Telecommunications in the European internal market

The completion of the European internal market by 1992 is one of the EC Commission’s key objectives. European integration is to be given fresh impetus by removing remaining frontier controls and trade barriers, liberalising public procurement and limiting the number of sectors protected from competition, such as finance, transport and communications. The following article analyses the possible effects of the proposals concerning telecommunications equipment and services outlined in a Green Paper from the Commission.     

Employment effects of the European internal market

The completion of the European internal market is generally expected to have beneficial welfare and growth effects. To what extent will they lead to a change in employment? How will the employment effects be distributed among countries, industries and social groups?     

Toward a greater understanding of the market orientation and internal market orientation relationship

The study explores the relationship between market orientation (MO) and internal market orientation (IMO) using the process model of MO development. Data from 370 nonprofit organizations were analyzed using structural equation modeling with maximum likelihood estimation technique. The comprehensive CFA marker method was used to partial out the influence of social desirability bias on the substantive relationships. The study finds that MO works through IMO to elicit desirable employee outcomes, which also contributes to performance outcomes. IMO does not offer direct performance benefits, but it partially mediates the effect of MO on employee-related outcomes. Competing models offering alternative explanations are ruled out empirically by the superior fit of the theoretical model with the data. The study integrates IMO in Kohli and Jaworski’s model of antecedent and consequences of MO and encourages practitioners to embed IMO in their MO development plans.     

Completion of the internal market and consumer protection: A UK perspective

The question has been raised of whether UK consumers have benefitted or suffered a decline in standards as a result of the UK's membership of the EC. Additionally some have queried whether the UK itself has fulfilled its obligations of implementing European Community law in this field. This article addresses these questions, concentrating on areas the authors deem to be of specific relevance to UK consumers, namely, product liability, package holidays, misleading advertising and enforcement. The treatment of these areas is preceded by a discussion of the basic philosophies underlying UK and European Community consumer protection policies.

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Zusammenfassung Die Vollendung des gemeinsamen Marktes und der Verbraucherschutz aus englischer Perspektive Es ist eine Diskussion darüber entstanden, ob britische Konsumenten als Folge der Mitgliedschaft Gro\britanniens in der Europäischen Gemeinschaft eher einen Vorteil erzielt oder eher einen Nachteil erlitten haben. Zusätzlich wurde gelegentlich in Zweifel gezogen, ob Gro\britannien selbst bei der Einführung europäischen Gemeinschaftsrechts in diesem Bereich überhaupt seine Verpflichtungen erfüllt hat. Bei der Behandlung dieser Fragen konzentiert sich der vorliegende Beitrag vor allem auf Gebiete, die nach Meinung der Autoren für englische Konsumenten von Bedeutung sein dürften, nämlich Produkthaftung, Pauschalreisen, irreführende Werbung und Rechtsdurchsetzung. Die Behandlung dieser Bereiche wird eingeleitet durch eine Diskussion der gedanklichen Grundlagen, die einerseits der britischen und andererseits der europäischen Gemeinschaftspolitik im Bereich des Verbraucherschutzes unterliegen.

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Joan Hunter was formerly a Lecturer in the Faculty of Law at the University of Dundee; she is now a trainee solicitor.     

Agricultural Liberalisation and the Least Developed Countries: Six Fallacies

Today, agriculture remains the most distorted sector of the world economy. Therefore, agricultural liberalisation in the Doha negotiations is rightly the top priority. But the public‐policy discourse on the subject remains fogged by a number of fallacies. These fallacies probably originated with the leadership of the World Bank but have now been embraced by the IMF, OECD, Oxfam and the leading academic critics of globalisation. The paper identifies six fallacies and offers evidence and analysis to debunk them: (1) Agricultural border protection and subsidies are largely a developed‐country phenomenon. (2) Developed‐country agricultural subsidies and protection hurt the poorest developing countries most. (3) Developed‐country subsidies and protection hurt the poor, rural households in the poorest countries. (4) Developed‐country agricultural protection and subsidies constitute the principal barrier to the development of the poorest developing countries. (5) Agricultural protection reflects double standard and hypocrisy on the part of the developed countries. (6) What the donor countries give with one hand (aid), they take away with the other (farm subsidies).     

