Speaking European: Conditionality, Public Attitudes and Pro-European Party Rhetoric in the Western Balkans
FOLLOWING THE 2004 AND 2007 EASTWARD EXPANSIONS of the European Union (EU), scholars are focusing increased attention on the question of EU integration and conditionality in the Western Balkans (Vachudova 2005). A growing number of studies not only contribute to the existing body of more generalised work on conditionality, but also close critical gaps in knowledge about the EU integration process in the region. Another fruitful development in this expanding literature is its increasing tendency to treat conditionality as a cross-level issue which takes into account both international and domestic factors. While these studies break new ground by focusing more closely on how domestic and international political factors shape national leaders’ and governments’ interests, an important area which remains largely unexplored is the interlinked issues of party change and intra-party politics. Popular and academic accounts of Croatian and Serbian reactions to conditionality in the aftermath of their respective 2000 ‘revolutions’ tend to ‘black box’ parties, treating them as unitary rational actors which respond to external stimuli in a manner which maximises the parties’ chances of attaining or maintaining office (Pond 2006; Fisher 2006; Peskin 2008). Although this theoretical tool is often justified in describing the everyday working of a party under ‘normal’ conditions, it fails to address the issue of party change—specifically with regard to the transformation of EU-sceptic and anti-EU parties. Considering that
The HDZ's Embattled Mandate: Divergent Leadership, Divided Electorate, 2003
The electorate has shifted toward the right while the Croatian Democratic Union has become an advocate of moderation.
Protection of the Marine Environment: The International and National Regulation of Deep Seabed Mining Activities
This chapter provides an overview of the international and national regulatory framework pertaining to deep seabed mining activities. It begins by discussing the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, the backdrop for all marine activities – be they national or international – and examines the obligations of states to protect the marine environment from the harmful effects arising from deep seabed mining. Next, the chapter examines the international regime for deep seabed mining (i.e. “activities in the Area”), explaining the “common heritage of mankind” status of the Area (i.e. the international seabed); the functions of the International Seabed Authority (ISA), the international organization established to govern deep seabed mining in the Area; and the concept of state sponsorship of non-state entities (i.e. private actors) for deep seabed mining in the Area. The chapter follows with a discussion of the development of national legislation to regulate deep seabed mining, examining efforts in the Pacific region where many prospective deep-sea mining sites are located. This includes a look at the legislative regimes of several Pacific Island nations, namely, Papua New Guinea, Tonga and the Cook Islands, for whom deep seabed mining may soon become a reality – as well as New Zealand and Japan, countries with comparatively developed rule of law and legislative regimes that have undertaken or considered deep seabed mining in their national waters. Overall, the chapter critically describes and evaluates the current regulatory status in the international and national seabed areas and highlights some salient gaps that require urgent attention in order to ensure marine environmental protection and mitigate impacts on humans.