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The main problems and priorities of regional social and economic development in Lithuania and other East –and Central European countries are described in the article. Innovation activities as the most important direction ofregional development are analyzed too.The main priorities of regional development oriented policy are characterized as follows:• specialization of regional social, economic and technological development,• establishing and modernization of the networks and infrastructure of industrial enterpises and industrialknots, multiindustrial clusters, social oriented groups of factories as well as innovation centres, businessincubators, science and technologies parks, investment and regional economic development agencies,• interregional and international cooperation with different regional economic and innovation systems, especiallyin EU.Idea of "oazis" policy in the regional development.Possibilities and necessity to prepare and realize regional development oriented national innovation policy aredescribed in the article as well.

The recent EU Commission proposal for promoting the supply of power from renewable energy sources was originally based on a pan-European, harmonised tradable green certificate (TGC) scheme. We Suggest, on the basis of a multi-disciplinary analysis, that a pan-EU TGC system is not the way forward for Europe. It is vital that the Commission (and the majority of Member States) avoids implementation of such policy designs put forward by a coalition of vested interests. They should instead look at, and act upon, the available evidence from those countries that have experimented with TGCs (e.g. Flanders, UK and Sweden) and design policies that stand a better chance of meeting the criteria of effectiveness, efficiency and equity. In particular, the policies must enable EU to meet the immense innovation/industrialisation challenge by inducing the development of a capital goods industry that can, eventually, diffuse a broad range of technologies that use renewable energy sources. Only then we can acquire an ability to implement an industrial revolution in the energy system in a way that broadly meets the criteria of effectiveness and dynamic efficiency. ; Original Publication:Staffan Jacobsson, Anna Bergek, Dominique Finon, Volkmar Lauber, Catherine Mitchell, David Toke and Aviel Verbruggen , EU renewable energy support policy: Faith or facts?, 2009, ENERGY POLICY, (37), 6, 2143-2146.http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2009.02.043Copyright: Elsevier Science B.V., Amsterdam.http://www.elsevier.com/

Published online: 15 February 2011 ; Recent security developments in East Asia have raised questions about peace and stability in a part of the world accounting for over a quarter of EU global trade. This Policy Brief assesses the changing power relations in East Asia and highlights potential implications of the region's security flashpoints for the EU.

European Union Antitrust Laws have been successfully applied to anti-competitive behaviour, which can take place abroad, but have an effect within the EU. Under Antitrust Laws, not only abuse of dominant position practices but also mergers that restrain competition are regarded as illegal and subject to severe remedies. This paper accesses both Microsoft-WMP and Volvo-Scania cases in the light of the EU Competition Policy and identifies the circumstances involved, final decisions made as well as the suggested remedies and the consequences from the consumers' perspective. The issues considered are per se controversial and these are clear examples of the long path to go through, in order to make the competition law regime uniformly applicable in all member states. The lack of international consensus on competition law and enforcement requires huge efforts in co-operation between countries and organisations, because in combination with economic liberalisation, nations have come to recognise competition as a powerful instrument for stimulating innovation and economic growth. This paper focus on the past, i.e., already assessed anticompetitive cases; the present - the current EU Competition Policy rules - and finally on the future of Antitrust jurisdiction, in which part I will briefly describe the major actual concerns in the long course towards a common and homogeneously valid system of International Competition Policy. ; N/A

This exciting new book embarks on a comparative analysis of competition law and policy in Japan and the EU. It provides a clear and carefully researched exposition of the differences between the relevant rules, systems and underlying ideas of the two jurisdictions, together with the relevant historical backgrounds. The author chooses to discuss the main areas of competition law in these jurisdictions, with particular focus placed on the gaps between the written law and practice, including analysis of the current debates that suggest future directions in competition and policy will aim towards harmonization of both systems. Competition Law and Policy in Japan and EU will strongly appeal to academics, researchers, public enforcers, practitioners, in-house counsel and students

The sugar industry is a major provider of jobs and income for sugar-exporting countries in Africa. The lower sugar prices that were caused by the recent liberalisation of the EU sugar market may not only jeopardise economic development in those countries, but the reforms also create difficulties for sugar-importing countries in Africa that seek to develop their sugar industries. The article analyses the effects of EU sugar market reforms on three African countries – Nigeria, South Africa and Mozambique – and provides insights into the balancing of the EU sugar policy's intended effects against their adverse effects on European trade and development policy.

Council Directive 2003/48/EC has been very significant for the European society, due to various reasons. One of them is certainly the fact that the Directive has been a major political break-through in the development of the Communities and the EU. Merely one decade ago the idea of abandoning the concept of banking secrecy was completely unthinkable, whereas today there is at least a vision of information circulation, for the purpose of combating tax avoidance. Additionally, the Directive has established a system of coordination between tax authorities of the Member States. The importance of the Directive as well as of the matter it regulates is clearly demonstrated by the EU efforts made in order to introduce the application of this Directive in other jurisdictions. However, it would be much more difficult from the political point of view to achieve that goal. Despite its significance, the Directive still has many limitations and loopholes which make possible for individual investors to circumvent its application. Some of the difficulties have been listed in one of the sections. Finally, the possible solutions in order to remove the limitations are not so difficult to find. However, the implementation of those solutions depends at a high level on the political will not only of the EU but also of other jurisdictions, relevant for the achievement of the desired effects of the Directive. The time will have to show how successful prospect negotiations are going to be in overcoming the differences between EU and its significant political partners.