EU Member States Research Articles

EuMAR stakeholder engagement: an analysis of medically assisted reproduction (MAR) data collection practices in EU countries†.

What are the current national medically assisted reproduction (MAR) data collection systems across EU Member States, and how can these countries contribute to a unique, cycle-by-cycle registry for the European Monitoring of Medically Assisted Reproduction (EuMAR) project? The study identified significant variation in MAR data collection practices across Member States, with differences in data types, collection methods, and reporting requirements; the EuMAR project emerges as an opportunity to enhance data standardization and improve MAR data collection in the EU. There is a need for new approaches in MAR data collection that include long-term and cross border follow-up. The EuMAR project intends to establish a unified, cycle-by-cycle registry of data on MAR treatments in EU countries, from which accurate cumulative outcomes can be calculated. This cross-sectional study involved a survey and interviews with stakeholders from 26 EU Member States conducted in 2023 over a period of seven months. Representatives from national competent authorities and professional associations involved in MAR data collection in EU countries were invited to complete the survey and interviewed to assess current data flows, information requirements, and their interest in the EuMAR project. Half of the participating countries reported having a national MAR registry with cycle-by-cycle data (n = 13), while 31% reported having a national registry with aggregated data (n = 8) and 19% reported having no national registry (n = 5). Of the countries with a national cycle-by-cycle registry, eight countries collect identifiable data, five countries collect pseudonymized data, and one country collects fully anonymized data. Informed consent is required in 10 countries. The main advantages that participants expected from a European registry like EuMAR were the possibility of obtaining national statistics in the absence of a national registry and improving the calculation of cumulative outcomes. The results of the study are based on self-reported data, which may be subject to bias, however, the validity of the collected information was verified with different means, including follow-up calls for clarifications and sharing final transcript reports. The feasibility of the proposed data flow models will be tested in a pilot study. Despite the heterogeneity of data collection practices across EU countries, the results show that stakeholders have high expectations of the benefits that the EuMAR registry can bring, namely the improvement of data consistency, cross-border comparability, and cumulative live birth rates, leading to better information for patients, health care providers and policy makers. The EuMAR project was co-founded by ESHRE and the European Commission (101079865-EuMAR-EU4H-2021-PJ2). No competing interests were declared. N/A.

Sustainable development through eco-innovation. Empirical evidence from the EU-27 member states

Sustainable development through eco-innovation. Empirical evidence from the EU-27 member states

Reception Centers and Practices for Women Migrants

This paper focuses on reception centers for women migrants from a gender mainstreaming perspective and it reflects on the current practices and their adequacy with women migrants’ needs. Based on COST Action Women on the Move (CA19112)’s experience and research, it discusses the different typologies of reception facilities, and highlights the impact of reception on women migrants’ integration, as well as the necessity to coordinate best practices across Europe and EU Member States. Then authors recommend to improve the quality of reception with better trained staff and measures adequate to women migrants’ specific needs for their safety and health. The research also suggests introducing integrative programs and coordinating information and good practices across Europe, but above all an end to detention centers for migrants.

Goals and Pathways of Public Governance Contribution to Achieve Progress in the Quality of Life

This research examines the importance of effective public governance in maximising the well-being of citizens in EU member states. Our research strategy used an integrated modelling framework involving data mapping and an autoregressive model with distributed lags (ARDL) for 2012–2022 in the EU member countries. The results demonstrated that the World Governance Indicator (WGI) has a mixed impact on Quality of Life (QL). In the short term, the impact is positive if there is an increase in the level of the public governance indicator, and in the long term, the effect of public governance on the quality of life is negative due to the challenges associated with implementing reforms. Additionally, our results highlighted that, to improve citizens’ quality of life, policies should focus on increasing the Purchasing Power (PP) and Safety of Society (SS) as well as on issues related to Pollution (P) and the Cost of Living (CL). There are similarities between the long-term ARDL analysis estimate and the short-term one, with the latter pointing out that they will be able to have quick positive effects, while pollution and increased living costs have immediate adverse effects on quality of life.

