Council Of Europe Research Articles

Rewriting the law of international organizations: Whither the Asia Pacific?

Abstract The law of international organizations is often described in terms of both its universality and its unity. Writers in this field begin their texts with an acknowledgement that there are common legal principles that have been developed by, and can be applied to, a variety of international organizations. The idea that there are legal principles applicable to multiple organizations – whatever their membership, location, powers, technical functions, or financial resources – is also implicit in the reports of the International Law Commission discussing the immunities, responsibilities, and law-making capacity of international organizations. But despite this search for common principles, a question remains whether international institutional law is based on the practice of all, or at the very least, a range, of organizations. Writers in this field have tended to focus on the activities of organizations based in either Europe or North America, including the United Nations and its specialized agencies, the European Union, and Council of Europe. This article argues that the omission of the principles and practices of organizations outside Europe and the United Nations’ system, specifically Asia Pacific organizations, undermines the claim of international institutional law to be universal. It explores the way in which a more inclusive approach – one that pays attention to the perspectives of Asia Pacific organizations – could illuminate certain features of the law and lead international lawyers to reconceive some of its central principles.

Educational language policy for refugee-background students in the spotlight

This article maps the differences between the European Union’s Framework of Human Rights and state-based legal mindsets (ideologies) of language policy and planning in education. Based on the analysis of the documents released by the European Commission, the Council of Ministers and the European Council in the course of the constituting of multilingual perspective and taking the experience of its local implementation into account, this article examines common cross-state indicators in order to compare multilingual responsibility of public education policies for refugee-background students (RBSs). It concludes that the assessment of multilingual possibilities in education was not complete and impartial on the level of the European Union and for a selected jurisdiction – namely, Poland. Current regional legal regulations fail to equitably address the needs of RBSs, and national-based attention eliminated the question of newcomers’ rights in education. Moreover, as highlighted for current policy-making in the European Union, there is a gap between current legal intention and political views produced by EU institutions – for example, The Commission Action Plan on the Integration of Third-Country Nationals.

Intercultural Cities: Enriching Australian Multiculturalism?

ABSTRACT Since its inception in 2008, the Council of Europe’s Intercultural Cities program (ICC) has been gaining traction in increasingly diverse parts of the world. In 2017 and 2018 respectively, the City of Ballarat and the City of Melton became the first Australian cities to join the network. This ‘intercultural turn’ in local government signals a significant development in Australian diversity policy. To date, however, it has received limited scholarly attention. To help address this gap, this paper draws on interviews and focus groups with the architects of the intercultural turn to investigate the policy motivations that propelled it and the policy shifts that it brought about. The paper also engages with policy and theoretical debates about the nature and scope of interculturalism as an approach to diversity policy that may transcend some of the limitations of multiculturalism. Ultimately, the paper argues that interculturalism offers a valuable contribution to Australia’s multicultural policy framework, but that combining the two perspectives may be more complicated than prevailing views suggest.

THE IMPACT OF THE PROBLEMS OF DETERMINING JURISDICTION IN THE VIRTUAL SPACE ON THE PROVISION OF HUMAN RIGHTS AND FREEDOMS

In many cases, the existing legal regulations are not adequate to solve the legal problems created by the Internet. Solving the legal problems created by the Internet with existing positive regulations is a situation specific to the special field of law. In cases where the existing normative documents are insufficient, it is considered appropriate to add new provisions that complement each other, and if this is not possible, to make independent legal regulations. The fact that such arrangements are based on doctrine rather than spontaneity can ultimately lead to successful practice. Therefore, the interpretation of the human rights aspect of issues related to virtual space is one of the most important topics today. The most important issue related to the protection of human rights violated in the virtual space is the resolution of the issue of jurisdiction. Issues related to the Internet have also been reflected in all international declarations adopted in the field of information society construction, including the provision of information rights. At the regional level, the Declaration "On Freedom of Communication on the Internet" adopted by the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe in 2003, the Recommendations of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe on the Human Rights Guide for Internet Users to Member States, etc. such documents are of special importance for the regulation of Internet legal relations. However, no international norm fully covers the issue of jurisdiction in virtual space. In the presented article, as a result of the research, it was concluded that it is necessary to create unified substantive and procedural legal norms that are mandatory for all in order to solve jurisdictional problems in the virtual space. Acceleration of integration and globalization processes in the world increases the interest of states in the unification of their legal norms. Because the countries of the world, which often protect their citizens from violations of their rights on the Internet, as well as from more dangerous information wars and psychological attacks, need the existence of a unified legal regulation. For this purpose, the creation and unification of legal norms that resolve jurisdictional issues in the virtual space should be implemented at different levels: bilateral, regional and universal levels

