... In my contribution I will tell in short the long story how Austria approached the European Union (EU). For other EU applicants this may not serve as a model blueprint, but it shows the particular problems a country has to tackle with when engaging to become a member of Europe's mightiest economic powers. Austria's roads to Europe were by no means straight. In contrast, we made many roundabouts and sidesteps. This, however, is not a problem unique to Austria. The double-trackedness of European integration in the sixties (EC versus EFTA integration) has caused enormous frictions and ineffiencies which resulted in a sub-optimal growth process in Europe and unused welfare potentials. In the case of Austria one can demonstrate that the splitting of integration in Europe was not very helpful for Austria's economic development. (excerpt) / Series: EI Working Papers / Europainstitut

Title in English: Development of common European currency Abstract Main topic of my master thesis was to summarize current development of the European monetary integration. This part is mainly covered by chapter 1, current situation and future expectations mentioned in chapter 4. Some evidence of current integration could be found in the prewar history, but actual development covers the post war period. European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC), European Economic Community (EEC) and European Atomic Energy Community (EAEC or Euratom) were the real beginning of the current European union. European Union was settled by founding treaties of above mentioned institutions. Further milestones were provisions of founding treaties and new treaties of so called primary source of the EU law, of which the final goal was supposed to be the Constitution of the European Union. This constitution was approved in a modified version excluding constitutional symbols and it is called the Lisbon Treaty. This treaty can be considered as the greatest step of the European integration whose integral part is the common currency, euro. The second chapter summarizes theoretical and economic bases of the common currency. The rich theory of optimum currency areas is a dominant theoretical concept in this area. Founder of this theory,...

The purpose of this study was to examine the nature of the trade-development nexus in economic relations between the European Union and Pacific island states. Two interrelated but competing International Relations theories are utilised as tools for analysis: the dependency theory and realist theory. The research consists of analysis of the approaches, assumptions and applicability of both theories in the wider context of North-South relations, with a focus on recent changes in the relationship between the European Union and Pacific island states. The thesis revealed that the lack of success in reaching policy objectives throughout a long-lasting relationship was a key driving force for several policy shifts; these resulted in the implementation of the trade-development nexus into new foreign policy instruments, the Economic Partnership Agreements. Research demonstrated that new dependency theory forecasts more emphasis on the internal development dimension and a development-friendly trade-development nexus. Realist theory however estimates that, depending on power projections and self-interests involved, the trade-development nexus may lead to either more co-operation or more conflict in relations between the European Union and Pacific island states. In order to test the theoretical propositions, the thesis turned to the analysis of two case studies. It looked at the sugar sector in Fiji and the fisheries sector in the South Pacific. Both case studies demonstrated how the trade-development nexus selfadjusts to a given situation or changes through a set of conditions present at any given point in time— a phenomenon that is a defining feature, and possibly the actual essence of the nexus. This flexibility may positively contribute to the European Union's aspirations of becoming an influential global actor through trade and development policies. However, flexibility renders the trade-development nexus unpredictable as policy instrument and therefore less desirable from the perspective of Pacific island countries than it would appear in light of the case-studies.

University of Macau / Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities / Department of Government and Public Administration

No description available.

No description available.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Washington, 2001. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 162-181.

Thesis (M.A. in National Security Affairs)--Naval Postgraduate School, June 2004. / Thesis advisor(s): Robert Looney, Donald Abenheim. Includes bibliographical references (p. 103-109). Also available online.

The thesis examines the impacts of European integration on interest representation in an EU applicant country, Hungary. The study identifies and explores the mechanisms of Europeanisation and their effects on the organisation and functioning of interest groups and of interest representation structures. The study primarily uses the qualitative method. The empirical part consists of three detailed case studies, covering the pharmaceutical sector, the agricultural sector, and peak employers' associations. The research is largely based on primary data gained from interviews and documents. Each case study explores the inclusion of Hungarian interest groups in the European level of interest representation, their participation in EU-related policy-making, and the European policy impacts on group developments and interest representation structures. The theories of Europeanisation constitute the primary analytical framework for the study. In addition in an attempt of contextualisation, the theories of political and economic transition and consolidation are also examined. The empirical chapters indicate a variation in the forms and degree to which Europeanisation affected interest representation in Hungary. Sectoral, group and interest representation structure characteristics, and the nature of the EU level interest representation are examined as the variables responsible for the differences. The research findings point to the need to distinguish between formal and substantive Europeanisation. It is also argued that Europeanisation is closely intertwined with and embedded in the double process of political and economic transition and consolidation in the Central and Eastern European context

published_or_final_version / abstract / toc / Real Estate and Construction / Master / Master of Science in Real Estate and Construction