A Study Regarding the Relationship between Carbon Emissions, Energy Consumption, and Economic Development in the Context of the Energy Growth Nexus

As the EU strives to achieve its climate goals, it is becoming increasingly crucial to understand the complex relationships between economic activity, energy consumption, and carbon emissions. In this context, our paper aims to investigate the correlation between carbon emissions, energy consumption, and economic development. To fulfill our aim, we have used Eurostat and OECD data for the EU-27 member states for a period of 13 years (2010–2022), using a linear regression as the main analysis method. Our results have shown that there is a strong correlation between demand-based and production-based CO2 emissions as well as between production-based CO2 emissions and final energy consumption, while at the same time, our findings have shown that there is no direct correlation between energy consumption and economic development, aligning our study with the neutrality hypothesis of the energy growth nexus. This paper expands the ongoing discussion on sustainable development and climate change mitigation by conducting a thorough analysis of the EU-27 countries over a span of thirteen years. The results emphasize the need for integrated strategies that address both production and consumption emissions, emphasize the vital role of energy efficiency, and raise questions about the effectiveness of increasing energy consumption to enhance economic productivity or CO2 efficiency.

The Role of the EU in the Justice System Reforms

The European Union plays a significant role in reforming the judicial system, both in countries aspiring to EU membership and in existing EU member states. Achieving an adequate level of judicial independence, accountability, professionalism, and efficiency is crucial for preserving the rule of law across the EU. To this end, the European Union employs various mechanisms, initiatives, and corrective measures. These are essential not only for supporting judicial reforms but also for monitoring and evaluating the implementation of the recommendations provided.The aim of this paper is to highlight the importance of the European Union’s role in supporting judicial reform in both member states and countries aspiring to EU membership. To achieve this, the authors analyze European standards relevant to the independence, impartiality, and efficiency of the judiciary, as well as various mechanisms, reports, and opinions from relevant bodies. This approach allows authors to identify not only the challenges observed but also examples of good practices that can be valuable for both member states and candidate countries seeking EU membership.

Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights and Service Use among Undocumented Migrants in the EU: A Systematic Literature Review.

Most EU member states fail to provide essential sexual and reproductive health services to undocumented migrants, a vulnerable population facing limited access, utilization, and worse health-related outcomes. This study systematically reviewed the literature on access to and use of these services, as well as related health, economic, and migratory outcomes for undocumented migrants in the EU-EFTA region. The systematic review is reported based on the PRISMA 2020 checklist and includes 37 studies published between 2017 and 2024. Included studies were based upon original quantitative, qualitative, or mixed-methods data; conducted in one or more European countries; and published in one or more of the following languages: English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, or Romanian. A quality assessment was conducted using the CASP checklist for qualitative studies and the NHLBI Study Quality Assessment Tools for quantitative studies. The findings revealed numerous access barriers, including refusal of care, lack of knowledge about national healthcare schemes, bureaucratic hurdles, and affordability issues. Even when care was available, stigma, fear of deportation, socio-economic precarity, and abuse further hindered utilization. These barriers contributed to generally worse reproductive health outcomes for undocumented migrants in Europe, though the findings may not generalize to all EU-EFTA countries.

European integration and economic growth in emerging Europe: the role of institutions and policy factors

ABSTRACT The purpose of this study is to contribute to an investigation of the role of European integration as a potential growth driver or convergence engine for emerging Europe. We classify emerging Europe into two groups of economies: (1) 11 new EU member states from Central and Eastern Europe; and (2) six EU candidate countries from the Western Balkans. Our results are also highly relevant for the so-called ‘association trio’ within the EU’s framework of Eastern partnership. The more specific research objectives are to explore (1) what the main driving forces behind growth dynamics in post-communist economies in Europe are; and (2) whether the experience of fast-reforming new EU member states can be replicated or adapted to the EU candidate countries. We provide evidence that the process of European integration holds strong transformative power to accelerate institutional progress and support economic growth.

The Feminisation of Poverty in European Union Countries—Myth or Reality?

