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32. The Future of the European Defence Industry after the December Summit: Ten Polish Priorities
- Author:
- Paulina Zamelek
- Publication Date:
- 12-2013
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- The Polish Institute of International Affairs
- Abstract:
- December's European Council Summit for heads of state or government has been tasked to deliberate European defence industry issues based on proposals provided by the European Commission. A divergence of interests expressed by interlocutors representing Member States, national defence industries and European institutions could result in heated political debate. The ability to accommodate the interests of Central Eastern Europe and Poland in particular in this process is not yet certain, especially as the EU's ambitious plans for strengthening the European Defence Technological and Industrial Base (EDTIB) are discordant with the current level playing field across Europe.
- Topic:
- Security, Defense Policy, and Arms Control and Proliferation
- Political Geography:
- Europe
33. Storm over Foreign Funding Continues in Egypt
- Author:
- Kinga Brudzinska
- Publication Date:
- 12-2013
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- The Polish Institute of International Affairs
- Abstract:
- Similar to the situation before the Arab Awakening, state control of civil associations in Egypt remains intact. Correspondingly, foreign funding for NGOs is still a controversial, selective and sensitive topic. Despite the objections of civil society and the international community, a new draft law on NGOs presented in September 2013 will most likely maintain the idea of state oversight of civil society organisations. The European Union, and Poland itself, should constantly monitor the status of the new draft law and actively encourage the authorities to comply with international standards. Despite difficulties with delivering the aid, the EU should stick to its values while supporting Egypt's transition and continue to provide aid to local NGOs.
- Topic:
- Civil Society, Non-Governmental Organization, and Law
- Political Geography:
- Europe, North Africa, and Egypt
34. New Nuclear Builds in Central and Eastern Europe: Safety Aspects
- Author:
- Jodi Lieberman
- Publication Date:
- 12-2013
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- The Polish Institute of International Affairs
- Abstract:
- With nearly all of the countries in Central and Eastern Europe considering construction of new nuclear plants, either to add to existing units or for the first time, it can be instructive to take stock of where they started following 1989, where they are now, and what lies ahead. Most of the countries benefited from nuclear safety-related assistance in the past. Through their membership in the EU and IAEA they also have access to the tools and institutional procedures that can be useful in assessing their nuclear programmes from a nuclear safety point of view. Poland, starting from scratch with a new nuclear build, may benefit from extensive external experience.
- Topic:
- Energy Policy and Nuclear Power
- Political Geography:
- Europe
35. Pushing the Turbo Button: What Next for the Polishâ?"Romanian Strategic Partnership?
- Author:
- Stanislav Secrieru, Lukasz Kulesa, Agnes Nicolescu, and Anita Sobják
- Publication Date:
- 11-2013
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- The Polish Institute of International Affairs
- Abstract:
- With the global economic downturn and its implications for the broader political and security architecture of the EU, the Polish—Romanian Strategic Partnership signed in 2009 is now ripe to take the positive relationship to a new level and to be further fleshed out. To this end, political coordination needs to be upgraded for promoting common interests, such as economic stability and solidarity within the Union, continued support to agriculture and cohesion policy as an important priority for EU funding, increasing the energy security of the region, engaging the neighbourhood, particularly Moldova and Ukraine, and maintaining the relevance of CSDP and of article 5 of the Washington Treaty high on the European agenda. The management of instability and protracted conflicts in their neighbourhood are also among their shared concerns. Translating these common priorities into concrete actions should aim at pushing the "turbo button" on the partnership, and help both countries achieve their goals.
- Topic:
- Security, Debt, Diplomacy, International Trade and Finance, Monetary Policy, and Financial Crisis
- Political Geography:
- Europe
36. "A Beautiful Future for Central Europe:" Hungary's Regional Policy in the Period 2010—2013
- Author:
- Dariusz Kalan
- Publication Date:
- 10-2013
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- The Polish Institute of International Affairs
- Abstract:
- Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has, from the beginning of his tenure, made public declarations of his deep engagement with cooperation in the region, and outlined very ambitious visions about its future. The idea to make 2013, the year of Hungary's presidencies of the Visegrad Group and the Central European Initiative, a Central European year, is a part of the policy of special attachment to regional matters too. However, there is a visible gap between politicians' rhetoric and their activity. This is especially true regarding Hungary's dialogue with Romania and Slovakia, which, due to many historical, social and psychological obstacles, has always been most challenging for leaders in Budapest. Orbán's government, though, by taking steps to culturally and politically unify Hungarians from the Carpathian Basin, promoting historically ambiguous persons and inviting revisionists such as Erika Steinbach to parliament, not only fails to engender a good atmosphere in the region, but also proves how lively among the country's governing elite are both resentments from the past and temptations to use them to achieve temporary political goals.