Interstate Lawsuits of Ukraine to the ECTHR: Is it Realistic to Achieve Final Judgments?

The article examines the problems and prospects of consideration of interstate applications of Ukraine against the Russian Federation by the ECtHR. The article analyzes that the ECtHR is currently considering five interstate cases initiated by Ukraine against the Russian Federation. However, the Russian Federation does not participate in the proceedings on the claims of Ukraine and does not intend to comply with the ECHR judgments. However, the ECHR will continue to consider the applications submitted to the ECtHR after Russia's withdrawal from the Council of Europe. The article proves that today there is no mechanism for enforcement of the ECtHR judgments on interstate claims of Ukraine by the Russian Federation. Since the Russian Federation does not intend to execute the decisions of the ECtHR voluntarily, there remains the option of either enforcing such judgments by the affected Ukrainians individually on the principle of reciprocity in other countries or creating a supranational mechanism for the execution of such decisions. It is indicated that in the future, the ECtHR will be able to consider and award compensation in all existing cases against the Russian Federation. Affected companies and individuals can file a claim for violation of property rights against the Russian Federation only in respect of actions or omissions before September 16, 2022. Nevertheless, even in light of the Russian Federation's withdrawal from the ECHR, all decisions taken before the exit from the ECHR and the CoE must be implemented. Although after the ECtHR has decided on the merits, it takes a long time to decide on just satisfaction. In conclusion, it is noted that the Russian Federation also does not comply with the interim measures demanded by the ECtHR to cease hostilities in Ukraine immediately. At the same time, this procedural decision is vital for considering the case "Ukraine v. Russia - X" on the merits from a historical perspective.

Transgender behind bars. The transgender pains of imprisonment in the light of the emerging and advancement of human rights protection for transgender prisoners within the Council of Europe context

Prison systems are traditionally binary systems, as prisoners are either placed in a male or a female prison facility. In the literature, transgender prisoners are identified as a vulnerable group, due to the heightened risk of human rights violations such as violence, abuse, sexual exploitation, stigma and discrimination. Maycock, building upon the theory on the ‘pains of imprisonment’ by Sykes, has identified specific pains of imprisonment to consider the particular deprivations or frustrations that transgender people experience within prison settings. In this article, the central question is whether the human rights framework as developed within the Council of Europe has put forward human rights norms for the placement and treatment of transgender prisoners to deal with these specific pains of imprisonment and to provide protection to transgender prisoners against additional suffering in prison. To ensure safe and humane prison conditions for the vulnerable group of transgender prisoners adequate human rights protection is of the utmost importance. Combining the criminological theory of the transgender pains of imprisonment with the human rights based approach this article makes a novel contribution to the study of transgender people in custody within the Council of Europe context. This approach will shed light on this often overlooked group of vulnerable persons in European prisons. The findings are not only based on theory, but also illuminate current practices in the Council of Europe Member States, as Maycock’s theory of the transgender pains of imprisonment is based on interviews with 13 transgender people in custody in the Scottish penal context and the country reports by the CPT provide evidence of penal policies and practices on the placement and treatment of transgender prisoners in 10 different Council of Europe Member States.

