisvės yra pripažįstamos pagrindiniais ES teisės principais. Būtina paminėta ir dviejų teismų išvystytą ekvivalentinės apsaugos doktriną, kuri gali būti traktuojama, kaip bendradarbiavimo dviejų teisinių... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / The Master’s thesis analyses the legal aspects and major issues in the accession of the European Union to the European Convention on Human Rights. This issue is of great relevance and has been deliberated on for 30 years. Since the treaty of Lisbon entered into force in 2009 the accession to the ECHR is an obligation to the Union. Furthermore, the final version of the draft accession agreement was concluded in April 2013. This agreement provided all the conditions and procedures required for the accession. The thesis raises a hypothesis that the European Union's accession to the Convention shall result in more effective protection of human rights in the EU. The master thesis consists of 5 parts. The first part analysis the evolution of human rights protection in the European Union and the changes in the status of the Convention within the EU legal system from the establishment of the European Communities until the Lisbon Treaty entered into force. The way towards the acceptance of Draft Agreement on the Accession is also being discussed in this part. A conclusion is made that for now the Convention is only a legally non-binding inspiration for the protection of human rights, however, the importance and specificities of ECHR are established in the EU Treaties. Moreover, rights and freedoms established in the Convention are considered to be one of the main principles of EU law. Another thing that needs to be noted is the doctrine of equivalent protection developed by the two... [to full text]