REGIONAL AND GLOBAL DISCIPLINING OF OFFICIALLY SUPPORTED EXPORT CREDIT INSURANCE

In: Journal of European public policy, Band 2, Heft 3, S. 447-464

Abstract

STATES HAVE CHOSEN VARIOUS INTERNATIONAL FORA TO NEGOTIATE ON THE DISCIPLINING OF STATE AIDS THROUGH EXPORT CREDIT INSURANCE: THE GATT, EUROPEAN UNION (EU) AND THE OECD. ALTHOUGH ON A GLOBAL LEVEL THE VIOLATION OF THE STRICT GATT RULES ON EXPORT CREDIT INSURANCE COULD BE IGNORED, ON THE REGIONAL EU LEVEL, MARKET INTEGRATION AND COMPETITION AND COMMON COMMERCIAL POLICIES CREATED PRESSURES TO HARMONIZE NATIONAL CREDIT INSURANCE POLICIES. IN THE RESULTING REGIONAL NEGOTIATING PRECESS, INTERGOVERNMENTAL FACTORS HAVE PREVAILED OVER SUPRANATIONAL/TRANSNATIONAL FACTORS. NEITHER TRANSNATIONAL INTEREST GROUPS NOR THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COMMISSION HAVE BEEN IMPORTANT ACTORS IN THIS PROCESS. THE REAL POLTIICLA ISSUE OF COMPETITION DISTORTION BETWEEN EXPORTERS OF DIFFERENT MEMBER STATES HAS BEEN TAKEN CARE OF BY THE MEMBER STATES IN A SPECIAL O-ORDINATION GROUP, SET UP BY THE COUNCIL. ALTHOUGH NATIONAL PREFERENCES WITH REGARD TO HARMONIZING OFFICIAL CREDIT INSURANCE POLICY HAVE CONVERGED AS A CONSEQUENCE OF RISING CUMULATIVE DEFICITS ON THESE INSURANCE SCHEMES IN ALL MEMBER STATES AND THE PRESSURE OF MARKET FACTORS SUCH AS INCREASING CROSS-BORDER COOPERATION, THE HARMONIZATION PROCESS APPEARS TO BE CONFINED TO TRANSPARENCY AND HARMONIZATION OF INSURANCE TECHNIQUES AND LIMITED CO-OPERATION AMONG PUBLIC INSURERS IN THE CASE OF CONSORTIUM EXPORTS.