Strategy 2004                                                                                           

Time frame
2003

Description
The objective of ”Strategy 2004” was to produce and publish a series of reports in the context of the 2004 IGC. 15 reports, examining the proposals that can be expected to be of central importance at the IGC, has been presented at seminars during spring 2003.

EC Competiton Law                                                                             

Sieps 2003:16, author: Professor Ulf Bernitz, Företagsförvärv inom EU: Rättsliga problem för stora företag med liten hemmamarknad (only available in Swedish)

Background
There has been criticism from both the Swedish Government and representatives of  Swedish industry and commerce of the manner in which application of regulations pertaining to control of mergers affects planned mergers in small member states.

It is commonly maintained, that the Commission does not take economic policy into account in its examinations and that this has an adverse effect on the ability of European companies to compete in a global market.

Assignment
Sieps will examine in detail the present regulations governing control of mergers, as well as material produced  by the Commission and the European Court of Justice. It may be questioned whether there is any substance to the criticism that the Commission's present application (of law) makes it more difficult to implement a planned merger of two companies in a small member state than in a large one. Various alternatives for change or modernization of current rules will be given.

A Charter of Competences                                                                  

Time frame
Phase 1 to be completed in autumn of 2002, phase 2 to be completed in spring of 2003.

Background
In connection with the conclusions reached at the meeting of the European Council in Nice in 2000, it was stated that a clearer distribution of decision-making authorities between the EU and its member countries should be discussed.

A “Competence Catalogue" defines who, or which level, has the authority to make decisions on specific matters. Up to now, the EU has applied the principle of subsidiarity in order to determine in a dynamic way which level that has the competence to make decisions, which has lead to a situation where competence and power in given issue areas are spread across different levels of government, and shared between different actors.  The question is whether it would be desirable and possible to replace this principle with a Charter of Competencies.

Assignment
The purpose of this project is to satisfy the need for an overview of problems related to matters of assigning decision-making competence, and to attempt to determine whether a Competence Catalogue is desirable. The project will to this end contrast the Competence Catalogue concept with the principle of subsidiarity with respect to:
(1)  accountability;
(2)  predictability;
(3)  effectiveness in countering centralisation; and
(4)  feasibility

 Specifically, the study will consist of an overview of literature, a small empirical study to illustrate the complexity of the problem, and various alternatives for action for the future.

Verbatim report in Swedish of Sieps´hearing on 15 October 2002 >> PDF. Fredrik Langdal´s paper on "The division of competencies between the EU and the Member States - Towards a better one?" can be ordered from Sieps´office (info@sieps.se).

Phase II
Within the project framework, Sieps has published a report on division of competences. >> PDF (Sieps report 2003:2, Authors: Fredrik Langdal and Josefin Almer, only available in Swedish)

Legislation vs Delegation                                                                    

Time frame
The project is foreseen to be completed within a period of two years (2002-2004).

Background
The so-called codecision procedure has given the European Parliament a possibility to play a more active role in the EU legislative process than it could before. However, there are indications that the procedure to an increasing extent results in “framework legislation” which has to be filled out by the Commission in cooperation with the national authorities. Statistics confirm these indications and they are illustrated through ongoing debates (in particular the Lamfalussy Report on financial services, and, more generally, the Commission White Paper on European Governance and the European Convention). There is a clear connection between the strengthened role of the European Parliament and the modified characteristics of the legislation. The aim of the research project is to empirically examine and explain this connection.


Assignment
The project is a follow-up to the already initiated study named the “Future Role of the Commission” based on active cooperation between Sieps’ researchers in law and the internationally established researchers in political science Professor Adrienne Héritier (EUI) and Professor Henry Farrell (University of Toronto). The project is estimated to be completed in two years time and lead to the publishing of a book. At least one conference will be arranged, and a number of articles will be published in internationally recognised scientific journals. Some of the articles will be used as bases for Sieps’ reports written for a broader Swedish public (possibly within the project “Strategy 2004”).


Reports:

Authors: Carl Fredrik Bergström and Matilda Rotkirch, researcher and assistant researcher, Sieps

The future budget of the EU                                                               

- Sieps 2003:18: Coming of Age? Economic Management of the European Union Authors: Per Molander and Allan Gustafsson

Assignment

To analyse and suggest amendments to the EU budgetary system in the light of the enlargement. The survey will cover both expenditures and revenues.

Authors
Per Molander, Tekn Dr and Allan Gustafsson, PhD

The open method of coordination                                                    

Background

The Lisbon strategy is designed to make the EU the world's most competitive, dynamic and knowledge-oriented economy by the year 2010. This, in turn, will require comprehensive economic and social reforms, the abolition of national monopolies, etc. The strategy also contains a number of detailed objectives in the employment field. The strategy is attractive, in part, because it is based on the so-called Open Method of Coordination (OMC), which may be viewed as a complement to traditional harmonization with binding common legislation. It may also be said to involve a strengthening of the powers of heads of states and governments at the expense of the Council of Ministers. It is therefore a matter of interest to examine the concept of the OMC in greater detail, its advantages and disadvantages, or – in other words – soft law versus hard law -- to analyze the effectiveness of the strategy and, in particular, to describe the strategy from an enlargement perspective.

