Abstract The pace of species extinction and the destruction of nature may be even more dramatic than the speed of the climate crisis itself. The EU Nature Restoration Law (NRL), adopted in the summer of 2024, is intended to partially remedy damage to nature in EU member states by 2050. This study analyses whether the NRL is sufficiently effective in stopping biodiversity loss and preserving biodiversity. Methodologically, this investigation was conducted using qualitative governance analysis and legal interpretation of the NRL. Although the NRL is a step forward for various reasons, it is still not sufficient, measured against the obligation to preserve biodiversity and stop its loss, as stated in Art. 1 of the UN Convention on Biological Biodiversity (CBD), which entered into force in 1993. The NRL gives the EU Member States a further time extension, mostly until 2050, which is too long to wait, considering the planetary boundaries that have already been exceeded. Furthermore, the NRL primarily presents (not very clear) targets. Whether appropriate measures will be taken remains to be seen. Therefore, it depends heavily on the goodwill of the EU Member States. However, in view of the ongoing loss of biodiversity and earlier experiences with EU environmental law, there are major doubts about this. In addition, the targets are weakened by several exemptions. The targets are inadequate for conservation, that is, the protection and restoration of biodiversity. The NRL also does not specify the percentage of the total area of an EU Member State that must be covered by the protected areas. Furthermore, the NRL shows serious governance problems, such as problems of depicting, enforcement problems, or lack of ambition. The NRL (and nature conservation law as a whole) fails to take the essential step towards preserving biodiversity: addressing the drivers of destruction, such as livestock farming and pesticides, by means of quantity governance. Against this backdrop, current attempts to further weaken the NRL appear to be highly problematic from an ecological perspective.

Introduction: Under Directive 2024/2831, the contractual relationship between a digital employment platform and a person working through that platform is presumed by law to be an employment relationship. However, this presumption does not apply to proceedings concerning tax, criminal or social security matters. Member States may nevertheless apply a legal presumption in such proceedings in accordance with national law. The author will explain how leaving such freedom to Member States in the area of social security does not promote cross-border protection for workers and hinders the implementation of the principle of freedom of movement for workers within the EU and does not ensure effective protection of social rights in the field of social security for migrant workers.Objective: The article will outline the legal consequences of the possible different qualification of platform work in individual Member States for cases of cross-border work in the field of social insurance. This concerns conflict regulations regarding the indication of the country competent to pay contributions. The author will explain what problems are caused by the lack of uniformity in defining this concept in different countries. In addition, he will indicate the consequences regarding entitlements to social insurance benefits, especially in the context of differences in acquiring entitlements to benefits, which may arise due to the lack of uniformity in the qualification of this work under the social insurance law of different countries.Materials and methods: The author will conduct a legal research based on European Union law, taking into account the case law of the Court of Justice, and the relevant literature. The legal analysis focuses primarily on the regulations contained in Regulation 883/2004 and EU Directive 2024/2831. This includes, in particular, an analysis of the conflict-of-law rules contained in Regulation 883/2004, as well as the definitions of terms in European Union law and the impact of Directive 2024/2831 on the application of Regulation 883/2004.As assistant professor at the Faculty of Law and Administration of the University of Warsaw, researcher of social security and international law and negotiator of international social security agreements, the author will make use of theoretical and practical aspects of this issue.Results: The author will propose the adoption of a universal approach to the legal institution of platform work in the social security systems of EU Member States in order to safeguard the interests and ensure effective legal protection of platform workers. This approach will be supported by legal justification, taking into account both the content of the European Union law regulations and the purpose of the EU provisions on the coordination of social security systems in ensuring social protection for people migrating within the Member States of the European Union.

Effects of surface contamination on automated textile sorting using NIR-spectroscopy.

