EU Member Research Articles

Cost Analysis of Penitentiary Systems and Comparison Between the Countries of the Council of Europe

Background: The objective was to analyze the budgets invested in prisons by the member states of the Council of Europe (CoE) and the relationships between the global cost, the cost incurred per single inmate, the number of inmates per 100,000 inhabitants (PPR), the gross domestic product (GDP) and per capita GDP. Methods: The data relating to the variables considered for the year 2020 were obtained from the SPACE-I 2021 of the CoE, the World Bank/OECD, and Eurostat. Regression models were used to evaluate the relationships between the PPR and the GDP, the daily cost per prisoner and per capita GDP, and between the PPR and the per capita GDP. A multiple correspondence analysis was performed to evaluate associations between the PPR, EU membership, cost per day, cost rate, geographical area, and inmate gender. Results: The daily expenditure per inmate in northern European countries reaches very high values, respectively: EUR 330.6 (Norway) and EUR 303 (Sweden), while, in the eastern countries, the values drop sharply (EUR 6.50 in Bulgaria and EUR 8.08 in Azerbaijani). The lowest PPR values are found in northern European countries, and the highest in the following countries: Russia, Turkey, Georgia, and Azerbaijan. Conclusions: Countries with a higher GDP per capita tend to have lower prison population rates and to invest larger amounts of funds for prison systems.

HOW NOT TO DO EUROPEAN INTEGRATIONS: BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA AND LEGAL CHALLENGES IN ACCESSION PROCESS TO EUROPEAN UNION

Background: Bosnia and Herzegovina, with its complex constitutional and legal system, is facing many difficulties in its progress toward European Union membership. These challenges have been worsened by political instability, exacerbated by geopolitical shifts in Europe following Russian aggression on Ukraine. Legal complexities in the constitutional order of Bosnia and Herzegovina are often used to halt the country's progress and divert it from its European trajectory. This article analyses the specific instances of very unfavourable legal solutions that are hindering the EU accession process, as well as the recommendations put forth by the EU Commission aimed at removing these legal obstacles. There is an urgent need for reform of constitutional and legal rules to enable the country to effectively continue its EU accession path. The importance of the EU membership perspective for Bosnia and Herzegovina extends beyond simply joining a desirable club of prosperous countries; the reforms required during the EU accession process are needed to strengthen the efficiency of state institutions and secure lasting peace in the country and region. As such, the urgency and potential impact of these proposed legislative changes cannot be overstated. Methods: The research primarily employs a combination of analytical, normative, and comparative methods to examine the legal system and chronology of the integration process. The legal historical method is also used where appropriate. The research focuses on the content of constitutional norms, relevant legislative acts in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and legislative acts of the European Union and other countries. These legislative acts are compared with EU recommendations and legislation from other EU member states to identify the discrepancies. The article provides an overview of the legal framework governing EU integrations in Bosnia and Herzegovina, including norms of international law, constitutional law, national legislation, and EU law that are negatively impacting the EU accession process, and offers certain recommendations for their improvement. Results and conclusions: The research has identified certain norms of constitutional and legislative origin in the legal system of Bosnia and Herzegovina that are harming the country's ability to effectively engage in the EU accession process. Through a normative approach, the article gives recommendations for their improvement, which are in line with the standards set by the institutions of the EU. Amending these problematic legal frameworks would remove their use as political tools aimed at halting the country’s progress in the EU integrations.

