EU Initiatives Research Articles

Current Account Imbalances and the Euro Area. Alternative Views

The critical role of current account imbalances (CAI) is widely shared in the consensus narratives of the European crisis that followed the Great Recession. On the basis of this interpretation, new EU initiatives raised, in particular the so-called “Six Pack” adoption in 2011 and the establishment of the European Semester procedure to improve policy coordination in the EU beyond fiscal matters. This package includes the Macroeconomic Imbalances Procedure (MIP) that broadens the EU economic governance framework to include the surveillance of unsustainable macroeconomic trends. Although the widening of the CAI in the Euro Area is a matter of fact, and the consensus narrative contains elements of truth, alternative views have been put forward on mainly three issues: i) their relevance, ii) their causes and connection with the crisis, and iii) their policy implications. The aim of this paper is to examine these controversial points about the causes, meaning and consequences of CAI, and discuss the alternative policy prescriptions that emerge.

Lithuania in European Union common security and defence policy context

EU Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) that encompasses 29 nations is gaining momentum. The aim of this study is to acknowledge ongoing developments in EU CSDP and define their impact for Lithuanian defence and security policy. Comparative scientific literature and document analysis method was used throughout this study. Article firstly reviews a path of EU CSDP developments, outlines roles and responsibilities of EU structures and examines current activities in CSDP framework with the focus to Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO). Second part is devoted to consider Lithuanian’s role in current EU CSDP context, to outline decisions that Lithuanian authorities made to implement new PESCO initiative. Study reveals that: CSDP remains adaptive framework for EU; established procedures ensure CSDP is in compromise with all of nations; PESCO initiative signals positive outcomes while reinforcing idea of “EU Strategic autonomy”. Furthermore it was indentified that: approved National Security Strategy backs current EU initiatives; PESCO could provide flexible response options without duplicating NATO’s efforts; national participation in PESCO initiatives will enable improvements in cyber security and will enable rapid access for possible EU and NATO troops deployments; participation in PESCO negotiation phase reached given political aims to seek more extensive projects and position nation within core members of EU. Lithuanian policies’ shift for deeper engagement in CSDP is likely shaped by recognition that strategic trans-Atlantic partnership is not certain anymore, as well as UK role at post-Brexit period as 3rd party. <b></b> <b></b>

Sustainable finance: the European Union’s approach to increasing sustainable investments and growth – opportunities and challenges

Summary: The article provides an overview of the most important current EU initiatives contributing to sustainable finance. After an introduction on how the concept of sustainability entered the domain of European policy, the definition of sustainable finance from the EU perspective is discussed, as well as its relationship to the concept of green finance. After outlining the need for sustainable finance to achieve EU and international policy goals, the article provides a discussion of sustainable finance from a theoretical perspective, taking into account already existing perspectives from literature. A brief overview is given of what the EU could theoretically do to foster sustainable finance. The article then proceeds with an overview of the most important existing EU initiatives to foster sustainable finance: the Action Plan on financing sustainable growth adopted in March 2018, the EU Emissions Trading System and EU financial support contributing to sustainable finance. Finally, the article provides a discussion of the challenges and political implications of current sustainable finance policies for the EU, followed by conclusions.

Control of allergic rhinitis with MP-AzeFlu: a noninterventional study of a Swedish cohort.

The European Union has prioritised allergic rhinitis (AR) control. A visual analogue scale (VAS) has been endorsed as the AR control language and embedded into the most recent MACVIA-ARIA guideline. This study assessed the effectiveness and safety of MP-AzeFlu using a VAS in a real-life study in Sweden. 431 patients aged 12 years or over with ARIA-defined moderate to severe AR were included in this multicentre, prospective, non-interventional study and prescribed MP-AzeFlu. Patients assessed symptom severity using a VAS from 0 (not at all bothersome) to 100 mm (very bothersome) on Days 0, 1, 3 and 7, and after approximately 14 days in the morning before using MP-AzeFlu. Patients' perceived level of disease control was assessed on Day 3. The proportion of patients who achieved a defined VAS score cutoff for well- and partly controlled AR was also calculated. MP-AzeFlu reduced mean (SD) VAS score from 67.9 (16.1) mm at baseline to 32.1 (22.8) mm on the last day. Results were consistent irrespective of severity, phenotype, patient age class or previous treatment. By Day 3, 84.0% of patients reported well- or partly controlled symptoms. Overall, 17.7%, 32.2%, 53.8% and 64.2% of patients achieved a 38 mm or greater "well-controlled" VAS score cutoff on Day 1, 3 and 7 and last day, respectively. MP-AzeFlu provided rapid, effective and sustained symptom control in patients with AR from Sweden in a realworld setting, aligning with EU and MACVIA-ARIA initiatives and supporting the effectiveness of MP-AzeFlu for AR treatment in real life.

