European studies: Taking stock and looking ahead

This essay is an attempt to generalize experiences of Central and Eastern European universities in the field of European Studies over the past 20 years. The paper follows the logic of business analysis in order to come up with proposals for future action

Happiness in Eastern Europe

This paper analyses the determinants of happiness in seven Eastern European transition countries during the early phase of economic transition. The analysis of representative survey data in an ordered logit model shows that those core socio-demographic and economic variables known to be relevant from studies on the US and Western European countries have a similar impact on happiness in Eastern Europe. In addition, rural dwellers and church goers experience greater life- satisfaction. Aggregate unemployment can explain more of the cross- country variation in happiness than income per capita.happiness, well-being, transition countries, Eastern Europe

ADMINISTRATIVE CONVERGENCE AND REFORMS IN SOUTH-EASTERN EUROPEAN STATES - Analyses, models and comparative studies

The fundamental idea of the current publication emphasizes the characteristics of the processes related to administrative convergence and reform in the South-Eastern European states. Of course the area under review is quite wide and complex and therefore our approach aims to comprise only a few characteristics. Encompassing various geo-political aspects, political heritages enhancing that diversity as well as endemic socio-cultural traditions, the public administrations in the South-Eastern European states have faced a definite option for restoring democracy and accomplishing reforms according to the principles and values of the European Administrative Space, in the past two decades. For the time being other questions emerge and others remain still open. Which is the most adequate model for the administrative reform, which are the most efficient mechanisms and tools triggering its accomplishment and implementation? Lacking a formalized acquis communautaire on the processes related to administrative reform, their diversity has enhanced and the conditions for so called administrative convergence have multiplied. The research reports achieved and presented in the current publication emphasise the progress in implementing the democratic processes of central and local governance which do not lead however to convergence, being definitely relevant for the processes related to administrative dynamics. Various political experiences undergone by the states under review in the second half of the 20th century have induced attitudes and behaviours mainly of subordination and loss of identity of the organizations in national public administrations. That situation persisting in the South-Eastern European space creates difficulties and unbalances in the dialogue and cooperation with the public administrations of Western European states. The state itself is weak, determining a lack of finality for the administrative reforms. The processes of administrative convergence have become more complex and complicate as the EU administration is searching a model and it is attempting to define an identity. The traditional models of administration, based on a hierarchic bureaucracy are overcome and the model of EU administration could not be found by a transfer or enlargement of an administrative model belonging to one or several states. Therefore, we should acknowledge that the processes related to administrative convergence and reform are profoundly integrated in a complex context, with globalizing valences, benefiting of profound mechanisms, enhancing the interdependence and systemic character of the developments of national public administrations. The current volume incorporates contributions of South-Eastern European universities (National School of Political Studies and Public Administration – Romania, New Bulgarian University – Bulgaria, University of the Aegean - Greece or University of Rijeka – Croatia, as well as of international organizations – European Public Law Organization – Greece. In the above briefly described context, the studies reveal both comparative aspects, strategies of administrative reform or significant developments of administrative convergence and conceptual models aimed to contribute to the debates on EU administrative and organizational future or contemporary developments of EU administrative law. The reports were achieved in the framework of Jean Monnet project “South-Eastern European developments on the administrative convergence and enlargement of the European Administrative Space in Balkan states“ and provide an overview close to the realities on specificity of administrative processes in South-Eastern European states.administrative convergence, balkans, public administration reforms, european administrative studies, South-Eastern European States

Eastern European Political Cultures: Modeling Studies

This collective volume introduces ten European authors and their researches on political culture modeling. They share the interest for the political methodology, on the one hand, and for the political culture of the Eastern European post-communist regimes and their transition to democracy, on the other hand. Their research papers have been peer-reviewed and accepted as papers of the 2nd edition of the European Conference on Political Attitudes and Mentalities, ECPAM’2013, organized as a virtual conference by the European Research Group on Political Attitudes and Mentalities, EPAM, on November 8th, 2013. The main theme of the conference has provided the subject of this collective volume: “Political Attitudes and Political Cultures: Theoretical, Analytical, Computational and Simulation Models”

Migration, Mobility and Human Rights at the Eastern Border of the European Union - Space of Freedom and Security