The Right to Work in International and National Law in the Time of Globalization

Work is not a commodity like all other commodities, but it is an emanation of the human person. For this reason, its value is higher than all other things. With the beginning of industrialization, in addition to state measures for the protection and education of work, the workers joining forces in mutual unions have done everything to oppose the inferiority of the labor factor to capital. It should be emphasized that the right to work is not a subjective right that you can claim in court in case of non-realization, but it is a principle that the State through policies must be committed to create conditions for everyone to be employed. In the time of economic and financial globalization that today's society is experiencing, the right to work is not regulated only in national legislation, but also in international legislation and collective contracts. In this work, the sources of international labor law approved by the ILO, the UN and some regional organizations such as the Council of Europe and the European Union will be explained first. It is very important to know the international sources for labor law because they occupy a privileged position in the hierarchy of sources of law in the Republic of Albania, which are often overlooked by law enforcement officers. After exhausting the sources of international labor law, the national sources will be treated with a focus on our Constitution. A special place in this work will be occupied by trade union freedom and the right to strike according to domestic law, which have historically represented the basic means to protect the rights of women workers. At the end of the report in this conference, we will briefly dwell on the impact of globalization on labor law. Received: 25 December 2023 / Accepted: 25 February 2024 / Published: 23 April 2024

The development, changes and responses of the European Union carbon border adjustment mechanism in the context of global energy transition

Energy production and consumption is the primary source of global carbon emissions. In order to achieve the goal of Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs) in the Paris Agreement, countries around the world have set off an upsurge of energy transition. The EU has ambitious INDCs. The Energy crisis has made it accelerate the energy transition, thus promoting the development of its circular economy. However, the EU focuses on carbon leakage during this process. To address this issue and maintain the competitiveness of EU industries during the transition, the EU proposed the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM). The EU proposed the background and development process of the CBAM, and organized the core content of the tripartite plan and final bill of the European Commission, European Parliament, and European Council. What's more, the framework system of the CBAM is clarified, and further analysis is conducted on the future development of CBAM of the EU based on various factors. In response to the new development of the CBAM, it is suggested that developing countries should adhere to the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities on the international front and attempt to build and improve a carbon market system to partially offset carbon tariffs. Finally, we should strengthen the research on the response plan of the EU CBAM and establish an effective communication mechanism with the EU, in order to better cope with the impact of the CBAM on the trade of developing countries in the future.

The Role of Frontex and Easo in the Field of Asylum Policies and the Guarantee of Respecting People's Rights and Integrity

In the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU), in CHAPTER V titled "Area of freedom, security and justice" it has recognized the competence of the topic of immigration which has gone through an important process of agentization, as has happened with many policies of other EU countries. The role of the European Union in answering the questions and problems posed by migratory flows, affecting the countries that are part of it, has been for many months one of the elements of the major debate within the European institutions, between the states and, obviously. , within them, with significant consequences on the political level. Despite the inevitable and many difficulties - the basic and inalienable rights of those who come to a certain country and those of those who have lived there for a long time and have a good reason to wait, the Stockholm Program of adopted by the European Council aims precisely to face the challenge of "guaranteeing respect for fundamental rights and freedoms and the integrity of people, while at the same time guaranteeing security in Europe". This should be supported, among others, by the development and implementation of policies to control and combat irregular and clandestine immigration, improving cooperation with third countries (of origin and transit of migrants), the objective of reaching a system of common asylum applying the principle of solidarity between member states in accordance with the article. 67, par. 2, which should lead to "the further analysis and development of mechanisms for the voluntary and coordinated sharing of responsibilities between Member States". European agencies represent an important part of the Union's institutional mechanism. FRONTEX and EASO were presented as tools to facilitate or strengthen cooperation operational between the authorities of the Member States. However, the activities they perform go beyond simple coordination, as they have acquired characteristics that can have negative consequences for others. Received: 25 December 2023 / Accepted: 25 February 2024 / Published: 23 April 2024

Good Administration and the Council of Europe: Law, Principles, and Effectiveness, edited by Ulrich Stelkens and Agnė Andrijauskaitė

Good Administration and the Council of Europe: Law, Principles, and Effectiveness, edited by Ulrich Stelkens and Agnė Andrijauskaitė

EndoBridge 2023: highlights and pearls.

