Central EU Research Articles

Solidifying system of democracy in the Central and Eastern European new EU members

The paper examines the requirements of an effective and legitimized democratic political system in the process of transition. The analysis and the conclusions are based on the Hungarian experience, which can carefully be applied to all Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries. Special focus is given to the relationship of legal certainty and the efficiency of the democratic system, to the tension between legalism and managerialism and to the characteristics of civil society organizations. In the conclusion special features of the transitional countries are pointed out.

Compensation practices in Central and Eastern European EU member states—an analytical framework based on institutional perspectives, path dependencies, and efficiency considerations

AbstractResearch on compensation in Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries is scarce, and a comprehensive analysis of factors influencing the adoption and transformation of compensation practices in CEE countries is lacking. This article provides a holistic analytical framework based on a literature review, secondary data on selected compensation practices in CEE countries, and theoretical insights from various perspectives. These include path dependency from the pre‐transformation era; current coercive, mimetic, and normative isomorphic pressures; and efficiency‐based influences on compensation practices. Furthermore, implications are outlined both for future research on compensation management and for human resource management practice in CEE countries. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Regulatory Impact Assessment: Formal Institutionalization and Practice

AbstractIn the last decade regulatory reforms have focused increasingly on efforts to improve regulatory quality. As part of that development policymakers have been encouraged to consider fiscal, socio-economic and administrative effects of proposed legislation when making policy choices. The Central and East European EU member states have adopted regulatory impact analysis (RIA) mechanisms but so far there has been little analysis of their implementation. This article first compares the manner in which RIAs have been institutionalised in the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Slovakia and Slovenia. Second, it explores how differences in institutionalisation have affected RIA performance. The paper concludes that there are marked differences in the RIA quality across Central and Eastern Europe, notably as a consequence of national differences in institutional and administrative contexts and capacities.

The Effect of Nominal Exchange Rate Volatility on Real Macroeconomic Performance in the CEE Countries

This paper analyzes the relation between nominal exchange rate volatility and several macroeconomic variables, namely real per output growth, excess credit, foreign direct investment (FDI) and the current account balance, in the Central and Eastern European EU Member States. Using panel estimations for the period between 1995 and 2008, we find that lower exchange rate volatility is associated with higher growth, higher stocks of FDI, higher current account deficits, and higher excess credit. The results are economically and statistically significant, and robust.

Functionalized Mesoporous SBA-15 with CeF3: Eu3+ Nanoparticle by Three Different Methods: Synthesis, Characterization, and Photoluminescence.

Luminescence functionalization of the ordered mesoporous SBA-15 silica is realized by depositing a CeF3: Eu3+ phosphor layer on its surface (denoted as CeF3: Eu3+/SBA-15/IS, CeF3: Eu3+/SBA-15/SI and CeF3: Eu3+/SBA-15/SS) using three different methods, which are reaction in situ (I-S), solution impregnation (S-I) and solid phase grinding synthesis (S-S), respectively. The structure, morphology, porosity, and optical properties of the materials are well characterized by X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, N2 adsorption, and photoluminescence spectra. These materials all have high surface area, uniformity in the mesostructure and crystallinity. As expected, the pore volume, surface area, and pore size of SBA-15 decrease in sequence after deposition of the CeF3: Eu3+ nanophosphors. Furthermore, the efficient energy transfer in mesoporous material mainly occurs between the Ce3+ and the central Eu3+ ion. They show the characteristic emission of Ce3+ 5d → 4f (200–320 nm) and Eu3+5D0 → 7FJ(J = 1–4, with 5D0 → 7F1 orange emission at 588 nm as the strongest one) transitions, respectively. In addition, for comparison, the mesoporous material CeF3: Eu3+/SBA-15/SS exhibits the characteristic emission of Eu3+ ion under UV irradiation with higher luminescence intensity than the other materials.

