A number of recent studies suggest that EU conditionality is a weak mechanism for democracy promotion to third countries if EU does not offer the reward of membership. EU democratic conditionality has been criticized for many shortcomings even in the context of enlargement, especially for unclear demands, vague benchmarking, moving targets, and politicized decision-making. Present thesis discusses whether the view that conditionality has exhausted its potential for democracy promotion still holds true in one country of Eastern Partnership, Moldova. The EU explicitly offers only carrots short of membership. I find that, among these, visa free regime is the most rewarding. But while visa liberalization coupled with tactics of "half opened, half closed doors" seems potent enough to drive democratic change and consolidation, it is evident that EU did little to address the shortcomings of democratic conditionality of 2004-2007 enlargement. The pattern of ill specified demands and unclear benchmarking perpetuates and is a major source of disappointment.

Diploma thesis "Achievements of Czech and Belgian presidencies in EU environmental policy area in comparative perspective" deals with the presidency of the Council of the European Union. Specifically, this qualitative comparative case study draws a comparison between the achievements of first Czech presidency in 2009 and latest Belgian presidency in 2010 in the area of environmental policy. High level of measures in this field represents one of the important characteristics of the European Union in this period of time. Despite the fact that both examined presidencies took place during the economic crisis, they could not forget to deal with environmental problems in order to maintain the EU's leading position in environmental policy and related issues. Keywords European Union, Environment, EU Environmental Policy, EU Presidency

The present thesis analyzes possible determinants shaping attitudes of selected relevant political parties from the EU27 Member States to the potential Turkish accession to the European Union. Bilateral relationships between the EU and the Turkish Republic have been evolving multifariously and long-windedly. However, the question of the direct Turkish participation in the EU's project remains unresolved, and still resonates across all stakeholders. The phenomenon of the eventual Turkish joining is a very topical issue. In particular, the views of the political parties on this particular problem are studied, since these subjects operate with an exclusive position in representative democracies. They symbolize the necessary interconnection between the state and society. Moreover, in the context of the eventual EU enlargement to Turkey, they will likely discuss its confirmation in parliamentary procedures, or they will mobilize voters and form their attitudes in the case of ratification referenda. The present thesis distinguishes between two main groups of explanatory variables. In regarding to the accepted theoretical framework, these are supposed to explicate the views of the selected political parties on the eventual Turkish enlargement qualifiedly. Particularly, the ideological and (general)...

The dynamic interpretation of EU citizenship as a 'fundamental status of all Member State nationals' has opened the door for more horizontal conceptions of equality in European Union law. At the same time, the meaning and purpose of equal treatment in the case of economically inactive and dependent EU citizens has remained ambiguous. The objective of this study is to clarify what normative justifications, other than to eradicate the obstacles to the internal market, can be offered for more just and equal relationships between EU citizens within the existing constitutional order of the EU. What defines EU citizenship as an equal status is how those individuals who hold this status are treated in relation to one another. The thesis discusses in detail how the rationale for discrimination analysis under Article 18 TFEU has changed in parallel with the evolution of EU citizenship. The question of how unlawful discrimination differs from legitimate differential treatment under the so-called 'real link' case law leads to a more theoretical question of what philosophical justifications underlie the EU principle of equality. The democratic theory of equality is used to support the argument that the current bias in favour of 'activity' at the expense of ‘status’ in EU equality law is rooted in a narrow and individualistic view of agency. The thesis, then, argues that recognizing the inherent connection between EU citizens' agency and their subjectivity can provide a justification for a more relational conception of equality even in the absence of a full democratic pedigree in EU law. This analysis contributes a perspective which is usually not there by examining how EU citizenship can benefit from the psycho-dynamic theories of subjectivity that underlie the feminist critique of 'citizenship as agency'.

This Thesis analyze organizational administrative steps and impact of integration of extensive EU 7th Framework Programme from Research and Development area into current small-medium company environment with foreign capital in local Czech market. Thesis pointing out to one of many ways of project implementation into intradepartmental structure it`s complexity and possible difficulties. The practical part analyses initial phase of the project, concrete deprivation, mistakes taken during implementation phase and than practical financial, administrative, legal and organizational recommendations.

Práce se zabývá identifikací hlavních dopadů, které bude pravděpodobně mít rozšíření Evropské unie o Turecko. Nejprve je krátce popsán vývoj vzájemných vztahů. Následuje rozbor rámce přístupových jednání a jejich aktuálního stavu. Práce obsahuje přehled postoje hlavních aktérů rozšíření na prespektivu tureckého začlenění do EU. Hlavní část práce se věnuje nejdůležitějším dopadům vstupu Turecka na Unii z pohledu ekonomického i politického.

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<p>The aim of this master-thesis is to investigate the emergence of bureaucratic drift in connection with implementation of EU-legislation in Sweden. To narrow it down I have chosen to look at the Swedish implementation of the Working Time Directive, directive 93/104/EG. To be able to fulfil the purpose of this master-thesis I have used two research questions; [1] How did Sweden implement the Working Time Directive into Swedish law? and [2] Why did Sweden omit to correct implement the Working Time Directive? To be able to understand and explain the situation I have used the principal-agent perspective as a theoretical framework. An analysis of motives has been used as analytical method.</p><p>The results from the analysis show that Sweden, in order to keep the contractual model used on the labour market, which is a part of the well known Swedish model, shirked while implementing the directive and implemented as to be able to fulfil its own agenda. This gives a new dimension to implementation research, since Sweden and Scandinavia is considered a ‘black hole’ regarding research on implementation in connection with EU-legislation.</p>

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