Development Of European Policy Research Articles

Student Mobility from India to Selected European Countries - The Case of Germany and France

The development of European policies on higher education in the last two decades has facilitated and encouraged (inward) non-European student mobility. This paper examines the issue of student mobility between two European host countries, namely Germany and France and a leading source country, namely India.Often regarded as the “middle players”, the paper identifies factors that drive the demand for higher education in these alternative destinations and elements that have contributed to their growing visibility among Indian students. The paper draws on findings from a recently conducted survey on Indian students in Europe to also identify the challenges associated with pursuing higher education in Germany and France. The paper further examines the role of competition and its impact on the international competitiveness of these destinations and concludes with policy recommendations, which can facilitate international student flows to Germany and France.

A Minority within a Minority? Social Justice for Traveller and Roma Children in ECEC

This article discusses recent policy developments in Europe regarding Roma and Traveller integration and Early Childhood Provision. After a long history of oppression, Roma issues have recently become prominent on the EU policy agenda. The article discusses how these relate to developments in other areas of policy: the European children's rights agenda and the recognition that early childhood education and care is a key policy tool to combat social exclusion. It gives background information on Roma and Travellers in Europe and discusses the consequences of subsuming the various communities under one umbrella term: Roma. The EU Commission is concerned with responses from Member States to the European Framework for National Roma Integration Strategies. The article argues that in order to address Roma children's experience from a holistic perspective, social justice and equality need to be key elements of early childhood education and care provision and training. The European policy developments that frame the article are examined from a local vantage point: the experiences of Traveller and Roma children in Ireland and the Irish Preschool Education Initiative for Children from Minority Communities.

Round up of EU Monitor news

The European Association of Hospital Pharmacists (EAHP) produces a weekly email of the top European policy developments and other news of interest to hospital pharmacists called the European Union (EU)...

News from the European Union

The European Association of Hospital Pharmacists (EAHP) produces a weekly email of the top European policy developments and other news of interest to hospital pharmacists called the EU Monitor. Below,...

Recommendations and Strategies for the Establishment of a Guideline for Monument Documentation Harmonized with the Existing European Standards and Codes

Information on current state of immovable cultural heritage is important for specifying measures necessary to preserve the heritage in an appropriate condition and ensure that the maintenance required to keep it at this level is well defined. In this framework, EU-CHIC project aims to set-up a system introducing a concept of the “Cultural Heritage Identity Card”, which will develop into a systematic collection and storage of data on immovable heritage objects across European and neighboring countries. This work supports sustainable maintenance, preservation and revitalization of historic sites and monuments. This is achieved through the development of a guideline for the assessment of efficient documentation systems that identify the parameters needed for the characterisation of the preservation state of a monument and its possible alterations during its entire lifetime. In order to develop and test the recommendations for efficient compilation of the data pertinent to each monument under observation, the development of criteria, indicators and protocols as part of a common methodology that encourages the exchange of document between European countries is initiated. The criteria encompass all potential factors affecting the building structure, the non-structural elements, the architectural value and any other aspects ranging from the functionality of the monument/building, to its historic value. This has been achieved through an integrated survey of existing documentation protocols in the field of cultural heritage protection, and through implementation of recommendations about criteria for harmonizing these protocols, both which provide a new documentation methodology. This new methodology is an upgrade of current documentation methodologies, and responds to criteria and indicators for risk assessment and the technology state of diagnostics and data management. A guideline will provide the essential document for further development of European policies for the traceability of cultural assets and harmonization of criteria for the future maintenance of European Cultural Heritage.

La politique de développement de l'Union européenne : réformes et européanisation

An incarnation of the capacity and values of the EU, development policy has since 1957 become a central instrument of international action and is the source of more than half of all public aid for world development. Yet “European development policy” in fact covers a system of “27+1” policies : the bilateral policies of the 27 Member States + the policy conducted by the European Commission on behalf of the EU. Though ostensibly governed by shared competence and an obligation of complementarity, coordination and coherence (the “3c’s”), this system has long been a dead letter. In the past few years, the “27+1” nevertheless seem to have travelled down the path of Europeanization at the political, practical and financial levels at once. It is thus worth analyzing the dynamics presiding over this significant but laborious change, the inherent limits of which reflect the uncertainty of the European undertaking. ?