The feminisation of poverty is a complex, multidimensional phenomenon related to gender inequality in various aspects of life. Women are disproportionately affected by the gender pay gap, unequal intra-household resource distribution, unpaid domestic work, caregiving responsibilities, single motherhood, employment or educational barriers, violence, gender discrimination, and period poverty. Combating poverty and inequality are among the main goals of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on 25 September 2015, and their great importance is further highlighted in the preamble of the resolution outlining the plan to transform our world by 2030. This study uses SDG indicators from the Eurostat database to assess the feminisation of poverty in the EU-27 member states in 2020 based on selected diagnostic characteristics mainly related to SDG 1 and SDG 5; they are also related to other goals due to the cross-cutting nature of the topic. The characteristics were transformed to reflect gender gaps and afterwards unitised with a veto threshold indicating gender balance. These were then used to calculate a synthetic taxonomic measure, allowing for linear ordering and classification of countries based on the feminisation of poverty levels. The study confirmed significant feminisation of poverty in the EU-27, with a few aspects showing masculinisation. High feminisation of poverty was observed in both emerging and advanced economies.

Support for temporary protection of displaced populations in the EU: A conjoint experiment

Millions of people were forced to flee Ukraine after Russia's invasion on February 24, 2022, one of the fastest displacements in decades. Citizens' response in EU countries (where most displaced Ukrainians arrived) has been considerably more positive than in past refugee crises. This study investigates several possible drivers of this difference. We conduct a large conjoint experiment in six EU Member States, eliciting willingness to provide temporary protection to hypothetical groups of future migrants whose characteristics we manipulate systematically. We find that all of the experimental variables make a difference. We observe a greater support for protecting groups consisting of relatively many children and many women rather than men. The region of origin and the religious affiliation play a major role. Finally, we see greater support for people fleeing a war rather than poverty or the adverse consequences of climate change. While all these effects are identified consistently across different groups of respondents (e.g., the respondent's religion played a limited role), effect sizes vary considerably between countries. Finally, we randomly manipulate which aspect of temporary protection (social housing, access to the labour market) is emphasised in our communication to the participants. We find this manipulation to have a limited effect on the public support for the policy.

Comparing LUCAS Soil and national systems: Towards a harmonized European Soil monitoring network

A recent assessment states that 60–70% of soils in Europe are considered degraded. Protecting such valuable resource require knowledge on soil status through monitoring systems. In Europe, different types of monitoring networks currently exist in parallel. Many EU Member states (MS) developed their own national soil information monitoring system (N-SIMS), some being in place for decades. In parallel in 2009, the European Commission extended the periodic Land Use/Land Cover Area Frame Survey (LUCAS) led by EUROSTAT to sample and analyse the main properties of topsoil in EU in order to develop a homogeneous dataset for EU.Both sources of information are needed to support European policies on soil health evaluation. However, a question remains whether the assessment obtained by using soil properties from both monitoring programs (N-SIMS and LUCAS Soil) are comparable, and what could be the limitations of using either one dataset or the other.Conducted in the context of European Joint Programme (EJP) SOIL, this study shows the results of a comparison between N-SIMS and LUCAS Soil programs among 12 different EU member states including BE, DE, DK, EE, ES, FR, DE, HU, IT, NL, PL, SE and SK. The comparison was done on: (i) the sampling strategies including site densities, land cover and soil type distribution; (ii) the statistical distribution of three soil properties (organic carbon, pH and clay content); (iii) two potential indicators of soil quality (i.e. OC/Clay ratio and pH classes). The results underlined substantial differences in soil properties statistical distributions between N-SIMS and LUCAS Soil in many member states, particularly for woodland and grassland soils, affecting the evaluation of soil health using indicators. Such differences might be explained by both the monitoring strategy and sampling or analytical protocols exposing the potential effect of data source on European and national policies. The results demonstrate the need to work towards data harmonization and in the light of the Soil Monitoring Law, to carefully design the future of soil monitoring in Europe taking into account both LUCAS Soil and N-SIMS considering the significant impact of the monitoring strategies and protocols on soil health indicators.

