From French Euro-activism to Czech Euro-scepticism
Within the broader context of a changeover from France’s Euro-activism to the Czech Republic’s Euro-scepticism, both Presidencies will have been at the helm during a period in which the stakes were high for development. Denise Auclair reviews the developmental aspects of the French Presidency in the second half of 2008 and previews to the perspectives under the Czech Presidency in 2009.
Throughout much of the fall, the EU institutions debated the mechanics of the European Commission’s proposal to transfer €1 billion of unused Common Agricultural Policy subsidies for European farmers, to small-scale Southern farmers in order to boost local agricultural production in light of soaring prices and riots in many developing countries. The Presidency failed to give the Commission proposal decisive support, and discussions in the Council got lost amid the self-interest of Member States. Finally, the funding will come from emergency reserves as well as existing development funds, undermining the initial intent of additional solidarity with those suffering from high food prices ... ... this article is for subscribers only. For direct log in >>> click here.If you have no subscription >>> pick your option or >>>
The Superiority of the Financial Transaction Tax + Global Unemployment on Record Levels + New Beginning in European Development Policy? + Clean Development for the South
Global Economic Prospects for 2010 + Does Copenhagen Really Matter? + Quo Vadis, German Development Cooperation? + Mapping Social Protection in South Asia
The ITUC's Annual Survey of Trade Union Rights has documented a dramatic increase in the number of trade unionists murdered in 2009, with 101 killings - an increase of 30% over the previous year. The new Survey also reveals growing pressure on fundamental workers' rights around the world as the impact of the global economic crisis on employment deepened.
Barely in office, German development minister Dirk Niebel unambiguously mapped out the road: he wants to ensure that development cooperation once again focuses on German interests. This position provoked-probably intentionally-protest from the greater part of the German development community.
Latvia and Estonia show us what Greece may look forward to if it follows the advice it gets from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the European Union. As noted previously, Latvia has experienced the worst two-year economic downturn on record, losing more than 25% of GDP, a recent study shows.
A group of economists has written an open letter to European policymakers criticising their collective failure to address the Greek crisis as a European crisis. It sets out the various causes of the Greek crisis, of which poor fiscal management by that country is only one, and points out the European dimension of the problems. It calls for decisive and coordinated policies by European and national actors to stem the crisis.
The evaluation of the Independent Evaluation Group (IEG) of the World Bank's support for gender issues between 2002 and 2008 is of significant relevance in the light of the Beijing+15 review and the launching of gender mainstreaming as crucial strategy for all institutions and organizations.