Writer: Claudio Radaelli, professor in Political Science, Bradford University and European University Institute, Florence

Effects of the Enlargement of the European Union on Industry Specialization and Industry Location

Time frame:
To be completed 2003

Description:
The project studies the consequences of the European enlargement on European industry structure, with a focus on Sweden. The liberalization of trade and investments in the new member states can affect the industry structure through several channels. An increased specialization to industries in which countries have comparative advantages is likely, but also increased vertical specialization, where functions within an industry (e.g. production and R&D) are located to different countries. The project will also examine the effects of foreign direct investments (FDI) on growth in the new member states, and home country employment effects from FDI.

Author:
Karolina Ekholm, Associate Professor, Stockholm School of Economics.

Planned seminar:
27 November 2003

Announcement of grants for research   

General information                                                                              

Sieps´ has announced grants for research. At the first announcement of grants in 2002 Sieps´ received 39 applications, out of which five projects were awarded research grants. Since the awarded research projects will go on for several years no grants will be announced during 2003. 

The projects shall concern research intended to deepen and broaden the foundations of such standpoints that are of importance for the development of the EU and the Swedish EU policy, primarily within the fields of economics and trade, political science, and law.   

The theme in 2002 was:
The EU´s role in the world

This theme concerns questions relating to the EU as an actor on the international scene, as well as bilateral and multilateral relations between the EU and the surrounding world. For example, questions concerning protectionism and free trade, defence and security, and development aid and human rights.

The projects shall concern research intended to deepen and broaden the foundations of such standpoints that are of importance for the development of the EU and the Swedish EU policy, primarily within the fields of economics and trade, political science, and law. Therefore, the projects must fulfil great demands on scientific quality and aim at results which can be relevant for future political considerations.

Sieps considers it as its task to establish and develop international circles of contacts. In the light of this, priority will be given to projects based on an active co-operation with researchers abroad.

Five projects has been awarded research grants:  

Den gemensamma handelspolitiken och ursprungsreglerna
Projectleader: jur.dr. Christina Moell

Den gemensamma handelspolitiken utgör en av hörnstenarna i EU:s relationer med omvärlden. Genom ett omfattande och komplicerat regelverk ska olika politiska mål uppnås. För varor från vissa länder är handelshindren höga medan importen från andra länder erhåller en mer gynnad behandling. Det är därför av avgörande betydelse att varornas ursprung kan fastställas. För dessa ändamål finns mer eller mindre detaljerade bestämmelser dels i några av de grundläggande rättsakterna på tull- och handelsområdet, dels i de handelsavtal som gemenskapen har ingått med omvärlden. För att den gemensamma handelspolitiken skall kunna förverkligas enligt intentionerna krävs en hög grad av träffsäkerhet hos ursprungsreglerna.

Det övergripande syftet med projektet är att utreda ursprungsreglernas betydelse för den gemensamma handelspolitiken. I första hand kommer två viktiga frågor att utredas.

Den ena frågan gäller hur reglerna tolkas och tillämpas i samband med olika branschrelaterade handelskonflikter. Det är ett känt faktum att reglerna används för protektionistiska syften och att deras utformning också i vissa fall gynnar inhemsk industri på ett sätt som kan ifrågasättas mot bakgrund av olika internationella åtaganden, t.ex. inom ramen för WTO.

Den andra frågan avser ursprungsreglernas roll i handeln med utvecklingsländerna. Deltagande i den internationella handeln är av stor vikt för att åstadkomma utveckling och minska fattigdomen. I det betänkande som lämnats av den parlamentariska kommitté som haft i uppdrag att utreda Sveriges politik för global utveckling framhålls särskilt handelspolitikens betydelse för dessa länders utveckling samtidigt som det konstateras att det är uppenbart att dagens internationella handelssystem innehåller en rad hinder för utvecklingsländernas export. Det har i olika sammanhang påtalats att just ursprungsreglerna kan utgöra ett sådant hinder för en rättvisare global utveckling.

EU, Nato och de nya medlemsstaternas säkerhetspolitik
Projectleader: Professor Walter Carlsnaes

Projektet syftar till att undersöka hur ansökarländerna och de nya medlemstaterna i EU och NATO uppfattar och agerar inför det korstryck av säkerhetspolitiska strukturer som de två organisationerna utvecklar parallellt.

