Suchergebnisse

The article argues in favor of the European Constitution from a Portuguese perspective. Adoption of the Constitution would guarantee that an enlarged EU would enjoy a major political cohesion, that democracy would be heightened & refined in the member states, & that government throughout the EU would become more effective & efficient. While these three reasons are ample enough for the Constitution to be adopted, there are many more reasons that are specific to the position of Portugal. Increased integration with the rest of Europe would bring to Portugal advantages in terms of greater economic development, better modeling of democratic institutions, & an improved ability to meet all of the unpredictable challenges of the new millennium. R. Young

This article presents an overview of the current state of affairs of the EU-Israel relations and contributes to an expansion of the research agenda of this field. With a focus on the social and political developments of the last five years, it argues that this relationship exhibits patterns of cooperation and conflict, and attraction and repulsion. The remarkable importance that the EU has for Israel in the domains of economy, trade, science and culture is not matched by an equivalent political leverage, despite EU's efforts in influencing regional political developments, mainly the ones regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Departing from this context, the article critically engages with the literature and presents avenues for further inquiry on this topic. Adapted from the source document.

Since the promulgation of Cotonou Agreements between the European Union and the Africa, Caribbean and Pacific Countries (ACP) the application of the Economic Partnership Agreements (EPA) has been deeply controversial. Analysts and organizations questioned the accords on spirit and letter, considering them potentially damaging to the process of sustainable development of the ACP. This article identifies and analyses the problems that became apparent during the agreements negotiations, taking into account the arguments raised by all parties concerned. Adapted from the source document.

In 2013 the Elysee Treaty, on friendship and cooperation between France and Germany completes 50 years. Its model of a complementary bilateralism establishes a successful cooperation model, the characteristics of which benefited both the Franco-German couple as the itinerary of the European Union itself. The foreign policy of Paris and Berlin made domestic politics in Europe, inspires the architecture of the common foreign and security policy, whose development began only with the Treaty of Lisbon in 2009, and whose operational barriers remain. The text of treaties echoes the Franco-German partnership and records the remaining institutional overlays. Adapted from the source document.

The article focuses on the region with the lowest level of regional integration: South Asia. Firstly, it describes the role played by the central intergovernmental organization in South Asia: the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation. Secondly, it outlines the key obstacles for integration in the region. Thirdly, it describes how the main regional actors -- SAARC, Member states, academia & civil society, & the European Union assess regional integration in South Asia. Finally, the article suggests possible scenarios for the region. Adapted from the source document.

The EU-Russia negotiations towards the renewal of the bilateral Cooperation & Partnership Agreement were burdened by misunderstandings on shared values & specific issues of relations with the Baltic states & Poland. In a context of raising tensions, the Portuguese Presidency chose continuity rather than change of the EU-Russia partnership. Adapted from the source document.