Integration And Transition In Europe

With the harmonization of the EU economies, and issues of EU enlargement and integration with Europe's transition economies topping the political agenda, the economic geography of Europe is being recast. This important volume analyses the spatial implications of the integration-transition process, and examines key issues such as north-south and east-west divides, regional cooperation and cross-border dynamics.

Using a biographical approach, this book:·[vbTab]integrates the perspectives of social policy, sociology, youth and transition research, and education and labour market research;·[vbTab]compares policy and practice in a variety of European national contexts;·[vbTab]explores the dilemmas of policies for the inclusion of young people;·[vbTab]suggests that a holistic Integrated Transition Policy, which puts young people's subjective experience at its centre, can provide an alternative to current policies and practice; This book is aimed at academics and students in social policy, sociology, education, economics and political science who are interested in policy analysis with regard to young people. The overview of recent trends also makes it relevant for practitioners and policy makers in the field.

This text provides a comparative analysis of school-to-work transitions in EU member states. It shows how differences in both European education and training systems, as well as labour market institutions, generated significant variation in the experiences of young people in the 1990s.

This thought-provoking book investigates the political and economic transformation that has taken place over the past three decades in Central, Eastern and Southeastern Europe (CESEE) since the fall of the Iron Curtain. Through an examination of both the successes and shortcomings of post communist reform and the challenges ahead for the region, it explores the topical issues of economic transition and integration, and highlights lessons to be learned.

Today, the European Union faces challenges that threaten not only internal cohesion but also its position in the global system. This book is about the future of the EU in the light of global power transition taking place in the twenty-first century and demonstrates how its future rests on a delicate balance between policy challenge, member states’ interests, and convergence or divergence of societal values across its peoples. The book examines factors behind the decline of the EU relative to the rise of China and other powers in the global hierarchy and what policy options are available for EU leaders to implement in order to compete as a global actor. It analyses determinants of regional integration and key policy challenges the EU faces in its quest for an "ever deeper union," and identifies significant factors (i.e., power relations, economic relations, emergent social values across the EU) that can explain the likelihood of further integration or conflict between EU member states. This text will be essential reading for scholars, students, and practitioners interested in European Union politics international relations, security studies, and comparative politics.

This book contributes fresh theoretical and empirical evidence on patterns of regional production structures, specialization, regional disparities, convergence and divergence processes and evaluation of cohesion policies in both current and future European Union (EU) member states in the context of increased integration. These subjects are addressed in both individual and cross-country analyses using innovative methodologies. The book is an essential reading for a large audience including researchers and policy makers working in the fields of economic integration, transition economics and regional development. The thirteen contributions brought together in this book are the result of recent research undertaken in the framework of a larger project initiated and coordinated by the Center for European Integration Studies (ZEI) of the University of Bonn on determinants of regional specialization, growth and convergence in the context of European integration. A number of these papers were presented to a conference on “European integration, regional convergence, location of industrial activity and labour market adjustment” initiated by the Center for European Integration Studies of the University of Bonn and organized jointly with the Center for European Studies of the University “Alexandru Ioan Cuza” of Iasi, Romania. We gratefully acknowledge the financial support from the European Commission Framework Programme and the Center for European Integration Studies of the University of Bonn.

​This edited volume discusses critically the social implications of current structural transformations in Europe within the broader context of the global financial crisis. Experts from across Europe and the US discuss challenges and solutions to political and economic stability, security, growth, governance and integration on a country and regional level, especially focusing on vulnerable Southern and Eastern European states. New economic, political and security processes and realities are examined closely, with the aim to describe them in a coherent framework. Drawing on carefully selected interdisciplinary research, this collection offers fresh insights into the social repercussions of the transition from traditionally established practices and perceptions to new forms of collaboration, integration and governance.

Living and working in a host country is challenging both for the host country as well as for the incoming migrants. Therefore, integration activities are essential for easing the transition. This book examines various practices of integrating migrants in European countries from national, organizational and individual perspectives.