Phedon Nicolaides – författare

A major success of the early post-war period was the negotiated reduction of barriers to international trade in commodities and manufactured goods, under the auspices of the GATT. The current challenge is to achieve a similar liberalization for trade in services - the sector which has overtaken manufacturing as the largest provider of jobs and growth in the advanced economies. The difficulties are legion. Data are scarce and definitions are contentious. There is no clear equivalent in services of the zero-tariff objective that can be defined in the trade of goods. Domestic service markets are often imperfect and each country has its own regulatory structure to protect consumers. Many developing countries are sceptical about the effects of freer service trade on their economies.

This paper develops an analytical framework to clarify negotiating objectives. It assesses the European Community''s approach to liberalization and warns of the dangers of seeking ''equivalent reciprocity''. It suggests that a different approach and set of objectives are appropriate to the GATT, which lacks well-defined procedures for policy review and settlement of disputes, and whose members are more diverse. Finally, it evaluates the prospects for multilateral service liberalization in the Uruguay Round and in the EC by 1992, and suggests that such efforts can be complemented by unilateral and bilateral liberalization in certain service sectors.

A major success of the early post-war period was the negotiated reduction of barriers to international trade in commodities and manufactured goods, under the auspices of the GATT. The current challenge is to achieve a similar liberalization for trade in services - the sector which has overtaken manufacturing as the largest provider of jobs and growth in the advanced economies. The difficulties are legion. Data are scarce and definitions are contentious. There is no clear equivalent in services of the zero-tariff objective that can be defined in the trade of goods. Domestic service markets are often imperfect and each country has its own regulatory structure to protect consumers. Many developing countries are sceptical about the effects of freer service trade on their economies.

This paper develops an analytical framework to clarify negotiating objectives. It assesses the European Community''s approach to liberalization and warns of the dangers of seeking ''equivalent reciprocity''. It suggests that a different approach and set of objectives are appropriate to the GATT, which lacks well-defined procedures for policy review and settlement of disputes, and whose members are more diverse. Finally, it evaluates the prospects for multilateral service liberalization in the Uruguay Round and in the EC by 1992, and suggests that such efforts can be complemented by unilateral and bilateral liberalization in certain service sectors.

The European Union (EU) has a compliance problem: there are persistent failures in the implementation of EU rules and policies by the member states. This book examines how policy implementation may be improved. It explains the nature of policy mistakes, proceeds to consider how individual public authorities and organizations can avoid making policy mistakes and then, in the light of its findings, derives how the EU may induce its member states and their public authorities to improve their compliance with EU rules and policies.

Basically, this is a book about how the right incentives at national level can improve institutional performance and contribute towards more effective application of EU rules across member states without having to confer new competences to the EU. Its premise is that strengthening the capacity of organizations to learn should not only lead to better performance, but should also stimulate useful policy experimentation across the EU.

Although this volume focuses on the obligations of EU membership and how to strengthen compliance, the proposed solutions have broader applicability. Improved organizational capacity for policy implementation will also be beneficial in those areas where the EU has no formal competence. Just as member states can learn from each other, so can policy officials in different policy fields. Good practices can spread.

The European Union (EU) has a compliance problem: there are persistent failures in the implementation of EU rules and policies by the member states. This book examines how policy implementation may be improved. It explains the nature of policy mistakes, proceeds to consider how individual public authorities and organizations can avoid making policy mistakes and then, in the light of its findings, derives how the EU may induce its member states and their public authorities to improve their compliance with EU rules and policies.

Basically, this is a book about how the right incentives at national level can improve institutional performance and contribute towards more effective application of EU rules across member states without having to confer new competences to the EU. Its premise is that strengthening the capacity of organizations to learn should not only lead to better performance, but should also stimulate useful policy experimentation across the EU.

Although this volume focuses on the obligations of EU membership and how to strengthen compliance, the proposed solutions have broader applicability. Improved organizational capacity for policy implementation will also be beneficial in those areas where the EU has no formal competence. Just as member states can learn from each other, so can policy officials in different policy fields. Good practices can spread.