Luminescent ternary inorganic-organic mesoporous hybrids Eu(TTASi-SBA-15)phen: covalent linkage in TTA directly functionalized SBA-15

A novel kind of luminescent ternary organic-inorganic mesoporous hybrid Eu(TTASi-SBA-15)(3)phen (phen = 1,10-phenanthroline) has been assembled by the Eu(3+) complex covalently attached to the TTA directly Functionalized ordered mesoporous SBA-15, which is characterized to have high surface area, uniformity in the mesostructure and crystallinity. The efficient intramolecular energy transfer in mesoporous material Eu(TTASi-SBA-15)(3)phen mainly occurs between the modified ligand TTASi and the central Eu(3+) ion. Furthermore, compared with the binary mesoporous material Eu(TTASi-SBA-15)(3), the ternary mesoporous material Eu(TTASi-SBA-15)(3)phen exhibits the characteristic emission of the Eu(3+) ion with a higher luminescence quantum efficiency intensity and a longer lifetime, suggesting that the introduction of ligand phen into the mesoporous matrix is of benefit for the sentisization of Eu(3+)luminescence, by replacing H(2)O groups that can quench the luminescence of Eu(3+) ions.

Mores and gains: The EU's influence on domestic violence policies among its new post-communist member states

Synopsis The EU indirectly affects its member states' social policy, and there is a long-standing debate about its direct causal effect on member states regarding non-economic matters. This article analyzes how the governments of new post-communist Central and Eastern European EU members and candidates reacted to pressures from the European Commission, while acknowledging that the broader context of other global, regional, and domestic actors also affects the establishment of new laws and norms related to domestic violence. The EU's influence is controversial and manifold in post-communist Central and East Europe: while it has rhetorically endorsed gender equality, it has only recently and selectively started to pressure members and candidates into implementing changes and monitoring progress.

Highly efficient visible light sensitized red emission from europium tris[1-(4-biphenoyl)-3-(2-fluoroyl)propanedione](1,10-phenanthroline) complex grafted on silica nanoparticles

A novel class of efficient visible light sensitized antenna complexes of Eu3+ based on the use of a highly conjugated β-diketonate, namely, 1-(4-biphenoyl)-3-(2-fluoroyl)propanedione (HBFPD) and 1,10-phenanthroline as an ancillary ligand has been designed, synthesized, characterized and their photophysical properties (PL) investigated. PL measurement results indicated that suitably expanded π-conjugation in the complex molecules makes the excitation band red shift to the visible region and hence the Eu3+ complexes exhibit intense red emission under blue light excitation (440 nm) with a solid-state quantum yield of 32 ± 3%, which is the highest so far reported in the literature. Further, in the present work, the visible sensitized Eu3+complex has been covalently anchored to the ordered mesoporous MCM-41 via the modified HBFPD ligand for the first time to the best of our knowledge. β-Diketonate grafted to the coupling agent 3-(triethoxysilyl)propylisocyanate was used as the precursor for the preparation of mesoporous nanomaterials. MCM-41 consisting of ternary complex Eu(SiBFPD)3(phen) covalently bonded to the silica-based network, which was designated as Eu(SiBFPD)3(Phen)/MCM-41 (3), was obtained by interacting europium nitrate, SiBFPD-Na and 1,10-phenanthroline into the hybrid material via a ligand-exchange reaction. The designed material was further characterized by powder X-ray diffraction, dynamic light scattering (DLS) technique, thermogravimetric analysis, N2 adsorption-desorption, SEM, TEM, FT-IR, FT-Raman, 13C and 29Si CPMAS NMR and photoluminescence spectroscopic techniques. The hybrid material covalently bonded to MCM-41 exhibits an efficient intramolecular energy transfer process from the silylated β-diketonate to the central Eu3+, namely, the “antenna effect”, which favored a stronger red/orange intensity ratio, longer lifetime, and high thermal stability than the precursor complex.