ABSTRACT This study examines factors influencing the re-election of Polish local government executives from 2006 to 2018. We analyse financial conditions, socio-economic indicators, and political affiliations across four election cycles using logistic regression with Bayesian Model Averaging. Our findings reveal that financial management factors – budget liquidity, capital expenditure, and debt levels – significantly increase re-election likelihood. Female incumbents face lower chances, highlighting persistent gender disparities in post-transition European politics. Political alignment exhibits a dual effect: affiliation with regionally dominant parties increases electoral success, while alignment with national governing parties diminishes prospects, demonstrating the complex multi-level governance dynamics in European electoral politics. These findings contribute to understanding democratic consolidation in Central and Eastern Europe, particularly how economic governance and gender politics shape local democratic processes in newer EU member states.

Purpose The purpose of this study is to analyze the economic impact of weaponization of trade by the USA. We analyze four trade policies scenarios by examining a 2024 presidential campaign proposal, in which China and other countries and regions are affected by sanctions imposed by the USA. Design/methodology/approach The sample for this study includes 50 countries and regions (49 economies and 27 EU member states), encompassing 15 aggregated industries. The study employs multi-country multi-sector computable general equilibrium (CGE) model that integrates non–log-linear input-output linkages to analyze these scenarios. Findings The simulation results indicate that while the USA may achieve some net gains by increasing tariffs, it incurs economic costs when China and other trade partners retaliate. The trade war between the USA and China has significantly reduced trade share between the two countries, leading to trade diversion to other countries and regions. Shifts in the distribution of global trade indicate that global supply chains demonstrate resilience in adapting to new geopolitical tensions by diverting trade around the USA. Research limitations/implications This benchmark model assumes that labor is the only factor of production and does not account for foreign direct investment flows or technology transfers. Practical implications US trade policies are likely to impose economic losses on the majority of countries and regions, resulting in a significant realignment of global trade shares. Hence, policymakers should use trade negotiations to mitigate the economic impact of tariffs by granting exemptions for certain critical products. Social implications This paper focuses specifically on weaponization of trade and analyses the impacts of tariff increases under four simulated scenarios, fully accounting for the current structural changes in global value chains (GVCs). We provide a comprehensive analysis of the beneficiaries and de-tractors of the weaponization of US trade, focusing on the shifts in trade share. Originality/value This study is a unique empirical exercise that simulates the potential impact of trade policies that may be implemented after Trump's return. The first contributions of this paper lies in the utilization of the latest 2023 release of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development inter-country input-output data, which is applied in a CGE model incorporating non–log-linear input-output linkage analysis. This approach enables a comprehensive review of US trade policy following Trump's return, taking into full account the current structural changes in GVCs through simulation analysis. The second contribution is to use these quantitative results of protectionism to characterize changes in global trade shares. We provide a more detailed analysis of the beneficiaries and detractors of the weaponization of US trade in terms of trade share shifts.

This study provides a structured comparative analysis of how democratic and authoritarian regimes integrate cybersecurity into their national security architectures, with particular attention to the severely under-researched Central-Eastern European EU member states (Hungary and Slovakia). Using a most-different-systems design, the article contrasts the multi-stakeholder, cooperative model of a major rule-of-law democracy (United States) with the centralized, digital-sovereignty-driven approaches of three major authoritarian powers (China, Russia, Iran) and two smaller EU members. In addition to institutional structures and oversight mechanisms, the analysis explicitly incorporates public trust dynamics as a critical variable of cybersecurity resilience. Findings show that democratic systems generate higher legitimacy but slower operational tempo, whereas authoritarian models achieve rapid capability integration at the expense of societal trust and private-sector autonomy. In the Central-Eastern European cases, the interplay of NIS2 obligations and pronounced centralizing tendencies produces distinctive governance patterns that deviate from both the classic “cooperating cyberfare state” and the “smart total-control” archetypes. The study demonstrates that sustained public trust—fostered through transparent communication, accountable institutions and meaningful societal inclusion—acts as a force multiplier for cybersecurity resilience across all regime types. By filling three identified gaps (small EU member states, cross-regime empirical depth, and public-trust integration), the article advances both the comparative politics of cybersecurity governance and practical policy recommendations for strengthening transatlantic and intra-EU cyber resilience.

