European Decision Research Articles

The Explanatory Power of Structural Realism in the 21st Century: the Eastern Partnership, Russian Expansionism and the War in Ukraine

While the scope of the paper is to assess the actions undertaken by the European Union towards the FSU-CIS (the former Soviet Union, Commonwealth of Independent States) which was manifested through the Eastern Partnership Initiative in the years 2008–2014, the focus will be centred on theoretical concepts and their ‘explanatory power’ rather than actions undertaken by European or Russian decision makers. Taking that into the account, this essay will critically assess the explanatory power of the neorealist school of thought which although overtly criticized, still remains a viable tool in explaining the processes occurring in international relations.

Comparing Chinese and European American mental health decision making

Background: Shared decision making (SDM) tends to reflect more Western values of individualism and empowerment, values that may be foreign to East Asian healthcare preferences for collectivism and family involvement: family centered decision making (FCDM).Aims: To show that Chinese will be more likely to believe FCDM would be more pleasing for them if they were the patient. Conversely, European Americans will respond more favorably to SDM. To examine effects of Western acculturation on FCDM compared to SDM.Method: In this study, preferences for FCDM versus SDM and doctor-led decision making (DrDM) were examined in a vignette study completed online by European Americans (n = 298) and Chinese (n = 327). Research participants read a vignette about Lily (a depression patient) presenting with symptoms of depression. After reading the vignette, participants completed items representing two sets of outcomes: three perceptions of impact on Lily and how participants might respond for themselves in a similar decision making situation.Results: Chinese rated FCDM greater than European and Chinese Americans. Chinese Americans mostly responded similar to European Americans and not Chinese.Conclusion: European Americans prefer SDM more for mental health services. Chinese value FCDM more than European Americans. Preferences of Chinese living in America seem to parallel European Americans.

Promoting Entrepreneurial Commitment: The Benefits of Interdisciplinarity

IntroductionIn innovation-driven economies, the transfer of scientific findings to industry has great economic and political significance. Academic entrepreneurship is one particularly potent form of such transfer (Grimaldi et al., 2011; Siegel & Wright, 2015). Recognizing its benefits, European decision makers in academia, industry, and government increasingly regard academic

Rapid method for the quantification of 13 sulphonamides in milk by conventional high-performance liquid chromatography with diode array ultraviolet detection using a column packed with core-shell particles

In the present study, a column packed with core-shell particles was used for the separation and the quantification of 13 sulphonamides in milk by conventional high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with diode array ultraviolet detection (HPLC/UV-DAD). Preliminary experiments were carried out to investigate selectivity of different stationary phases. Best results were achieved using a C18 column packed with 2.6μm core-shell particles (diameter 4.6mm, length 75mm). A binary gradient elution based on acetate buffer solution at pH 4.50 and a mixture of methanol acetonitrile 50:50 (v/v) was employed at the flow rate of 1.2mLmin−1 with an injection volume of 6μL. These chromatographic conditions allowed the efficient separation of 13 sulphonamides in about 8min. To evaluate the suitability of the method for official control analysis, the most important validation parameters were investigated according to the European Decision 657/2002/EC as established for analysis of drug residues in food. Sulphonamides were recovered from milk samples by a simple and quick preparation procedure consisting of an extraction step with chloroform/acetone and a purification step with n-hexane. Mean recoveries from raw milk ranged between 55% and 86% at the Maximum Residual Limit of 100μgkg−1, and RSDs% resulted lower than Thompson and Horwitz RSD% reference values for all sulphonamides. The LOQ value (2.7–15μgkg−1) was low enough to satisfy legal limits suggested by European Regulation 37/2010/EC.

Horizontal Mergers, Innovation and the Competitive Process

Recent European Commission merger decisions have revived the debate on the role of innovation in merger control. For example, in the merger decision on Dow/DuPont, the Commission found that the merger would have significantly lessened competition in part due a reduction in the R&D efforts by the merged entity.1 Similarly, in a number of recent high-profile cases, the US Department of Justice expressed concerns about the loss of innovation competition resulting from a merger between competitors.2 The theory of harm put forward by competition authorities in these recent merger cases posits that a merger between rival innovators may lessen competition not only because of a reduction in (static) competition on current products, but also because of a lessening of (dynamic) competition on future products. According to the theory of harm, the loss of future competition may, at least in part, stem from a reduction in innovation. Some commentators have argued that the findings reached by the competition authorities on the loss of innovation competition due to horizontal mergers are at odds with the insights from the economics literature, which allegedly suggests that the relationship between competition and innovation is ambiguous.3

