Introduction - Karolina Marchlewska, Czesław Maj
This ‘European Studies and Analyses’, dedicated to the European Commission Communication Priorities for 2008, is already a second volume of common publication cycle of the European Information Relay Europe Direct and the University of Economy in Bydgoszcz. The main aim of this cycle, which is also the reason why it has been initiated, is a continuous need for representing various aspects of functioning of the European Union. In particular, attention is given to such issues as: procedures and mechanisms of the Community, its legal and decision-making systems, socio-economic dimension of the European integration and practical aspects of Polish presence in EU structures. A significant aspect of this European publication directed to a wide audience, (particularly to academic environments and centres involved in popularisation of knowledge about EU), is an attempt to asses the quality of changes taking place in the European Union, as well as to provoke reflection on the future of the Community.
Considering political priorities and results of public opinion surveys, the European Commission determined a few priority areas of communication activity for 2008. The most important issues on the list of Communication Priorities were: the Budget Review and the Social Reality Stocktaking. The other areas of activity considered also: the Single Market Review, the ideas related to the Justice, Freedom and Security – Migrations, the Institutional Settlements, as well as such issues as: common stand of the Member Statesconcerning Energy andClimate Change and the Neighbourhood Policy.
The articles collected in this very volume of ‘European Studies and Analyses’ are related to the aforementioned priority areas and may be considered our position in the discussion on the present state of EU and the directions of its development.
The article ‘European Union Budget – Price for the Integrated Europe’ sees into the issue of transformations particularly connected with budgetary matters that have been taking place in the European Union for decades. A character of these transformations, including their legal dimension, structure and aims, has had a direct effect on life and propitiousness of EU. Taking into consideration the EU finances, the author emphasizes how important it is now to focus on a future shape of the budget and on criteria that should be fulfilled to maintain European values and goals whilst making budgetary decisions. Apart from that, the article refers to the problems of improving budget clarity and of income shaping and management. Therefore, this text may be considered a response to the invitation to the debate on EU budget matters, issued by the European Commission. Thus, it may be considered our contribution to the process of EU transformation and creation of its better future.
Another important field of activity of the European Union in 2008 is proper estimation of social realities. Radical changes that take place in societies of individual countries in Europe have aconsiderable effect on work character, structure of family and family life, demographic tendencies, status of a woman, social mobility or scope of poverty and inequalities. The article: ‘Labour Market as an Area for the European Social System’ is an attempt to refer to these issues.The author discusses a new EU proposal of the European Social Model. This project, based on a common, European Labour Market means: new, EU dimension of Labour Law, construction of social partnership, preparation of new frames for an open method of coordination, European Employment Strategy and benchmarking. The first effects of the project may be already observed, e.g. in a Danish model of flexicurity. Another comment in this area is the article ‘Mobility of Young People as a Factor of Deep European Integration’. The paper emphasizes the need for developing the feeling of local and European identity among the EU citizens.
An overview of the Single European Market is this area of EC priorities for 2008 the principal aim of which is to evaluate changes that the internal market has been subject to for the last years, as well as to point outthe successes it has achieved and potential obstacles to its further development. This, in turn, shall induce areview of activities needed to shape the Single Market, in line with economic expectations. A related article - ‘Development Chances of Small and Medium Enterprises of Kuyavia and Pomerania on the Single European Market’attempts to present a clear and coherent concept of the Single European Market based on the enterprises, being – in the context of challenges related to globalization, – the foundations of local economy.
‘Justice, freedom and security – migration’ – constitutes this part of EU communication policy that determines the right realisation of Community aims and functions. By the article ‘Migrations or Mobility of Scientists in Europe – case of Poland’(where the freedom of movement of workers, Bologna Process and Lisbon Strategy are considered the fundamentals of the European policy directly affecting people of science), we have decided to take part in a large-scale discussion on this matter. Herein we indicate that, although scientific career and mobility of scientists have been favourably estimated in EU policy, yet the analyses prove a weak scope of mobility in whole Europe. Moreover, situation of Polish scientists compels to think not of mobility but rather of science abandoning, that is – of the scope of migration. Another article: ‘Legal Dimension of Deportation and Illegal Re-Immigration’presents the actual problems related to illegal migration, particularly to EU regulations in construction concerning illegal immigrants and their return to the country of origin. The works on this difficult and complicated matter has only just begun in the Community Law. The article intends to prove that the said regulations cannot be created ad hoc, and that they should be solidly based on international legal regulations and regulations concerning human rights. Undeniably, asignificant part of this volume of ‘European Studies and Analyses’ is an article:‘Treaty of Lisbon – Europe up to the 21st century standards?’ Its validity cannot be contradicted, because each single opinion in the debate is equally precious, especially when the access to clear information within this matter is so scarce. In relation to this, our aim was to emphasize, that the main goal of the Treaty of Lisbon is the introduction of systemic changes and adaptation of EU to the new situation and future challenges.
The issues related to energy and climate changes have constituted another area of EC priorities for 2008. In relation to this subject, the article ‘Limitation of Aviation Influence on Climate Changes in EU – Course of the Process’underlines the range of transformations within the world air transport which did not remain without any influence on progression of climate changes. Although this influence is not very significant in a global scale, yet, without implementation of proper solutions the aviation may become the world main producer of greenhouse gases. Therefore, the article draws our attention particularly to obligations resulting form the Kyoto Protocols andtheir fulfilment process, as well as to the validity of including the analysed area of transport industry in the EU Emission Trading Scheme.
The European Neighbourhood Policy – another EC Communication Priority for 2008 is in this volume analysed in the context of the importance of proper communication within the European Union and Global World. The paper ‘Effective Communication in Enlarged EU – Some Remarks on Translation of Official Documents in the Polish-English-Russian Triad of Languages’ concentrates on a case of a professional translator of Polish nationality who works with two foreign languages: English and Russian. The author focuses on some general communication problems that the professional translator faces when translating from one foreign language into another non-native tongue. In relation to this, some basic translation solutions have been presented.
At the end of this introduction, editors of the volume would like to emphasize above all the topicality of the analysed issues, and also their universal character. The important matters which are presented herein have been raised in 2008 not only by the European Commission and therefore are significant for the future and development of the European Union. With no doubt this publication does not exhaust the multiplicity of subjects; actually this was not our intention. Nevertheless, we hope to have succeeded in presentation of these EC priority areas that (in our and European understanding) will affect the future shape and state of EU. Thus, there are problems related to the labour market and the need for the European Social System of a truly21stcentury standard. Moreover, the volume concentrates on the issue of mobility- the problem resulting from the development of the Community itself and of the increasing number of its citizens. The area related to professional mobility and rights of immigrants will particularly require some decisive steps. Moreover, it will demand authorisation and establishment in the form of treaties that determine norms of conduct and prove the rightness of the undertaken integration processes. Othervalid issues presented herein are related to the EU decisions concerning the Single European Market and budgetary solutions, i.e. related to the financial future of EU. Apart from the above mentioned, there are transport and climate problems analysed here, as they are the areas directly affecting the quality of functioning of the Community. The same may be said about the Neighbourhood Policy and international relations.
Summarizing the above, we can state that this publication has been a result of our observations and analyses. Moreover, this is our voice in an important discussion on the matters related to the Communication Priorities of the European Commission for 2008, which have the impact on the future state and prosperity of the whole Community.
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