Download or read book International Aid Administrative Reform and the Politics of EU Accession written by Artan Karini and published by Springer. This book was released on 2018-09-11 with total page 172 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book provides a detailed analysis of the dimensions and dynamics of the role of international aid in the reform and capacity development of public service in post-communist Albania. It challenges the technocratic, results-based management frameworks used by aid organizations and reports of official donors operating in the country context, and offers a qualitative and critical assessment of the role of aid in administrative reform and capacity building. Secondly, the book highlights 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 illustrates the domestic challenges in the transfer process towards policy learning and makes a valuable contribution to the debate over the (voluntary vs. coercive) administrative reform in Southeast Europe in relation to the politics of EU accession.

Download or read book Foreign Aid and Political Reform written by G. Crawford and published by Springer. This book was released on 2000-12-06 with total page 301 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The linkage of development aid to the promotion of human rights, democracy and good governance was a striking departure in the post-cold war foreign policies of Northern 'donor' governments. Uniquely, this book provides a systematic and comparative investigation of policies and practices in the 1990s to promote political reform in Southern 'recipient' countries by four donors, the governments of Sweden, the United Kingdom and the United States, plus the European Union. The use of both carrot and stick, that is democracy assistance and aid sanctions, is examined and sharp criticism of current practice offered.

Download or read book Enlargement of the European Union written by Allan F. Tatham and published by Kluwer Law International B.V.. This book was released on 2009-01-01 with total page 594 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The development of EU enlargement has raised many thorny issues unanticipated by the framers of the EC Treaty. A significant upshot of these issues is that the concept of European identity - defined in terms of such factors as culture, history and economics - has supplanted the long-dominant theme of 'widening and deepening, ' particularly since the Union's expansion has become primarily eastward. The major contribution of this important book lies in its analysis of the conceptualization and perception of enlargement from various points of view, focusing on the concerns of stakeholders and the 'identity' conflicts and uncertainties incurred by enlargement initiatives. In the course of its presentation, it details the actual pre-accession Europeanization process and its complex history. Among the key elements discussed are the following: the conflict between 'widening' and 'deepening' and the effect on EU institutional reform; institutional requirements on candidate countries; pre-accession criteria and negotiations; administrative capacity, judicial capacity, and legal approximation in accession states; capacity of the EU to absorb new Member States; and EC law as part of European identity. Also covered are specific historical details of particular pre-accession negotiations (e.g., Greece, Spain, Portugal, Malta, and Cyprus), the still inconclusive negotiations with Turkey and the Western Balkan states, and political factors involved in the non-accession of Norway, Iceland and Switzerland. Assembling powerful evidence and applying incisive analysis, the author's conclusion shows that, absent further (and major) EU institutional reform, it will be difficult for an enlarging Union to continue to 'deliver the goods.' A watershed in the continuing great debate on the fulfilment of the EC Treaty's determination to foster and promote 'an ever closer union of the peoples of Europe, ' this book will prove invaluable to anybody interested in the European integration project, particularly lawyers, academics, officials and policymakers in the EU Member States.

Download or read book Political Conditionality written by Georg Sorensen and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2013-11-05 with total page 141 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Political conditionality involves the linking of development aid to certain standards of observance of human rights and (liberal) democracy in recipient countries. Although this may seem to be an innocent policy, it has the potential to bring about a dramatic change in the basic principles of the international system: putting human rights first means putting respect for individuals and rights before respect for the sovereignty of states.

Download or read book Explaining Religious Party Strength written by Mário Rebelo and published by Taylor & Francis. This book was released on 2022-12-30 with total page 267 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Explaining Religious Party Strength explores why religious political parties are electorally successful in some countries but not in others. Drawing on insights from political science and sociology, this book argues that religious parties are typically formed for defensive reasons, reacting against state-builders’ attempts to secularize public services such as education, welfare, and healthcare. Building on these findings, the author argues that the strength of religious parties is determined by the infrastructural power of the state. Weak states that fail to provide adequate public services open up space for religious communities to build a dense network of private schools, hospitals, and charities, which translates into votes for religious political parties. By contrast, strong states that provide efficient public services squeeze out private welfare providers, undermining the electoral strength of religious political parties. The author tests this theory through statistical analysis, using a new dataset on all religious parties which have participated in national parliamentary elections between 1800 and 2015. He includes comparative historical analyses of Roman Catholic political parties in France and Italy and Sunni Islamic political parties in Egypt, Turkey, and Albania. This book will interest students and scholars of religion and politics, specifically those interested in party formation, voting, and political activism, as well as policymakers.