European development policy towards sub-Saharan Africa

This article examines the impact of the growing Chinese presence in Africa on the EU’s international role and more particularly on European development policy towards sub-Saharan Africa. The Chinese Africa policy is based on fundamentally different principles than the European model with regard to sovereignty and aid conditionality, offering an alternative to the dominant European approach. In this article we will argue that, although the European development model towards sub-Saharan Africa has never been entirely in line with its proclaimed principles, the “China factor” contributes to an adaptation of this European policy towards a more pragmatic and less normative strategy. Yet, this does not imply a complete overhaul of the European normative discourse which is still the most important source of legitimacy of the European development policy. It does however highlight the importance of an open and honest dialogue between the EU and sub-Saharan Africa, in particular on the merits of the European model for the development of the region and its countries.

Potential vehicle fleet CO 2 reductions and cost implications for various vehicle technology deployment scenarios in Europe

The continuous rise in demand for road transportation has a significant effect on Europe's oil dependency and emissions of greenhouse gases. Alternative fuels and vehicle technology can mitigate these effects. This study analyses power-train deployment scenarios for passenger cars and light commercial vehicles in EU-27 until 2050. It considers European policy developments on vehicle CO 2 emissions, bio-energy mandates and reductions in the CO 2 footprint of the European energy mix and translates these into comprehensive scenarios for the road transport sector. It quantifies and assesses the potential impact of these scenarios on well-to-wheel (WtW) CO 2 emission reductions primary energy demand evolution, and cost aspects for the prospective vehicle owners. The study reveals that, under the deployed scenarios, the use of bio-fuel blends, technological learning and the deployment of hybrids, battery electric, plug-in hybrid and fuel cell vehicles can decrease WtW CO 2 emissions in EU-27 passenger road transport by 35–57% (compared to 2010 levels) and primary energy demand by 29–51 Mtoe as they would benefit from a future assumed decarbonised electricity and hydrogen mix in Europe. Learning effects can lead to acceptable payback periods for vehicle owners of electric drive vehicles.

The Changing Politics of Information in European Foreign Policy

This article studies the development of European foreign policy from an informational perspective. It illustrates how since the establishment of European Political Cooperation in 1970, the European Union has gradually evolved from a platform to share foreign policy information into a Brussels‐based system that gathers and processes information autonomously. Building upon the broader literature of delegation in international organisations, it explains the gradual shift in the centre of informational gravity from the national capitals to Brussels through motives of efficiency and credibility. The development of an operational foreign policy after the Treaty of Amsterdam has considerably raised the demands for rapid and high quality data. A system entirely dependent on the ad hoc information flows from the member states proved incompatible with these new ambitions. The recent establishment of the European External Action Service and the transformation of the European Commission delegations into Union delegations is the most recent step in this long‐term and highly institutionalised process of European informational cooperation.

Lost in Translation? EU Development Policy in the Anglophone and Francophone Eastern Caribbean

The European Union's process of establishing Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) with its members' former colonies – such as the English-speaking Caribbean – has attracted much critical commentary, which focuses on how EPAs go well beyond what is necessary for WTO-compliance and force many smaller, weaker countries into liberalised reciprocal trading relationships in which they are poorly equipped to compete. A lesser-discussed dimension is found in the case of the French Caribbean Overseas Departments of Martinique and Guadeloupe. As integral regions of the EU, their experience of European policy differs markedly from that of their independent Anglophone neighbours, as they continue to enjoy protected markets and heavy subsidies. This article draws out some of the contradictions and inconsistencies in European development policy towards the Eastern Caribbean. It also considers, theoretically speaking, some of the reasons why this divergence exists, and what the implications are for EU rhetoric and practice on issues of development.

European Perspectives

This new regular section looks at emerging issues with a definite pan-European focus and high significance for transport and/or infrastructure research. Three general inter-related themes will be examined in the new section – policy , practice and research . The connections between these themes will also be the focus of the section. Sometimes the section will primarily address one of these themes and at other times it will address two or all three of the themes. The policy theme will include recent developments in European transport policy and also recent developments in environmental, regional development and economic policy where there are specific implications for transport. The practice theme will include issues such as European benchmarking and pilot projects as well as recent developments in different transport industries across Europe (shipping, aviation and rail for example) and prospects for the future. The research theme will include topics such as recent developments in European research priorities and funding opportunities for transport and/or infrastructure research.

