07 Nov 2005
Mário Nicolini: Slovakia’s experience indicates that when the twin tracks of societal transformation and NATO/European Union integration merge into one, the synergic effect is tremendous. The reform-bent government was able to leverage outside help and pressure to effect lasting change in politics, army and society. My country now stands ready to assist our friends, the Membership Action Plan countries and others, to achieve the level of democratic maturity, defense policy development, defense planning and interoperability that is required to join NATO, but first and foremost, that will best serve the interests of their countries. Read full article
09 Nov 2004
Ligia Marcinkowska: What is corruption and why is it considered as a wide-spread evil? Experts working on that problem, both in developed and developing countries, in countries with old and stable democracy, as well as in the ones, where democracy has just appeared stated, that, in general, corruption means “using a public authority for private benefits”, no matter who initiates the practice first – the politician or a businessman. In Latvia corruption is ranked as a major problem on the basis of indicators used by international organizations. In this paper I will write about the present indicators connected with corruption in Latvia, find sources of this problem and show what can that mean for the future of the country and if it’s possible to develop quickly in the European Union for this one of the three “Baltic Tigers” – like it happened with Ireland. First of all we will have a glimpse on Latvia in general. Read full article
28 Jun 2004
Darija Morozova: Since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, the US and other democratic nations have faced a dilemma. How can they increase their security without violating the right of their own citizens and citizens of other countries? This dilemma is particularly disturbing in the case of airlines security. The United States passed the Aviation and Transportation Security Act, requiring that air carriers operating flights to, from, or through the US provide the United States Customs with electronic access to the data contained in their automated reservation and departure control systems, known as Passenger Name Records (PNR). Shortly after this, the European Commission informed US authorities that these requirements could conflict with EU legislation on data protection. Despite the fact that EU data protection and civil liberties concerns have not been met, on May 17, 2004 the General Affairs Council of the EU adopted the “light” international agreement that obliged European Union air carriers to provide US institutions with the PNR data. EC openly ignored the European Parliament’s critical opinion and call to wait for the European Court of Justice decision on PNR data transfer… Passenger Name Record data transfers are unlikely to markedly improve airline security, and that present a potential for abuse and for harmful errors that far outweigh their potential value. The European Union has every right to resist PNR data transfers and to oppose them in the European Court of Justice. Read full article
12 Jun 2004
Proceedings of the 18h Meeting of the Euro-Atlantic Security Study Group of the PfP Consortium of Defence Academies and Security Studies Institutes in Bologna, 19-20 April 2004. The book contains articles on counter-terrorism capabilities, security issues in the post-Soviet space, Russia’s hierarchy of security threats, crisis-management in the Balkans, post-conflict rehabilitation, transatlantic relations, NATO's crisis management capabilities, Southern Mediterranean and the Greater Middle East Initiative. Read full article
12 Jan 2004
The volume is a selection of presentations at the Euro-Atlantic Security Study Group (EASSG) meeting in Krakow, Poland in September 2003. EASSG is part of the Partnership for Peace Consortium of Defense Academies and Security Studies Institutes. The volume deals with such issues as: NATO and EU in the post-enlargement context; EU's Eastern and Southern Neighbourhoods; Russia's relations with NATO and the EU; Poland's foreign and security policy; Caspian-Black Sea security; EU and NATO contribution to conflict-management in Congo, Moldova, Caucasus and the Western Balkans; the Transatlantic relations and Iraq. Read full article
14 Nov 2003
Liliana VITU, Eurojournal.org: In 1992 the Treaty of the European Union established the new legal status of European Citizenship that aimed to strengthen and enhance the European identity. With the establishment of the concept of European Citizenship, which introduced a series of civil and political rights, the EU sought to stimulate a more direct link between the citizens in the Member States and the European Union. The status of European Citizenship is an obvious example of the extension of the basic notion of citizenship , but more important is the question of its significance and potential... As the EU is preparing to accept countries from central and eastern Europe next year, the issue of Europeaness and the presence of some of its elements in the candidate countries becomes a significant dimension of the future of Union Citizenship and the type of community the EU might become. This essay will look at the significance of European Citizenship in the context of eastward enlargement of the European Union. The first chapter will examine the way in which the Union Citizenship has evolved as a concept since the birth of the European Community and its current meaning. The second part of the work will study the implication of European Citizenship for individuals in candidate countries from central and Eastern Europe. Also, the last part of the essay will analyse the consequences that the eastward enlargement could have on the EU. Read full article
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