Poland’s Cultural Diplomacy in Ukraine

The article examines the peculiarities of the implementation of the Republic of Poland's implementation of cultural diplomacy in Ukraine. Considerable attention is paid to the analysis of the basic foundations and principles of the development of Polish cultural diplomacy in modern modern times, and the activities of governmental and non-governmental institutions working in the field of cultural diplomacy. It is noted that the development of Poland's cultural diplomacy has been positively influenced by its EU membership, the modernization and expansion of cultural infrastructure, the growing number of cultural institutions in Poland, and the intensification of Ukrainian-Polish cultural cooperation The activities of cultural diplomacy actors such as the Polish Institute in Kyiv, the Center for Polish Culture and European Dialogue in Ivano-Frankivsk, the Mickiewicz Institute, the Stefan Batory Foundation, the Other Space Foundation, the Krzysztof Skubiszewski Foundation, and the Lane Kirkland Program, and their roles in developing and strengthening Ukrainian-Polish cultural cooperation are analyzed. Since the onset of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, it is noted that the Polish government has continued to advance cultural diplomacy in Ukraine. The Polish Institute, in particular, has been implementing numerous cultural and artistic projects at various levels. Support for the Polish diaspora during the war has intensified, Polish culture is being increasingly promoted, and scientific diplomacy is actively progressing, particularly through joint Ukrainian-Polish research, scientific exchanges, and academic mobility programs for scholars.

Exploring factors influencing pedestrian accident severity: a multi-source study in the city of Berlin

Abstract Background Road safety remains a critical concern in Europe’s transport sector. In urban areas, where 40% of total road fatalities occur, pedestrians are particularly vulnerable, since according to road safety data accidents involving a pedestrian are 2.8 and 15 times more probable to be fatal than in rural areas and motorways respectively. In line with the Vision Zero concept and the European Commission’s directives, many EU members are taking steps to improve road safety. Accordingly, the identification of the key factors behind pedestrian accident occurrence and pedestrian accident severity in urban areas is ever more relevant. Methodology The proposed methodology employs traditional logistic regression models and artificial neural networks, using accident data from Berlin, Germany, sourced from the Berlin Open Data portal. The dataset comprises information on 3,257 accidents involving pedestrians in 2018 or 2019, including details about involved vehicles, accident details, and injury severity information. Additionally, the dataset was augmented with average network speed data from Uber Movement and road network information from Geographic Information System (GIS) applications. Results Formal analysis results indicated several factors as significant to accident severity, such as involvement of bicycle or heavy vehicles, lighting conditions, speed limit and accident type. Additionally, a comparison between modelling approaches shows a clear performance advantage of ANNs over statistical models. Research findings provide insight for various stakeholders working to enhance pedestrian safety in urban areas.

ТРАНСФОРМАЦІЯ СТРУКТУРИ І ЗМІСТУ КУРСУ ГЕОГРАФІЇ ВОСЬМОГО КЛАСУ ДЛЯ ЗАКЛАДІВ ЗАГАЛЬНОЇ СЕРЕДНЬОЇ ОСВІТИ

The article is focused on the analysis of the structure and content of Geography study in the 8th grades of general secondary educational institutions based on the model curriculum, developed by the team under the supervision of S. P. Zapototskyi. According to it, the content block related to the study of the population was removed from the 8th and instead transferred to the 9th grade course. Thus, the content of the course “Geography” in the 8th grade will encompass the following 4 chapters: Chapter I “Cartographic image of Ukraine”, Chapter II “Nature of Ukraine”, Chapter III “Natural Resource Management” and Chapter IV “Space – Territory – State”. Instead of the topic “Ukrainian and World Population” in the 8th grade, the inclusion of which in this course at one time was an unsuccessful experiment, two Chapters were introduced under the names “Natural Resource Management” and “Space – Territory – State”. Chapter “Natural Resource Management” logically completes the study of the nature of our state from the standpoint of the resource approach and perspectives of nature use, and “Space – Territory – State” is a kind of a transitional link to the study of Ukrainian and world social geography in the 9th grade. However, a more detailed analysis of the content of the topics included in the geography course covered in the 8th grade according to the model program offered by S. P. Zapototskyi and others, prompts to draw attention to some debatable issues and to offer author’s vision of improving the content of the educational discipline. The main suggestions concern the preservation of a typical physical and geographical approach to the study of the nature of Ukraine in Chapter II, In topic 1. of section IV. "Ukrainian state" a very important aspect of consideration is the affirmation of the idea that Ukraine is the inheritor of the state tradition of the Slavic tribe of the Ants. Another strength of the program is the project activity to establish the features of the formation of capable territorial communities formed after the decentralization reform. The main narrative to be relayed by topic 2 "Ukraine's place on the political map of the world" is that Ukraine is a sovereign European state, a candidate country for EU membership, which has to defend its independence from Russian aggression in a fair armed struggle. and some clarification of the content in Chapter III “Natural Resource Management”.

