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This paper seeks to provide a historically informed analysis of Europe, understood as an ‘essentially contested concept’, whereby Turkey is interpreted as a critical point of reference that evokes different discursive constructions of Europe, either including or excluding Turkey. At first, the theoretical-methodological section of this paper will introduce a discourse analytical research programme which utilizes the radically constructivist notion of communication as formulated by Niklas Luhmann in order to analyze the processes of inclusion and exclusion built into various constructions of Europe. Then, the empirical section of this paper analyzes more than 40 years of British and German news coverage (1960–2004). One of the main empirical findings is that Turkey is neither seen as a stable European ‘Other’ nor as a European ‘Self’. Instead, Turkey is predominantly interpreted as ‘the thing on the (European) doorstep’, thereby stimulating various differing constructions of Europe.Journal of International Relations and Development (2009) 12, 223–250. doi:10.1057/jird.2009.13 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the applicable environmental laws regarding the integrated pollution prevention and control in Great Britain and in Europe. A discussion concerning the origin and scope of these laws is presented. It also overviews the European Union's Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control Directive, a requirement for industrial and agricultural activities with a high pollution potential to have a permit which can only be issued if certain environmental conditions are met, and summarizes efforts to apply this Directive within Great Britain. Moreover, two environmental issues that are significant to the integrated efforts which includes the energy policy and climate change is discussed. Both countries unified laws are expected to reduce pollution to air, water, and land.

The involvement of urban and regional governments in transnational cooperative arrangements and policy networks has led to considerable debate regarding the political and theoretical implications. This paper examines networking and cooperation between urban areas and regions in the UK and France with a shared sea border. Such cross-border cooperation involving local authorities in Europe is a growing phenomenon and has certain implications for the analysis of local and urban politics. Three study areas are examined in detail: the Transmanche region involving Kent County Council and the French region Nord-Pas-de-Calais; the Transmanche Metropole which includes Southampton, Portsmouth, Bournemouth and Poole in Britain and Caen, Rouen and Le Havre in France; the cooperative initiative between the English county of East Sussex and the French de partements of Somme and Seine-Maritime. In all three case studies, the development of cooperation has been influenced by the availability of funds from the European Union Interreg programme which supports transfrontier networking. A number of political consequences of cross-border cooperation are identified. The implications of these policy initiatives for theories of urban politics are considered, including a discussion of the political and economic construction of competition and cooperation between cities and regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Focuses on the issues of foreign relations between Great Britain and Europe. Role of the British government on the European related issues; Replacement of pro-Europe Robin Cook with Jack Straw as Foreign Secretary; Issues of the European membership during the Conservative leadership election.

Examines attitudes of successive British governments to European integration. Tendency of governments to react negatively to supranational integration; Emphasis on distinctions in Great Britain's constitutional mechanisms of powersharing; Theories of institutionalism.

Discusses the key features and events of the British Conservative Party members' struggle over the Maastricht Bill, and considers some of the implications for British politics, in particular for the Conservatives. Use of opt-outs from Social Chapter and from aspects of Economic and Monetary Union (EMU); Damage to image of Prime Minister John Major's government.

In this article the lack of cumulation in foreign policy studies is discussed by way of analyzing fourteen books on British policy on Western European integration. A surprising non-use of prior studies within the same subject area is found, and the possible reasons for this is discussed. Particularly the lack of explicit hypotheses and conclusions and the tendency to compile instead of select variables is noted. It appears that there is a gap between theoretical and empirical studies in international relations which cannot easily be closed. However, the article concludes with a plea for more comparative studies on foreign policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Focuses on Great Britain's relations with the rest of Europe. Promise of British Prime Minister Tony Blair to improve Britain's relations with Europe; Dual identity of Britain; Question on how Britain should react to greater European integration; Lessons that British politicians should think about with regards to Britain's involvement with the European Union.

The objective of this article is to review and assess distribution strategies in the machine tool (MT) industry in Europe, drawing on a postal survey of UK MT importers undertaken in 1991. Interest in the topic derives, first, from a comparative dearth of information on the role of agents, distributors and sales subsidiaries in the export marketing channel; second, from the increased interest in European distribution in the light of the Single European Market and pan-Europeanism; and third, from the machine tool perspective, with the changing basis of competitive advantage from hardware to marketing and software capabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents an analysis of British politics in relation to Europe. It focuses on the British policy regarding the post-war construction in Europe, noting how domestic politics may affect Great Britain's international relations. Consequences of the country' political difficulty are enumerated, suggesting to investigate such consequences and to further consider how the question of Europe may be integrated into the British politics. The process of domestic politics is defined as well as offers a description of the business of politics and the structure of politics. Also provided are various impairments of the British political system including inadequacy, corruption, and disloyalty.

The article assesses the impact of three distinct types of pressure for regulatory change on the two contrasting sectors of legal and medical service provision. These have been driven by both regional and global integration processes. The article focuses on the distinctive forms of regulatory competition which have developed at the European level, within the framework of a highly managed system of mutual recognition, and on the very different strategies for managing regulatory reform at the national level which have developed in two of the larger member states of the European Union (EU): France and Britain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]