The influence of firm-specific and country-specific advantages in the internationalization of emerging market firms: Evidence from Turkey

This paper examines the role of institutional factors that enable firm- and country-specific drivers of emerging market (EM) firms’ internationalization based on case-based research conducted in one EM, Turkey. Findings indicate that 10 major factors comprised of firm-specific and country-specific advantages drove the focal case study firms abroad: the firm-specific factors ranged from financial and operations supremacy; excellence in value chain activities; inexpensive human resources; rapid learning capabilities in production and technology development; and adaptability to foreign markets; while the country-specific factors included home-government policies supporting internationalization; logistical advantages arising from geographical position; adaptability capabilities resulting from former survival through institutional voids; strong social ties formed through networks; and availability of low cost resources. These findings are discussed and future research questions are offered.     

Completion of the internal market and consumer protection in Greece

The paper provides information about the development of Greek consumer law under the influence of the internal market programme of the EC. This influence has been very positive in general. Most consumer directives of the EC have been implemented, albeit with some limitations. Furthermore, the Greek legislator has anticipated not yet adopted EC directives, e.g., on unfair terms in consumer contracts and on product safety. The author argues for the establishment of a European Consumer Code, especially in order to overcome the restrictions of the subsidiarity principle.

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Die Vollendung des Gemeinsamen Markts und der Verbraucherschutz in Griechenland

Zusammenfassung Der Beitrag informiert über den Stand des griechischen Verbraucherschutzrechts aufgrund des BinnenmarktprogrammËs der EG. Letzteres hat sich überaus positiv ausgewirkt. Das griechische Recht hat die EG-Richtlinien zum Verbraucherschutz zum grö\ten Teil übernommen, wenn auch in einigen Gebieten, etwa der Produkthaftung, mit Abstrichen. In anderen Bereichen, etwa mi\bräuchliche Klauseln in Verbraucherverträgen und allgemeine Produktsicherheit, hat man EG-Regelungen antizipiert. Die Verfasserin fordert die Verabschiedung eines europäischen Verbraucherkodex, schon um negativen Wirkungen des Subsidiaritätsprinzips entgegenzuwirken.

     

Market Access Liberalisation in the Doha Round: Scenarios and Assessment

The modalities of negotiation on market access for agricultural and non‐agricultural products are an important item of the Doha Development Agenda. The dispersion of tariffs remains very large, translating into sizeable economic distortions. In particular, tariff peaks are numerous and highly protective. This is why the choice of a formula of reduction in tariffs is a sensitive issue. Using the MAcMaps database, we apply various formulas excluding or including peaks at the most detailed level of information on tariffs, considering preferential schemes conceded so far. The resulting changes in tariffs are introduced in a CGE exercise using Mirage . We find that trade and welfare gains are halved when excluding peaks from the negotiations.     

传统家电连锁企业进军网络市场的优势与困境分析

2010年,国美、苏宁等作为传统家电经营企业的代表先后大举进军家电网络销售市场,为正在快速增长中的网络市场带来了更多的竞争。传统家电连锁企业进军网络购物市场,拥有采购、物流、售后、品牌、推广、市场分析和资金等方面的明显优势,但同时在对网络销售模式的适应、线上商品定价策略、线上销售对线下的冲击和竞争对手的激烈反击方面,也具有一些亟待解决的难题。文章认为传统家电连锁企业应做好以下几点:首先是尽快适应网络销售模式,迅速解决网络销售的技术、人才、团队、推广、付款等一系列问题;其次是慎重对待网上商城商品的定价问题,既要考虑与竞争对手保持竞争力,又不能与线下销售价格相差太远;再次需要妥善解决好线上线下销售之间的冲突问题,既要保证企业在市场竞争中立于有利地位,又要平衡企业内部的利益分配;最后,对于下一阶段的网络销售市场的激烈竞争要做好充分的心理准备,要认真分析自身不足,严密观察市场发展态势为企业的长远发展开辟一个新战场。展望前景,整个家电网购市场将在商家的激烈竞争中逐渐走向成熟和规范,并为消费者提供令人满意的线上销售服务。     

