Now that the European Council has given the green light to opening EU accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova, it is clear that the Union is no longer simply showing symbolic solidarity with neighbours invaded or threatened by Russia. Rather, a new chapter of enlargement policy is...

Wie reagieren internationale Organisationen (IOs) auf Schuldzuweisungen ihrer Mitgliedstaaten? Oftmals werden in der Forschung IOs im Falle von gescheiterten Politiken als gute Sündenböcke für die Schuldzuweisungen ihrer Mitgliedstaaten gesehen, weil sie sich kaum zu Wehr setzen müssen,...

In 2008, a report was commissioned by the European Commission (EC) outlining various policy matters in the field of family business within the auspices of the European Union (EU). Family-owned businesses make a significant contribution to Australia's economic and social welfare. The EC report...

The central cause for the crisis in Europe is not undisciplined spending by profligate states, but the asymmetric structural symbiosis between states and banks. Under the current European regime states are lenders of last resort for banks and banks are lenders of last resort for states. That...

Stimulated by the European Commission's White Paper on the Future of Europe, this article engages critically with the Commission's five scenarios. Driven by a normative ambition of equipping the EU with adequate constitutional, institutional and socio-political means for coping with its many...

With the single market almost upon us, and major areas of responsibility being passed to Brussels, the EC is becoming evermore involved in certain business areas. Somewhat inconsistently the Community is seeking to legislate for competition. The author argues that such a policy is bound to fail...

The European Commission is attempting to harmonise taxes in the European Community but little progress has been made to date with the exception of indirect taxation. The diversity reflects the historic differences in the economic and social structures of the member states and it is shown that...

The economic policy framework of the Euro area displays significant limitations. While these deficiencies are a result of the design of the Euro project, they have become increasingly evident during the current economic crisis. The European Commission and the Council have put forward a set of...

This paper investigates the energy investment needs of the European Union (EU), including renewable energy. Europe currently has little or no economic growth, and interest rates are expected to rise. Given the state of many EU countries' economies, this is a good time to encourage investment...