Towards European Energy Policy

The struggle over a common European energy policy is a special case of Europeanization of policy-making and up to the 1980s it was regarded as a spectacular failure (George 1985:100). Energy policy has been characterized by strong conflicts between a common policy, on the one hand, and divergent national policies, on the other. The focus of this project is the emergence of a common EU energy policy during the 1990s. Despite its inclusion in the very first treaties on the European Community, energy was until very recently more or less unaffected by common market legislation, and few energy policy decisions were taken at the central EU level. Therefore, explaining the emergence of Common European Energy policy in 1990s is not only puzzling, but also a relevant as it is happening in front of our eyes and represents an understudied topic in European studies literature so far. In addition, the research carries a practical relevance as energy dependence is one of the most important challenges currently facing Europe. The ensuing paper will try to explain the emergence of a common EU energy policy by looking at conditions under which the policy area previously dominated by national authorities is driven to the European level and processes underpinning the expansion of supranational authority and subsequent development of a common policy. Institutional/Supranational Governance perspective with a generous interpretation of the influence of institutions will serve to elucidate the movement toward the common energy policy in the EU. I will conduct a case study through process tracing supplanted by extensive content analysis of primary sources, such as official documents of the EU institutions and the member states, primary and secondary EU legislation and ECJ case law.The broader theoretical contribution of the research to the field of European Studies is two-fold: First, no coherent theoretical attempt has been made so far to explain the emergence of European energy policy and the proposed research represents a pioneering study. Second, the proposed research will make a significant contribution to the body of literature on integration, supranational governance and institutionalization as the creation of European energy policy can serve as a crucial case for theory building as well as testing existing theoretical propositions.

Highly efficient luminescent hybrid materials covalently linking with europium(iii) complexes via a novel fluorinated β-diketonate ligand: synthesis, characterization and photophysical properties

A novel highly fluorinated beta-diketonate ligand, 1-(3,5-bis(benzyloxy)phenyl)-4,4,5,5,5-pentafluoropentane-1,3-dione (HBBPPF) and its corresponding europium(III) ternary complex, Eu(BBPPF)(3)(DDXPO) [DDXPO = 4,5-bis(diphenylphosphino)-9,9-dimethylxanthene oxide] were synthesized via a dexterously designed routine, characterized and its photophysical properties (PL) investigated. PL measurement results indicated that the europium(III) ternary complex exhibits intense red emission under UV light excitation with a solid-state quantum yield of 39%. An organic-inorganic mesoporous luminescent hybrid material was also constructed by linking the ternary europium(III) complex to the functionalized hexagonal mesoporous MCM-41 through the modified beta-diketonate ligand (SiBBPPF-Na). Beta-diketonate grafted to the coupling agent 3-(triethoxysilyl)propyl isocyanate was used as the precursor for the preparation of mesoporous materials. A modified MCM-41 mesoporous material containing ternary europium(iii) complex covalently bonded to the silica-based network, designated as Eu(BBPPF-Si)(3)(DDXPO)/MCM-41, was obtained by interacting SiBBPPF-Na with europium nitrate, DDXPO and MCM-41 via a ligand-exchange reaction. The new mesoporous hybrid material was characterized by powder X-ray diffraction, nitrogen adsorption-desorption, thermogravimetry, transmission electron microscopy, dynamic light scattering, FT-IR, (29)Si CP MAS NMR and (13)C NMR solid-state techniques, and photoluminescence spectroscopy. Eu(BBPPF-Si)(3)(DDXPO)/MCM-41 exhibits an efficient intramolecular energy transfer process from the silylated beta-diketonate to the central Eu(3+), namely, the "antenna effect", which favours a strong luminescent intensity (quantum yield = 43%). Thermogravimetric analysis on Eu(BBPPF-Si)(3)(DDXPO)/MCM-41 demonstrated that the thermal stability of the lanthanide complex was evidently improved as it was covalently bonded to the mesoporous MCM-41 matrix.