Särskilt studeras de områden där organisationerna har konkurrerande säkerhetspolitiska ambitioner, samt där man uttryckligen strävar efter samarbete och kompletteringseffekter. För EUs externa relationer, dess gemensamma utrikes- och säkerhetspolitik - dess "roll i världen" - är konsekvenserna av denna process avgörande.

Teoretiskt grundar sig projektet på komplementära skolor som kan sammanfatta de studerade processerna på nationell nivå, respektive på en överstatlig/organisatorisk nivå. Litteraturen som uppstått i spåren av Köpenhamnskolan kring hotbilder och säkerhet som ett resultat av en politisk process är den första. Den teoretiska diskursen kring alliansers normbildning och inflytandestrukturer är den andra.

Projektet är uppdelat i två moment, där det första består av en pilotstudie av två stater, Polen och Estland, och det andra utgör huvudstudien där de säkerhetspolitiska betingelserna för organisationerna såväl som de nya medlemstaterna undersöks. Projektet förs så från en analys på mikro- och mesonivåerna till en mer övergripande makroanalys.

Denna forskning kommer att publiceras löpande inom ramen för huvudprojektet, samt om möjligt individuellt vid internationellt förlag.

New ways to influence in international politics. New role for the EU?
Projectleader: Professor Ole Elgström

The EU is emerging as a novel and unusual actor in international politics. Generally held to be a slow and inefficient actor, few have so far analysed the specific features and effects of this "unusualness". To what extent is it the EU's unusual form and function that affect its capacities, its policy formulation and its possibilities to exert influence on the outside world? We approach these themes from three complementary angles. The first focuses on changing conceptions of influence and power. The hypothesis is that the EU may possess assets that are of particular value in a changing international system, especially in times when also the nature of threats are changing and new security strategies are needed. The second develops the idea of the EU as an exporter of norms. Under what conditions can the EU use such a strategy and to what effect? The third investigates the EU's negotiations with other actors. Do the EU's roles, goals and strategies vary in different types of international contexts? Are they different when compared to other actors? Our findings will have policy relevance and add insights to international relations and negotiation theory.

Policy coordination between the EU and the Member States –
The case of EU and Sweden in the field of development assistance
Projectleader: Professor Björn Hettne

This research project deals with the contested issue of policy co-ordination between EU and Member States in the field of 'aid'. It is assumed that EU´s role as an actor in the international community is directly tied to its ability to coordinate its external policies. The aim of the research project is to contribute to theory-building and policy relevant insights, through a focus on the following research questions:

1. Is there increased policy co-ordination or policy differentiation between EU and Sweden?

2. What social and political forces drive the process of policy co-ordination/differentiation?

3. On whose terms does policy co-ordination/differentiation occur?

The project employs two theories: 'liberal intergovernmentalism' and 'social constructivism'. The empirical analysis is carried out in three key policy areas - trade, environment and health- with the corresponding empirical cases - Southern African Development Community (SADC), Zambezi river basin and HIV/AIDS.

It is a two-year project divided into three phases: (1) the theory and review phase; (2) the field research phase; and (3) the synthesis phase. The project will result in (at least) Annual Reviews to Sieps, workshops, journal articles and a monograph.

The New Bipolarity: The EU and U:S: Policy in World and Security Relations
Projectleader: Professor Vinod K.Aggarwal

By the end of the 1990s a new order seemed to emerge in the international political economy. As Japan slid from the top ranks and the US reemerged as the dominant political-security power, the EU's achievement of economic and monetary union made it a peer economic partner and rival to the US, even as it struggled to define its international political-security identity. Despite their broadly similar interests and worldviews, the EU and US face an uncertain road in their relations with one another and the rest of the world. This project examines four questions under the broad analytical umbrellas of general world trade and military relations. First, how will the EU and US interact in world trade with different regions of the world? Second, how will they interact with each other with respect to trade issues? Third, what security policies will they pursue vis-a-vis developing countries, will give insights for policymakers and analysts into the evolving global political economy, in terms of both broad military cooperation and the arms trade? Fourth, do such macro and micro
analyses suggest that EU-US security relations will be driven by cooperation or competition? To answer these questions, we consider the interplay of institutional and societal actors across the EU and US. This exploration of the trade-security nexus of EU and US relations will give insights for policymakers and analysts into the evolving global political economy.

Statistics                                                                                                   

One of Sieps’ intentions is to present a yearly statistical survey of the legislation in the EU. The survey shall include directives and regulations published in the Official Journal (OJ). The intention is to present the legal acts that have been adopted, the distribution between the institutions and the areas of co-operation concerned. The survey shall also include a presentation of the committees involved in the legislation adopted by the Commission (number and type).  

Sieps has also made a statistical survey of the directives and regulations that have been adopted with a legal basis in Article 308 (former 235).

Article 308 >> PDF

2000   >> PDF