Politicisation of the European Union in Slovenia in the Twenty Years of its Membership

Abstract Ever since Slovenia became independent, the European idea has been viewed fondly by the political elite and the public. The absence of any successful Eurosceptic parties has meant the main goals concerning European integration became national projects. Euroscepticism has remained limited, although in more recent years politicisation has steadily grown through political parties’ positions on EU issues. At the same time, the country’s political elite has lost sight of the specific strategy Slovenia should play in the EU. Moreover, alignment with other EU member states has begun to vary depending on the ruling party. After twenty years of membership, this has led to Slovenia being seen as one of the more submissive actors in EU policymaking. In the article, by applying an analytical framework of politicisation, we consider the changing attitudes to the EU in Slovenia through the twenty years of its membership. The central research question is: in which ways have European issues become politicised over the last twenty years in Slovenia? The research question is addressed by considering a chronological approach and analysis of events, participation in European elections and public opinion data. We argue that, as a newer member state, Slovenia politicises European issues to a limited extent.

Pest categorisation of non-EU Scolytinae on non-coniferous hosts.

The EFSA Panel on Plant Health performed a group pest categorisation for the EU territory of non-EU Scolytinae (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) on non-coniferous hosts, which total 6495 known species. Most species attack apparently healthy, weakened or dead trees, either feeding on the phloem ('bark beetles' subgroup) or on fungi inoculated into the sapwood ('ambrosia beetles' subgroup). Smaller subgroups feed and reproduce in seeds and fruits, or in herbaceous plants. Some species are polygynous, the males initiate a gallery or a chamber on or in a new host and attract females. Others are monogamous, and the females initiate the new galleries. Many species respond to primary volatile attractants emitted by the hosts, and some produce aggregation pheromones that attract conspecifics of both sexes. The species attacking living hosts are often associated with fungi that contribute to weakening the host defences and provide nutrients to the insects. Some are inbreeding; the males in the offspring mate with their sisters and rarely leave their natal tree. The larvae of all species develop and pupate within their hosts. Based on catalogues and other published data, a database was constructed providing information on hosts, feeding and reproductive habits, geographic distribution and the Köppen-Geiger climate types in countries where species occur. The Scolytinae were screened to exclude species in the following categories: (i) 708 species attacking conifers; (ii) 127 species present in at least four EU Member States and (iii) 440 species occurring in areas with climatic conditions not occurring in the EU. Among the remaining 5220 species, 88 species known for their mobility, occupying at least two landmasses separated by geographical barriers and some of which had impact levels documented in literature, were extracted. They were grouped into four subcategories: (i) 12 species with high impact on plant health; (ii) 16 species with low or doubtful impact; (iii) 48 species with no impact; (iv) 12 species with no impact and which had never been recorded as 'introduced' in the consulted catalogues but occurring on at least two landmasses. All 88 species could enter the EU with wood or wood products, or with plants for planting, and could establish because host plants are available, and climate is suitable in parts of the EU. Control measures to inhibit introduction are available. There is considerable uncertainty regarding the potential impact of many species. Methods for the reliable identification of many species are lacking. For some species of non-EU Scolytinae on non-coniferous hosts, all criteria assessed by EFSA for consideration as potential quarantine pest are met. Nevertheless, the Panel was not able to develop a method to discriminate confidently between species that clearly meet the criteria for potential quarantine pest status and those that do not.

Macroeconomic determinants of labour costs in the EU: a comprehensive panel and cluster analysis

