Better Regulation through Governance in the European Union

( Chin Peng Chu ),( Dieter Eibel ) 한국EU학회 2013 Asia-Pacific Journal of EU Studies Vol.11 No.1

Responding to contentious challenges and raising new tasks in many fields, the EU needs to make policy decisions in a range of complex ways. In this context of rising complexity of challenges and because of new tasks, hierarchical management is outdated and needs new forms of regulation. Firstly, the decision-making is more complicated with 28 different national governments, which must be involved. Furthermore, a wide range of non-state actors such as trade unions, interest groups, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) try to shape EU policy decisions. For better regulation and acceptance of the designing of laws, regulations and policies, it is necessary to consult a range of stakeholders. All these changes and developments have urged the EU to significantly change decision rules over time, moving away from the orthodox Community method of law making to a variety of different mechanisms and revisions to the method itself, summarized under the key word governance. To better regulate and make Europe work better, the European laws and regulations must be well targeted, correctly implemented at the right level and proportionate to the need. That is why finally by amendments to the EU treaty, the Commission``s proposals for regulation have to follow the two principles of proportionality and subsidiarity. In this context, the EU Commission speaks of "better regulation" and currently "smart regulation" to indicate the wanted characteristics of new modes of governance.

Economic Diversification of Taiwan and China: Literature, Strategies, and Prospects

( Chin-peng Chu ),( Kuo-chun Yeh ) 한국EU학회 2022 Asia-Pacific Journal of EU Studies Vol.20 No.1

Economic decoupling seems to be the mainstream of the world after the 2007-08 global financial crisis. This paper would like to make an overview to investigate the origins and the impact on China’s and Taiwan’s diversification strategies. We especially concentrate on Taiwan’s parts, including current situations, determinants of outward FDI, the government’s policies, and the special points related to the institutional factors of the host countries. These results are important for Taiwan and the host countries including ASEAN and the EU in setting up the short-run and long-run policies to sustain their supply chains.

Lobbying in the EU and the Fight Against Disinformation: An Analysis of the Institutional Framework in Practice

( Chin-peng Chu ),( Zsuzsa Anna Ferenczy ) 한국EU학회 2023 Asia-Pacific Journal of EU Studies Vol.21 No.1

The European Union (EU) is an international organization with a complex international identity, seeking to play a geopolitical role while pursuing a Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP). The Lisbon Treaty proposed to increase the EU’s internal coherence in foreign policy, with the European Parliament (EP) seeing its role significantly strengthened. In a complex geopolitical environment, whereby the threat of information manipulation and disinformation have become major concerns to transparent governance, the relevance of lobbying activities has increased. This paper assesses the institutional framework for lobbying in the EU institutions, focusing on the post-Lisbon geopolitical context and the role of technology in shaping the new environment. The primary question it explores is to what extent the EU’s lobbying framework has shaped its CFSP and how it has impacted efforts to counter disinformation, including in the context of Russia’s war against Ukraine. The paper maintains that as the line between information and disinformation is growing increasingly blurry, safeguarding openness and transparency in EU policy-making is vital. An EU-level understanding is emerging that ensuring access for external actors and cooperation with think tanks is important for the EU to ensure its global relevance while effectively combatting disinformation.

Regional Conflicts and Integration Policy

Chin-peng Chu 미래사회통합연구센터 2017 Journal of Conflict and Integration Vol.1 No.1

Several countries confront regional conflicts in divided and multi-ethnic societies, sometimes with the threat of secession. A more peaceful solution to this threat is to establish devolution or even federalism with adequate rights accorded to the regions in terms of their specific culture and diversity. This article demonstrates how in the case of specific European countries, especially Italy, Spain, and Belgium, the development toward autonomous regions or regions with special rights and federalist structures aimed at integrating regions with high conflict potential guaranteed the unity of the state.Nevertheless, the move toward special rights for conflicting regions can lead to rising regional inequality in a state; this is because, in most cases, it is the rich regions that claim more independence from the central state, at the same time rejecting a fair share with the poorer regions. This, in turn, could lead to new conflicts between poor and rich regions. Thus, as a second step, we provide a preferable solution of interregional finance equalization with the German example. Lastly, this study examines the role of the European Union (EU) in response to the claims of separatism at the sub-national level in theory and practice. The EU’s future for deeper integration or limited integration under the sub-national secession movements depends on the harmonization between the national constitution and EU law.

Conflict and Integration of the Cross-Strait Relations

Chin-Peng Chu 미래사회통합연구센터 2018 Journal of Conflict and Integration Vol.2 No.2

The Taiwan question is not only a central problem in low politics, but forms from a balance of power perspective also the security policy of the Asia- Pacific region and the appropriate role of the USA in it. Changing governments and generations since the 1992 Consensus, led especially in Taiwan to changing perceptions on Taiwan-Strait relations. While there are diverse theoretical conceptions for the promotion of Cross-Strait relations, empirical developments demonstrate that the One China principle forms the political reality in which Taiwan´s domestic, regional and international independency is challenged. This article focuses first on historic continuity and discontinuity of Cross-Strait relations and compares then KMT and DPP policy of the Cross-Strait relation with mainland China, focusing especially on Ma Ying-jeou’s administration since 2008 and the DPP government since 2016. Finally, it explains the significance of the Cross-Strait relations from an empirical context, with concern to the possibilities and obstacles for building a new constructive interactive framework.

The Future of European Energy Policy: On the Way to the Third Industrial Revolution?

( Dieter Eissel ),( Chin-peng Chu ) 한국EU학회 2015 Asia-Pacific Journal of EU Studies Vol.13 No.2

Facing the high dependence on energy imports endangering the security of supply, the rising scarcity of fossil fuels, and the threat of on-going greenhouse gas emissions to climate change, the EU has decided on ambitious long-term objectives to become a ‘competitive low carbon economy.’ The future energy policy will therefore focus on renewable energy sources and energy efficiency. To achieve this change will require the ‘Third Industrial Revolution’ taking into account the widespread impact on the economy and jobs in manufacturing, services, construction, transport and agricultural sectors. However, this strategy needs to provide effective, supportive financial and regulative incentives at all state levels. Furthermore, the EU energy policy will be not successful without engaging innovative private companies and citizens changing their consumption patterns and way of life. With regard to the financial crisis of the member states of the EU and the limited authority of the EU Commission to enforce the implementation of these goals, there are doubts whether this ambitious energy policy will be achieved, as the European roadmaps intend.

Crisis of EU Governance and Risk of Integration: Governance Mix, Democratic Deficit, and Politicization

Yun-Chen Lai,Chin-Peng Chu 연세대학교 미래사회통합연구센터 2019 Journal of Conflict and Integration Vol.3 No.2

The EU has faced serious crises recently. EU integration has resulted in greater public attention and made cooperation more controversial. This contribution explores three questions: why crises occur under (current) EU governance; how a crisis of EU governance will result in a crisis of EU integration; and how the EU could solve its problems. Issues both inside and outside of the EU borders are discussed to investigate the questions above. It is argued that an imbalanced governance structure and a democratic deficit cause risks of disintegration and stagnation. Multi-level governance should be revisited to augment participation of public sectors, to respond to the current politicization trend, and to relieve the democratic deficit problem.