Costs of treating serious adverse effects of drugs used for treatment of obesity: comparison of selected European countries

Drugs for the treatment of obesity show significant effectiveness, but the adverse effects (ADRs) of these drugs are numerous and varied, and some of them are highly cost-generating. Our research aimed to define the health care utilization pattern in treating ADRs of antiobesity therapy, to compare the costs of treating these ADRs among selected European countries, and to identify the key cost drivers. A comparative analysis of the costs of treating the ADRs of antiobesity drugs in 10 European countries (seven EU members and three from the Western Balkans) was conducted, and the impact of parameters of global health expenditures on them was assessed. There are considerable differences in costs of treating adverse antiobesity drug reactions among European countries: costs of treating gastroesophageal reflux disease varied almost 20 times between North Macedonia (12.6 EUR) and Estonia (202.9 EUR). The Gross Domestic Product per capita was an important cost driver in treating the majority of the ADRs studied (p < .001), except for retinopathy, anaphylaxis, and respiratory disorders. The Domestic Private Health Expenditure increased the costs of treating depression (p = .012), upper respiratory tract infection (p = .008), melanocytic naevus (p = .027), and drug-induced hepatitis (p = .023). Investment in pharmaceuticals, medical goods, and preventive care tended to reduce the costs of treating several ADRs, which are seemingly unrelated to the body site or mechanism. Healthcare utilization and costs of treating ADRs to antiobesity drugs vary significantly among European countries. These differences should be considered when creating inputs for cost-effectiveness and budget impact models to decrease their uncertainty.

Carving spaces of hospitality: Place attachment among migrant and non-migrant residents in a rural town undergoing rapid demographic change

This article explores the complex and evolving nature of place attachment in the rural Lincolnshire town of Boston, a new immigration destination. Drawing on 28 semi-structured interviews with residents, it examines the ways in which migrant and non-migrant communities make Boston their home, how they react to change and disruption, navigate (in)hospitable encounters and narrate their belonging in the town post the EU referendum, which saw residents overwhelmingly voting against EU membership. The findings show that in the face of place alteration and turbulence, both migrant and non-migrant residents demonstrate a nuanced and differentiated form of commitment to place and, despite intractable systemic challenges, actively work to bring communities together and reframe negative place narratives. Community leadership emerges as integral to the collective effort of creating spaces of hospitality. For migrant and non-migrant communities, place attachment is a dynamic and fluid process, shaped and constantly reshaped by socio-economic and political factors, media discourses and experiences of hospitality/hostility. It is an embodied and emotional process that involves individual and collective discursive efforts to reframe dominant narratives, material and social ways of connecting as well as pragmatic ways of distancing.

Getting Brexit done? The politics of issue-eclipsing pledges

ABSTRACT Leaders are rewarded for delivering on policy pledges. Yet mobilisation strategies often depend on keeping issues and unsolved problems ‘alive’ for electoral purposes. What happens when these incentives collide has been subject to little attention. Drawing on the example of Brexit in the United Kingdom, this article examines the politics of issue-eclipsing pledges – scenarios in which policy pledges directly undercut mobilisation strategies. Brexit offers a good example of these tensions because the referendum vote called the bluff of decades-long Conservative efforts to instrumentalise EU membership for electoral gain. We show how issue-eclipsing pledges produce cyclical and path-dependent dynamics that tend towards radicalisation, as pledges of incumbent elites to guarantee policy delivery are vulnerable to the efforts of non-incumbents to re-interpret pledges and re-mobilise bases of electoral support. We illustrate these dynamics by narrating the interplay of reform pledges and re-mobilisation strategies encountered by successive UK governments since the 2016 referendum.

