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The paper "Israel in the European neighborhood policy" attempts to explain the importance of the relation EU-Israel for the security of the European Union, but also for the global security. This task will be accomplished by analyzing basic documents vital for European political architecture, such as the European Security Strategy, Strategy Paper for Israel for the period 2007-2013, or EU/Israel Action Plan. The speeches of members of European Commission about the relation of EU with Israel are also important sources of the present paper, bringing valuable ideas who successfully complete the content of EU-Israel treaties. This paper attempts, also, to explain the functionning and the role of European neighborhood policy, its principles of action and objectives and, later on, to analyse the importance of Israel as a country found in the proximity of European Union. The reason for choosing Israel from all the other neighbors of the European Union, as subjects of European neighborhood policy, was the common values reflected in tradition and culture of the Jews from Israel and of the Europeans, enhanced by the European Jewry Heritage from Europe. We consider that the relationship between European Union and Israel is very normal and useful.
Among the priorities of action established by the two parts as a consequence of European Union-Israel treaties, we would like to point out the assignment to fight against anti-Semitism and against terrorist actions. The Jewish people are a people who passed through a lot of difficulties and inconveniences during history and through a great tragedy during the Holocaust. Israel represents the refuge they longed for centuries and democratic states do support Israeli aspiration towards having their own fatherland. Anti-Semitism increased now in the Arab world being the consequence of the conflicts between Palestinians and Israelites in the last decades. Some times it can take the form of terrorist action and hence the connection with terrorist networks. The fight against terrorism is not strictly connected with anti-Semitism; terrorist networks are acting more and more widely, including actions versus western civilization. So it is both in the interest of Europeans and Israel to act against the ones who put in danger the basic human values. Both Israel and European Union and United States also, have to reconsider their relation with Arab world whose aggression increased as being home for numerous extremist and terrorist Islamic movements. Terrorism is the present day threat and not a global war. But terrorism can cause much more damage than a war as affecting the entire world and mainly civilians. No place can be safe enough when confronting with such a threat. But the treaties between Israel and European Union have also economic, social, political, security related objectives. They have at their base the common values that Israel and European Union countries share: democracy, human rights and respect for fundamental freedoms. They wish to create more prosperous and secure countries. And they open European economy to Israeli participation. Strenghtening the economic ties between Israel and European Union, all sectors of cooperation will be strenghtened because economic interest is at the basis of long term relations. The method of work will be critical interpretation of the documents concerning European neighbourhood policy and its connection to Israel. The purpose is to understand the written base of EU and Israel relations as a precondition for further possible analysis of the diplomatic relations and politics of the two entities. Our position is to encourage the relationship between Israel and European Union. Israel and the European Union countries are united through historical ties as Jews from whole Europe contributed after 1948 to the creation and development of the Israelian state. Their relationship appears us very normal and an expected result.

Can interest groups and lobbyists—arguably undemocratic institutions—operate in democratic systems without hindering the people’s interests? Karolina Karr’s Democracy and Lobbying in the European Union explores the role and potential impact of interest groups on democracy, both in theory and practice, in the context of a changing continent. This timely volume explores how the power of interest groups has developed due to the growing distance between elected representatives and the European people and forecasts what this development might mean for the vitality of government. Wie können die Interessen einzelner Gruppen in demokratische Systeme integriert werden, ohne dabei demokratische Entscheidungsprozesse zu gefährden? Karolina Karr untersucht die Rolle und den Einfluss von Lobbygruppen in der Europäischen Union. Sie zeigt, wie Abgeordnete mit Informationen ausgestattet werden, und fragt, ob und inwieweit die Politiker dadurch besser in der Lage sind, unterschiedliche Interessen zum allgemeinen Vorteil auszubalancieren.

"The European Union (EU) has encouraged democratic development in a number of post-communist states. This article examines the extent of EU involvement in Ukraine and its results. It notes that there has been a substantial disconnect between the rhetoric of Ukraine's 'European Choice' and authoritarian trends in the country. Ukraine signed a series of agreements with the EU, but membership in the organization was never offered. The EU's interest in Ukraine, however, was rather meager and it never gained means to have much leverage. As authoritarianism became more pronounced, the EU began to disengage from the country. The article argues that part of the problem was that the EU never applied political conditionality to Ukraine as it had with other states. The 'Orange Revolution' opens up new possibilities and challenges, and the EU now must come to grips with a more democratically and Western-oriented leadership." (author's abstract)

Der Beitrag betont die Notwendigkeit genauer Kenntnisse über die Arbeitsmarktstrukturen bei der Bestimmung der sozialen Position eines Einzelnen im Schichtungsgefüge moderner Gesellschaften. Eine Analyse des Erziehungs- und Bildungswesen und des Arbeitsmarkts in den neuen mittel- und osteuropäischen Ländern nach der EU-Erweiterung von 2004 dient als Testfall für die Bedeutung des Bildungssystems und der Regulierung der Arbeitsmärkte beim Statusübergang von Jugendlichen von der Schule in den Beruf. Die empirischen Befunde zeigen, dass es nicht nur ein Muster der Schule-Beruf Transition in den postkommunistischen Gesellschaften gibt. Der Mechanismus der Statuspassage funktioniert im großen und ganzen wie in den alten Mitgliedsstaaten, jedoch mit einigen bemerkenswerten Ausnahmen. So lassen sich z.B. die Rekrutierungsformen bzw. die entsprechende Jugendarbeitslosigkeit in Slowenien und der Tschechischen Republik nur schlecht in die für Westeuropa gültigen Kategorien der Berufseinmündung einordnen. (ICA). Die Untersuchung enthält quantitative Daten. Die Untersuchung bezieht sich auf den Zeitraum 1998 bis 2004.