Assessment innovation and reform in France

ABSTRACT The last two decades have seen fast-moving and wholescale changes in the ways that education is now provided in French schools, in the nature of learner assessment, and in the form and scale of system evaluation. Innovation and reform have in part followed international trends, themselves triggered by the global impact of the international attainment surveys, and are in part a response to growing economic pressures, EU initiatives and increasingly burdensome examination logistics. One of the most recent reforms, and arguably the most dramatic, concerns the iconic ‘academic’ baccalauréat, which sees a reduced subject profile for formal examination and the new addition of teacher assessment to complement examination achievements. The most ambitious innovations are arguably those introduced into the newest form of accountability-focused system monitoring. The article overviews these innovations and reforms, along with the motivations that led up to them, and briefly reflects on potential future consequences, both expected and unintended.

Adopting The EU Sustainable Performance Scheme Level(s) In The Danish Building Sector

This paper investigates how the EU Level(s) can be adopted in Denmark. The study is limited to life cycle assessment (LCA) requirements within the Level(s) scheme. As a measure for the Danish building sector’s LCA practice, the specifications for LCAbyg, the official Danish building LCA tool, is used. In 2017, the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre has launched Level(s) as a voluntary programme of sustainable building indicators based on existing EU standards and initiatives. Level(s)’ original value, beyond the mere aggregation of existing standards, is the selection of the most relevant indicators according to EU and national policies, the graduation of indicators into three levels of comprehensiveness as well as providing original definitions and guidance for their practical application. In the absence of mandatory EU regulation for sustainable buildings, Level(s) is representing a new EU reference for sustainable building performance. The paper presents requirements and criteria given by all LCA-related indicators including building component’s environmental impacts, resource use and waste. In general, these definitions are based on international standardisation. In a next step, Level(s) original definitions for procedures, for which no standard definitions exist, are isolated and presented. These extra definitions might conflict with existing schemes and tools such as LCAbyg, which are based on the more broad technical standards. Level(s) extra definitions are isolated and presented I order to get an overview on the difference between Level(s) and standardisation in order to develop existing or future initiatives to comply with Level(s). Regarding LCAbyg, it shows that the tool may be used for complying with Level(s) LCA criteria. However, if LCAbyg and Level(s) shall contribute to a broader use of building LCA in the building sector, a greater integration of guidance and calculation tool might increase feasibility and ease of method. Proposals for deeper Level(s) support in LCAbyg are given.

EUROPEAN INTERVENTION INITIATIVE VS COMMON EUROPEAN ARMY

European Intervention Initiative is different from the EU initiative on Permanent Structured Cooperation in the Field of Defense (PESCO) and the idea of creating a common European army. Undertaking additional commitments jeopardizes the implementation of strategic priorities for the countries and further exacerbates the fragile and insufficient military budgets

The Unintended Consequences of the EU’s Rural Development Programme in the Arab Countryside

ABSTRACTAfter the Arab revolts, the EU designed a new regional rural development programme to address the various political and economic threats in the Arab Mediterranean countryside. Although the programme is based on a new cognitive framework, it has generated unintended consequences that undermine its effectiveness. These consequences were predictable. They are a product of path dependency and the inability of policymakers to draw lessons from previous EU initiatives with similar aims and to contextualise the relationship between small farmers and political elites in the Arab countryside.