EndoBridge 2023 took place on October 20-22, 2023, in Antalya, Turkey. Accredited by the European Council, the 3-day scientific program of the 11th Annual Meeting of EndoBridge included state-of-the-art lectures and interactive small group discussion sessions incorporating interesting and challengingclinical cases led by globally recognized leaders in the field and was well attended by a highly diverse audience. Following its established format over the years, the program provided a comprehensive update across all aspects of endocrinology and metabolism, including topics in pituitary, thyroid, bone, and adrenal disorders, neuroendocrine tumors, diabetes mellitus, obesity, nutrition, and lipid disorders. As usual, the meeting was held in English with simultaneous translation into Russian, Arabic, and Turkish. The abstracts of clinical cases presented by the delegates during oral and poster sessions have been published in JCEM Case Reports. Herein, we provide a paper on highlights and pearls of the meeting sessions covering a wide range of subjects, from thyroid nodule stratification to secondary osteoporosis and from glycemic challenges in post-bariatric surgery to male hypogonadism. This report emphasizes the latest developments in the field, along with clinical approaches to common endocrine issues. The 12th annual meeting of EndoBridge will be held on October 17-20, 2024 in Antalya, Turkey.

A Survey of UV Filters Used in Sunscreen Cosmetics

The aim of this study was to determine the types of UV filters used in adult and children’s sunscreen products sold in Poland (part of the EU market) and their frequency of use. The INCI compositions of sunscreen products were collected and analyzed for the presence of UV filters. The study included 150 randomly selected preparations for adults (from 71 brands) and 50 for children (from 33 brands). The survey concerned the UV filters listed in Annex VI to Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 of the European Parliament and Council of 30 November 2009 on cosmetic products. The most frequently used UV filters in the child sunscreens were triazine derivatives: bis-ethylhexyloxyphenol methoxyphenyl triazine (60.0%) and ethylhexyl triazone (52.0%), and ethylhexyl salicylate (46.0%), a derivative of salicylic acid. The most common in adult sunscreens were butyl methoxydibenzoylmethane (56.0%), a dibenzoylmethane derivative, followed by the salicylic acid derivative ethylhexyl salicylate (54.7%) and the triazine derivatives bis-ethylhexyloxyphenol methoxyphenyl triazine (54.7%) and ethylhexyl triazone (50.0%). Physical filters, including their nano and non-nano forms, were more popular in sunscreens for children, i.e., 50.0% (TiO2) and 22.0% (ZnO), than for adults: 21.3% (TiO2) and 6.7% (ZnO). For both adults and children, many cosmetic products contained four or five UV filters per preparation; however, the child preparations often used two UV filters. To summarize, the following UV filters dominate in photoprotectors for both adults and children: butyl methoxydibenzoylmethane, bis-ethylhexyloxyphenol methoxyphenyl triazine, ethylhexyl triazone, ethylhexyl salicylate, and diethylamino hydroxybenzoyl hexyl benzoate.

Enhancing youth Voices: Exploring community participation through youth workers

The European Union and Council of Europe (hereafter referred to as the EU and CE) encourage member states to promote and stimulate the active participation of young people through the role of youth workers. However, it is worth noting that the personal perceptions of youth workers may influence the actions they take to achieve this goal. This article aims to investigate the perceptions of youth workers and the characteristics and conditions of their interventions in promoting young people's participation in the community. To this end, six discussion groups were formed, consisting of 51 professionals working in this field in Catalonia, Spain. The findings suggest that youth workers associate the notion of participation with how young people dialogue with the public institutions. Although youth workers have observed self-managed forms of participation among young people, their aim is to improve the relationship between young people and institutions. They also acknowledge that young people are often on the margins of the local political context. Rather than being viewed as active citizens and central figures, young people are frequently seen as being in a learning and development phase towards adulthood. At the methodological level, youth workers use strategies based on socio-educational relationships and identify conditioning factors that limit the development of transformative policies for civic participation in their workplaces. It is recommended that the model for local youth policies be transformed into a more collaborative approach. This would involve collaboration between youth workers, young people and adults to foster innovative public participation policies that help promote the potential of municipalities for change.