Adjustment Costs and the Sequencing of Trade Liberalisation

A common feature of trade agreements between countries is that the integration of markets proceeds in stages. This paper examines conceptually the role played by adjustment costs in determining the best way to structure an agreement between two countries when there are multiple sectors to be liberalised. Adjustment costs to liberalisation of industries might influence the timing of liberalisation, with the analysis bearing similarity to why tariff reductions tend to be phased in over time. When two industries have no ‘spillover effects’, trade agreements with sequential liberalisation will be less costly to sustain. However, if the liberalisation of one industry influences permanently the flow of benefits from liberalising the other industry, simultaneous liberalisation may be easier to sustain.     

The Liberalisation of Telecommunications in the EU: Managing the Transition

This second article in our two-part feature on the inaugural report of a programme to monitor the progress of European deregulation summarises the report's policy recommendations. The programme is designed to be a "report card" on the process of liberalisation, starting here with telecommunications where new technology is leading to dramatic changes in the basic economics of the industry.     

浅谈煤炭企业内部市场机制

煤炭企业内部市场机制,是将市场机制引入到企业内部,结合企业自身生产特点,综合形成的一种现代企业经营管理模式,它是煤炭企业强化内部成本控制,提高经济效益,提升内在管理水平,调动员工积极性,增强市场竞争力的一种先进的、科学的现代企业管理方法.     

EC internal market: An opportunity for CMEA countries?

The removal of the internal frontiers within the EC will tend to have a negative effect on trade relations between EC and CMEA countries. The implications of 1992 for trade patterns between the EC and the CMEA are examined in the following article and the role which future EC trade policy could play here is outlined.     

The internal market and consumer protection in Norway

The article gives an overview of amendments and considerations concerning amendments, with regard to the implementation of EC law in Norwegian consumer law. A distinction is made between the EC harmonized and the non-harmonized areas. With regard to the harmonized areas, it is pointed out that the Norwegian legislation in general has wider fields of application and is of a less detailed nature than the current EC directives. Hence, the Marketing Act from 1972 covers several directives and draft directives. In general Norwegian consumer law to a large extent is in harmony with EC consumer law, that is as long as the latter is of a minimum nature. Concerning the non-harmonized areas, Norwegian consumer law is considered acceptable to the EC, provided it does not discriminate between national and foreign businesses, and there is proportionality between the instruments and the aims.

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Gemeinsamer Markt und norwegischer Verbraucherschutz

Zusammenfassung Der Beitrag gibt einen überblick über die tatsächlichen und vorgesehenen Ergänzungen, die durch das neue EG-Recht am norwegischen Verbraucherrecht notwendig sind. Dabei wird ein Unterschied gemacht zwischen harmonisierten und nichtharmonisierten Bereichen. Was harmonisierte Bereiche anlangt, so wird ausgeführt, da\ die norwegische Gesetzgebung im allgemeinen einen weiteren Anwendungsbereich hat und gleichzeitig weniger detailliert ist als die neuen EG-Richtlinien. So deckt das Handelsgesetz von 1972 mehrere Richtlinien und Richtlinien-Entwürfe ab. Insgesamt ist das norwegische Recht weitgehend im Einklang mit dem EG-Verbraucherrecht. In nichtharmonisierten Bereichen ist das norwegische Recht insoweit mit EG-Recht vereinbar, als es nicht zwischen einheimischen und ausländischen Marktteilnehmern unterscheidet und die Verhältnismä\igkeit der Mittel gewahrt ist.