Europol and Counter Terrorism Intelligence Sharing
Ruxandra Laura BOŞILCĂ
Abstract
As the European Union’s law enforcement agency, the European Police Office (Europol) supports its Member States in preventing and fighting against all forms of serious international crime and terrorism, through the exchange and analysis of criminal intelligence. At present, terrorism continues to remain a top priority for Europol and the European Union; Europol assists Member States in conducting investigations in this field by providing analysis and analytical products such as reports and threat assessments; information exchange and access to Europol`s databases and expert platforms; expertise ensured by Europol`s mobile office; other relevant products and services including the “First Response Network”, the “European Explosive Ordnance Disposal Network”, the “EU Bomb Data System” and other. This paper’s purpose is to argue two main points. First, a deep fracture can be observed between the reiterated intentions to cooperate and the outcomes of this endeavour. Second, this gap was generated to a large extent by the national security and intelligence service’s failure to share information and intelligence due to various barriers, including bureaucracy-related ones which can provide a valuable insight into Europol’s case. In order to support these assumptions, this study focuses on the European counter terrorism intelligence cooperation within Europol.
Keywords
Europol, intelligence sharing, European Union, counter terrorism measures, bureaucratic obstacles, SitCen.
European Union in the Age of Neo-Liberalism
Mihail CARADAICĂ
Abstract
This paper belongs to the area of critical studies of European Integration and tries to analyse the super-structural dimension of European Integration and to identify its role in two areas of policy outputs. The theoretical approach is neo-gramscianism, which is focused on social forces agency in the process of integration and super-structural dimension of European Single Market. Since 1980, the interests of big capital, gathered in the European Round Table, shaped a neo-liberal dimension of the European economy, adapting it to the context of globalisation.
But this neo-liberal project was also able to capture social-democratic, trade union and centrist demands into a neo-liberal European order, called by Bastiaan van Apeldoorn “embedded” neo-liberalism. This European model has also his limits because it puts the interests of capital in front of social policies through the assurance of market efficiency by EU, leading to a neoliberal hegemony. My purpose here is to see if neoliberal hegemony in European Union has a real impact on policies outputs, analysing the Eastern Enlargement and Europe 2020 Strategy.
Keywords
Neo-gramscianism, neo-liberalism, hegemony, enlargement, Europe 2020.
The Use of Quotas for Women’s Political Representation in the European Parliament
Ioana Antoaneta DODI
Abstract
In this article I try to anticipate what would be the impact of introducing a quota system for women’s political representation in the European Union. The perspective I use is that of the EU as a federal model that develops according to a neofunctionalist dynamic. In the analysis, I shall refer to the proposal of introducing a single electoral law for the European elections.
Keywords
Women’s political representation, electoral quotas, European electoral law, proportional representation, legitimacy.
Exploring the Limits of the EU’s Normative Power Towards the South Caucasus
Mihai-Bogdan POPESCU
Abstract
The European Union (EU) has been described as a normative power, an actor that not only is constructed on a normative basis, such as democracy, rule of law, respect for human rights, market economy, but most likely has a predisposition in acting in a normative way, and also in an altruistic manner in the international relations. One such tool of promoting its set of norms, and convincing others to accept them is the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP). The article examines the Eastern dimension of the ENP and the EU’s norm promotion towards South Caucasus countries. The article highlights the fact that due to the way the EU’s interests are constructed and due to several factors such as the regional environment, and the ambiguity of the EU’s policies towards this area, the European Union’s capacity to conduct a normative foreign policy is low.
Keywords
Normative power, European Neighbourhood Policy, South Caucasus, normative foreign policy, normative goals and means, normative impact
European Funds for Agriculture and Rural Development – Help or Burden for Romania?
Ana BADIU
Abstract
The purpose of this paper is to present and discuss the main administrative and procedural dysfunctions, which have caused a poor absorption of European funds for agriculture and rural development. The paper has three parts. The first part presents the financial mechanisms through which the European funds are distributed and attracted. It also speaks of the European Union’s requests regarding the administrative-institutional system of the Romanian agriculture. The second part presents some statistical data regarding the absorption degree of European funds in Romania. The next section focuses on the dysfunctions identified by the theorists and gives a series of solutions aiming at resolving the administrative, procedural, as well as human resources problems.
Keywords
Common Agricultural Policy; Romania; domestic agriculture; European funds; administrative-procedural dysfunctions; solutions.
Book Review
Iordan Gheorghe BĂRBULESCU, Oana Andreea ION and Nicolae TODERAŞ. 2013. “Coordonarea afacerilor europene la nivel naţional. Mecanisme de colaborare între Guvern şi Parlament în domeniul afacerilor europene. Studiu comparativ în statele membre UE (Coordination of European Affairs at National Level. Mechanisms of Cooperation between the Government and the Parliament in European Affairs. Comparative Study in the EU Member States). Strategy and Policy Studies – SPOS (Study no. 2). Bucharest: IER – The European Institute of Romania.
Ioan HORGA
