Development Policies In Europe Research Articles

GEOSPATIAL ANALYSIS OF THE POTENTIAL OF THE TERRITORIES OF UKRAINE FOR THE LOCATION OF SOLAR POWER PLANTS BASED ON SATELLITE DATA

Climate change necessitates the relevance of renewable energy utilization worldwide. The Green Deal defines the energy development policy in Europe until 2030. This challenge holds particular significance for Ukraine in the context of post-war energy infrastructure recovery. Therefore, an important issue is the analysis of the suitability of Ukrainian territories for the installation of large-scale solar power plants (solar farms) and the optimization of their placement. This research aims to determine the suitability of Ukrainian territories for solar power plant placement using satellite data on climate and terrain characteristics. Among the factors determining the suitability of the territory for solar farms, the greatest impact lies in climatic indicators, including data on the total global horizontal solar irradiation (GHI), accumulated temperature above 25 °C at a height of 2 meters, average annual wind speed, and map of accumulated annual precipitation from the ERA5-Land dataset. In this study, terrain maps containing information on elevations, slopes, and terrain shading from the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) project were also used to determine the suitability of the territories. The suitability of the territories is determined through geospatial analysis using weighted sums. Based on the research results, a suitability map was constructed, depicting the distribution of zones with different suitability coefficients (ranging from 0 to 1). It was found that a significant portion of Ukraine’s territory is favorable for the placement of solar power plants. Over 48 % of the country has moderate suitability values (0.3…0.4). The obtained suitability map was used to analyze the optimal placement of already constructed major solar power plants in Ukraine. Data from Wikimapia was utilized to determine the locations of these energy facilities. Overall, all the analyzed large-scale solar power plants in Ukraine were situated in optimal territories. The research also revealed that certain regions, such as Odesa, Poltava, Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia, Dnipro, Donetsk, and Luhansk, have good suitability values (0.3…0.4) but are not fully utilized. These areas have significant potential for the future construction of powerful and productive solar power plants

Testing the Influence of Metakaolinite and Zeolite on the Adhesion of BFRP and GFRP Bars to Concrete

Today’s sustainable development policy in Europe, which is driven by concerns about the greenhouse effect and environmental protection, mandates a reduction in CO2 emissions into the atmosphere. The cement industry and steel mills that produce reinforcing bars are among the largest and most emissions-intensive sectors emitting CO2 into the atmosphere. This article analyzes the possibility of achieving significant reductions in CO2 emissions by using basalt bars (BFRP) and glass bars (GFRP) in concrete structures, and—in the case of concrete—by using cement with the addition of metakaolinite and zeolite. There is a lack of literature reports on whether modifying concrete with the additions of metakaolinite and zeolite as substitutes for part of the cement affects the adhesion of FRP bars to concrete. It can be assumed, however, that improving the microstructure of concrete also improves the contact zone between the bar and the concrete. The aim of this research is to fill the aforementioned gap in the literature data by determining how the presence of metakaolinite and zeolite affects the adhesion of reinforcing bars to concrete and testing selected properties of hardened concrete. The test samples were prepared following the appropriate beam test procedure. The obtained results made it possible to perform a comparative analysis of reference samples and those with metakaolinite and zeolite additions. The research showed that introducing active pozzolanic additives in the form of metakaolinite and zeolite into concrete improved adhesion stress values by approximately 20% for glass GFRP bars and 15% for basalt BFRP bars, especially in the destruction phase.

Opinion paper on green deal for the urban regeneration of industrial brownfield land in Europe

Economic, social and environmental sustainability are becoming more important in urban and territorial development policies in Europe and internationally. Recently, the United States and Europe have put forth the green deals proposing programmatic provisions for achieving territorial sustainability through the redevelopment of brownfield land into Sustainable Industrial Areas (SIAs). This opinion paper presents the benefits of the European Green Deal (EGD) policies as support for brownfield land redevelopment, SIA implementation and urban regeneration in light of the experiences of many countries in the European Union (EU). Moreover, this paper makes policy recommendations and discusses future research directions.

Сельское местное сообщество в фокусе политики развития: научный дискурс и европейские политические реалии

Сельское местное сообщество в фокусе политики развития: научный дискурс и европейские политические реалии

Comparing Wind Development Policies in Europe, Asia and America

In recent years, the wind industry has undergone considerable development worldwide, thanks mainly to state support for renewable energy embodied in various standards and initiatives. However, the situation differs significantly among the main world producers of electricity from wind power, and in some, we can find incomplete energy policies and regulatory frameworks, which have led to very different economic and social outcomes. In this paper, we present a comparative study of wind policies (based on a multidisciplinary approach) in the leading countries of Europe, Asia and America, in order to establish a comprehensive framework for the sector's future.

