Managing civil society: democratisation and the environmental movement in a Russian region

The stalling of civil society development within the Russian Federation and its attendant causes have been a focus of academic study since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. Alongside the emergence of a fragmented and chronically under-funded community of advocacy groups, the literature points to a rejection of democratic structures by the Russian populace and an absence of active civil engagement. Consequently, the international community has sought to bolster the growth and development of the Russian third sector by funding projects and organisations with a view to increasing public participation.Utilising research undertaken in Samara oblast of the Russian Federation, this paper examines the role played by overseas donor agencies within the Samara Environmental Movement (SEM). In examining both the quality and quantity of donor assistance received, it reveals a number of dysfunctions arising from this aid, and in particular, a lack of contextualisation and mis-direction of the assistance offered vis-à-vis citizen participation, alongside other behavioural impacts of donor funding within the SEM itself.     

Political strategies of large companies and their significance for the implementation of the European single electricity market: the examples of France and Germany

Electricity supply in the European member states has been a closed national public sector service without competition for a long time. Currently, the European electricity industry is subject to radical change resulting from the European directive establishing common rules for the internal market in electricity, which came into force in 1997. This paper attempts to explain the varying forms of implementation of the internal electricity market in France and Germany. First, it clarifies the special characteristics of electricity supply and European electricity policy. Secondly, the paper shows the divergent sectoral arrangements of the French and German electricity industries. Thirdly, it points out that the different degrees of linkage between the public players and the electricity companies in France and Germany produce different political strategies which are followed by the companies at the European level, especially those strategies which seek direct influence on the European Commission. Finally, the paper reveals the significance of these strategies in Brussels in terms of the implementation of the single electricity market in both member states. Copyright © 2003 Henry Stewart Publications     

Europeanising Gender Mainstreaming: Constraints and Opportunities in the Multilevel Euro-polity

What are the conditions for empowering `gender mainstreaming' as a new policy frame beyond the supranational level in member states and regions of the European Union? This paper is premised on the following assumptions: that mainstreaming will reduce gender disparities in Europe only if it takes root at all levels of decision-making, but that some national gender regimes can be expected to resist mainstreaming more than others, especially because it does not command `hard' legal tools. The puzzle to be examined is how mainstreaming can become effective across the European multilevel polity. It is argued that vis-à-visthe resistance of domestic gender regimes, the Europeanisation of equal treatment norms in national, regional and local contexts over the past decades has generated a variety of mechanisms for the cross-border diffusion of new policy ideas that can help to promote mainstreaming. Drawing on comparative Europeanisation research, this argument is developed in three steps. First, the past performance of member states in the implementation of E.U. gender directives is explored, to identify patterns and dynamics and classify leaders and laggards. Second, current mainstreaming experiences in one of the most conspicuous laggard states – Germany – are examined closely. Finally, as a means of explaining the rather intense engagement of German federal and regional governments with mainstreaming, two factors are highlighted: elite learning, and new governance instruments developed by the E.U. Notwithstanding the steps taken to promote mainstreaming, the prospects for further institutionalization within the E.U. appear contingent on the outcome of the Convention on the Future of the Union and the Intergovernmental Conference planned for 2004, since the invigorating of the subsidiarity principle and the division of competences across the multilevel polity are key issues of debate. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

中国特色城镇化道路的探索与选择

党的十六大提出要走中国特色的城镇化道路。中国特色的城镇化就是要符合中国国情、符合中国各地的区情和城镇化发展阶段的实情。学习发达国家和地区的城镇化经验,但不能照搬国外发达国家城市化的模式,也不能固守中国某一地区、某一阶段的城镇化模式。我们要因时、因地制宜,实事求是,大胆探索,建设有中国特色的城镇化。     

科学发展观·和谐社会·社会主义民主

科学发展观、和谐社会、社会主义民主之间有紧密关联,三者在当前我国现代化建设总体布局中是三位一体的。社会主义民主包括党内民主、人民民主以及党际民主三大部分,我国当前这三大民主都有进步,又都有欠缺,改革依然任重道远,但是要有紧迫感,要加快发展,这样才能真正贯彻科学发展观,构建和谐社会。     

建构共同体的东亚模式

建设东亚共同体已开始成为东亚13国的共识,东亚思想库网络第二届年会充分表现了这种共识,并对为建构东亚共同体需要努力的5个方面进行了深入的讨论。作为第二轨道组织,东亚思想库网络的议事和决策程序在一定程度上反映了共同体建构的东亚模式:互相尊重、舒适程度、协商一致。这也表现在会议通过的《东亚思想库基本规则和框架》文件之中。     

浅谈新时期人才效应与企业快速发展的关系

企业之间的竞争归根到底是人才的竞争,谁在人才上占有优势,谁就是胜者。     

试论我国区际私法问题

香港、澳门回归祖国后,中国将成为多法域的国家。在中国大陆涉港、涉澳的民事、商事关系中,必然会发生法律冲突,需要解决法律适用问题。为此,就应当制定中国区际私法。从中国实际出发,研究制定中国区际私法的迫切性、中国区际私法立法应遵循的原则、中国区际私法应包含的基本内容等问题,具有十分重要的现实意义。     

论一般法律原则在共同体司法实践中的运用

国际法适用于欧洲共同体 ,共同体法律体系中的一般法律原则基本上包括国际法的一般原则。在共同体中 ,一般法律原则的适用已是成员国的共识。共同体法意义上的一般法律原则既内在于共同体法的秩序里 ,也存在于成员国各法律体系之中。本文试图通过若干案例 ,说明一般法律原则在共同体司法实践中的运用。     

外国人居留证管理的现状及可行性改革思路

现行的外国人居留证件管理体系已难以适应形势的发展和需要,改革势在必行。取消现行大一统居留证模式,改版沿用了近50年的外国人居留证和使用了近20年的临时居留证,以磁卡式与贴纸式替代。是今后居留证体系可行性的改革思路。