Towards a Human Right to Psychological Continuity? Reflections on the Rights to Personal Identity, Self-Determination, and Personal Integrity

Abstract Scholars from different disciplines are increasingly debating how human rights should protect the autonomy not only over our bodies but also over our minds. These debates are often driven by emerging technologies that appear able to access, monitor, and manipulate mental states in ways that were previously inconceivable. Whereas some human rights already protect certain personal interests in the mental realm, such as the right to freedom of thought, it has been argued that new or updated human rights are necessary to offer adequate protection against modern technologies that may threaten our mental privacy, personal integrity, and identity. One of the proposed rights, which is under consideration by the Council of Europe and the UN Human Rights Council, concerns a right to ‘psychological continuity’. This paper challenges the necessity of recognising such a right, arguing that the notion of psychological continuity already receives considerable protection within the established framework of human rights law.

SOME FEATURES OF CELLULAR ENERGY SUPPLY OF THE BODY IN PREMATURE INFANTS WITH SEVERE FORMS OF PERINATAL PATHOLOGY

The nature of postnatal adaptation of newborns, their further growth, development, health status and quality of life largelydepend on the well-being of intrauterine development and maturity at birth. Premature birth under hypoxia causes signifi cant metabolic disorders in the body, is accompanied by a high risk of severe organ dysfunction, which requires in-depth research to clarify the features of intracellular metabolism in order to further improve methods of diagnosis and treatment of newborns with various forms of perinatal pathology.Aim of the research. To study the trends of changes in energy metabolism in premature infants with severe forms of perinatal pathology to investigate the possibility of using them as additional criteria of hypoxic damage to the body in conditions of morphological and functional immaturity.Materials and methods. Clinical and laboratory examinations were performed on 68 newborns with severe forms of perinatal pathology at the gestational age of 32 to 34 weeks; the comparison group consisted of 27 conditionally healthy newborns at the gestational age of 34 to 37 weeks. Inclusion criteria for the main study group: gestational age at birth from 32 to 34 weeks, clinical signs of severe perinatal pathology. Exclusion criteria: gestational age at birth < 32 and ≥ 37 weeks, diagnosed congenital malformations and septic conditions. The list of diseases was determined according to the International Classifi cation of Diseases, X Revision. The following blood serum laboratory parameters were studied: lactate level, glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GPDH) (EC 1.1.99.5), succinate dehydrogenase (SDH), NADH dehydrogenase (NADH) (EC 1.6.5.3); the electron transport chain coeffi cient (ETC) was calculated. Laboratory studies were performed using micromethods. The study was conducted in accordance with the provisions of GCP (1996), the Convention of the Council of Europe on Human Rights and Biomedicine (April 4, 1997), the Declaration of Helsinki of the World Medical Association (1964-2008), Order of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine No. 690 dated September 23, 2009 (as amended by Order of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine No. 523 dated July 12, 2012). Protocol of scientifi c research of the Biomedical Ethics Committee of BSMU dated September 12, 2015. Informed written consent was obtained from the parents of the patients before the study with an explanationof the purpose, objectives and methods of laboratory testing. Statistical processing of the results was performed using STATISTICA software (StatSoft Inc., USA, version 10). Comparison of quantitative indicators with normal distribution was performed using Student’s t-test, and the probability of diff erences was considered statistically signifi cant at p<0.05. The complex of studies was conducted within the framework of the planned research topics of the Department of Pediatrics, Neonatology and Perinatal Medicine of the Bukovinian State Medical University: «Improvement of the areas of prognosis, diagnostics and treatment of perinatal pathology in newborns and infants, optimization of the schemes of catamenial observation and rehabilitation» (State registration No. 0115U002768, term of execution 01.2015-12.2019) and «Chronobiological and adaptive aspects and features of vegetative regulation in pathological conditions in children of diff erent age groups» (State registration No. 0122U002245, term of execution 01.2020-12.2024).Results. In newborns of the main group, in comparison with the control group, a signifi cant decrease in GFDH and SDHwas found, which indicates a signifi cant impairment of the activity of enzymes of the respiratory chain and explains the lack of oxygen absorption in the body at the cellular and tissue level, causing the severity of the condition of newborns. Determination of the level of GPDH and SDH in the dynamics of observation in children showed some improvement in these indicators. In the severe condition of newborns, a signifi cant increase in the NADPH index was found, with a further probable increase in its level in the dynamics of observation. Calculations of ETC coeffi cient in cord blood showed a signifi cant decrease of this indicator in comparison with the control group. The identifi ed disorders of intracellular energy metabolism under hypoxia indicate the expediency of conducting comprehensive scientifi c research to study the possibilities of appropriate pharmacological correction to improve the eff ectiveness of treatment of severe forms of perinatal pathology in premature infants.Conclusions: 1. The results of the study revealed a signifi cant decrease in GPDH and SDH at elevated levels of NADPH andETC coeffi cient, which confi rms the presence of signifi cant disturbances in intracellular energy metabolism and mitochondrial oxidation processes. 2. Timely detection of metabolic disorders with the determination of mitochondrial oxidation, in particular energy metabolism, is an important area for improving diagnostic measures in severe forms of perinatal pathology in preterm infants with hypoxic damage to the body in the pathogenesis.