Coalition politics under exceptional exogenous constraints: the Meloni government during the EU-financed economic recovery plan

ABSTRACT Since its inauguration, the coalition dynamics characterizing the Meloni government have been interrelated with managing one of the largest investment plans in Italian history: the Next Generation EU-funded recovery plan. This windfall represents both a historic opportunity for economic revitalization and an unprecedented external constraint for Italy. By linking two established research agendas, the coalition life cycle and the Europeanisation of domestic politics, this study examines the extent to which external constraints arising from EU membership may have affected coalition governance. Using a longitudinal design spanning almost three decades (1996-2023), the study finds that the implementation of the recovery plan is associated both with new trends and the accentuation of existing ones, including the strengthening of the prime minister’s role.

The Beowulf Group: Taking the lead to defend Europe

Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine has exposed divisions in European strategic culture and threat perception. The search for a lowest-common-denominator response to the threat has hampered the European reply to the Russian aggression, often forcing the EU to move at the speed of its slowest member, whether in supplying ammunition and equipment to Ukraine or setting up the defence industry needed to accelerate such a supply in the future. Notwithstanding the importance of keeping a broad coalition together, this article argues that it is now time to create a vanguard of like-minded European nations, led by France, Poland and, though not an EU member, the UK, but open to other states, which can force the creation of a new strategic culture able to meet the Russian threat. This ‘Beowulf Group’, named after the Danish hero from the Anglo-Saxon epic who stood up to the marauding monster Grendel, could establish a Strategic College for Europe, a joint Elite European Reserve Legion and a strategic communications centre, to move European policy in a more active direction.

The Shadow Economy, an Enigma, in the Agriculture of 15 EU Member States over the Period 1996–2019

The focus of this review is the shadow economy (SE) in agriculture. Our research aim is to empirically quantify the SE in the agricultural sector based on data collected in the EU-15 member states from 1996 to 2019. We apply the multiple indicators multiple causes model to estimate the levels and development of the SE in these countries. Furthermore, we investigate how the size of the agricultural SE differs between the EU-15 member states and how it affects the economy overall. The results show that (a) the main potential for SE lies in agricultural subsidies, the effects of taxation, the share of imports, and factor income in agriculture; (b) certain patterns and differences exist among the countries, which can be associated with the north-south-west divide; and (c) there are higher levels of SEs in agriculture compared to in the overall economies. This review emphasizes the potential for measuring the SE in agriculture, while recognizing current methodological limitations. Recommendations include diversifying methods, standardizing definitions internationally, and enhancing theoretical foundations. Furthermore, expanding research to include more regions and improve visibility and transparency in measurements is crucial if informed policy is to be made to benefit agriculture globally.

Feminist Movement in Turkey in the 1990s

According to a feminism worldview, women should have economic, social, civil, political, and cultural rights. For this, women need to go a long, controversial and interesting path. On the one hand, they are aware of their place in society, in the state, and on the other hand, they are trying to change the cultural norms that cause oppression. Turkey is the only country in which the majority of the population is Muslim, and at the same time, it is a candidate for EU membership. Turkey has managed to create a progress-oriented state. This is a well-planned and calculated path with predetermined steps, paved with the reforms of the founder of the republic, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk (1881–1938). The problem of feminism is one of the most lively topics in republican Turkey. The processes taking place in the Ottoman Empire at the end of the 19th century and at the beginning of the 20th century prepared a solid ground for further development of the feminist movement. On October 29, 1923, after Turkey was declared a republic, the feminist movement took a new direction. The feminist movement in Turkey went through three periods. The first period includes the processes of the collapse of the Ottoman Empire and “Europeanization”, which led to the advancement of the women’s problems to the fore and the active struggle for the rights and place of educated Ottoman women in society. The second period was determined by the civil law on the participation of women in elections, adopted in republican Turkey in 1926. And the third one was the period of the 1990s, when the feminist movement became more widespread and active. Feminist policies have been founded and carried out, the role of women in government structures has increased; feminist organizations were created in Istanbul, Ankara and Antalya, etc. In the 1990s, the movement of Muslim feminists, Islamist women, known as “Islamic feminism”, became active in Turkey. After the creation of the republic in Turkey, religious associations came under the direct subordination and control of the state. There have been prepared various projects to solve women’s problems. Centers for the study of women’s issues have been opened at universities. For the first time, women spoke openly about sexual freedom, etc.