Evaluating Inflation Determinants with a Money Supply Rule in Four Central and Eastern European EU Member States

We evaluate the monetary determinants of inflation in the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia by using the McCallum rule for money supply. The deviation of actual money growth from the rule is included in the estimation of Phillips curves for the four economies by Bayesian model averaging. We find that money provides information about price developments over a horizon of ten quarters ahead, albeit the estimates are in most cases rather imprecise. Moreover, the effect of excessive monetary growth on inflation is mixed: It is positive for Poland and Slovakia, but negative for the Czech Republic and Hungary. Nevertheless, these results suggest that money does provide information about future inflation and that a McCallum rule could potentially be used in the future as an additional indicator of the monetary policy stance once the precision of the estimation improves with more data available.

Intra-Complex Energy Transfer of Europium(III) Complexes Containing Anthracene and Phenanthrene Moieties

Laser excitation and luminescence studies were carried out for an ethanol solution of tris(hexafluoroacetylacetonato)europium(III), Eu(hfac)(3)(H(2)O)(2) (1), and n-hexane solutions of tris(hexafluoroacetylacetonato)europium(III) bis(9-diisopropylphosphorylanthracene), Eu(hfac)(3)(DiPAnO)(2) (2), and tris(hexafluoroacetylacetonato)europium(III) bis(2-diisopropylphosphorylphenanthrene), Eu(hfac)(3)(DiPPheO)(2) (3). The absorption spectra of 2 and 3 in n-hexane are interpreted by assuming that the central Eu(III) ion weakly interacts with the DiPAnO and DiPPheO moieties. The emission spectroscopic studies revealed that (1) Eu(hfac)(3)(DiPAnO)(2) emits only fluorescence from the DiPAnO moiety and (2) Eu(hfac)(3)(DiPPheO)(2) gives luminescence from the central Eu(III) ion, and (3) Eu(hfa)(3)(H(2)O)(2) and Eu(hfac)(3)(DiPPheO)(2) afford emission from both the (5)D(1) and (5)D(0) states of the Eu(III) ion upon 355 nm laser excitation. The intracomplex energy transfer processes are presented on the basis of absorption, emission and laser excitation studies.

Comparison of the Tax Structure in Central Europe and EU Countries: Tax Reform Goals and the Current Situation

The paper provides an analyses of the public finance reform in Central European Countries during the economic transition. The process of reforming public finance (covering both tax and expenditure reforms) is a long lasting one with specific features in individual countries. Nevertheless, some common, general features to the restructuring of CEC public finances can be identified.

Modeling, Structural, and Spectroscopic Studies of Lanthanide-Organic Frameworks

In this paper, we report the hydrothermal synthesis of three lanthanide-organic framework materials using as primary building blocks the metallic centers Eu(3+), Tb(3+), and Gd(3+) and residues of mellitic acid: [Ln(2)(MELL)(H(2)O)(6)] (where Ln(3+) = Eu(3+), Tb(3+), and Gd(3); hereafter designated as (1), (2) and (3)). Structural characterization encompasses single-crystal X-ray diffraction studies, thermal analysis, and vibrational spectroscopy, plus detailed investigations on the experimental and predicted (using the Sparkle/AM1 model) photophysical luminescent properties. Crystallographic investigations showed that the compounds are all isostructural, crystallizing in the orthorhombic space group Pnnm and structurally identical to the lanthanum 3D material reported by the group of Williams. (2) is highly photoluminescent, as confirmed by the measured quantum yield and lifetime (37% and 0.74 ms, respectively). The intensity parameters (Omega(2), Omega(4), and Omega(6)) of (1) were first calculated using the Sparkle/AM1 structures and then employed in the calculation of the rates of energy transfer (W(ET)) and back-transfer (W(BT)). Intensity parameters were used to predict the radiative decay rate. The calculated quantum yield derived from the Sparkle/AM1 structures was approximately 16%, and the experimental value was 8%. We attribute the registered differences to the fact that the theoretical model does not consider the vibronic coupling with O-H oscillators from coordinated water molecules. These results clearly attest for the efficacy of the theoretical models employed in all calculations and open a new window of interesting possibilities for the design in silico of novel and highly efficient lanthanide-organic frameworks.