FALSIFICATION OF MEDICAL PRODUCTS: CRIMINAL LAW MECHANISM COMBATING THREATS TO PUBLIC HEALTH

Introduction: Every civilized state has the duty to its citizens to create an effective health care system, a necessary component of which is the use of safe and high-quality medical products. This duty is based both on the standards of international law and national constitutional norms and principles. The spread of falsified medical products poses a global threat to public health, can lead to death or cause significant harm to human health. Given the extreme risk of such acts, there is a need to create and operate an effective criminal law mechanism to combat such acts. The aim: The purpose of the article is to study the existing criminal law mechanism to combat the falsification of medical products at the international, regional and national levels (Poland and Ukraine as an example), as well as to develop proposals for improving of such a mechanism. Materials and methods: This study is based on the empirical and analytical data of the WHO, the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime, the Council of Europe Convention on the counterfeiting of medical products and similar crimes involving threats to public health (The Medicrime Convention), criminal legislation of Ukraine and Poland, General Prosecutor's Office data on the criminal liability of those who committed falsification of medicines. Totally 28 laws and papers, 25 court judgments were analyzed. Dialectical, comparative, analytic, synthetic and system analyses research methods were used, also for interpretation purposes. Results:Falsification of medical products worldwide is characterized by high prevalence and is one of the highly profitable activities of transnational organized crime. Therefore, an effective counteraction to these crimes is impossible through isolated actions by one separate State and requires the establishment of a multi-level integrated mechanism to combat this phenomenon. The criminal law mechanism, as a necessary component of abovementioned mechanism, should be established at the international, regional and national levels. An analysis of the situation in Poland and Ukraine showed that the falsification of medical products is quite common in these countries, but national criminal legislation and practice of its implementation needs improvement. Conclusions: There is a need to create and implement an effective criminal law mechanism (at international, regional and national levels) to combat the spread of falsified medical products. At the international level, in order to increase the effectiveness of this mechanism, we fully support the EU initiative to amend the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime, which would establish additional liability for the falsification of medicines. Improving the criminal law mechanism to combat the falsification of medical products at the European regional level requires intensifying of The Medicrime Convention ratification process and full implementation of rules on criminal liability for falsifying medical products into national criminal legislation. At the national level, it is necessary to improve both the criminal legislation and the practice of its implementation, to intensify the activity of law enforcement agencies to combat these crimes, to ensure a fair trial and effective criminal penalties for those who have committed a crime of falsifying medical products.

Legal and organizational instruments of the EU common defense policy implementation at the present stage

The article deals with the problems of legal and institutional support for the implementation of the Common Defense Policy of the EU in current circumstances . The peculiarities of legal regulation of this policy and certain organizational and legal forms of its provision have been determined. It has been established that the legal instrument that provides the implementation of the General Defense Policy, which is an integral part of the Common Foreign and Security Policy of the EU, has its own features related to the nature of the cooperation of the member states in this area. It is about not so significant, in comparison with economic sphere, restriction by the member states of their sovereign rights in determination of questions of external safety and defense. The consequence of this is the adoption of acts that are predominantly «soft» by their character. The EU initiatives in the field of strengthening the Union's defense capabilities in the context of the implementation of the Global Strategy for the European Union's Foreign and Security Policy have been analyzed as well as the international legal framework for cooperation between the EU and NATO with regard to ensuring common defense and security objectives, and also the legal nature of the European Union's acts in the field of the Common Defense Policy has been determined.

Adapt or perish: Recent developments on social protection in the EU under a gig deal of pressure

In times of the so-called gig economy, access to an adequate level of social protection should not depend on whether or not a person is working on a standard employment contract. Access to social protection for non-standard forms of labour and self-employment is, as a matter of fact, one of the main themes being discussed at the moment within the debates surrounding the European Pillar of Social Rights. This article aims at assessing the recent initiatives at the EU level that have the objective of ensuring access to social protection for all and both granting and enforcing transparent and predictable working conditions for workers. Accordingly, this contribution first sheds some light on the discussion on non-standard forms of labour and the problematics surrounding the emergence of new forms of labour to later analyse the new EU initiatives, in particular, the proposal for a Recommendation on access to social protection for workers and the self-employed. It concludes by welcoming the recent position of the EU with regard to such challenges, yet emphasising also the need to do more.

Slovensko a Nemecko - partneri v oblasti obrany a bezpečnosti

The paper analyses goals of the Slovak and German foreign and security policy focused on their role in NATO as well as on the role by forming European security and defence policy. The paper deals with potential and opportunities for more intensive and effective cooperation between Slovakia and Germany regarding their security and defence policy orientation. It finds out that there are some important NATO and EU projects and initiatives, such as "out of area" missions engagement, battle groups building, Framework Nations Concept or a new announced project Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO) to be used in the deepening process of Slovak-German security and defence relations.