Конкурентоспособност на българския зеленчуков сектор на световния пазар

Depending on the scope of the concept of competitiveness, it is used in a variety of contexts in economic research, although there is a lack of a precise and generally accepted definition of what exactly it entails. In this study, competitiveness is considered from the point of view of market performance, using the developed theoretical framework for measuring the performance of an individual country or sector of the national economy, based on the definition of the Canadian Competitiveness Group: “The ability to sustainably win and maintain market share”. Two concepts are laid down in it – about the dynamics of market share and profit formation in order to achieve sustainable development over time. The aim of the present study is to evaluate the competitiveness of the Bulgarian vegetable production sector on the world market, to clearly note its change in a dynamic aspect. The research specifically adopted the methodology developed by B. Ivanov for calculating a composite index of competitiveness, containing two main components - production and value. The analysis shows the place of Bulgarian vegetable production in the national agriculture and in the world vegetable market, the dynamics and changes that reflect in the competitiveness of the sector during the years of EU membership – 2007 – 2021. The comprehensive assessment of the competitiveness of the vegetable crop sector in Bulgaria on world markets defines it as relatively low. The results obtained from the research confirm and complement the assessment of the competitiveness of the “Vegetable production” sector in Bulgaria, made by other Bulgarian researchers. Despite the favorable climate and natural features in our country, as well as our traditions in the production of vegetables, the sector is deteriorating its market position and the dynamics of competitiveness are rather negative. The research clearly shows that Bulgaria is losing positions in the production of vegetables, while at the same time its dependence on imports and foreign prices is increasing. The sector of vegetable production is among the vulnerable sectors of the Bulgarian agriculture, as the permanent negative trends of reduction of areas and production are projected in the inability to meet consumer needs in our country from high-quality domestic production. The future development of the sector and the increase of its competitiveness will depend on many factors, some of the most important of which are the extent to which vegetable producers will be able to be flexible and adapt to achieve the new environmental policy objectives; to what extent they will be able to respond to modern trends in agricultural production – digitalization, ecological/biological agriculture, new technological solutions.

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.

Internal Affairs Bodies and Their Place in the System of Tasks and Functions of a Modern Democratic State: Issues of Legal Doctrine

The author points out that among the main priorities of Ukraine’s domestic policy since independence has been the creation of reliable mechanisms for security, political stability, and democracy that would correspond to the relevant mechanisms employed in the European Union. The prospect of EU membership is defined at the constitutional level and is a strategic guideline for Ukrainian aspirations for transformation and a key goal for which reforms are being carried out within the Ukrainian state. The creation and implementation of such mechanisms is the standard that will allow Ukraine to join the EU’s common security system, increase the effectiveness of control over the movement and non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, and bring international cooperation in the fight against organized crime, illegal migration, smuggling, terrorism, and drug trafficking to a new level. It is noted that Ukraine’s intentions to integrate into the European space have necessitated significant changes in national legislation aimed at adapting to a wide range of norms and standards generally accepted in international and European practice. The sphere of public security protection deserves special attention from lawmakers, as human rights protection is an invariable «gold standard» that distinguishes a democratic state. Given the state-forming importance of the national police, its improvement is in the zone of increased attention from both the government and society. It is extremely important today to create an effective organizational model of police bodies capable of reliably protecting the interests of the economy and citizens, implementing such principles of reforming the Ukrainian police that would result not only in excellent work in detecting and stopping offenses but also in creating significant resources for preventing offenses. The author demonstrates the dependence of the functional orientation of police structures on the functional orientation of the state, in particular on the form of state-legal regime it implements, which directly lays the basic principles of the activities of law enforcement structures in the country and the principles of their reform. Therefore, the logical idea arises that the functional orientation of police structures may depend on the functional orientation of the state, in particular on the form of state-legal regime it implements, which directly lays the basic principles of the activities of law enforcement structures in the country and the principles of their reform.

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.

