F15 - Economic IntegrationReturn

The regional integration process allows worldwide formation of many regional clusters with an economic focus at most. Some partnerships of such units can create clubs of regions with a higher degree of integration process, compared to the rest, so their extent of regional integration is very high-powered. The present analysis shows that since the formation of such a unit - OECS subintegration cluster, the GDP of the involved countries has definitely developed better than that of the higher integration unit - the CARICOM integration cluster, and the rest of the area as well. Beyond, some higher intensity of recognised effect in the long-term period has been found. Accordingly to the discovered findings, we can suggest that the emergence of similar phenomena of "integration within integration" brings clear evidence of positive development to its participants in terms of economic performance. Similar initiatives of the European Union's Cohesion Policy - grouping of territorial cooperation support - appear to be partially correct in this view. However, the main policy's objectives require other approaches.

The European Union and the United States of America present the world's largest exporter and importer of goods, services and capital. The idea of increasing foreign trade between them based on the implementation of the lowest degree of economic integration, a free trade area, is not new. A proposal was made in the 1990s to create a Transatlantic Free Trade Area between the EU and member countries of the North American Free Trade Agreement, which has not been successfully implemented. Nowadays, it is getting back to the forefront of interest among not only politicians but also economists. Whether political or economic pressures are behind this step, it is important to understand the general principle of the functioning of the free trade area. The aim of this paper is to illustrate the basic characteristics of the free trade area on the example of the EU and the US.

Economic growth and economic level belong among the most monitored economic figures as they give evidence of the level of both the economic activity and performance of a country as well as of the level of the economic development at which a given state or region finds itself. Within the EU environment as well as in the individual Member States, the issue of economic growth belongs among fiercely discussed topics. The economic growth of the European Union in the last decade was lagging behind most other centres of the world economy. This, however, does not mean that all the EU countries were characterised by a weak growth performance. This paper focuses on the evaluation of the trends and main factors of the economic growth and the processes of real convergence of the EU Member base in the last decade. This paper should also provide answers on which way the recently implemented Eastern enlargement and the world economic crisis influenced the economic dynamics of the old and new Member countries.

The purpose of the study is to analyse and evaluate the position and trend of international competitiveness of the Central European EU countries, and the results of the influence of their EU membership on the competitiveness of the chosen countries. The study method is based on a complex set of multidimensional analyses using, firstly, quantitative indicators, namely input and output indicators, and secondly, qualitative evaluations. The results of the empirical evaluations had to monitor the changing positions of the new EU Member States in the International Competitiveness Scoreboard: Yearbooks of IMD Lausanne; Reports of WEF Geneve. The study conclusions confirmed the influence of the involvement of the New Member States in the common and shared EU policies (common trade policy, agricultural policy, liberalization of the movement of capital and services within the EU, EU regional and structural policy, and other common policies) on the increasing competitiveness of the new EU Member States.

Mechanisms for implementing community programs resulting from general principles of Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 1605/2002 on the Financial Regulation applicable to the general budget of the European Communities and Commission Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 2342/2002 laying down detailed rules for the implementation of the Financial Regulation. Community programs may be implemented by centralized management or shared management. In the centralized management of community programs are funded directly from the EU budget.
The principle of shared management is the division of powers between the European Commission and EU Member States. One Community program, which is in the Czech Republic based on the principle of shared management for the programming period 2007 to 2013 common program "Solidarity and Management of Migration Flows". Even in this method of financial management, there are areas in which a Member State and European Commission joint responsibility (eg, compliance with the rules of publicity).

Bolivian exports to the United States (US) market in 2005, without counting natural gas, constituted 22 % of the total exports, making this country the main destination market especially for the manufactured goods that Bolivia offers. The increased importance of the US market for Bolivia lies in the fact that it (the US market) represents a different profile of specialization, since the domestic Bolivian exports to the US market, in contrast to those that are made to the rest of the world, show a relatively high proportion of manufactured goods. Bolivia sends 55% of these goods with high value incorporated, as opposed to raw materials, which is a typical export for Bolivia.
The trade relations between Bolivia and the US have been fundamental especially at the level of preferential treatment. This means tariff exemptions that only apply to specific countries. This tariff preference of the US to developing countries adopted a subregional approach, as in the case of the Andean Trade Preference Act (ATPA). This act came into effect in December 1991 and was extended to August 2002, not only in the coverage of products, but it was linked with the fight against drugs through the Andean Trade Promotion and Drug Eradication Act (ATPDEA), whose effect has been extended several times and which is currently at risk of concluding definitely.
In this context, this paper takes an eminently commercial approach; both the situation and the prospects of the ATPDEA are analysed from the point of view of its impact on Bolivian exports, major companies, regions and exported products, as well as the ATPDEA's effects on employment.

There are many sophisticated discussions about the possible effects of the regional economic cooperation. Their results have been ambiguous. However, it is evident that regional trade agreements (RTAs) have been increasingly transforming international trade, especially since the second half of the 1990s. The region of South-East Asia has become more interested in such cooperation only after the Asian financial crisis in 1997. Especially the case of Japan proves how the Asian governments have changed their approach to the international economic cooperation. They shifted the emphasis from the multilateral negotiations under the umbrella of the WTO to regional and bilateral agreements. However, despite its fast pace the process of regionalism in South-East Asia is still at the very beginning. It remains to be seen whether the Asian countries will stay on the level of broader FTAs or whether they will follow the European example of a deep economic and political integration.

Globalization, multilateralism and regionalism are the most significant tendencies of today's world economy. Their mutual relation has bee so far studied mainly as a dilemma between globally free trade and world economy's fragmentation through competing trade blocks. With the upsurge of globalization and sharp global competition in globalization latest wave, multilateralism and regionalism has, however, changed markedly. Subsequently, their mutual relations have changed as well. Based upon the study of New Regionalism, which leads towards more complex and open trade agreements, it seems that multilateralism and regionalism can be understood as compatible dimensions of broader efforts on an economic reform of globalized world order. It is, today, formed by a deep and transparent global governance (WTO) and a global network of complex economic integration agreements (New Regionalism). The aim of this article is to study the development of their interaction and conditions of their multi-dimensional coexistence.

When entering foreign markets firms should consider the special characteristics of international environment, existing intercultural differences, try to recognize factors influencing the behaviour and decision-making of consumers, managers, businessmen and negotiators. These characteristics and differences must be respected in the process of preparation and application of suitable marketing policy, corporate and personal management and successful business negotiation.