Transition towards a social market economy? Limits and opportunities

The quest for an appropriate development and transition strategy in less developed countries (LDCs) and post-socialist countries (PSCs) has been studied for a long time, and it has been subject to numerous controversies among academics and development practitioners alike. Disputes have existed with respect to sequencing, timing, and pacing reforms, regarding the components of stabilization-cumadjustment programs, and also relating to the question which actors can become effective drivers of transition and development. Today, a widespread consensus exists that institutions and governance matter for making market-oriented policy reform succeed and that governments, despite the general need for less state interventionism, remain central actors for institution building and rule enforcement. The following considerations focus on the question whether or not the concept of the Social Market Economy, as it was originally developed and designed by German academics and policymakers more than fifty years ago, will be appropriate to guide policy and institutional reform in LDCs and PSCs and to make market-oriented reforms a viable policy choice in such countries regardless of their political regime. --Less developed countries,post-socialist countries,transition,social market economy

The politico-institutional foundation of economic transition in Central Asia: Lessons from China

Central Asia is increasingly the focus of intense international attention because of its geopolitical and economic importance as well as its unsettled transition processes. Central Asian countries, i.e., Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan, faced enormous challenges when the Soviet Union disintegrated. Overall, they have made rudimentary progress in opening up to the international community, creating market institutions, and building more inclusive, democratic political processes. Daunting challenges remain - reflected in the region's relatively low economic and human development indicators. While reforms to stabilize, liberalize and privatize the economy have been conducted in all countries except Turkmenistan, reforms of the institutional environment have been largely neglected. It is evident that the lack of effective institution building as well as rule enforcement in the economic and political realms represents one of the key weaknesses and drawbacks of transition. Hence, crafting adequate market institutions will be of utmost importance in the years ahead. Due to similar political side conditions, high-performing China is taken as a model of orientation for Central Asian countries in this essay; the more so as most governments in the region have recently begun to place a stronger emphasis on improving relations with China. The paper is structured as follows: The next section addresses the need to craft a politico-institutional foundation of economic transition policies from a theoretical perspective. Section 3 elaborates on Chinese economic transition as a reference model for Central Asian countries. Conclusions follow in Section 4. --Transformation,Institutional Building,Central Asia,China

EU-Osterweiterung: Erfordert eine steigende Heterogenität der Mitglieder flexiblere EU-Institutionen?

Die für 2004 geplante Erweiterung der Europäischen Union auf 25 Mitgliedstaaten bringt enorme Herausforderungen für das institutionelle Regelwerk mit sich. Besonders brisant ist die Zuordnung einzelner Politikbereiche auf nationale oder europäische Entscheidungsinstanzen. Der vorliegende Beitrag rückt die Meinung der europäischen Bürger zu dieser Frage in den Mittelpunkt. Auf der Grundlage von Umfragen des Eurobarometer quantifizierten Prof. Dr. Joachim Ahrens, European Business School, International University Schloß Reichartshausen, und Martin Meurers, ifo Institut, die Heterogenität im Meinungsbild in der gegenwärtigen und in einer erweiterten Union und analysieren anhand der ermittelten Präferenzen für oder gegen eine EU-Kompetenz in einzelnen Politikbereichen die Implikationen für die Entscheidungsprozesse im Europäischen Ministerrat.EU-Erweiterung, EU-Staaten, Kompetenz, Präferenztheorie, Flexibilität

Institutional Change and Economic Transition: Market-Enhancing Governance, Chinese-Style

This study introduces a coherent comparative concept of governance, applies it to China, and elaborates to what extent the Chinese institutional matrix exhibits characteristics of a market-enhancing governance structure (MEGS). It is argued that a subtle interplay of political and economic institutions created a stable and viable politico-institutional foundation which made China's unorthodox transition strategy politically feasible and economically effective. The paper concludes with an assessment of the quality of the overall Chinese governance structure and its expected implications for the future transition process.market-enhancing governance, transition, institution building, policy reform, China

Weltwirtschaftliche Folgen des Terrorismus - mittel- und langfristige Perspektiven

Vom 15. bis 17. November 2002 veranstaltete die Akademie für politische Bildung Tutzing unter der Leitung von Prof. Dr. Peter Hampe, Akademie für politische Bildung, Tutzing, und Dr. Martin Held, Evangelische Akademie Tutzing, eine Konferenz zu dem Thema »Weltwirtschaftliche Folgen des Terrorismus - mittel- und langfristige Perspektiven«. Prof. Dr. Michael Hüther, DGZ-Deka Bank, zeigt in seinem Beitrag die Konsequenzen für die Wirtschaftspolitik und den Strukturwandel auf. PD. Dr. Joachim Ahrens, Universität Göttingen, betont die Notwendigkeit einer glaubwürdigen Politikgestaltung und -umsetzung. Dr. Wilhelm Ruprecht und Dr. Michael Wolgast, Gesamtverband der Deutschen Versicherungswirtschaft, stellen die Folgen für die und die Reaktion der Versicherungswirtschaft dar. Und Dr. Willi Leibfritz, OECD, setzt sich mit den Auswirkungen des Terrorismus auf die Volkswirtschaften auseinander.Politische Gewalt, Makroökonomischer Einfluß, Weltwirtschaft, Weltkonjunktur, Versicherung

Thyroid function and immune status in perch (Perca fluviatilis) from lakes contaminated with PFASs or PCBs

