European Community Policy Research Articles

Voluntary or mandatory environmental auditing in the european community: The carrot or the stick?

One possible route to responsible environmental management now under active discussion in the European Community (EC) is a European-wide environmental auditing program. The issue currently being debated by the EC's policy body is what form the program should take—mandatory or voluntary. Whatever the final form of the regulation, environmental management is about to gain added significance in boardrooms throughout Europe and the environmental auditing industry is about to experience a dramatic period of growth in the EC.

Potential effects of policy reform on the European Community sugar market and world sugar prices

The emergence of a single, fully competitive market in the European Community (EC) by the end of 1992 is a major goal of EC policy reform known as the EC- 1992 initiative. The philosophy underlying this initiative favors competitive markets for all goods, services, and assets. The production quotas that characterize the EC sugar program may be considered assets. Although no proposals have been made by the EC Commission to establish markets for these quotas, this possibility has been discussed by persons inside the EC sugar industry and by sugar market analysts. The potential effects that markets for sugar quotas might have on world prices are evaluated in comparison with eliminating the EC sugar program. Simulations suggest that quota markets within national borders would have reduced net EC sugar exports by 2.3 million metric tons and increased normal world sugar prices by 8 percent during 1982- 86. Intra—EC quota trading would have decreased net exports by 3.7 million metric tons and increased world prices by 13 percent. In contrast, elimination of the program would have increased world prices by 16 percent.

A British perspective on alcohol problems in relation to European Community policy

A British perspective on alcohol problems in relation to European Community policy

Influence of trade policies on price integration in the world beef market,

Abstract The article develops three hypotheses about how policy interventions in major trading nations influence price integration in the world beef market. Simple correlation coefficients, tests for significant differences between coefficients, and Granger causality tests are used to test the hypotheses. First, segmentation between prices in Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD)-free and FMD-endemic countries is found, but it is much less than previously assumed. Second, European Community policies that closed the E.C. import market have isolated prices in the E.C. from other markets. These policies also led to greater integration among prices in FMD-free and FMD-endemic market segments by forcing exporters from both segments to compete directly in new import markets. Third, the U.S.A. is found to be the price leader in world beef markets, due not only to market size, but also to U.S. policies that allow transmission of price information from the U.S. market to the world market but not vice versa.

Influence of Trade Policies on Price Integration in the World Beef Market

AbstractThe article develops three hypotheses about how policy interventions in major trading nations influence price integration in the world beef market. Simple correlation coefficients, tests for significant differences between coefficients, and Granger causality tests are used to test the hypotheses. First, segmentation between prices in Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD)‐free and FMD‐endemic countries is found, but it is much less than previously assumed. Second, European Community policies that closed the E.C. import market have isolated prices in the E.C. from other markets. These policies also led to greater integration among prices in FMD‐free and FMD‐endemic market segments by forcing exporters from both segments to compete directly in new import markets. Third, the U.S.A. is found to be the price leader in world beef markets, due not only to market size, but also to U.S. policies that allow transmission of price information from the U.S. market to the world market but not vice versa.

Vehicle Emission Regulation in Europe — The Demise of Lean-Burn Engines, The Polluter Pays Principle…. and The Small Car?

The regulation of vehicles emissions in Europe is described with emphasis on decision-making in Britain and Germany, and analysed from a political perspective. After a long period of negotiations, a solution to the various debates surrounding the issue is now emerging. This involves the abandoning of a specific technology preferred in Great Britain. In consequence, the consumption of energy by private transport and the cost to the public of private motoring will increase further. The British strategy of delaying European decisions in favour of stringent standards which require the adoption of the best available emission abatement technology, was taken largely in response to requests from motor manufacturers based in Britain. Viewed with hindsight, however, the policy was probably a mistake, which while serving the interests of industry in the shorter run, may have further weakened British competitiveness and thus added to the demise of a British owned car industry. The opposite applies to the Federal Republic, where environmental objectives were more quickly integrated into commercial, industrial and European Community policy because of the more foresighted and active role government was able, willing and required to play. The environmental consequences of vehicle regulation, on the other hand, remain uncertain.

European community policy for innovation

As part of implementing the Single European Act and creating an open and free market for the twelve countries of the EC (European Community), the Commission of the EC has embarked on an ambitious programme of determining a policy for future R&D activities, supported by a sizeable central budget. The relationship between R&D (Research and Development) and the wider remit of S&T (Science and Technology) is discussed and the main features of the policy are outlined. Its scope and the use of a central budget as an instrument for social change are discussed, as well as their implications for the innovation process and for industry in the EC.

Who pays a tax in kind?

Abstract The introduction of milk quotas in 1984 as a European Community policy instrument has generated considerable theoretical interest. It is possible that a new device might be introduced, namely a ‘siphon’ which is a ‘tax in kind’ levied on quota transfers arranged between farmers. This note examines the basic theory of taxation in kind. The suggestion is that the effects are not entirely on a par with those applying to indirect taxes in general. With some configurations of demand elasticity, in particular, the position of quota sellers might not be damaged or might improve. Quota purchasers are affected in the conventional way.

Cross‐national Collaboration in Higher Education: new initiatives in European Community policy

Cross‐national Collaboration in Higher Education: new initiatives in European Community policy

Japan's agricultural policy in international perspective

Agricultural protection in Japan began at the turn of the century, later than in Western Europe. But it has grown much more rapidly than in Western Europe and so Japan's nominal protection rates are now more than twice as high as Europe's. As a consequence, the domestic welfare cost of Japan's agricultural policy, as a percentage of GNP, is well above that for Europe. Moreover, even though the Japanese economy is much smaller than Western Europe's, the cost of Japan's protection to food-exporting countries is not a great deal less than that of the European Community's policies, according to the results of a simulation model of world food markets. J. Japan. Int. Econ., June 1987, 1(2), pp. 131–146. Department of Economics, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, S.A. 5001, Australia; and National Centre for Development Studies, Australian National University, Canberra, A.C.T. 2601, Australia.