The Council of Europe and the Catalan Secessionist Process: The Authoritarian Drift of the Radical Democratic Principle

AbstractThis study shines a light on the problem of Catalan secessionist leaders’ abuse of the term “democracy”, an issue rarely discussed in the academic debate. The Catalan secessionist case has mainly been studied as a problem concerning the principle of territorial integrity and how it relates to the existence (or otherwise) of a right of self-determination for a substate entity. However, it is also a problem of democracy. For the entire secessionist process was based on a democratic principle outside and against the Spanish Constitution: one that defends the supremacy and inviolability of the (regional, in this case) parliamentary majority over the rule of law and respect for minority rights. It thus pitted a radical or identity-based democracy against the democracy protected and promoted by the Council of Europe (in which the rule of law, human rights and democracy are inseparable principles forming a single whole). The Venice Commission, the European Court of Human Rights and a divided Parliamentary Assembly have all witnessed this defence of authoritarianism through the radical democratic principle advocated by the leaders of the Catalan process. In response, the first two have defended constitutional democracy, the common heritage on which European public order is based. In 2021, the PACE took a short-lived position (it has adopted no further resolutions in this sense), buoyed by a weak majority, in favour of the Catalan radical democratic principle. Two years later, however, it, too, would defend constitutional democracy as the “genuine democracy” to which the 1949 Treaty of London refers, albeit again by a slim majority. The study concludes that there is no place for the radical democratic principle in Council of Europe law.

Learning to Live Together. A Key Educational Challenge of our Time

The commitment of learning to live together / with others is considered a key educational challenge of our time. A challenge that we cannot exempt ourselves from because it is an indispensable task for all, without exception. On the basis of contributions by some international organizations - in particular, UNESCO and the Council of Europe - the author focuses on the need to educate people to live together in the culture of human rights. The author presents UNESCO's permanent program Education for All as a way of living together, and considers the inclusive education, the quality education, the integral education and education to solidarity as a way forward for the future, and the intercultural education as a strategy of living together. The author concludes by highlighting that these perspectives, and so the same Education for All, must be set on the path of learning to love in order to succeed, addressing the most vulnerable segments of society, including refugees affected by war, natural disasters and poverty. This emerges as a global challenge today and a consideration absent in the already examined prospects which seems a rare consideration outside the Catholic circles. Confronted with the present circumstances, which include not only wars and organized violence but also a monumental climate catastrophe, it is now crucial to rediscover the profound essence of education and the pedagogical contemplation that enlightens educational endeavors, befitting human dignity. Undoubtedly, the prospects involve instilling the principles of living together through early childhood education, practicing democratic values, fostering serene coexistence, peace, and solidarity, while respecting and promoting the fundamental rights of all human beings. Despite the challenging situations witnessed globally, this vision may seem like an unattainable utopia, but it remains a crucial goal for the future.