EU membership and income inequality: escaping the single and binary treatment approach

EU membership and income inequality: escaping the single and binary treatment approach

Key stages of adapting the acquis communautaire to Ukraine's legal system: a historical overview

The article is aimed at clarifying the status of regulatory and legal support for the process of adaptation of the national legislation to the acquis communautaire. It is stated that the Ukrainian state has already completed most of the steps to join the EU. Attention is focused on the relevance of the study, which is due to Ukraine's officially obtaining the EU candidate status and the transition to the negotiation process between the EU and Ukraine on the latter's accession to the EU. The author analyses the provisions of Ukrainian legislation and scientific research on the understanding of the concept of ‘acquis communautaire’. The author's definition of this legal phenomenon is formulated, which should be understood as the sources of EU law, standards, principles of external and internal activities and other achievements of the European Communities. The author's own approach to distinguishing four stages of adaptation of the national legislation to the acquis communautaire in chronological order is proposed. The first stage was when Ukrainian legislation implemented the EU norms and standards to establish economic cooperation between Ukraine and the EU in various areas for the development of various relations between the partners. The second stage was a testament to the irresistible desire of Ukraine and Ukrainians to be part of the EU community and contributed to the signing and entry into force of the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement. The third stage demonstrates Ukraine's path from the signing of the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement to the EU candidate status. The fourth stage is connected with the European Council's announcement of the start of negotiations with Ukraine on the country's accession to the EU and the need for comprehensive harmonisation and adaptation of Ukrainian legislation to the EU acquis in connection with the prospect of EU membership. It is emphasised that the implementation of the acquis communautaire into the national legal system should pursue national interests and be a political, economic, legal and social consensus on key issues of European integration transformations

PROSPECTS OF ECONOMIC INTEGRATION OF UKRAINE WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF THE ASSOCIATION AGREEMENT WITH THE EU

The article examines the prospects of economic integration within the framework of the association agreement with the EU. It is noted that modern studies on the integration of Ukraine into the EU most often consider the problems of the Ukrainian dimension of European and Euro-Atlantic integration, Ukraine's acquisition of the status of a candidate for EU membership in the conditions of the war in Ukraine , the state European integration policy of Ukraine: theory, methodology, mechanisms, reengineering in international business. The main prospects for further economic integration of Ukraine into the EU are offered: strengthen responsibility for corruption schemes in the economy and in the field of intellectual property rights; implement the Tax Policy Strategy, which should take into account all sectoral aspects of the Association Agreement with the EU; strengthen control over public procurement; apply real tools to stimulate energy efficiency and innovative development (tax credit or tax discount), environmentally safe production (emission limits, correction factors, etc.), establish a tax-free minimum income of citizens and apply real control over persons receiving tax benefits. It is justified that the level of innovative activity should be stimulated primarily by tax benefits. It is shown that in foreign countries, the emphasis is primarily on the financing of innovative research by private companies, which allows them to obtain an innovative product, which can then be sold both inside the country and outside its borders. In Ukraine, for the most part, the state is not interested in such processes and does not create certain preferences for persons developing innovative products. It is proposed to introduce an innovative tax credit, which will allow subjects of innovative activity to reduce the tax burden from corporate income tax or postpone its payment. Thanks to this approach, Ukraine can obtain innovative products that will be in demand on the world market.

Transactional hedging versus value-based hedging: how small frontline states balance between European integration and Russian influence

ABSTRACT The Russian invasion of Ukraine significantly altered the security dynamics in the Eastern Partnership (EaP) region, placing Moldova and Georgia, two frontline states on the EU's periphery, in precarious positions that threaten their security and stability. This article examines how these states manage their foreign policies between EU alignment and security risk management, given their status as candidates for EU membership while facing dire security challenges from the Russia-West geopolitical rivalry. We argue that both countries have resorted to hedging strategies to mitigate the immediate security and economic risks stemming from the geopolitical competition/conflict between the West and Russia. However, there is a significant difference: Moldova’s hedging has been limited to risk management vis-à-vis Russia and accompanied by Chisinau’s close normative and institutional alignment with the EU – a value-based hedging. In contrast, Georgia has maintained an equidistant stance between the two influential regional actors, an approach that goes beyond security-driven hedging. It represents a transactional hedging – an attempt to distance from the EU’s normative script and adopt a genuine multi-vector foreign policy.