Waste implications of Croatia's energy transition - projected waste from photovoltaic panels, electric and hybrid vehicle batteries, and wind turbine blades.

ABSTRACT This study examines and suggests the adoption of the US Oversight Doctrine within the European sustainability context. It argues that European directors should go beyond the business judgment rule and instead adopt practices aligned with the US oversight doctrine to comply with the expectation of on-going proactivity inherent in the CSRD and CS3D. Acknowledging that directives do not require companies to ensure outcomes, an appropriate compliance regime implemented and maintained in good faith should shield directors from being perceived as negligent. Second, a review of the European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS) reveals that the board of directors, as the governance body with the highest decision-making authority, bears the duties set forth by both directives. In this respect the ESRS is more explicit than the directives that employ a generic phrase of ‘administrative, management, and supervisory bodies’, which could allow an EU member state to task the managing director with the responsibilities instead of the board.

The article presents a comprehensive study of the theoretical, legal and institutional foundations of land management in Russia in the context of the preparation and discussion of the draft federal law «On Land Management» (revision 2025). The work is aimed at identifying the key problems of the current version of the draft law, assessing their impact on the public land management system and formulating scientifically sound proposals for finalizing the law. The purpose of the research is to substantiate the conceptual model of modern land management as a tool for spatial development based on the principles of scientific validity, digitalization and publicity. The methodological basis consists of methods of comparative legal, systemic, institutional and historical-legal analysis. The study uses the regulations of the Russian Federation, the legislation of the EAEU and EU member states, as well as international standards for land management and cadastral data (ISO 19152:2012, INSPIRE Directive 2007/2/EC). As a result of the analysis of the historical development of the Institute of Land Management (XIX–XXI centuries), four key stages have been identified: the Zemstvo and Stolypin system (before 1917); the Soviet planning and state model (1917-1991); the post-Soviet transition to the cadastral approach (1991-2000); and the modern digital stage (2001-2025). The author emphasizes that each of these stages contributed to the formation of the national school of land management, but the current stage is characterized by institutional fragmentation and regulatory uncertainty. A comparative legal analysis of foreign land management systems has been carried out: Germany and the EU countries demonstrate legal decentralization, public participation and integration of land management with cadastral and urban planning systems; China is an example of a centralized digital model combining land management, ecology and industrial planning; Kazakhstan implements a mixed system, preserving the Soviet heritage and introducing digital cadastral technologies; Belarus represents a unique post-Soviet model with full integration of cadastre and land management under the auspices of the State Property Committee, which ensures sustainability, transparency and completeness of coverage of the territory. The key problems of the draft law of 2025 have been identified: the uncertainty of the conceptual framework, the lack of a coordinating body, duplication of functions, insufficient digitalization and a weak legal framework for control. A system of more than 65 amendments has been proposed, grouped into five functional blocks: regulatory and terminological — the introduction of clear definitions and principles; organizational and managerial — the creation of a federal coordinator and accreditation of performers; documentation — a three — level system of land management documents; regulatory and legal — the formation of supervision and responsibility; financial and economic — a three — level financing model and a transitional period. The necessity of adopting a new version of the law «On Land Management» as a system act of spatial management, ensuring the interface of land, urban planning and environmental legislation, is substantiated. Special attention is paid to the creation of the Federal State Geographic Information System for Land Management (FGIS-ZU), a digital platform that combines all land management, cadastral and territorial data, similar to the Belarusian «Electronic Land Map».

With the adoption of the EU Nature Restoration Law in June 2024, EU Member States will have to upscale their wetland restoration actions in the coming years. However, increasingly large‐scale wetland restoration projects face challenges in national courts because of stakeholder opposition, revealing a multitude of legal barriers that might arise. This paper examines recent court cases launched against wetland restoration projects in Flanders, a region in Belgium once characterized by vast wetlands and marshes. The conclusion shows that no legal action against wetland restoration projects has succeeded, since judges tend to back the ecosystem services wetlands offer, including flood protection and biodiversity conservation. The case law examined demonstrates that public benefit takes precedence over personal issues like fears of more mosquitoes or property‐related concerns. According to case law, comprehensive and precise Environmental Impact Assessments that pinpoint and analyze all potential negative impacts of wetland restoration programs are essential for large‐scale wetland restoration projects and to defend them legally. In summary, the case law analysis shows that wetlands are viewed more favorably now, unlike past negative cultural views.

