Suchergebnisse

Die Europäische Union verhandelt zurzeit mit den AKP-Ländern über so genannte Economic Partnership Agreements. Diese Abkommen haben vor allem die Entwicklung der AKP-Länder als Ziel. Eine elementare Vorbedingung für Entwicklung ist die Qualität der Regierungsführung. Jedoch ist eine gute Regierungsführung in vielen AKP-Ländern derzeit alles andere als selbstverständlich. Wie kann die Europäische Union dazu beitragen, diese Missstände zu beheben und eine nachhaltige Entwicklung der betroffenen Länder zu fördern? Sind die Economic Partnership Agreements überhaupt ein adäquates Mittel, um diese Herausforderung zu bewältigen?

The paper explores the linkages among political risk, institutions, and foreign direct investment inflows. For a data sample of 83 developing countries covering 1984 to 2003, we identify indicators that matter most for the activities of multinational corporations. The results show that government stability, internal and external conflict, corruption and ethnic tensions, law and order, democratic accountability of government, and quality of bureaucracy are highly significant determinants of foreign investment inflows. [Copyright 2006 Elsevier B.V.]

The Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) between the group of African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries and the European Union could serve as an opportunity to accelerate global and regional trade integration of ACP countries. Moreover, the European Commission intends to use EPAs as a tool for development and the eradication of poverty in ACP countries. To achieve their potential development, however, there are a number of preconditions in ACP countries to be fulfilled. This paper argues that institutional quality plays a key role in a successful trade liberalisation. In fact, only countries with high-quality institutions, partly in the form of good government regulations, are likely to benefit from trade. nfortunately, the vast majority of African ACP countries have excessive regulations that hinder them from taking advantage of trade. For the necessary institutional reforms to resolve this problem, we will discuss a number of important issues that have to be addressed to enable ACP countries to take full advantage of EPAs.

The paper explores the linkages between political risk, institutions and foreign direct investment inflows. Using different econometric techniques for a data sample of 83 developing countries and the period 1984 to 2003, we identify those indicators that matter most for the activities of multinational corporations. Overall, 12 different indicators for political risk and institutions are employed in the empirical analysis. The results show that government stability, the absence of internal conflict and ethnic tensions, basic democratic rights and ensuring law and order are highly significant determinants of foreign investment inflows.

The European Union is currently negotiating free trade agreements, called Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs), with African countries as part of the Cotonou Agreement between the European Union and African, Caribbean and Pacific countries. The paper empirically assesses the impact of the EPAs on trade flows and government revenue for 14 West African countries. The results indicate that the decline in import duties due to the preferential tariff elimination might be of some cause for concern and that complementary fiscal and economic policies have to be implemented before or at the time the EPAs come into force.

Über die Frage, ob Sozialstandards mit der Handelspolitik verknüpft werden sollten, wird seit langem auf internationaler Ebene heftig gestritten. Einige Industrieländer fordern die Aufnahme sozialpolitischer Regelungen in die Welthandelsordnung WTO. Zahlreiche Entwicklungsländer lehnen es ab, über dieses Thema auch nur zu verhandeln. Welche Gründe sprechen für bzw. gegen eine Aufnahme von sozialpolitische Regelungen in die WTO? Welche Alternativen wären denkbar, um grundlegende Sozialstandards in möglichst vielen Ländern zu gewährleisten?

The paper evaluates the economic necessity and political incentives of a transitional fund for the East African Community (EAC). The fund has been proposed to encounter trade imbalances which may arise due to the intended customs union in East Africa. Using a disaggregated approach at the two-digit level of the Standard International Trade Classification, the paper assesses the overall impact of the EAC on trade flows. Moreover, the commodities that will be particularly affected by the customs union are identified. The results show that considerable trade effects cannot be expected, except for a very narrow range of products. The need for a transitional fund becomes less urgent from this perspective.