The contribution of academia to the further development of European language policy: Some reflections based on an analysis of the European Commission's communications on multilingualism of 2005 and 2008

Over the past years the European Commission launched two communications on multilingualism: 'A New Framework Strategy for Multilingualism' (2005) and 'Multilingualism: An Asset for Europe and a Shared Commitment' (2008). Their synthetic nature makes both communications suitable to serve as a starting point for a generalising overview of the main points of European language policy as they have been given shape over the past years. Since research has fuelled and will continue to fuel the development of European language policy the overview for the purpose of this contribution is combined with a round-up of current trends in research on multilingualism. The combination of both policy directions and research trends is meant to give way to a generalising reflection on challenges related to European language policy as expressed in the Commission's communications on multilingualism and on the role academia could (or should) play in meeting these challenges.

‘New Worlds’ for ‘Old’? Twenty-First-Century Gateways and Corridors: Reflections on a European Spatial Perspective

Urban 'gateways' and 'corridors', which originated as conceptual tools to aid understanding of North American 'New World' regional development patterns in location theory, have been referred to in new ways and different situations in recent geographical literature. This article considers the profound changes reshaping the roles and functions of cities and their trade routes in contemporary globalization - the rise of the informational economy and the network organization of global knowledge-intensive advanced producer services. The policy response to these developments is critically assessed with reference to evidence from the 'Polynet' study which has investigated the changes currently transforming globalizing 'mega-city regions' in the 'Old World' setting of North West Europe. The article provides new reflections on the empirical results, addressing an apparent under-theorization of emergent urban relational geographies in European strategy considered an international role model for regional planning, including in North America. A series of paradoxes posed by the fluid urban geographies revealed in the research is identified to inform an ongoing discourse on the development of European spatial policy.

Tuberculosis screening of migrants to low-burden nations: insights from evaluation of UK practice

Tuberculosis (TB) primarily occurs in the foreign-born in European countries, such as the UK, where increasing notifications and the high proportion of foreign-born cases has refocused attention on immigrant (new entrant) screening. We investigated how UK primary care organisations (PCOs) screen new entrants and whether this differs according to TB burden in the PCOs (incidence < 20 or ≥ 20 cases per 100,000 per annum). An anonymous, 20-point questionnaire was sent to all 192 UK PCOs asking which new entrants are screened, who is screened for active TB/latent TB infection (LTBI) and the methods used. Descriptive analyses were undertaken. Categorical responses were compared using the Chi-squared test. 177 (92.2%) out of 192 PCOs responded; all undertook screening action in response to abnormal chest radiographs, but only 107 (60.4%) screened new entrants for LTBI. Few new entrants had active TB diagnosed (median 0.0%, interquartile range (IQR) 0.0-0.5%) but more were identified with LTBI (median 7.85%, IQR 4.30-13.50%). High-burden PCOs were significantly less likely to screen new entrants for LTBI (OR 0.26, 95% CI 0.12-0.54; p<0.0001). Among PCOs screening for LTBI, there was substantial deviation from national guidance in selection of new entrant subgroups and screening method. Considerable heterogeneity and deviation from national guidance exist throughout the UK new entrant screening process, with high-burden regions undertaking the least screening. Forming an accurate picture of current front-line practice will help to inform future development of European new entrant screening policy.

Evaluation of population newborn screening practices for rare disorders in member states of the European Union

As a result of a tender launched by the European Commission, an activity has started with the aims of identifying and evaluating all aspects deemed relevant to the implementation of a public health action in newborn screening (NBS), taking into consideration the views of professionals, patients and health authorities. As a result, newborn screening practices and policies will be mapped in the whole European Union and analysed on the basis of current expert methodologies and stakeholders’ views. Within the perspective that NBS is implemented as a public health initiative, a range of aspects will be considered, which ensure the feasibility and sustainability of the screening programme and its efficacy in improving population health, as well as patient care and quality of life. Moreover, challenges and opportunities resulting from NBS implementation will be identified and solutions proposed, accompanied with the information necessary to let national authorities make their own free but informed choices. Finally, the feasibility of supporting actions at the Community level will be explored in order to identify the strategies which the European Commission can adopt to promote the establishment and improvement of NBS programmes in the EU. The expected deliverables are: 1) Report on the practices of NBS for rare disorders implemented in all the Member States 2) Expert opinion, including a decision-making matrix, on the development of European policies in the field of newborn screening for rare diseases. 3) A European Union Network of Experts on Newborn Screening (EUNENBS) 4) European Experts Consensus Workshop on Newborn Screening At the European Conference on Rare Diseases, the questionnaire set up to collect information on NBS in the EU and the criteria for inclusion of experts in EUNENBS will be presented.