This edited collection of migration papers would like to emphasise the acute need for migration related study and research in Romania. At this time, migration and mobility are studied as minor subjects in Economics, Sociology, Political Sciences and European Studies only (mostly at post-graduate level). We consider that Romanian universities need more ‘migration studies’, while research should cover migration as a whole, migration and mobility being analysed from different points of view – social, economical, legal etc. Romania is part of the European Migration Space not only as a source of labourers for the European labour market, but also as source of quality research for the European scientific arena. Even a country located at the eastern border of the European Union, we consider Romania as part of the European area of freedom, security and justice, and therefore interested in solving correctly all challenges incurred by the complex phenomena of migration and workers’ mobility at the European level. The waves of illegal immigrants arriving continuously on the Spanish, Italian and Maltese shores, and the workers’ flows from the new Member States from Central and Eastern Europe following the 2004 accession, forced the EU officials and the whole Europe to open the debate on the economical and mostly social consequences of labour mobility. This study volume is our contribution to this important scientific debate. Starting with the spring of 2005, the Jean Monnet European Centre of Excellence and the School of High Comparative European Studies (SISEC), both within the West University of Timisoara, have proposed a series of events in order to raise the awareness of the Romanian scientific environment on this very sensitive issues: migration and mobility in the widen European Space. An annual international event to celebrate 9 May - The Europe Day was already a tradition for SISEC (an academic formula launched back in 1995 in order to prepare national experts in European affairs, offering academic post-graduate degrees in High European Studies). With the financial support from the Jean Monnet Programme (DG Education and Culture, European Commission), a first migration panel was organised in the framework of the international colloquium ‘Romania and the European Union in 2007’ held in Timisoara between 6 and 7 of May 2005 (panel Migration, Asylum and Human Rights at the Eastern Border of the European Union). Having in mind the positive welcoming of the migration related subjects during the 2005 colloquium, a second event was organised on 5 May 2006 in the framework of the European Year of Workers’ Mobility: the international colloquium Migration and Mobility: Assets and Challenges for the Enlargement of the European Union. In the same period, the Jean Monnet European Centre of Excellence, SISEC and The British Council in Bucharest have jointly edited two special issues of The Romanian Journal of European Studies, no.4/2005 and 5-6/2006, both dedicated to migration and mobility. Preliminary versions of many of the chapters of this volume were presented at the above mentioned international events. The papers were chosen according to their scientific quality, after an anonymously peer-review selection. The authors debate both theoretical issues and practical results of their research. They are renowned experts at international level, members of the academia, PhD students or experienced practitioners involved in the management of the migration flows at the governmental level. This volume was financed by the Jean Monnet Programme of the Directorate General Education and Culture, European Commission, throughout the Jean Monnet European Centre of Excellence (C03/0110) within the West University of Timisoara, Romania, and is dedicated to the European Year of Workers’ Mobility 2006. Timisoara, December 200

Happiness in Eastern Europe

This paper analyses the determinants of happiness in seven Eastern European transition countries during the early phase of economic transition. The analysis of representative survey data in an ordered logit model shows that those core socio-demographic and economic variables known to be relevant from studies on the US and Western European countries have a similar impact on happiness in Eastern Europe. In addition, rural dwellers and church goers experience greater life-satisfaction. Aggregate unemployment can explain more of the crosscountry variation in happiness than income per capita.eastern europe, transition countries, economic transition, happiness, life-satisfaction, unemployment

"Great expectations - The regional administrative reform in Eastern Central Europe in anticipation of the EU"

[Introduction]. One of the key issues of governance of European Union is relationship between its governance and its boundaries in broad sense adopted by Friis and Murphy, who distinguish (after Smith 1996) four types of EU boundary; geopolitical, institutional, legal, transactional, and cultural. This paper on governance and boundaries between the European Union and Central and Eastern Europe; concentrates one type of barrier; the institutional. This paper on current reform of regional administration in Central and Eastern Europe: Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland and Hungary an example suggesting adaptation to similar regional structure, as in the European Union. There have been plenitude of studies on 'convergence in Europe', for example, B`rzel investigation of institutional adaptation to Europanizeation in Germany and Spain, Harmsen's comparative study of national administrations of France and the Netherlands and finally, Wollmann's comparison of Great Britain, French and German local government systems; from historic divergence toward convergence?' However, it is likely that a degree of convergence is also taking place in the countries which are not members of the European Union

Monetary Transmission Mechanism in Central & Eastern Europe: Gliding on a Wind of Change

This paper surveys recent advances in empirical studies of the monetary transmission mechanism (MTM), with special attention to Central and Eastern Europe. In particular, while laying out the functioning of the separate channels in the MTM, it explores possible interrelations between different channels and their impact on prices and the real economy. The empirical findings for Central and Eastern Europe are then briefly compared with results for industrialized countries, especially for the euro area. We highlight potential pitfalls in the literature and assess the relative importance, and potential development, of the different channels, emphasizing the relevant asymmetries between Central and Eastern European countries and the euro area.http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/57230/1/wp850 .pd

Attractiveness of Central and Eastern European Countries for Foreign Direct Investment in the Context of European Integration: The Case of Estonia