Procedures for the Acquisition of Citizenship in the Republic of Kosovo

The Republic of Kosovo is a parliamentary republic that declared its independence on February 17, 2008. Currently, Kosovo is in the stage of institutional, political, and economic development and consolidation, and is strongly advancing toward the Euro-Atlantic integration process. States, in principle, within the domestic power they possess, have the right to regulate the procedures and requirements of acquiring and revoking citizenship, which can be considered as an element and instrument of the exercise of state sovereignty. However, states are generally careful when drafting legislation regarding citizenship to align their legal guidelines with important international instruments. The Council of Europe’s Convention on Nationality, along with the Law on Citizenship of Kosovo and those of other states subject to comparison, are the subject of this paper. The new Law on Citizenship (which is currently in force) was approved in 2013. This law defines the modalities of acquisition, loss, and re-acquisition of citizenship of Kosovo and other issues related to citizenship. The main focus of this article is the correct definition and fair implementation of the procedures, criteria and requirements of the modalities for obtaining the citizenship of Kosovo through the Law on Citizenship of Kosovo and other related laws. Such an approach will contribute, no matter how little, in facilitating a fairer execution of the Law on Citizenship of Kosovo.

The Global Impact of CEFR in Higher Education: A Case Study in Kazakhstan and Insights from a Pedagogical Experiment

The article explores the transformative impact of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) on global language pedagogy, with a particular focus on its implications for higher education and its application in Kazakhstan. Introduced by the Council of Europe in the early 2000s, the CEFR offers a comprehensive framework for language teaching, learning, and assessment, spanning six competency levels from A1 to C2. Its widespread adoption has reshaped language education policies and practices worldwide, emphasizing communication skills across reading, writing, speaking, and listening. The study investigates the evolution of the CEFR and its integration into higher education systems, examining its influence in countries such as the UK, Germany, France, and Canada. Notably, Kazakhstan has embraced the CEFR as a guiding framework for language instruction, aiming to enhance graduates’ employability in the international job market. Additionally, the article presents findings from a pedagogical experiment conducted at a Kazakhstani university, assessing the effectiveness of CEFR-aligned speaking assessment criteria in improving students’ proficiency. The study employs a mixed-methods approach, combining quantitative data analysis with qualitative student feedback, highlighting the positive impact of aligning teaching strategies with the CEFR. Overall, the research contributes valuable insights into the practical application of the CEFR in Kazakhstani higher education and its broader implications for language instruction worldwide. Keywords: CEFR, higher education system, teaching methods, assessment criteria, student feedback, survey.

A comprehensive approach to safety for highly automated off-road machinery under Regulation 2023/1230

As of January 2027, Machine Safety Regulation 2023/1230 replaces Directive 2006/42/EC, and a proposal for the regulation of Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems is soon to be ratified by the European Council. These legislative changes address hazards from increased automation and AI integration. Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) face compliance challenges due to a lack of standardized guidelines, especially for off-road machinery with level 4 ‘high automation’ capabilities.At level 4 ‘high automation’, the machine operator assumes a supervisory role, intervening only in situations beyond the designed operational domain. Relying solely on supervisor intervention at this level of automation is unreasonable. Within this context, legislative safety requirements to maintain safety advocate for robust risk management systems, including both a human-in-the-loop safety option and adequate safety-related decision-making by the level 4 ‘high automation’ off-road machine, i.e., the safe reasoning software becomes paramount.In this research, conducted through a systematic mapping study, we discuss emerging safety trends and integration for the safe reasoning software a level 4 off-road machine requires. Our analyses shows the necessity of safety constraint-based design procedures. These procedures involve constraining the AI system by embedding fault management, reasoning checks, and diagnostic monitoring together with safety-related decision-making, thereby enhancing functional reliability and reducing risks. We consider these trends and patterns through the lens of changing machine safety legislative requirements, and the proposal of the regulation of AI products. Illustrating their implications alongside a case study of a level 4 tree harvesting machine, for a tangible and to industry transferable perspective on our results.