A europium(III) organic ternary complex applied in fabrication of near UV-based white light-emitting diodes

A β-diketone, 2-acetylfluorene-4,4,4-trifluorobutane-1,3-dione (HAFTFBD), and its three europium(III) complexes, Eu(AFTFBD)3⋅2H2O, Eu(AFTFBD)3(TPPO)2 and Eu(AFTFBD)3phen, were designed and synthesized, where TPPO was triphenylphosphine oxide and phen was 1,10-phenanthroline. The complexes were characterized by IR, UV-visible, photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The results show that the Eu(III) complexes exhibit a high thermal stability,and wide and strong excitation bands when monitored at 613 nm. Excited by ∼395 nm near UV light, the complexes emitted strong and characteristic red light due to f–f transitions of the central Eu3+ ion, and no emission from the ligands was found. The photoluminescence mechanism of the europium(III) complexes was investigated and proposed as a ligand-sensitized luminescence process. Among the three europium(III) complexes, Eu(AFTFBD)3phen exhibits the highest thermal stability and the most excellent photoluminescence properties. A bright red light-emitting diode was fabricated by coating the Eu(AFTFBD)3phen complex onto an ∼395 nm-emitting InGaN chip, and the LED showed appropriate CIE chromaticity coordinates (x=0.66, y=0.33). A white LED with CIE chromaticity coordinates (x=0.32, y=0.32) was prepared with Eu(AFTFBD)3phen as red phosphor, indicating that Eu(AFTFBD)3phen can be applied as a red component for fabrication of near ultraviolet-based white light-emitting diodes.

A series of Eu(III) emitters with a novel triphenylamine-derived beta-diketone ligand

In this paper, a series of Eu(III)complexes with a novel triphenylamine-derived beta-diketone ligand are synthesized. Systematical research reveals that these Eu(III) complexes take an occasional antenna mechanism by transferring energy between singlet state of ligand and central Eu(III), which leads to much shortened excited state lifetimes of the corresponding Eu(III) complexes.

Die Afrikanische Pferdepest – eine weitere Tierseucheante portas?

Der bedeutendste Überträger der Afrikanischen Pferdepest (APP) in Afrika ist, wie im Falle der Blauzungenkrankheit, die wärmeliebende Gnitzenart Culicoides imicola. Die als Folge des Ausbruchs der Blauzungenkrankheit in Nord- und Mitteleuropa eingeleiteten entomologischen Untersuchungen haben gezeigt, dass auch unsere heimischen Gnitzen durchaus als potenzielle Vektoren für die Verbreitung der Blauzungenkrankheit anzusehen sind. Da es sich bei dem Erreger der Afrikanischen Pferdesterbe wie bei dem der Blauzungenkrankheit um ein Orbivirus handelt, kann nicht ausgeschlossen werden, dass auch das APP-Virus durch infizierte Equiden eingeschleppt und dann durch einheimische Gnitzen verbreitet und heimisch wird. Aufgrund dieser Erkenntnisse sollte daher die Bedrohung unserer Pferdebestände durch die Afrikanische Pferdepest neu bewertet werden. Die APP ist eine akute bis perakute, hoch fieberhafte schwere Erkrankung der Equiden mit einer charakteristischen Symptomatik und hoher Mortalität. Im klinischen Bild dominieren die Zeichen einer Lungen- und Herzerkrankung, verbunden mit einer möglichen starken Ödembildung, besonders in Lunge, Brustraum und Unterhautgewebe. Eine Behandlung ist nicht möglich und nicht erlaubt. Erkrankte Tiere sind zu töten, mit einer Ringimpfung soll die Weiterverbreitung des Erregers verhindert werden. Einzelheiten der Bekämpfung sind in einer Leitlinie geregelt.