Download or read book Public Management Reform written by Christopher Pollitt and published by Oxford University Press, USA. This book was released on 2000-01-01 with total page 314 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this major new contribution to a rapidly expanding field, the authors offer an integrated analysis of the wave of management reforms which have swept through so many countries in the last twenty years. The reform trajectories of ten countries are compared, and key differences of approach discussed. Unlike some previous works, this volume affords balanced coverage to the 'New Public Management' (NPM) and the 'non-NPM' or 'reluctant NPM' countries, since it covers Australia, Canada, Finland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Sweden, the UK and the USA. Unusually, it also includes a preliminary analysis of attempts to improve management within the European Commission.

Download or read book The European Commission of the Twenty First Century written by Hussein Kassim and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2013-06-27 with total page 400 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Co-authored by an international team of researchers and drawing on interviews with senior officials, The European Commission of the Twenty-First Century tests, challenges and refutes many widely held myths about the Commission and the people who work for it.

Download or read book Public Administration Reforms in Europe written by Gerhard Hammerschmid and published by Edward Elgar Publishing. This book was released on 2016-06-24 with total page 305 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Based on a survey of more than 6700 top civil servants in 17 European countries, this book explores the impacts of New Public Management (NPM)-style reforms in Europe from a uniquely comparative perspective. It examines and analyses empirical findings regarding the dynamics, major trends and tools of administrative reforms, with special focus on the diversity of top executives’ perceptions about the effects of those reforms.

Download or read book Europe in 12 Lessons written by Pascal Fontaine and published by . This book was released on 2017 with total page 114 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Health Policy and European Union Enlargement written by Mckee and published by McGraw-Hill Education (UK). This book was released on 2004-04-01 with total page 312 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: While there may be consensus on the broader issues of the core objectives of the health care system, expectations differ between EU countries, and European national policy-makers. This book seeks firstly to assess the impact of the enlargement process and then to analyse the challenges that lie ahead in the field of health and health policy.

Download or read book Europeanization and Regionalization in the EU s Enlargement to Central and Eastern Europe written by J. Hughes and published by Springer. This book was released on 2004-10-12 with total page 246 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book is a study of EU conditionality and compliance during the enlargement to the Central and Eastern European candidate countries. EU conditionality for membership is widely understood as having been a driving force for Europeanization, providing incentives and sanctions for compliance or non-compliance with EU norms, such as the 'Copenhagen Criteria' and the adoption of the acquis communautaire . By taking regional policy and regionalization as a case study, this book provides a comparative analysis of the effects of conditionality on the Central and East European countries and explores the many paradoxes and weaknesses in the use of EU conditionality over time.

Download or read book Ready for Europe written by Barbara Nunberg and published by World Bank Publications. This book was released on 2000-01-01 with total page 380 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: As the ongoing political and economic transition in the Central and Eastern Europe countries (CEE) moves into the next century, the most advanced countries in the region are preparing to deal with their prospective entry into the European Union. More a process than an event, joining the EU is likely to place heightened demands on public administrations throughout the region. To assist these countries with their efforts, the Bank conducted a study of the regions. The results of that study are included in this volume.'Ready for Europe' specifies and clarifies the administrative requirements of accession. The author uses in-depth case studies for three pre-accession countries, Estonia, Hungary, and the Czech Republic to make these specifications. The book defines the performance level countries will need to attain for a range of administrative tasks so the countries may reach a minimal threshold for EU membership. It applies selected standards to determine each country's readiness for accession and for the longer-term transition agenda. The author focuses on these three critical areas of administrative performance in the context of EU accession: • How advanced is the development of a politically neutral, professional human resource cadre in the civil service? • Do countries have the necessary institutional infrastructure at the government's core (that is, cabinet level) to formulate and coordinate policymaking in an efficient and democratic manner? • How well are the dedicated institutional structures and processes established to shepherd countries through the accession process working?

