The last twenty years have seen an increase in European integration and the emergence of the technological revolution. Although tighter integration coupled with technological innovation should facilitate cross-regional convergence, some European regions have managed to jump ahead while others have been left behind. This book examines the regional characteristics that favour growth and analyses the relevance of innovation, socio-economic and structural factors in shaping regional economic disparities. In this book, particular attention is devoted to the EU enlargement towards the East, to its consequences on Europe’s traditional North-South divide, and to the increasing regional disparities in new member states after the transition. It demonstrates the growing importance of innovation and human capital in explaining the increase in income and employment disparities in old EU members, particularly after the 2008 financial crisis. It also shows that for newcomers, regional disparities are essentially linked to socio-economic factors as capital regions approach Western standards, while others - mainly old industrial regions and peripheral ones - lag behind. This book integrates theoretical discussion with empirical evidence and will appeal to regional scientists interested in regional inequalities, and to policy makers concerned with devising effective strategies to tackle regional disparities in Europe.

Three years ago the Faculty of Law and Administration of the University of Silesia and the Faculty of Law of the University of Leicester embarked on a joint research and academic co-operation programme with the support of the British Council in Warsaw. The programme resulted in the organisation of two academic conferences, one in Leicester and one in Katowice. This book is the tangible result of these conferences. The content of the book reflects the wide-ranging nature of the collaboration between the two Faculties. Environmental law, public international law, intellectual and cultural property law are the main areas that are covered, but certain issues of constitutional law, European law, social law, company law and legal education are also addressed. The main strength of this book is found in its breadth of coverage and the detailed examination of key issues such as the rights of minorities; the transboundary movement of waste in Europe and the environmental problems which it creates; the theft and illegal exportation of cultural property; and the convergence of the droit d'auteur and copyright traditions.

This book is a study of EU conditionality and compliance during the enlargement to the Central and Eastern European candidate countries. EU conditionality for membership is widely understood as having been a driving force for Europeanization, providing incentives and sanctions for compliance or non-compliance with EU norms, such as the 'Copenhagen Criteria' and the adoption of the acquis communautaire . By taking regional policy and regionalization as a case study, this book provides a comparative analysis of the effects of conditionality on the Central and East European countries and explores the many paradoxes and weaknesses in the use of EU conditionality over time.

While there may be consensus on the broader issues of the core objectives of the health care system, expectations differ between EU countries, and European national policy-makers. This book seeks firstly to assess the impact of the enlargement process and then to analyse the challenges that lie ahead in the field of health and health policy.