Suchergebnisse

This article examines how the EU's 'conflicted power' in trade has played out within its preferential trade agreement (PTA) strategies with third parties. It does this by providing an overview of how approaches to the EU's external trade policies have evolved over time, especially since the end of the Cold War. Tracing changes in discourse in the EU's consolidated trade policy demonstrates how the policy objectives have evolved from what could be characterised as a soft and even normative power to a much more realist one, attempting to safeguard its position in the international economic order. Notwithstanding these changes, explained by a combination of international context and ideational preferences, an underlying overall continuity has remained in terms of the main economic interests to be realised through trade policy, which presents a portrait of the EU as a rational and realist (if sometimes conflicted) actor in the global economy.

The article examines social conditions and mechanisms of the emergence in 1982 of a «Dutch» strawberry auction in Fontaines-en-Sologne, France. Empirical study of this case shows that perfect market does not arise per se due to an «invisible hand». It is a social construction, which could only be put into effect by a hard struggle between stakeholders and large investments of different forms of capital. Ordinary practices of the market dont differ from the predictions of economic theory, which is explained by the fact that economic theory served as a frame of reference for the designers of the auction. Technological and spatial organization as well as principal rules of trade was elaborated in line with economic views of perfect market resulting in the correspondence between theory and reality.

The European Union (EU) has concluded bilateral trade agreements with Korea, Latin America, Central America and CARIFORUM states. Using the example of procurement liberalization commitments undertaken by the EU and partner countries, this article analyses how conformity between bilateral agreements and the WTO plurilateral Government Procurement Agreement is likely to promote competition and transparency, and be a stepping stone to future multilateral liberalization. It argues that liberalization through bilateral agreements will first, promote and reinforce EU's prominence in shaping future multilateral liberalization; second, fulfil EU's aspiration of playing a leading role in defining the map of 'global governance' for future multilateral liberalization.

This article describes a model for training teachers of visually impaired children in rural areas at George Peabody College for Teachers and the innovative strategies used in the training program. The shortage of teachers of the visually impaired necessitates the development of training programs that are flexible and accessible to individuals who are employed in rural areas that need properly trained professionals.

In this paper we present a new study about the Amiadoso plaque (Allariz, Ourense) has been developed, in which this Roman object has been analysed from an interdisciplinary point of view based in the combination of stylistic and archaeometric studies of its material. Consequently, we have linked up the analysis of the different artistic phases of this piece from a formal study with the identification of the marble used, which confirms a local provenance (O Incio area). These new data provide essential information, given the exceptional nature of this object, to recognize aspects related to technical quality of local workshops and consequently about social, economic and political implications of this type of productions in the Northwest of the Iberian Peninsula. ; En este artículo se presenta un nuevo estudio sobre la placa de Amiadoso (Allariz, Ourense), que consiste en un análisis interdisciplinar en el que se combina la perspectiva estilística con el estudio arqueométrico del soporte material. De esta manera, a la contextualización cronológica de las diferentes fases de la pieza a partir de su estudio formal, hemos unido la identificación del mármol utilizado, cuyo resultado confirma un origen local (área de O Incio). Este nuevo dato aporta información esencial, dada la excepcionalidad de la pieza, para conocer aspectos vinculados a la calidad técnica de los talleres locales, y consecuentemente sobre las implicaciones económicas, sociales y políticas de este tipo de producciones dentro del noroeste de la Península Ibérica. In this paper we present a new study about the Amiadoso plaque (Allariz, Ourense) has been developed, in which this Roman object has been analysed from an interdisciplinary point of view based in the combination of stylistic and archaeometric studies of its material. Consequently, we have linked up the analysis of the different artistic phases of this piece from a formal study with the identification of the marble used, which confirms a local provenance (O Incio area). These new data provide essential information, given the exceptional nature of this object, to recognize aspects related to technical quality of local workshops and consequently about social, economic and political implications of this type of productions in the Northwest of the Iberian Peninsula.