Abstract Labour costs are a fundamental component of production expenses, significantly impacting both the quantity and quality of output. This study explores the determinants of labour costs within EU member states that have implemented minimum wage policies over the past two decades. The research technique includes a comprehensive panel analysis of EU member states to identify significant variables influencing labour costs, as well as cluster analysis to discover underlying patterns across the nations under examination. Our findings reveal that higher minimum wage levels, higher employment rates, increased labour productivity, and greater trade openness are positively correlated with higher labour costs. Specifically, increases in these variables lead to higher wages and a broader tax base, while greater trade openness results in elevated labour costs due to expanded market opportunities. Conversely, gross fixed capital formation negatively affects labour costs, as investments in production assets tend to reduce labour requirements or hours worked. The cluster analysis led to the identification of three distinct groups. The first cluster consists of well-developed economies with modest labour cost increases and average minimum wages. The second cluster includes countries with substantial labour cost increases, low minimum wages, and significant productivity gains. The third cluster features nations with high minimum wages and high employment rates. This paper contributes to the field by highlighting the complex interplay between labour costs and economic factors, offering insights for decision-makers to tailor macroeconomic and company-level strategies to specific local conditions. The findings emphasise the importance of balancing wage policies with sustainable economic development to enhance competitiveness while ensuring fair labour conditions.

Welfare regimes of European countries and their development in the context of membership in the European Union

Welfare regimes represent potential approaches to the implementation of redistributive policies worldwide. In European countries, several significant regimes have been identified, including the Conservative, Southern, Social Democratic, Liberal model, the Post-Communist European model, and the Model of the Former USSR. The present study focused on identifying the welfare regimes of EU members and candidate countries and examining whether shifts between these regimes occur over time. The k-means method was employed, generating a different number of clusters for two observed periods: 2013 and 2022 on the sample of 27 member and 4 candidate countries and 2023 on the sample of 27 member countries of EU. The input variables consisted of redistributive indicators focusing on income inequality and the risk of poverty. The analysis results confirmed that countries transitioned between regimes in all observed periods. In the mixed group of member and candidate countries, the number of clusters decreased from five to two. For member countries in 2023, the number of clusters was three, mainly due to the worsening risk of poverty in some countries. Notably, none of the clusters represented a pure form of the originally defined welfare regimes. A significant finding of the study was that all observed EU candidate countries have shifted towards the redistributive policies of EU member states. This shift was noted towards regimes of geographically proximate countries. Within the member countries, however, the adopted measures have also lead to the negative phenomenon of mutual distancing of social regimes.

The development of regulation of pharmaceuticals turn-over in EU and the USA in 1992-2020. Report 3. The making of the EU legislation of pharmaceuticals turn-over in 2001-2020

This article proceeds the topic of the article "The development of regulation of the circulation of medicines in the EU and the USA in 1992-2020." The history of development of European pharmaceutical legislation in 2001-2020 is considered. The acts of indirect action adopted by EU Parliament at first stage of development of legislation concerning medications failed to fully harmonize normative base of the EU Member States in pharmaceutical market. Since 2000, the EU Parliament and the EU Council adopt laws of direct action - the Regulations. Alongside with the pharmaceutical Code, the Regulations for single segments of pharmaceutical market constituted set of laws related to turn-over of medications. The legislators, at developing EU laws, took into account the US regulatory standards. Despite differences in history, legislative traditions and structure, regulatory systems of the USA and the EU concerning medications turn-over were basically harmonized.

The impact of EU law on national legal systems and the world order

The article analyzes the impact of EU law on national legal systems and the world order. With the collapse of the Soviet Union, the EU began active work on strengthening its authority and influence. In the 1990s, the EU (whose members also belonged to the Council of Europe) made the ratification of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (with Protocols) (European Convention on Human Rights) a necessary condition for EU membership, which involved a lot of preparatory work in the field of human rights for candidate countries. The founding treaties of the EU, in contrast to ordinary international treaties, established a new legal order with its own institutions, in favor of which states limited their sovereign rights in increasingly wide areas, the subjects of which are not only member states, but also their citizens. The active development of integration processes taking place within the framework of the EU leads to further convergence and closer interaction of the national legal systems of the member states with the EU, as a result of which the circle of legal relations, which are legally regulated by the norms of EU law, is expanding. A key role in the proper functioning and implementation of these norms (EU law) is played by the specific procedure of their implementation into the national law of the member states, which is understood as the process of transposition of the norms of EU law, including the creation of the order and procedures for their introduction into the national legal systems of the member states. With the deepening of European integration, the constitutionalization of EU law began: the founding treaties evolved from a set of agreements binding only on member states to founding treaties that provide the basis of a single legal regime. This regime grants rights and imposes obligations on all public and natural persons on the territory of the EU, since the norms of the founding treaties have direct effect and absolute supremacy, forming a kind of integration legal system. Currently, there is a close connection between EU law and the national legislation of the EU member states. The impact of EU law on the national legal systems of candidate countries for EU membership is indisputable. These trends suggest that while the emergence of Community (now Union) law has given rise to a new legal order, distinct from national law, these historically distinct legal orders now form a common legal system.