Download or read book The European Union written by Kristin Archick and published by . This book was released on 2019-09-15 with total page 28 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The European Union (EU) is a political and economic partnership that represents a unique form of cooperation among sovereign countries. The EU is the latest stage in a process of integration begun after World War II, initially by six Western European countries, to foster interdependence and make another war in Europe unthinkable. The EU currently consists of 28 member states, including most of the countries of Central and Eastern Europe, and has helped to promote peace, stability, and economic prosperity throughout the European continent. The EU has been built through a series of binding treaties. Over the years, EU member states have sought to harmonize laws and adopt common policies on an increasing number of economic, social, and political issues. EU member states share a customs union; a single market in which capital, goods, services, and people move freely; a common trade policy; and a common agricultural policy. Nineteen EU member states use a common currency (the euro), and 22 member states participate in the Schengen area of free movement in which internal border controls have been eliminated. In addition, the EU has been developing a Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP), which includes a Common Security and Defense Policy (CSDP), and pursuing cooperation in the area of Justice and Home Affairs (JHA) to forge common internal security measures. Member states work together through several EU institutions to set policy and to promote their collective interests. In recent years, however, the EU has faced a number of internal and external crises. Most notably, in a June 2016 public referendum, voters in the United Kingdom (UK) backed leaving the EU. The pending British exit from the EU (dubbed "Brexit") comes amid multiple other challenges, including the rise of populist and to some extent anti-EU political parties, concerns about democratic backsliding in some member states (including Poland and Hungary), ongoing pressures related to migration, a heightened terrorism threat, and a resurgent Russia. The United States has supported the European integration project since its inception in the 1950s as a means to prevent another catastrophic conflict on the European continent and foster democratic allies and strong trading partners. Today, the United States and the EU have a dynamic political partnership and share a huge trade and investment relationship. Despite periodic tensions in U.S.-EU relations over the years, U.S. and EU policymakers alike have viewed the partnership as serving both sides' overall strategic and economic interests. EU leaders are anxious about the Trump Administration's commitment to the EU project, the transatlantic partnership, and an open international trading system-especially amid the Administration's imposition of tariffs on EU steel and aluminum products since 2018 and the prospects of future auto tariffs. In July 2018, President Trump reportedly called the EU a "foe" on trade but the Administration subsequently sought to de-escalate U.S.-EU tensions and signaled its intention to launch new U.S.-EU trade negotiations. Concerns also linger in Brussels about the implications of the Trump Administration's "America First" foreign policy and its positions on a range of international issues, including Russia, Iran, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, climate change, and the role of multilateral institutions. This report serves as a primer on the EU. Despite the UK's vote to leave the EU, the UK remains a full member of the bloc until it officially exits the EU (which is scheduled to occur by October 31, 2019, but may be further delayed). As such, this report largely addresses the EU and its institutions as they currently exist. It also briefly describes U.S.-EU political and economic relations that may be of interest.

Download or read book The Politics of EU Accession written by Lucie Tunkrova and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2010-05-04 with total page 280 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The question of Turkish membership in the European Union is highly controversial and subject to many misperceptions and misunderstandings on both sides. This book examines the politics of EU accession which have evolved during the expansion of the EU, from more procedural conditions to provisions of substantive democracy. With a particular focus on the challenges Turkey faces to join the EU, the authors examine the experiences of the newly-democratised and acceded Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia to provide insight and to identify the best possible solutions. Combining the Turkish and Central European perspectives in one volume, and using a social constructivist approach, the authors address issues including Euroscepticism, EU absorption capacity, women’s rights, democratisation, Turkish Kamalism, the desecuritisation of Turkish politics and the problem of Northern Cyprus. This volume establishes the challenges the EU, its member states and the candidate countries need to face and successfully address in order to contribute to both their democratization and the European integration process. This book will be of interest to students and scholars of European politics, Turkish politics and international politics.

Download or read book Rule of Law Dynamics written by Michael Zurn and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2012-06-18 with total page 401 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This volume explores the various strategies, mechanisms and processes that influence rule of law dynamics across borders and the national/international divide, illuminating the diverse paths of influence. It shows to what extent, and how, rule of law dynamics have changed in recent years, especially at the transnational and international levels of government. To explore these interactive dynamics, the volume adopts an interdisciplinary approach, bringing together the normative perspective of law with the analytical perspective of social sciences. The volume contributes to several fields, including studies of rule of law, law and development, and good governance; democratization; globalization studies; neo-institutionalism and judicial studies; international law, transnational governance and the emerging literature on judicial reforms in authoritarian regimes; and comparative law (Islamic, African, Asian, Latin American legal systems).

Download or read book International Socialization in Europe written by F. Schimmelfennig and published by Springer. This book was released on 2006-09-04 with total page 307 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: At the end of the Cold War, the Western international community embarked on a large-scale project of promoting democratic change and consolidation in Eastern Europe. This book explains its mixed results. It examines the strategies of European organizations and the conditions of their success and failure.

Download or read book The State After Communism written by Barbara Nunberg and published by World Bank Publications. This book was released on 1999 with total page 292 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: As the European Union (EU) launches its common currency (the Euro), Central European (CE) nations are searching for best practices in public liability management in order to smooth their integration into the EU. This work addresses that concern, examining borrowing policies, institution building, portfolio optimization, and the implications of the Euro and EU accession for public debt management. To help the CE countries achieve their goals, the World Bank and the European Commission held a two-day seminar in Brussels in mid-December 1997. European Union Accession presents the papers delivered at that seminar which was attended by all ten EU applicant countries: Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, the Slovak Republic, and Slovenia. The workshop pursued the following goals: (1) to investigate the implications of the launch of the Euro and of the EU accession on fiscal prudence and on the borrowing strategies of CE countries; (2) to facilitate the dissemination of the best public liabilities management techniques developed worldwide; and (3) to explore plausible arrangements to promote prudent public liabilities management in Central Europe through a regional expertise network.