Suchergebnisse

Mediterranean cooperation is addressed in the context of the creation of the Euromediterranean zone. The European Union has been developing various modes of cooperation with non-member Mediterranean countries by signing association agreements or cooperation agreements. The new European states, created after the disintegration of former socialist federations, demonstrate an interest in Mediterranean cooperation, though they tend to have different attitudes toward it. Their interest is based solely on the fact that Mediterranean cooperation has not been standardized & that it has a poorly developed institutional framework. This enables these countries to join in from time to time, when it suits their purposes. Regarding the role of the new states, the author distinguishes between two types of cooperation: (1) autonomous regional cooperation, which is not beneficial for the new states (eg, the Balkan states); & (2) occasional, specialized, dispersed cooperation, which might attract the countries of Central & Eastern Europe. Adapted from the source document.

The article looks into the process of "building" the monetary union of the EU member countries & creating the European currency, the euro. Following lengthy negotiations, the euro-system era commenced on 1 Jan 1999, when the euro was launched, marking the beginning of the third phase of the monetary union. At first, the euro will be virtual money & function as a dual currency, but in 2002, it will be printed/coined for everyday usage. In the first half of that year, local currencies will be replaced by the euro in eleven EU countries that have satisfied the stringent criteria of "suitability" for joining the monetary union. 1 Appendix. Adapted from the source document.

The author is of the opinion that with the fall of the Berlin wall, not all obstacles to the free circulation of goods & people were eliminated -- either in Europe or in other regions of the world -- since there are numerous other walls standing in the way of establishing a global world or even a European order. In that context, agreement among the members of the European Union on the comprehensive control of "its borders" against nonmember European countries is considered by the author as a type of new "curtain," not "iron" any longer, but electronic. Its function, the author claims, is to divide Europe into EU & non-EU, which is harmful for the promotion of the European idea in the spiritual & material senses in many ways. Adapted from the source document.

The policy of inclusion into the existing & future economic order in Europe by the countries of the New Democracy will be carried out gradually & in concordance with the agreements on association. Although the establishment of relationships with the European Community is not an instrumental, political, & institutional question, as it is, eg, with the UN, Croatia's position in Europe will be determined by the degree of the bilateral agreement that Croatia will have achieved in its dealings with the European Community. Since this is a matter of very complex & far-reaching forms of adaptation & cooperation with the European Community, Croatian European policy ought to be formed in a way that would allow the country to fulfill the requirements for the establishment of such a relationship with the European Community that, with the stabilizing of the present war circumstances, might bring about the signing of a second-generation agreement. Adapted from the source document.

The author thinks that the American political & military initiative in Bosnia & Herzegovina has stopped the four-year war & enhanced American influence in the region. The European Union has reacted to the latest developments by adopting a new regional approach toward the countries of Southeastern Europe. This approach has been employed in relation to other European & Mediterranean regions outside the EU as well (Central & Eastern Europe, the Baltic states, the Mediterranean countries, & the Union of Independent States). The EU's policy toward Croatia is extremely reserved. It has insisted on a set of preconditions being fulfilled by Croatia before the negotiations about Croatia's membership in this organization may even commence. Croatia wants to forge links with the EU & is willing to comply with its demands, but is highly skeptical of regional associations. Adapted from the source document.

The author presents a view of the European Community with regard to the European Union's stance toward new democracies in Eastern Europe. The original principles of European integration include a relatively simple procedure for new membership, but in the process of developing, adopting, & accepting the Maastricht treaty the entry requirements have been severely sharpened for potential new members. These conditions include the general attachment to the European identity, democratic government, & respect for human rights. For new eastern European democracies, a probationary membership status in the European Union was created in the form of the European Agreement, which contains very special conditions & progressive privileges for economic cooperation with the Union. Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, & Slovenia have been included in the European Agreement. The author concludes that this fact will make it harder for other countries to deal with the Union. Adapted from the source document.

Three events characterize the development of the European Community in 1992 & 1993: the completion of a unified European market, the signing of the European Union Contract, & the establishment of a European economic space with EFTA countries. One of the main hindrances is the fact that the decisions taken are being implemented in different ways from one member state to another, which creates difficulties in the accomplishment of the European Community's aims. These can be classified into three basic groups: the development of an economic & monetary union, the strengthening of institutions & the democratization of the European Community, & the defining of a common foreign security policy. Adapted from the source document.