Efficiency only? An analysis of avoid, shift and improve strategies in EU member states’ long-term mitigation policy

Influence of the type of treated sludge on LAS degradation after soil application: Risk assessment and considerations under the EU Directive 86/278/EEC.

How renewable cooling will affect RES target achievement in EU member states under different scenarios by 2030

ABSTRACT This article examines how labour migration is governed and politicised in Croatia, a post‐socialist EU member state undergoing a rapid transition from emigration to immigration. Drawing on policy analysis, party manifestos, and media sources, it traces Croatia's shift toward liberalised recruitment of third‐country nationals amidst labour shortages and demographic decline. At the same time, migration has become increasingly politicised, particularly during the 2024 national elections. The article introduces the concept of segmented migration governance to capture this dual logic: while policy frameworks have liberalised to meet market needs, institutional oversight remains weak, integration underdeveloped, and political narratives fragmented. Technocratic depoliticisation by the ruling centre‐right coexists with cultural threat narratives from far‐right actors, generating a stratified political field. By situating Croatia within broader debates on migration governance, populism, and post‐socialist transitions, the article highlights the need to better understand how labour migration regimes are shaped by institutional legacies, elite strategies, and regional political economies. The analysis concludes by recommending stronger oversight of recruitment agencies, enhanced labour protections, and more inclusive integration policies to ensure the long‐term sustainability and legitimacy of Croatia's migration model.

Climate change-related disinformation is omnipresent. The Czech Republic is an EU member state where chain emails are heavily used for it. However, the understanding of their motivation, mechanisms, and targets is limited. Given the current developments, it is critical to fill this gap by employing current data and conducting a national case study. The Czech Elves, an informal civic movement fighting against disinformation, maintain a public database, Eldariel, which contains and categorizes disinformation emails, including 50 Czech chain emails about the EU’s commitment to the environment and climate change sent between January and May 2025. Additionally, seven recipients of these chain emails were located and interviewed. Hence, a Czech case study is built on a reciprocal snowball triangular mechanism to address four research questions based on subject headings, assigned tags, and the content of these emails, as well as their perception by their recipients, to examine how climate change information is manipulated. Consequently, this article engages with a pioneering, holistic, and systematic ten-step analysis of these chain emails and their perception, addressing how they attract attention (RQ1), where and in what context (RQ2), what they challenge (RQ3), and why they do so (RQ4). The juxtaposition of findings regarding these four research questions reveals how climate change information, particularly regarding the European Green Deal, is leveraged within the EU to support disinformation campaigns, both related to and unrelated to environmental protection. This calls for further longitudinal studies encompassing the jurisdictions of other EU member states.

Entry into the Eurozone is an obligation for EU member states covered by a temporary derogation. However, no deadline for accession has been imposed. The aim of this study was to examine whether the entry of ‘poor south’ countries into the Eurozone accelerates their real convergence. On the basis of the traditional theory of optimal currency areas, the following research hypothesis was formulated: joining the Eurozone does not accelerate the convergence of real labour productivity in the countries of the ‘poor south’. Quantitative research was conducted using the labour productivity index as a measure of real convergence. This study confirmed that joining the Eurozone does not accelerate the process of real convergence and may even slow it. In the countries of the ‘poor south’ outside the Eurozone, convergence occurred more quickly, and there were no periods of divergence.

