Contemporary Europe, 2017 (vol. 2017), issue 2

Remittances and Economic Cycles - Evidence from 11 Transition Countries

Cristina Procházková Ilinitchi

Současná Evropa 2017, 2017(2):4-17  

The paper investigates the nature of cyclicality between remittances and the GDP in 11 remittance receiving countries over the period 1993-2015. The findings show that remittances towards transition countries seem to be rather procyclical, in 4 countries there is a downturn in remittances when GDP decreases and vice-versa. Only in one country remittances are found to be countercyclical. For the remaining 6 countries, no pattern of cyclicality is found, the character of remittances being assessed as acyclical. The final part of the paper discusses possible explanations for these findings focusing on possible correlation of the sending and receiving...

Sociálně prostorová diferenciace ve srovnání evropských postsocialistických měst

Socio-spatial differentiation in comparison of European post-socialist cities

Iva Tichá, Kamila Vondroušová

Současná Evropa 2017, 2017(2):18-45  

The aim of the article is to compare the process of socio-spatial differentiation in two European post-socialist cities - Ostrava, Czech Republic and Halle (Saale), Germany. We focus on the mechanisms of the process and on the formation, development and potential decline of socially excluded localities, including specific problems and tools to solve them. The research object are the cities of Ostrava and Halle (Saale) which are studied on the basis of analysis of selected indicators from available censuses from 2011 and from a conducted field research. We make use of quantitative as well as qualitative research methods, data analyses from the censuses,...

Průmysl 4.0: národní, firemní a akademické přístupy

Industry 4.0: National, corporate and academic approaches

Jan Krejčí, Michal Ambler

Současná Evropa 2017, 2017(2):46-62  

The central theme of this article is the Industry 4.0. The authors aim to offer readers a better orientation in this concept and trend which has existed for several years, but is still in its early stages and is constantly evolving. The first chapter provides an overview of theoretical views on the transformation of industry, which are classified according to different criteria. The second chapter carries out a quantitative analysis of the company's materials and academic, institutional and popular scientific texts dealing with industry 4.0. The aim is to identify the extent to which the industry 4.0 defines the above-mentioned entities. Chapter three...

Právní kultura jako rámec pro uskutečnění institucionálních změn

Legal Culture as a Framework for Implementing Institutional Changes

Michal Nop

Současná Evropa 2017, 2017(2):63-77  

As a result of Brexit, efforts to promote more federalist organization of the EU strengthen. Any institutional changes, however, must respect the legal cultures involved, otherwise there is a risk of EU cohesion being reduced. Despite the convergence of legal orders in the EU, a common European legal culture has not yet been established. It is therefore appropriate to compare legal cultures in the EU and identify their characteristic elements. The distinction between former legal circles or families is currently not supported by reality. Legal systems can no longer be represented by their "parent" legal system. However, the ad hoc approach where...

Uzavření Komplexní hospodářské a obchodní dohody EU-Kanada (CETA) a současné výzvy efektivního vedení společné obchodní politiky

The Conclusion of the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement EU-Canada (CETA) and current challenges to effective conduct of the Common Commercial Policy

Ondřej Svoboda

Současná Evropa 2017, 2017(2):78-88  

This article, based the analysis of recent circumstances accompanying a signature of the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement EU-Canada (CETA), focuses on the state of play of the EU Common Commercial Policy and its effective and legitimate conduct. A decision about mix nature of the CETA under the EU law, which requires both the Union and the Members States to be parties of the treaty on the side of the EU, had grave implications with uncertain result. Relevant internal ratification procedures in each EU Member State should provide legitimacy to free trade agreements and the EU Common Commercial Policy in general. Nevertheless, this opinion...