The role of natural resources rents and e-government in achieving sustainable development in the European Union

The EU transition to green economy and digital transformation plays a crucial role in achieving sustainable development with direct interest in allocating the necessary financial resources. In this framework, the aim of this paper is to evaluate the impact of e-government and natural resources rents on financial and human development as proxies for sustainable development. The analysis conducted for the period 2008–2022 revealed the role of economic growth and e-government in supporting the sustainable development in the EU. However, natural resources rent negatively impacted human development and only coal rents enhanced financial development in the old EU member states. The results could support the new EU policies to achieve sustainable development by an efficient use of natural resources and by implementing digitalization for public services.

ECONOMIC PARTNERSHIP UKRAINE–EU: RETROSPECT AND CHALLENGES OF FURTHER ENHANCED COOPERATION

Ukraine has been a priority partner of the EU since the signing of the Association Agreement in 2014. It was the significant financial and economic support of the EU as a whole and, in particular, of individual EU member states that became a key tool for avoiding catastrophic consequences in the financial and economic system of our country at the beginning of a full-scale war and for the current financing of the state budget deficit. Today, the European Union's support for Ukraine is extremely significant, although it is accompanied by a number of problematic issues that require an in-depth study of certain aspects of economic partnership in terms of finding ways and directions to improve the use of the potential of bilateral economic relations with the European Union as a whole and with individual EU member states.The methodological basis of the study is based on general scientific and special methods of economic theory, in particular, methods of theoretical generalization and comparative analysis for a comprehensive consideration of the research issue, and statistical methods of analysis. In the course of the study, the statistical materials of the European Union and the Ministry of Finance of Ukraine on foreign trade in goods were used.Modern scientific views on the content and prospects of Ukraine's economic partnership with the EU are studied. The key stages of the development of Ukraine's economic partnership with the European Union are summarized and schematized, with details of the areas of sectoral cooperation. The main indicators of trade relations and their role in the economies of the studied countries are analyzed. The key obstacles to further deepening of the economic partnership are substantiated, the elimination of which should be the primary goal of our country on the way to European integration.The obtained results can serve for further study of trade relations and their role in the economies of the studied countries.

Reforms of the Financial System in the European Union –Towards a New Legal-Institutional Order

The combination of the legal documents including the 2021-2027 EU long-term budget, NextGenerationEU, andthe Own Resources Decision (3) (Decision of 14 December 2020 on the system of own resources of the EuropeanUnion, repealing Council Decision 2014/335/EU, Euratom of 26 May 2014 on the system of own resources of theEuropean Union) has been praised as a groundbreaking achievement and political success of the EU authorities,one whose importance is no lesser than that of the establishment of the EU’s common market. The package hasmarked a powerful turn in EU’s politics, in that it helps move the debts of the countries receiving funds fromNextGenerationEU as well as within National Recovery and Resilience Plans (NRRPs) outside their national budgetarysystems. As is emphasised in a number of EU documents, the increases in EU Member States’ deficits anddebts have been due to the financial and health crisis. However, how or in what ways the new own resources andnew outside-Treaty financial engineering might contribute to the funding and eventual repayment of NextGenerationEUdebt, has not been explained.In parallel, the aforementioned success has given the basis for further action in view of in-EU integration, as expressedin the project to amend EU Treaties. Work on the amendment will continue during the present EuropeanParliament’s term. Analysis of the directions of change in the Treaty provisions covering EU fiscal and monetarypolicies and the gradually remoulded model of EU funding form t he core of this present paper.