Mainstreaming climate change in regional development policy in Europe: five insights from the 2007–2013 programming period

The EU Structural and Cohesion Funds (SCF) are potentially important instruments for supporting climate policy-related efforts and addressing unevenly distributed capacities for successful mitigation and adaptation across the EU. This paper reports on the level of climate mainstreaming in EU regional development policy in the 2007–2013 programming period: first, we explore the normative commitment to climate change concerns through an analysis of the National Strategic Reference Frameworks (NSRFs) in which all 27 Member States specify their development and funding priorities. Second, we analyze the substantive commitments by mapping financial allocations from the SCF related to climate mitigation and adaptation. Based on this, we gain five main insights, which are relevant to future mainstreaming efforts and which may have important implications for the wider debate on the purpose of European regional policy: (1) mitigation appears well mainstreamed in EU cohesion policies, both in normative and financial terms, whereas adaptation is hardly considered. (2) Rhetorical commitment to climate concerns in the strategy documents does not necessarily match financial allocations to respective priorities. (3) Neither mitigation nor adaptation-relevant priorities and allocations in the NSRFs can be linked to the ambitious mitigation targets and low adaptive capacity, respectively. (4) There is ample potential to improve climate-relevant SCF support in the area of adaptation, particularly given that several existing priority areas for funding coincide with the climate adaptation agenda. (5) By conditioning a minimum percentage of funds to be spent on priority areas (earmarking), cohesion policy also gains meaning as a burden sharing instrument for adaptation to climate change.

Quantifying entrepreneurship and its impact on local economic performance: A spatial assessment in rural Switzerland

Regional and rural development policies in Europe increasingly emphasize entrepreneurship to mobilize the endogenous economic potential of rural territories. This study develops a concept to quantify entrepreneurship as place-dependent local potential to examine its impact on the local economic performance of rural territories in Switzerland. The short-to-medium-term impact of entrepreneurship on the economic performance of 1706 rural municipalities in Switzerland is assessed by applying three spatial random effects models. Results suggest a generally positive relationship between entrepreneurship and local development: rural municipalities with higher entrepreneurial potential generally show higher business tax revenues per capita and a lower share of social welfare cases among the population, although the impact on local employment is less clear. The explanatory power of entrepreneurship in all three models, however, was only moderate. This finding suggests that political expectations of fostering entrepreneurship to boost endogenous rural development in the short-to-medium term should be damped.

Cross-Border Mobility, Unfamiliarity and Development Policy in Europe

In this special issue, we seek to explore experiences, performances and effects of both “unfamiliarity” and “familiarity” across a diversity of inner and outer borders of the European Union. In EU integration discourse, cross-border unfamiliarity is usually considered to obstruct international mobility and diminish opportunities for cross-border cohesion and communities to develop. European development policy, therefore, often focuses on creating mutual understanding in border regions, especially through diminishing the barrier effect of borders. One of the consequences is that more cross-border familiarity is created. However, too much familiarity may also have undermining implications for cross-border mobility, integration and community-building. This special issue, therefore, scrutinizes what “being” and “feeling” (un)familiar imply in cross-border contexts and what consequences both have for spatial practices in and representations of borderlanders in several Euroregions—as well as for European regional development policies aiming for cross-border mobility, integration and community-building.

Regional economic development policy in Europe: Where next?

The recent financial crisis has raised important questions about the future of regional economic development policy in Europe. Budget cuts at a time when economic growth is a priority indicates some lack of confidence by governments in the effectiveness of economic development. Deflationary policies to defend the euro in poorer Member States of the European Union are sharply increasing divergence between economies, with the long-standing economic development imperative of convergence taking a back seat. Migration from poorer to richer countries is likely to increase as a result. Yet EU governments individually and collectively show every sign of wishing to continue to be seen to be doing economic development, even with reduced resources. Thechallenge for economic developers and policy makers is to devise programmes which are not blown off course by sudden changes at the macro level, can demonstrate their value at the regional and national level, and can attract sufficient political support to be sustained for the long term. This article suggests some ways forward.

Consistent and unbiased carbon dioxide emission multipliers: Performance of Danish emission reductions via external trade

Abstract Climate change research is currently a topic of great interest for economic researchers. In particular, environmental input–output analysis increasingly plays an important role in measuring the economic and environmental effects of sustainable development policies in Europe. Other approaches also exist, such as econometric modelling, in which impacts are quantified on statistical grounds and with certain desirable properties (efficient estimates, confidence intervals, hypothesis testing, etc.) that are not found in the input–output approach. Consequently, this paper merges the two approaches to address the calculation of unbiased and consistent carbon dioxide emission multipliers for Denmark and their respective confidence intervals. The use of the supply and use system instead of the symmetric input–output table also presents the opportunity to avoid the common problems associated with the construction of technical coefficients (technology assumptions, negatives, etc.). Moreover, a new policy-relevant application of these multipliers is introduced: the quantification of the performance of the carbon dioxide emission reductions carried out by industries via external trading.

Sustainable Food Systems in Europe: Policies, Realities and Futures

ABSTRACT This article reviews the food sustainability challenges facing the 27-nation member European Union (EU). It describes the evolution of sustainable development policy in Europe against the background of the EU's evolution and diverse membership, with particular reference to agriculture and food. It argues that while sustainability challenges in agriculture have received considerable policy attention, those facing the powerful manufacturing and retail segments of the food industry have barely been addressed. Given the scale and complexity of issues encompassing the food industry and its environmental, social, economic, and health effects, public health analysis and policy auditing should be “rethought” on the basis of an ecological public health perspective.