This study examined the implementation and effectiveness of indirect assessment methods in personal income tax administration, with particular emphasis on regulatory frameworks and opportunities to enhance tax audit effectiveness. The research employed a statistical analysis, case study examination, and comparative assessment of implementation practices across different jurisdictions. The study primarily focused on Latvia's experience as a representative EU member state, analysing data from 2020-2024 on tax administration performance indicators and audit outcomes. The findings revealed that the successful implementation of indirect methods requires integrating advanced technological capabilities with appropriate legal frameworks. At the same time, effectiveness varies significantly across economic sectors and taxpayer categories. The research demonstrated that jurisdictions investing in digital infrastructure and staff expertise achieved 23.4% higher voluntary disclosure rates and improved assessment accuracy by 16.8%. Analysis of the Latvian experience showed that properly adapting international best practices to local conditions increased detection rates by 81.2% in 2024, with particularly strong results in the professional services and retail trade sectors. The study identified key success factors, including data quality, staff competency, and technological infrastructure. An analysis of implementation costs revealed significant variations in resource requirements, with initial technology investments ranging from 2.5 to 3.5 million EUR, yielding average returns of 185% over five years. The research demonstrated that jurisdictions with integrated tax administration systems had 15-20% higher success rates in implementing indirect assessment methods than those with fragmented systems.

The article is a synthetic discussion of the basic solutions provided for in Directive (EU) 2017/1371 of the European Parliament and of the Council on combating fraud to the detriment of the financial interests of the European Union by means of criminal law. Analyzing individual solutions, they were assessed from the perspective of their significance for combating fraud to the detriment of the financial interests of the European Union and the harmonization of criminal law of the EU Member States in this area. Recognizing the significance of the legal regulation subject to evaluation, the position was expressed that although it serves to intensify the criminal law protection of the financial interests of the European Union, it cannot be assessed as sufficient. For this reason, it was considered justified to take further initiatives to protect the financial interests of the European Union.

The aim of this article is to assess the level of sustainable development of European Union countries in 2015, 2019 and 2023 using a synthetic measure derived from economic, social, and environmental indicators, and to analyse typological changes as well as convergence patterns in the relative positioning of EU member states. Sustainable development, grounded in the principles of the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), requires coordinated action by the Member States, which makes it particularly important to examine differences and changes in overall development levels across countries rather than in individual dimensions considered separately. Existing research highlights heterogeneous and selective development trajectories within the EU, with partial convergence in some areas and persistent disparities in others. The analysis is based on Eurostat data and 15 diagnostic indicators describing sustainable development, aggregated using a robust positional approach employing the Weber median, which is resistant to outliers and distribution asymmetry and enables a reliable assessment of cross-country diversity. On this basis, country rankings and four typological groups were identified. The results reveal persistently high disparities in sustainable development levels, with Sweden consistently occupying the leading position, while Greece, Bulgaria, and Romania remain at the bottom of the ranking. Although some countries, including Slovakia and Croatia, recorded upward shifts in their typological classification, no clear tendency toward overall convergence was observed. The findings are relevant for policymakers involved in cohesion policy, the energy transition, and the implementation of the 2030 Agenda, as well as for researchers and institutions monitoring progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Regional development represents a fundamental pillar of economic growth, territorial cohesion, and sustainable resource management. As Georgia continues to navigate economic and political transitions, spatial-territorial planning emerges as a strategic tool for fostering balanced regional development and minimizing socio-economic disparities. This study examines the role of functional spatial planning in regional economic sustainability by conducting a comparative analysis of planning methodologies implemented in four EU member states—Germany, France, the Netherlands, and Sweden. The research explores the theoretical underpinnings of spatial zoning, evaluates the effectiveness of various land-use planning strategies, and assesses economic incentives for regional development. Additionally, the study integrates qualitative methods, including expert interviews and stakeholder surveys, to provide policy recommendations tailored to Georgia’s specific development context. The findings suggest that adopting an integrated spatial planning framework, leveraging data-driven land-use modeling, and implementing sustainability-oriented economic incentives can significantly enhance Georgia’s regional economic resilience. This research was supported by Shota Rustaveli National Science Foundation of Georgia (SRNSFG) [grant number: YS-24-308]