Mesoporous hybrids containing Eu 3+ complexes covalently bonded to SBA-15 functionalized: Assembly, characterization and photoluminescence

A novel series of luminescent mesoporous organic–inorganic hybrid materials has been prepared by linking Eu 3+ complexes to the functionalized ordered mesoporous SBA-15 which was synthesis by a co-condensation process of 1,3-diphenyl-1,3-propanepione (DBM) modified by the coupling agent 3-(triethoxysilyl)-propyl isocyanate (TEPIC), tetraethoxysilane (TEOS), Pluronic P123 surfactant as a template. It was demonstrated that the efficient intramolecular energy transfer in the mesoporous material Eu(DBMSi-SBA-15) 3phen mainly occurred between the modified DBM (named as DBM-Si) and the central Eu 3+ ion. So the Eu(DBMSi-SBA-15) 3phen showed characteristic emission of Eu 3+ ion under UV irradiation with higher luminescence quantum efficiency. Moreover, the mesoporous hybrid materials exhibited excellent thermal stability as the lanthanide complex was covalently bonded to the mesoporous matrix.

Intramolecular Energy Transfer and Co-luminescence Effect in Rare Earth Ions (La, Y, Gd and Tb) Doped with Eu3+ β-diketone Complexes

In this paper, Eu3+ beta-diketone Complexes with the two ligands 1-(2-naphthoyl)-3, 3, 3-trifluoroacetonate (TFNB) and 2'2-bipyridine (bpy) have been synthesized. Furthermore, we reported a systematical study of the co-fluorescence effect of Eu(TFNB)3bpy doped with inert rare earth ions (La3+, Gd3+ and Y3+) and luminescence ion Tb3+. The co-luminescence effect can be found by studying the luminescence spectra of the doped complexes, which means that the existence of the other rare earth ions (La3+, Y3+, Gd3+ and Tb3+) can enhance the luminescence intensity of the central Eu3+, which may be due to the intramolecular energy transfer between rare earth ions and Eu3+. The efficient intramolecular energy transfer in all the complexes mainly occurs between the ligand TFNB and the central Eu3+. Full characterization and detail studies of luminescence properties of all these synthesized materials were investigated in relation to co-fluorescence effect between the central Eu3+ and other inert ions. Further investigation into the luminescence properties of all the complexes show that the characteristic luminescence of the corresponding Eu3+ through the intramolecular energy transfers from the ligand to the central Eu3+. Meantime, the differences in luminescence intensity of the 5D0-->7F2 transition, in the 5D0 lifetimes and in the 5D0 luminescence quantum efficiency among all the synthesized materials confirm that the doped complex Eu(0.5)Tb(0.5)(TFNB)3bpy exhibits higher 5D0 luminescence quantum efficiency and longer lifetime than the pure Eu(TFNB)3bpy complex and other materials.

Labour mobility and migration within the EU following the 2004 Central and East European enlargement

PurposeThe paper seeks to investigate the effects of the 2004 Central and East European EU Enlargement on labour mobility.Design/methodology/approachThe paper is based on an analysis of recently available empirical evidence from the UK Labour Registration Scheme and EU comparative data based on administrative data and labour force surveys.FindingsOnly Ireland, Austria and Germany had significant migration from CEE migration and none of these exceeded 2 per cent of the labour force. The imposition of a transitional arrangement had little effect on migration flows. CEE workers were predominantly young, had above average education and yet did not fill UK skills gaps, but filled labour shortages for low paid, unskilled work.Originality/valueThis paper assesses the empirical evidence on labour mobility from Central and Eastern Europe, which is used to assess the current highly contentious debate.