The challenges of Social Work education in Europe

In my presentation I will explore the situation of social work education in Europe, looking at the challenges of the XXI Century, underlining the effects and the demands arising from the application of the Bologna process and stressing the importance of developing innovative experiences in training, that focus more on competences and on an international dimension in education. Social work education initially grew in Europe at different stages from the beginning of XX th century till the end of the second world war, but also had a new and important “rebirth” after the crash of the communist regime in the central eastern part of Europe. In the last two decades the creation or re-opening of social work education in eastern European countries has been of considerable significance. What does ‘social work’ mean today and what currently are the social professions being referred to in different European countries? Authors like Lyons, Lawrence (eds.2006) and Lorenz (2006), among others, deal with the topic of social professions in Europe, with a particular focus on the role covered by education in preparing social workers. Education in social work is worthy of such a sustained focus, because of its unique nature in reflecting specific cultural and contextual dimensions. Historical backgrounds, social policy trends, pedagogical and disciplinary relationships and ‘politics’ all have implications for the way in which training in social work has been established in different countries. Local factors and European policy developments are all important elements in determining in what way social work education is evolving in terms of structure, curricula and pedagogical issues.

Blair's First Government (1997–2001) and European Security and Defence Policy: Seismic Shift or Adaptation?

Tony Blair's New Labour government came to power in 1997, promising a new attitude towards Europe, distinct from the ‘Euroscepticism’ associated with its predecessors, the Conservative party. Analysts were keen to highlight this as a significant shift in British politics, pointing in particular to Blair's instrumental role in the development of the European Security and Defence Policy (ESDP) as evidence of the change. This article examines Labour attitudes towards both the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) and the ESDP in comparison with those of its Conservative predecessors to argue that Blair's actions represented more a policy of adaptation than a momentous change in UK policy.

The European Union and the Marine Strategy Framework Directive: Continuing the Development of European Ocean Use Management

The European Union has been engaged in an effort to develop a marine strategy to protect the marine environment and a more encompassing integrated maritime policy that would provide a comprehensive system for the management of the uses of the marine areas of Europe. An earlier article by the author described the beginnings of this policy development; this article examines the subsequent 2008 Directive of the European Parliament and the Council, which establishes a framework for community action in the field of marine environmental policy. The Marine Strategy Framework Directive provides a plan of action with designated responsibilities and obligations and a schedule that is to be adhered to by member states and the European Commission. It represents a significant step in the European endeavor to advance ocean use management and sets the stage for future development of European marine policy.

MAS: building an educational platform for people with intellectual disabilities and cerebral paralysis

Intellectual disability is common and lifelong, with lifetime cost. Thus, this people have been the focus of recent major national policy developments in Europe, the USA, Australia and across high-income countries. The education of these students with disabilities now can benefit from a wider range of assistive tools. Following this unstoppable trend, this paper presents MAS, a software platform aimed to help people with severe intellectual disabilities and cerebral paralysis in their learning processes. MAS, as a technology enhanced learning platform, provides several tools that supports learning and monitoring for people with special needs, including adaptative games, data processing and monitoring tools. Installed in a special needs education institution in Madrid, Spain, MAS provides special educators with a tool that improved students education processes.

Policy and practice in foreign language education: Case studies in three European settings

This paper arises from the work of the LINEE research network (http://www.linee.org) on language education policy and practice in three European countries (England, Hungary and Italy). The paper first examines different educational ideologies which underpin the development of European language education policies, noting the increased reflection of competence and outcomes-based ideologies in the discourse of documents such as the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) and tensions between these and other more traditional humanistic educational discourses. The recent evolution of language education policy in each national context is examined in detail. Secondly, observational case studies of foreign language classroom practice documented in the three settings are examined, to clarify to what extent they reflect current competence-oriented discourses, or other more progressivist and classical humanist education traditions. Conclusions are drawn about the interactions between European lev...