Suchergebnisse

The new Block Exemption Regulation concerning the way in which vehicle manufacturers distribute their products in Europe took full effect on the 1st of October 2003. Three years on, relationships between manufacturers, dealers, and all other automotive industry players have started to show signs of change. Over these past three years dealership groups have consolidated, multi-branding increased, and the after-sales market has become stronger in relation to their rivals, the dealerships. However, in essence, the scale of change the European Commission, and consumers, hoped for has not yet occurred. Manufacturers continue to be the stronger party regarding the relationships they have with their dealership networks and the after-sales market. Though most opted for a selective dealership distribution network, aimed at giving dealerships more autonomy, the shift in power from the manufacturer to the dealer is barely visible. Additionally, the changes that have occurred are believed, by most, to be due to the continual saturation of the European Automotive market and the quantity of economies trying to recover from ongoing recession, and not due to the new Block Exemption Regulation itself. Yet, what the new regulation has allowed is for dealers with difficulties to find easier solutions to their problems (e.g. consolidation, change in structure or sale), consumers to shop more easily and after-sales service quality standards to increase due to stronger competition. ; As normas que vieram alterar o Block Exemption, relativamente á forma como os fabricantes de veículos automóveis distribuem os seus produtos na Europa, entraram em vigôr em 1 de Outubro de 2003. Decorridos três anos, o relacionamento entre produtores, concessionários e as outras entidades envolvidas no comércio de veículos automóveis, começa a mostrar alguns sinais de mudança. Ao longo desses três anos verificou-se uma cada vez maior concentração de concessionários em grupos distribuidores, a exclusividade tem vindo gradualmente a dar lugar a um cada vez maior número de representações multimarca e as oficinas independentes e negociantes de peças têm-se vindo a tornar mais fortes. Contudo, a grande mudança que a Comissão Europeia e os consumidores esperavam, ainda não aconteceu. Os fabricantes continuam a dominar as relações com as suas redes de concessionários e com o mercado de pós-venda. Apesar de a maioria dos fabricantes terem optado por um critério de distribuição selectiva, que dá maior autonomia aos seus concessionários, a relação de forças entre essas duas entidades quase não se alterou. De acordo com vários analistas, as mudanças que tiveram lugar deveram-se mais a uma grande saturação do mercado automóvel europeu, e á fragilidade da sua economia, do que á nova regulamentação do Block Exemption. Mas, pode dizer-se que a nova regulamentação criou condições mais favoráveis para concessionários em dificuldade (oportunidade de integrarse num grupo, mudar a sua estrutura ou vender o negócio), maior facilidade para os clientes escolherem o produto que pretendem e maior conveniência e condições em termos de assistência pós-venda, em consequência do aumento de concorrência entre as várias partes envolvidas. ; ISCTE

Les insuffisances de la PAC actuelle en matière environnementale amènent les différents décideurs publics à envisager la question d'une réforme des instruments de cette politique qui tienne véritablement compte à la fois d'objectifs de soutien d'une agriculture compétitive et de protection de l'environnement. Or dans l'Union européenne, il semble difficile de concilier ces deux objectifs dans la mesure où la relative rareté de la terre pousse les agriculteurs à intensifier les techniques de production et, par voie de conséquence, à utiliser des quantités importantes d'intrants industriels à l'origine de pollution. Pourtant plusieurs éléments peuvent amener à penser que des politiques plus ciblées que les politiques de prix utilisées jusqu'à présent peuvent apporter des solutions intéressantes. Les techniques de production utilisées en Europe reposent dans une large mesure sur l'apport d'intrants aux cultures. Cet apport n'est réalisé avec un gaspillage limité que dans des sites propices aux cultures, i. e. des sites caractérisés par des sols de bonne structure, par un ensoleillement de bonne qualité. Or les qualités agronomiques et la "sensibilité environnementale" des sites de production sont liées, par exemple, les caractéristiques d'un sol séchant limitent ses propriétés agronomiques pour les mêmes raisons qu'elles sont à l'origine de pollutions des eaux si ce sol est utilisé pour une culture intensive. Aussi, s'il est certain qu'un accroissement de l'utilisation d'intrants industriels dans un site de production donné engendre un accroissement d'émissions polluantes, il est bien moins certain qu'une utilisation importante d'intrants industriels dans un site possédant de bonnes qualités agronomiques engendre plus d'émissions polluantes qu'un moindre recours à ces facteurs variables sur un site de médiocre qualité agronomique. Les estimations réalisées montrent que les agriculteurs tiennent compte de ces contraintes. Ces aspects de la production agricole et du comportement des agriculteurs peuvent permettre de contourner cette a priori inévitable incompatibilité des objectifs de compétitivité et de respect de l'environnement. Des politiques tenant compte de l'hétérogénéité des sites de production et employant des instruments ciblés peuvent permettre d'atteindre de manière simultanée et cohérente les objectifs qu'un pays moderne à son agriculture

This book provides insights on the art of governing a state and managing its external relations from a wealth-power logic. It looks at ""economic statecraft"", which consists of wealth production, wealth mobilization, and wealth-power conversion by a state.

This book reconceptualizes what economic statecraft is and proposes a new theory focused on wealth-power conversion. With a long historic perspective, this book goes through the modern history of Western powers practicing economic statecraft since 1500, and presents three case studies, the United States, the European Union, and China, the three biggest users of economic statecraft in the contemporary world.

The book serves as an ideal reference for policy makers, businesspeople, and researchers whose work touch upon either wealth creation, power projection, or the combination of both.

The US Navy is the most formidable naval force in the world-yet, it seems ill-suited to face today's challenges, especially the rise of China's maritime power. What explains this paradox? Looking for answers, John Hanley explores how the navy has negotiated its place in the broad national security establishment, especially in the decades since World War II. Hanley is particularly interested in the evolution of the navy's organizational and operational dynamics. Tracing how it has adapted to peace and war over time, he sheds light on its relationships within the ecosystem (Congress, the DoD, the defense industry, etc.) in which it operates, and how it has attempted to adapt and respond to shifting national and global environments