- Topic:
- Political Economy, Regional Cooperation, and Governance
- Political Geography:
- Europe
37. A Competitive Two-speed Policy: The Eastern Partnership beyond 2013
- Author:
- Kinga Dudzinska, Elzbieta Kaca, and Karolina Zubel
- Publication Date:
- 10-2013
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- The Polish Institute of International Affairs
- Abstract:
- A redefinition of the Eastern Partnership beyond 2013 is urgently needed in order to make the EU a more competitive player vis-à-vis Russia and China in the region. Eastern partners which choose deeper economic integration with the EU must therefore be supported by enhanced cooperation, which would require further differentiation in approaches towards neighbours. It should also be supported by certain horizontal policies, strengthening the EU's multilateral cooperation and the fledgling European Union diplomacy in this region, assisted by better targeting policies at EaP societies.
- Topic:
- Economics, Regional Cooperation, and Monetary Policy
- Political Geography:
- China and Europe
38. Benefits of Regional Integration: What Sri Lanka Can Learn From Poland
- Author:
- Patryk Kugiel, Shari Cooray, and Thileni Wickramaratne
- Publication Date:
- 09-2013
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- The Polish Institute of International Affairs
- Abstract:
- Although Poland and Sri Lanka are distant and differ significantly, a comparison of their experiences with regional cooperation reveals a few interesting observations. Poland's accession to the EU proves the economic and political benefits of deeper integration, may mitigate fears of marginalisation and domination by regional hegemons, and can disperse concerns over lost sovereignty. The EU integration model and the Polish experience could serve as an inspiration for Sri Lanka and other members of SAARC, the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation, and encourage them to revive their own integration process.
- Topic:
- Foreign Policy, Political Economy, and Bilateral Relations
- Political Geography:
- Europe, South Asia, and Sri Lanka
39. Belarus in the CES: Advantages and Disadvantages of Economic Integration
- Author:
- Anna Maria Dyner and Natalia Ryabova
- Publication Date:
- 08-2013
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- The Polish Institute of International Affairs
- Abstract:
- Belarusian accession to the Common Economic Space (CES) was forced by two factors-the 2011 crisis and the necessity to gain cheap energy resources. Although Russia fulfilled its promises, decreasing gas and oil prices, Belarus is now feeling the negative results of the integration. According to CES rules, Belarusian authorities will have to tighten monetary policy, and reduce social spending and public financing of state-owned enterprises. The situation may be improved by foreign investments, but among the three CES countries, Belarus is the least attractive, especially since Russia joined the WTO and the because of the possible accession of Kazakhstan in the near future. Because of the need to carry out the major reforms in Belarus, the European Union has a greater chance to influence the situation in that country, for example by supporting modernisation projects.
- Topic:
- Development, Oil, Natural Resources, and Monetary Policy
- Political Geography:
- Europe and Asia
40. Bundestag Elections 2013: Consequences for German Capitalism and European Integration
- Author:
- Sebastian Plóciennik
- Publication Date:
- 08-2013
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- The Polish Institute of International Affairs
- Abstract:
- Germany will draw a lot of attention in September 2013 when its citizens will choose a new federal parliament-Bundestag. The reason is not only the fact that the country is a big player but also that it dominates Europe on a scale not observed since the 1980s. Its economic model seems to be the most efficient in Europe at the moment and the country even has enough power to set reform agendas across the EU. Since the biggest changes in German internal and external politics can be expected if the opposition is victorious, it seems important to analyse in advance the key elements of the proposals by the major opposition force: Social-Democratic Party (SPD) and the Alliance 90/The Greens. This could help us understand what kind of change to German capitalism is advocated by these parties and how their election success could affect European integration.
- Topic:
- Economics, Industrial Policy, Markets, and Political Economy
- Political Geography:
- Europe and Germany