Foreign direct investment (FDI) flows in the world have increased rapidly during the last decade. Most of the FDI inflows are targeted to developed countries (78% in 1999, about fifth of the flows are going to developing countries and Central and Eastern European transition countries are the host countries for only 2% of the world FDI. The necessity of foreign investments in the transition countries is the result of industrial restructuring in post-socialist Eastern Europe and the Baltic countries. New markets, lower production costs and higher profit rates have been the main motivators in investing to the transition countries. Privatization programs of some of these countries have also facilitated foreign direct investments. Lankes and Venables (1996) and Lankes and Stern (1998) have noted that previous studies have shown predominance of market seeking investors in Central and Eastern European countries and factor cost considerations appeared to be of less importance for the majority of investments. A study by Meyer (1995) showed also that local market of Central and Eastern European countries is the primary motive in making foreign direct investments and factor costs played only a secondary role in investing to those markets at the beginning of the transition process. Several other studies (for example Barrell et al. 1999; Borsos-Torstila 1998; Éltetö 1999, Garibaldi et al. 1999; Guimaraes et al. 1997; Holland et al. 1998a, 1998b; Wang et al. 1995; Ziacik 2000 have also shown the significance of the determinants that are important for these types of investors in explaining the foreign investments’ flows into the transition countries. Two other types of foreign investors are not so important due to the relative lack of natural resources and strategic assets in Central and Eastern European transition countries. However, it has to be considered that there are quite big differences in the shares of different types of foreign investors between countries and sectors. A number of Central and Eastern European transition countries are in the middle of process of integration to the European Union now. Economic integration has impact on the movement of the foreign direct investment. The main aim of this paper is to find out the possible changes in attractiveness of investment climate of the Central and Eastern European transition countries in the context of European integration. Taking into account this aim, paper is divided into four parts: * At first, theoretical foundations of foreign direct investments movements and results of the previous empirical research are presented. * Then, theoretical foundations of the impact of regional integration on foreign direct investment flows is discussed. * After this, determinants of FDI inflows in Central and Eastern European countries and in Estonia are analyzed by using generalized component, regression and multinominal logistic analysis, * Finally potential changes in attractiveness of the Central and Eastern European transition countries are discussed and some economic-political recommendations for the governments are presented. REFERENCES: 1. Barrell, R., Pain, N. Trade Restraints and Japanese Direct Investment Flows. - European Economic Review, 1999, Vol. 43, pp. 29-45. 2. Borsos-Torstila, J. Determinants of Foreign Direct Investment Operations of Finnish Multinational Companies in Transition Economies in 1990-1995. Helsinki, 1998, 180 p. 3. Ëltetö, A. The Impact of FDI on the Foreign Trade of Central European Countries. – Materials of the workshop "Impact of Foreign Direct Investment on the International Competitiveness of CEEC Manufacturing and EU Enlargement", Budapest, November 19-20, 1999, 23 p. 4. Garibaldi, P., Mora, N., Sahay, R., Zettelmeyer, J. What Moves Capital to Transition Economies? – Materials of the IMF Conference "A Decade of Transition: Achievements and Challenges", February, 1999, 49 p. 5. Guimaraes, P., Rolfe, R.J., Doupnik, T., Woodward, D.P. The Locational Determinants of Foreign Direct Investment in Central Europe. – SSRN Journal, 1997, July, 17 p. 6. Holland, D., Pain, N. The Determinants and Impact of Foreign Direct Investment in the Transition Economies: A Panel Data Analysis. – Materials of the conference “Convergence or Divergence: Aspirations and Reality in Central and Eastern Europe and Russia” Buckinghamshire, 1998a, pp. 300-325. 7. Holland D., Pain, N. The Diffusion of Innovations in Central and Eastern Europe: A Study of the Determinants and Impact of Foreign Direct Investment. – Materials of the conference “Convergence or Divergence: Aspirations and Reality in Central and Eastern Europe and Russia”, Buckinghamshire, 1998b, 49 p. 8. Lankes, H.-P., Stern, N. Capital Flows to Eastern Europe and the Former Soviet Union. – EBRD Working Paper, 1998, No. 27, 31 p. 9. Lankes, H.-P., Venables, A.J. Foreign Direct Investment in Economic Transition: The Changing Pattern of Investments. – Economies of Transition, 1996, Vol. 4, No. 2 pp. 331-347. 10. Meyer, K. Direct Foreign Investment in Eastern Europe: The Role of Labor Costs. - Comparative Economic Studies, 1995, Vol. 37, No. 4, pp. 69-88 (cited by http://www.ebscohost.com pp. 1-16). 11. Wang, Z.Q., Swain, N.J. The Determinants of Foreign Direct Investment in Transforming Economies: Empirical Evidence from Hungary and China. – Weltwirtschaftlisches Archiv, 1995, Band 131, pp. 359-382. 12. Ziacik, T. An Assessment of the Estonian Investment Climate: Results of a Survey of Foreign Investors and Policy Implications. – BOFIT Discussion Papers, 2000, No. 3, 52 p.

The Balassa-Samuelson Effect in 'East & West'. Differences and Similarities

Based on two detailed Balassa-Samuelson (BS) studies, Wagner and Hlouskova (2004) for eight Central Eastern European countries (CEECs) and Wagner and Doytchinov (2004) for ten Western European countries (WECs), this study assesses the differences and similarities of the BS effect between these two country groups. The econometric results show that the BS effect may have been overestimated in previous studies due to application of inappropriate first generation panel cointegration methods. When appropriately quantified, the BS effect itself explains RER movements respectively inflation differentials only to a small extent. However, extended BS relationships that include additional variables allow for an adequate modelling of inflation. Based on the comparative analysis we draw some conclusions for monetary policy in the future enlarged Euro Area.Balassa-Samuelson effect, Central and Eastern Europe, Western Europe, Non-stationary panels, Inflation simulations