The environment contains a multitude of man-made chemicals, some of which can act as endocrine disruptors (EDCs), while others can be immunotoxic. We evaluated thyroid disruption and immunotoxic effects in wild female perch (Perca fluviatilis) collected from two contaminated areas in Sweden; one site contaminated with perand polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) and two sites contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), with one reference site included for each area. The hepatic mRNA expression of thyroid receptors alpha and beta, and the thyroid hormone metabolising iodothyronine deiodinases (dio1, dio2 and dio3) were measured using real-time PCR, while the levels of thyroid hormone T3 in plasma was analysed using a radioimmunoassay. In addition, lymphocytes, granulocytes, and thrombocytes were counted microscopically. Our results showed lower levels of T3 as well as lower amounts of lymphocytes and granulocytes in perch collected from the PFAS-contaminated site compared to reference sites. In addition, expressions of mRNA coding for thyroid hormone metabolising enzymes (dio2 and dio3) and thyroid receptor alpha (thra) were significantly different in these fish compared to their reference site. For perch collected at the two PCB-contaminated sites, there were no significant differences in T3 levels or in expression levels of the thyroid-related genes, compared to the reference fish. Fish from one of the PCB-contaminated sites had higher levels of thrombocytes compared with both the second PCB lake and their reference lake; hence PCBs are unlikely to be the cause of this effect. The current study suggests that lifelong exposure to PFASs could affect both the thyroid hormone status and immune defence of perch in the wild

Complete genome sequence and epigenetic profile of Bacillus velezensis UCMB5140 used for plant and crop protection in comparison with other plant-associated Bacillus strains

The application of biocontrol biopesticides based on plant growth–promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR), particularly members of the genus Bacillus, is considered a promising perspective to make agricultural practices sustainable and ecologically safe. Recent advances in genome sequencing by third-generation sequencing technologies, e.g., Pacific Biosciences’ Single Molecule Real-Time (PacBio SMRT) platform, have allowed researchers to gain deeper insights into the molecular and genetic mechanisms of PGPR activities, and to compare whole genome sequences and global patterns of epigenetic modifications. In the current work, this approach was used to sequence and compare four Bacillus strains that exhibited various PGPR activities including the strain UCMB5140, which is used in the commercial biopesticide Phytosubtil. Whole genome comparison and phylogenomic inference assigned the strain UCMB5140 to the species Bacillus velezensis. Strong biocontrol activities of this strain were confirmed in several bioassays. Several factors that affect the evolution of active PGPR B. velezensis strains were identified: (1) horizontal acquisition of novel non-ribosomal peptide synthetases (NRPS) and adhesion genes; (2) rearrangements of functional modules of NRPS genes leading to strain specific combinations of their encoded products; (3) gain and loss of methyltransferases that can cause global alterations in DNA methylation patterns, which eventually may affect gene expression and regulate transcription. Notably, we identified a horizontally transferred NRPS operon encoding an uncharacterized polypeptide antibiotic in B. velezensis UCMB5140. Other horizontally acquired genes comprised a possible adhesin and a methyltransferase, which may explain the strain-specific methylation pattern of the chromosomal DNA of UCMB5140.The South African National Research Foundation (NRF), the joint NRF/COSTECH (Tanzanian Commission for Science and Technology), joint TIA (Technology Innovation Agency of South Africa)/COSTECHPhD and MSc student fellowship grants from Southern African Biochemistry and Informatics for Natural Products (SABINA, http://www.sabina-africa.org/) and Agroscope through its research program Microbial Biodiversity.http://link.springer.com/journal/2532021-07-10hj2020BiochemistryForestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI)GeneticsMicrobiology and Plant Patholog

Exposure-Response Analyses of Asbestos and Lung Cancer Subtypes in a Pooled Analysis of Case-Control Studies

International audienceBACKGROUND:Evidence is limited regarding risk and the shape of the exposure-response curve at low asbestos exposure levels. We estimated the exposure-response for occupational asbestos exposure and assessed the joint effect of asbestos exposure and smoking by sex and lung cancer subtype in general population studies.METHODS:We pooled 14 case-control studies conducted in 1985-2010 in Europe and Canada, including 17,705 lung cancer cases and 21,813 controls with detailed information on tobacco habits and lifetime occupations. We developed a quantitative job-exposure-matrix to estimate job-, time period-, and region-specific exposure levels. Fiber-years (ff/ml-years) were calculated for each subject by linking the matrix with individual occupational histories. We fit unconditional logistic regression models to estimate odds ratios (ORs), 95% confidence intervals (CIs), and trends.RESULTS:The fully adjusted OR for ever-exposure to asbestos was 1.24 (95% CI, 1.18, 1.31) in men and 1.12 (95% CI, 0.95, 1.31) in women. In men, increasing lung cancer risk was observed with increasing exposure in all smoking categories and for all three major lung cancer subtypes. In women, lung cancer risk for all subtypes was increased in current smokers (ORs ~two-fold). The joint effect of asbestos exposure and smoking did not deviate from multiplicativity among men, and was more than additive among women.CONCLUSIONS:Our results in men showed an excess risk of lung cancer and its subtypes at low cumulative exposure levels, with a steeper exposure-response slope in this exposure range than at higher, previously studied levels. (See video abstract at, http://links.lww.com/EDE/B161.)