Directions in Rural Development Policy – Lessons from Both Sides of the Atlantic Richtlinien für die ländliche Entwicklungspolitik – Beispiele von diesseits und jenseits des Atlantiks Les orientations de la politique de développement rural – Enseignements en provenance des deux côtés de l’Atlantique

Directions in Rural Development Policy – Lessons from Both Sides of the AtlanticA workshop comparing rural development policies in Europe and the US found differences in the social values that shape them. These include different attachments to place, concerns with lagging regions, and interests in the assessment of public interventions. There is also a difference in coverage. In the EU environmental and landscape issues form part of the CAP’s Rural Development Pillar, using agriculture as an instrument, whereas in the US these are handled by other policies, some of which can claim deeper historical roots. In the context of rural development policy, the EU attaches intrinsic value to the environment, while in the US the focus is more on economic spin‐offs from environmental quality. There are also differences in governance; a complete US view requires taking in Federal, State and local initiatives whereas in the EU a more organised framework is apparent. Nevertheless, when policy is viewed from a bottom‐up perspective many common features are found. Improving human and social capital and infrastructure are key factors to stimulating economic development on both sides of the Atlantic, though only some of these drivers form part of the CAP’s Pillar II. While in the EU the role of rural development is set to expand, this is far less certain in the US where the emphasis on agricultural support is likely to continue to dominate the political agenda.

Comparative analysis of less-favoured areas payments in the EU states

The core objectives for rural development support for the period 2007–2013 are: (1) improving the competitiveness of agriculture and forestry, (2) improving the environment and the countryside, and (3) improving the quality of life in rural areas and encouraging the diversification of economic activity. The Council Regulation (EC) No. 1698/2005 includes an unambiguous targeting of smaller and micro-enterprises to sustain job opportunity in rural areas. For this scheduled period, a minimum funding of 10% of the total EU contribution has been withheld by the Council Regulation for the measures connected with the quality of life and diversification of the rural economy outside agriculture and forestry. In spite of this, the EU Court of Auditors has concluded that rural development policy in Europe is ineffective because it continues to allow member states to adopt a predominantly sectoral approach with the primary focus on the agricultural sector (Special Report No. 17/2006). This paper deals with the possible impact of one RDP measure – the reduction of LFA payments according to farm size. Taking into account the variety of regions in Europe and the different situations at national level, it is difficult to provide a single guideline to solve the problem. Implementation without a deep analysis could lead to undesirable consequences. A specific adjustment to the situation of the given country will be advisable.

Identifying European marginal areas in the context of local sheep and goat breeds conservation: A geographic information system approach

Local sheep and goat breeds are generally argued to be remarkably well adapted to marginal rural areas. The latter are often said to be particularly or solely suitable for extensive husbandry mostly based on small ruminants. However, many local sheep and goat breeds are presently endangered. Both conserving these breeds and maintaining an active agricultural presence in marginal areas are presently two major priorities for agricultural and rural development policy in Europe. The objective of this paper is to analyse the spatial link between the geographic distribution of traditional, locally adapted sheep and goat breeds and the relative marginality of regions. The concept of marginal areas is discussed and defined and an index of relative marginality is computed in a Geographic Information System. The index combines land use, demographic and socio-economic data. The correlation between the marginality of a region measured by the index and the geographic distribution of sheep and goat breeds is analysed using a simple logit model. The broader interest of the index as a tool for agricultural and rural development policy applications is then discussed.

Sustainable Development Policies in Europe

The objective of this paper is to investigate the actual situation in the shift towards the implementation of Sustainable Development Policies in Europe. The aim is to highlight the key role of the European Union in bringing about sustainable development within Europe and also on the wider global stage. It will show how the European Commission performs its commitment in reaching a sustainable regulation by issuing some documents and declarations. The paper frames the EU action into an international framework of strategies, agreements and policies on SD and, at the same time, provides an overview on experiences of SD strategy implementations at the national level, according to the commission pressing on MS to produce their own SD strategy and implement it. Indicators systems, issues of interest and fields of actions are compared: the analysis of these elements aims to highlight common scenarios of SD strategies that reveal the trends towards a more sustainable growth in the European Union.

Territorial Cohesion: An International Comparison from the Perspective of Greater Pearl River Delta, Southern China

The paper by Peter Schon identifies two key aims in relation to territorial cohesion and spatial development policy in Europe: the identification and strengthening of place-based territorial capita...

Polycentric Development Policies in Europe: Overview and Debate

The way the novel concept of polycentric development is used across Europe resembles a general pattern of diffusion of innovation: new ideas emerge at many different places simultaneously. However there are many different opinions about precisely what polycentric development is. What will be made clear in this paper is that the concept of polycentric development brings together two conflicting perceptions of spatial-economic development, namely cohesion and competitiveness.