Action for telecommunications development: STAR: a European community programme

This article describes the European Communities' STAR programme: Special Telecommunications Action for Regional Development. It begins by situating STAR in the context of European Community policy, and explains how Community financial instruments are being used. The analysis which led to the formulation of the programme is briefly described, and an outline is provided of the main components of the regulation establishing the programme. The article concludes by presenting the current status of STAR activity.

Trade patterns, industry structure and industrial policy in telecommunications

This article examines three major changes which have been occuring in the telecommunications market: liberalization, leading to increased competition in services and equipment, the internationalization of the equipment market, and a rapidly changing industrial structure. The interrelationship among the three trends is analyzed, and the authors hypothesize that it is the technological determinants which are driving the changing structure of the industry and its trade patterns and regulatory environment. The instruments of industrial policy are discussed, with examples from several countries. The European Community's policy in telecommunications is explained in some detail.

The Protection of the Sea: A European Community Policy

The Protection of the Sea: A European Community Policy

Commercial policy in the European Community

Commercial policy in the European Community

Small Firms and Minority Groups: Contradictory Trends in the French, German and British Clothing Industries

This paper shows how the French, British and West German clothing industries were faced by the late 1960s with virtually identical problems of declining international competitiveness. Nevertheless, within a supposedly common framework of European Community policy towards the clothing industry, the strategies adopted by the three countries have differed markedly in degree of emphasis. We suggest that the retention of a large 'secondary' sector of small firms, now dominated by ethnic minority male entrepreneurs and immigrant female labour in France and Britain has been crucial in slowing the pace of decline in fashion-oriented sectors of production. In contrast, the relative absence of such a sector in the FRG has been a contributory factor in the relocation of a far higher proportion of clothing production to third countries than is the case in either France or Britain.

Still Partners in Development? The Effect on the Third World of Current European Community Policies

Still Partners in Development? The Effect on the Third World of Current European Community Policies

Recent developments in European community policy to promote a harmonized implementation of OSI standards

During the past years the importance of international standards as a basis for ensuring data interchange in various types of applications has been more and more widely recognized. Within the Community, there has been an increased awareness of the role that Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) standards will play for maintaining the capability to communicate in a world-wide environment. This has led to an increased level of community activities in this field and especially to new initiatives to promote a harmonized application of international OSI standards in Europe.

Endogenous Price Policies and International Wheat Prices

AbstractInternational prices are modeled as Cournot equilibrium interactions of national excess demand functions, which, in turn, are solutions of domestic welfare optimization problems. It is shown that interaction of national policies can lead to excess depression and instability of both international and domestic prices. The model is estimated for wheat and is used to show that, under free trade, average world prices would be much higher while price instability would be much lower. Furthermore, the European Economic Community policies alone contribute about 80% to these distortions.

Teacher Education and European Community Policy

Summary There is no policy of the European Community specifically labelled ‘teacher education’. However, policies which do exist at Community level have clear implications for teacher education. This can be seen from a study of the policy model developed within the Community; teacher education becomes a ‘dimension’ of policy in relation to objectives and as a sphere of action. The article illustrates these points and refers also to the currently ‘blocked’ policy dossiers of the Community. Il n'existe aucune politique pour la formation des enseignants dans la Communaute Europeenne. Cependant, les politiques qui existent dans le cadre de la Communaute ont une certaine portee sur la formation des enseignants. Ceci ressort d'une etude sur le modele politique qui a ete developpee a l'interieur de la Communaute; dans cette perspective, la formation des enseignants devient une dimension de la politique par rapport aux objectifs de cette politique et en tant que domaine d'action. L'article illustre ces point et f...

Demand Elasticities for Soybean Meal in the European Community

Several econometric models have been constructed to describe the demand for soybeans and soybean products (Houck and Mann; Houck, Ryan, and Subotnik; Ryan and Houck 1976a, b; Matthews; Vandenborre 1967, 1970; Jones and Morrison). In most of these studies, the demand for soybeans and soybean products in the European Community (EC) has been included as part of the aggregate world demand for U.S. soybean exports. Such models provide only limited insight into the effects of policies in subsectors of the world, and their predictive ability is restricted by the underlying assumption of similar demand and supply conditions over geographical regions. Recently, Bredahl, Meyers, and Collins have emphasized the need to disaggregate U.S. export demand into separate geographical markets in order to account for the influence of countries whose internal prices are insulated from world markets. The Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) of the EC has resulted in demand and supply conditions that differ from those in many other importing countries. Disaggregation of world demand to accommodate separate treatment of EC demand and supply relationships can be justified on the basis of market share and the unique relationships generated by the CAP. The EC is the largest importer of soybeans and soybean meal. Thus, the effects of EC policy changes on the export demand for U.S. soybeans are important. During the period 1971-76, over 25% of the U.S. soybean production (in soybean meal equivalents) entered the EC market. The U.S. share in total EC imports was over 80%, Brazilian exports being the only relevant alternative for EC buyers. The purpose of this paper is to present a model that describes the demand relationships in the EC so the impact of EC agricultural policies can be estimated. It is confined to the demand for soybean meal in whatever form it first appears in the EC market, as either soybean meal or whole soybeans. Method of Analysis