DOCUMENTS AND PUBLICATIONS

FECL 50 (March/April 1997)

Schengen - Politisamarbeid, overvåkning og rettssikkerhet i Europa (Schengen - Police Co-operation, surveillance and legal security in Europe), by Prof. Thomas Mathiesen, publ. by Spartacus Forlag AS, Oslo 1997, 120 p., in Norwegian (ISBN 82-430-0096-8).

This book provides an excellent overview of less publicised aspects of Schengen co-operation and a critical analysis of European developments in the field of police and internal security. The author also addresses the lack of democratic scrutiny and judicial accountability inherent in Schengen co-operation and the serious consequences this might entail for the fundamental rights and liberties of European citizens.

For the time being, this outstanding book is available in Norwegian only. Hopefully, we will not have to wait too long for an English translation.

Order from: Spartacus Forlag AS, Postboks 2587 Solli, N-0203 Oslo; E-mail: post@spartacus.no

A migration policy for the future - possibilities and limitations, by J. Doomernik, R. Penninx and H. van Amersfoort, publ. by Migration Policy Group, Brussels, April 1997, 92 p., in English.

This study gives an overview first of the changing context in which international migration is currently taking place. There follows an analysis of the precise development of migration and of migration policy in the Netherlands in the last two decades. The third stage is made up of a presentation of the current academic understanding of the processes of international migration. These three stages provide (at least in theory) a survey of what is possible and what is not possible in migration policy. At this point the authors depart from the strictly academic pathway and consider which of the suggested methods of influencing international migration are feasible and achievable, and which of them are capable of winning political support.

Order from: Migration Policy Group, 174 Rue Joseph II, B-1000 Brussels; Fax: +32/2 2800925; e-mail: 101324.622@compuserve.com

Human rights and the IGC: Judging the European Union - Judicial accountability and human rights, published by JUSTICE, London 1996, ISBN 0 907247 26 1, 26 p., in English. Price: £5.00.

This report deals with the adequacy of judicial mechanisms for the protection of human rights within the EU. It considers two main questions:

  • the extent to which the European Court of Justice is able to act as an effective guardian of human rights without specific provisions in the TEU which would provide a clear competence;

  • the absence of any overall supervision of the intergovernmental third pillar of the TEU, which covers justice and home affairs matters.

The report concludes that there is a substantial judicial deficit regarding the protection of fundamental rights in the EU, particularly in relation to justice and home affairs matters under the third pillar of the Maastricht treaty and recommends that the ECJ's jurisdiction be strengthened and clarified.

Order from: JUSTICE, 59 Carter Lane, London EC4V 5AQ; Tel: +44/171 3295100, Fax: +44/171 3295055; e-mail: justice@gn.apc.org

Human rights and the IGC: The democratic deficit - Democratic accountability and the European Union, published by JUSTICE, London 1996, 30 p., in English. Price: £5.00.

This report deals with the structures and procedures for providing democratic accountability at national and European levels for law-making and policy-making within the EU. It considers three main questions:

  • whether the powers of the European Parliament need to be strengthened, in particular under the third pillar of the TEU;

  • whether and how national parliaments can properly exercise their role of scrutinising EU matters;

  • the extent to which procedures in the Council inhibit transparency and citizens' rights to freedom of information.

Spotlight Report No. 23: Law enforcement and the law in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia - Humanitarian Law Center, Belgrade, November 1996, 26 p., in English.

Order from: Humanitarian Law Center, Avalska 9, FRY-11000 Belgrade; Tel/Fax: +381/11 4443944; e-mail: hlc@EUnet.yu. Home page: www.opennet.org/hlc