The year 2000's most significant international event was, almost certainly, neither political nor military, but scientific - the announcement, in June, that the human genome had been almost totally decoded. Future generations may well see this as a major turning point, opening the way to radical changes in diagnosis, prognosis, and medical treatment. Often compared with the space programme, this vast enterprise still generates misgivings: this new power, which human beings now have, to modify the genetic heritage of living creatures raises fundamentally new ethical questions - and society as a whole will have to find the answers. In fact, the accelerating pace of scientific and technical progress seems to be reviving atavistic anxieties, some rational, others less so. Recent public-health crises, including the mad cow disease' scare, which lasted into 2000, have fuelled these fears. The public's rejection of GMOs (Genetically Modified Organisms) - verging on a crusade in some countries - tells its own story. As regards conflict, 2000 saw the Middle East peace process grind to a halt, and the Intifada resume. In Europe, the situation in Kosovo and Chechnya, both the scenes of fighting in 1999, stayed precarious. Peace and democracy did score some successes, however, particularly in Europe: the centre-left's victory in Croatia, sweeping former President Tudjman's party off the scene, the democratic party's triumph in Bosnia, and the fall of the Milosevic regime in Serbia.

The "European Yearbook promotes the scientific study of nineteen European supranational organisations and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Each volume contains a detailed survey of the history, structure and yearly activities of each organisation and an up-to-date chart providing a clear overview of the member states of each organisation. Each volume contains a comprehensive bibliography covering the year's relevant publications.

Avec ce quatrieme volume, I' Annuaire europeen entre dans 1a seconde phase de son existance. A l'origine, la pUblication de' cet Annuaire avait ete, a titre d'experience, prevue pour trois ans. Cette periode est deja depassee, et Ie succes de l'experience est demontre par de nombreuses critiques elogieuses comme par l'accueil tres favorable que lui ont reserve les milieux inte resses aux affaires europeennes. En consequence, Ie Comite des Ministres du Conseil de l'Euro pe decida, en mars 1957, que l'Annuaire europeen continuerait a paraitre sans limitation de duree. Ainsi les assises de notre oeuvre sont, pour ainsi dire, devenues permanentes, et ce fait meme prouve les progres realises dans la voie de I'integration europeenne. En effet l'annee 1957 a ete extremement fructueuse en ce qui concerne l'integration europeenne et, alors que, dans l'ensemble, ce volume IV devait etre consacre a I' evolution des faits en 1956, nous avons dll egalement porter notre attention, aussi bien dans les articles que dans la partie documentaire, sur les nouvelles institutions, dont l'impQrtance est capitale. C'est pourquoi Ie Traite instituant la Communaute Economique Euro peenne figure parmi les textes documentaires du present volume; toutefois, en raison du manque de place, Ia publication du Trait6 instituant I'Euratom a ete differee jusqu'au prochain volume. Etant donne l'importance de ces deux nouveaux traites pour l'integration europeenne, Ie Comite de redaction demanda a M.

The "European Yearbook" promotes the scientific study of nineteen European supranational organisations and the OECD. The series offers a detailed survey of the history, structure and yearly activities of each organisation and an up-to-date overview of the member states of each organisation. This special anniversary volume celebrates 60 years of publication of the Yearbook, and its contents differs from that of the regular volumes therefore. It offers a selection of the most important articles, dealing with European cooperation and integration, to appear in the Yearbook during its 60 years of publication. These are of particular interest not only because they provide a unique historical snapshot of the many successes (and occasional failures) in the field of European integration but also because they discuss the ideals and aims that lay behind these efforts, many of which still resonate today as Europe confronts questions about its political destiny and ideal shape. This volume contains articles in English and French."

The "European Yearbook" promotes the scientific study of nineteen European supranational organisations and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Each volume contains a detailed survey of the history, structure and yearly activities of each organisation and an up-to-date chart providing a clear overview of the member states of each organisation. Each volume contains a comprehensive bibliography covering the year's relevant publications. This is an indispensable work of reference for anyone dealing with the European institutions.