L. Mamatova, Innovative approach in creation and financing of business in Ukraine.

The article deals with innovative approaches to the creation and financing of business in Ukraine. It is determined that the European Union supports the development of small and medium-sized businesses in Ukraine and proposes three projects under EU initiatives and programs - EU4Business, COSME, Horizon 2020. Within the framework of the proposed EU programs, their general requirements, certain types of directions, access to funding and opportunities are identified. to determine the priority directions of entrepreneurship development in Ukraine. The proposed SME support programs in Ukraine allowed to map a map of possible strategic knowledge within the framework of EU initiatives and programs that will form an innovative component of the development of enterprises in Ukraine, which consists of three components: information and consultation, training, internship and exchange of experience. A map of possible strategic knowledge has allowed you to select five programs (EU4Business Network of Business Support Centers in Ukraine, COSME IPR Helpdesk, COSME Your Europe portal, Horizon 2020, COSME ERASMUS for young entrepreneurs (EYE)) with the appropriate set of knowledge. The funding sources identify funding sources and tools, partner agencies and financial institutions. The specific objectives of the projects and programs of budget support for business in Ukraine are determined in accordance with the principles, namely, the first principle, coherence and coordination with the priorities, objectives and policy of the partner countries, and the second - the compliance with the policy of development of the EU countries in accordance with the program Transformation Program.

Valorisation of the microalgae Nannochloropsis gaditana biomass by proteomic approach in the context of circular economy

Nannochloropsis gaditana is a non-flagellated microalgae that has been widely used for different purposes, mostly related with the industrial production of biofuels or aquiculture. However, in order to increase the economic viability of the obtained microalgae biomass from a production plant coupled to a coal power plant, a proteomic approach was initiated by using fresh and atomized microalgae samples, as the main used commercial forms. Above 51,000 high quality spectra were obtained per sample in the MS/MS analysis of whole proteome of N. gaditana, yielding above 7,500 peptides, leading the identification of 1,950 proteins, from the N. gaditana protein database, where 655 proteins were presented in all the replicates. The identified proteins were categorized according to gene ontology classification by molecular function and biological process. In this study, it has been described the first proteomic analysis of the microalgae N. gaditana under industrial conditions containing an important number of identified proteins. A significative presence of proteins with a potential role in different agri-food and biomedical applications was detected and studied being the core of future N. gaditana research to expand the current biotechnological applications of this microalga. Significance of the studyThree quarters of the planet earth correspond to seas and oceans, however its potential biotechnological use is still unknown. We described the first proteomic description of the microalgae N. gaditana under industrial conditions. Following the spirit of the EU initiatives of blue growth and the statements of circular economy, CO2 waste from a coal plant power has been transformed in a resource for microalgae biomass production, common product presentations were evaluated by proteomic, and its potential use of identified proteins in Agri-food and Biomedicine has been revealed.

PCP23 - DOES THE EUROPEAN UNION (EU) NEED EUROPEAN HTA OR EUROPEAN PROCUREMENT?

Following establishment of the voluntary EU wide network on HTA, the European Commission recently adopted a legislative proposal for a joint EU HTA to be further adopted by the European Parliament and the Council by 2019. By strengthening EU cooperation on HTA, Member States (MS) should benefit from shared experience, as well as best practice to avoid work duplication and to maximize healthcare efficiency gains across EU. In parallel, several EU initiatives on drug procurement are implemented. EU HTA is expected to introduce greater transparency, reliability and consistency to assess clinical added value of new technologies across EU. Fast progress in advanced technologies suggests that a growing number of new interventions with dramatic additional benefit should continue to reach the market at increasingly high price. A single EU HTA agency deciding on drug added value, and implicitly, on its price, may increasingly reduce the ability of small size MS with lower GDP to negotiate prices of such breakthrough therapies, increasing gap in patient access across EU. Key question would be the equitable access across EU because low income countries already cannot afford several new technologies and do not receive appropriate discounts due to external reference pricing. EU drug procurement for a market of 510 million inhabitants would increase dramatically its negotiation power. This procurement should also be complemented by differential pricing to adjust on purchasing power parity. A step wise approach should be recommended. Obvious resistance may emerge due to the health care subsidiarity in Europe, but also mistrust of citizen toward European elite to freely manage national drug access. If EU HTA is needed to set common grounds for value assessment of new technologies, step-wise joint procurement with differential pricing may be the most appropriate tool to contain the ever growing innovative drug cost.

IPCHEM as Reference Platform for the HBM4EU Project: Coordinating and Advancing Human Biomonitoring in Europe to Provide Evidence for Chemical Policy Making

HBM4EU was launched in January 2017 to coordinate and advance human biomonitoring across 28 partner countries, in order to generate coherent and representative data in support of chemical policy-making in Europe. A key element of the work is the management of human biomonitoring data, including data transfer, access to data and respecting data protection legislation and ethics requirements. IPCHEM provides the tool for data management under HBM4EU. At the same time, HBM4EU identifies existing datasets and generates new data for inclusion in IPCHEM, enriching the platform. The presentation will highlight the synergies between these two EU initiatives, as well as describing the challenges encountered in the start-up phase of managing data under HBM4EU.

Glossary of ecosystem services mapping and assessment terminology

Mapping and assessment of ecosystems and their services (MAES) is a key EU initiative to synthesise vital environmental information and facilitate balanced policy decisions. As MAES integrates across many scientific and policy domains, the development of a common language and shared concepts is essential. Here we present a comprehensive MAES Glossary that was compiled in the ESMERALDA project; it is based on the integration of several previous glossaries and a wide-ranging consultation process. While there are several ecosystem services glossaries available from EU supported work such as Oppla, OpenNESS and ecosystem services related handbooks, the new material presented here focuses on mapping and assessment of ecosystem services and therefore more directly supports the MAES process.

What's Left for ‘Social Europe’? Brexit and Transnational Labour Market Regulation in the UK-1 and the EU-27

ABSTRACTThe paper examines UK government positions on the regulation of transnational labour in the context of Brexit. Through an analysis of EU regulations on posted workers – the practice whereby a company based in one EU member state sends workers to carry out a service in another EU member state – the paper argues that the UK has consistently advocated further liberalisation of transnational labour markets in EU level decision-making, a position consistent with promoting increasingly ‘flexible’ labour markets at home. Brexit marks a turning point. Demands from British workers for stronger protection against liberalising pressure help explain the UK's recent shift towards relaxing its opposition to ‘market-correcting’ EU initiatives like the revised posted worker directive. Brexit provides a window of opportunity for the revitalisation of ‘Social Europe’ in the EU-27, without a longstanding veto player at the bargaining table, but one more likely focused more on upholding national labour protections than initiating new supranational policies.

Reinforcing Energy Governance under the EU Energy Diplomacy: A Proposal for Strengthening Energy Frameworks in Africa

AbstractThis article, initially discussed at a conference organised in March 2017 by the Belgian Commission for Electricity and Gas Regulation (CREG) on the new governance structures in the EU energy sector, deals with energy governance structures in the EU energy and climate diplomacy and in development cooperation between the EU, its member states and third countries.It is understood that, at large, the existing tools of EU energy and climate diplomacy create governance structures: bilateral partnerships, trade agreements, regional and multilateral orders are per se instruments to govern the underlying relationship between the EU, its member states and third countries. The focus in this paper revolves around those instruments of EU energy and climate diplomacy which aim at reinforcing energy governance structures (referred to also as institutional and normative energy frameworks) and promoting solid transparent frameworks in the field of energy in partner countries.In particular, the paper aims at identifying – among the existing tools of the energy and climate diplomacy –instruments and opportunities in favour of African countries which contribute to strengthening those institutional and normative energy frameworks and facilitate investment towards universal energy access and energy transition. To do so, the paper reviews the existing policy and legal instruments of EU external energy action in general and in Africa and concludes proposing policy recommendations on further development cooperation and energy diplomacy initiatives in favour of African countries.The first section reviews the principles of EU energy and climate diplomacy and their alignment with development objectives, including the emphasis on strengthening institutional and normative frameworks in the energy sector. The second section considers the internal coordination between the EU and its member states which is necessary to carry out the external energy and climate diplomacy as well as development cooperation. The third section describes the existing tools of the EU energy diplomacy that aim to strengthen energy institutions and frameworks in partner countries. The fourth section reviews a selection of existing EU initiatives in favour of African countries and brings forward a proposal for EU action to reinforce energy governance structures of partner countries in Africa.

Small EU Initiatives in the Process of Pooling and Sharing of Military Capabilities

Small EU Initiatives in the Process of Pooling and Sharing of Military Capabilities