‘Trouble Always Comes in Threes’: The Taricco Case Saga and the Italian Limitation Period in VAT Fraud

The European Court of Justice (ECJ) decision on the so-called Taricco case has been a source of significant debate among Italian scholars for the past year. The peculiarity of this case derives from the fact that more than one legal discipline is involved, ranging from tax law, criminal and procedural criminal law to constitutional law. The purpose of this article is therefore to examine the entire Taricco case by considering in turn the three different judicial phases which have characterized it. Beginning with the ECJ decision, it is then necessary to take into account how the Italian Supreme Court (Corte di Cassazione) has implemented in its case law the dispositions contained in the European decision. Finally, it is important to analyse the recent ordinance of the Italian Constitutional Court addressing again the ECJ and therefore opening new phases in the ongoing debate. Particular attention is given to the implications of this case on fundamental principles characterizing most of the European Member States and the role this decision might have in the adoption of the European Directive on the fight against fraud to the Union’s financial interests by means of criminal law that will replace Convention on the Protection of the European Communities’ Financial Interests (PFI) Convention.

Has the uniformity of banking regulation within the European Union restricted rather than encouraged sectoral development?

The recent international financial crisis exposed many of the frailties that exist within the European banking sector. One major decision taken by the European Commission was to transition the powers of the Committee of European Banking Supervisors to that of the European Banking Authority (EBA). Our analysis focuses primarily on the differing behaviour by each European country's banking sector to major shocks, namely that in the form of bank closures. It is then necessary to investigate and further understand the role that the European Banking Authority now possesses with regards to releasing sensitive announcements based on the underlying currents of the European Banking system as measured by domestic banking sector stock returns. Finally, we investigate the cultural characteristics that can be uncovered by analysing the responses of domestic banking sectors to uniform regulation. We present three key findings. First, European countries with more local banking networks in the form of credit unions, public banks or savings banks, generate greater levels of volatility when compared to that of their commercial counterparts, particularly in countries with more monopolistic sectors. Secondly, the announcements of the European Banking Authority generate significant volatility effects for the European banking sector at large, with particular emphasis on stress testing results, but also announcements based on recapitalisation, regulation and transparency. Finally, cultural distance effects are identified, indicating that peripheral states are experiencing more substantial volatility effects to European Banking Authority decisions. These results indicate that uniformity of regulation may in fact be hindering and restricting the growth of some domestic and more peripheral and locally designed banking sectors in the form of rules designed for commercial banking operations.

Online Gatekeeping and the Google Shopping Antitrust Decision: The Beginning of the End or the End of the Beginning?

This paper provides a preliminary opinion on the European Commission's decision on the Google Search (Shopping) case.

Development in the number of clinical trial applications in Western Europe from 2007 to 2015: retrospective study of data from national competent authorities

ObjectiveTo investigate the development in the number of applications for authorisation of clinical trials of medicines (CTAs) submitted annually to national competent authorities in 10 Western European member states of...

Strategies for the screening of antibiotic residues in eggs: comparison of the validation of the classical microbiological method with an immunobiosensor method

ABSTRACTEfficient screening methods are needed to control antibiotic residues in eggs. A microbiological kit (Explorer® 2.0 test (Zeu Inmunotech, Spain)) and an immunobiosensor kit (Microarray II (AM® II) on Evidence Investigator™ system (Randox, UK)) have been evaluated and validated for screening of antibiotic residues in eggs, according to the European decision EC/2002/657 and to the European guideline for the validation of screening methods. The e-reader™ system, a new automatic incubator/reading system, was coupled to the Explorer 2.0 test. The AM II kit can detect residues of six different families of antibiotics in different matrices including eggs. For both tests, a different liquid/liquid extraction of eggs had to be developed. Specificities of the Explorer 2.0 and AM II kit were equal to 8% and 0% respectively. The detection capabilities were determined for 19 antibiotics, with representatives from different families, for Explorer 2.0 and 12 antibiotics for the AM II kit. For the nine antibiotics having a maximum residue limit (MRL) in eggs, the detection capabilities CCβ of Explorer 2.0 were below the MRL for four antibiotics, equal to the MRL for two antibiotics and between 1 and 1.5 MRLs for the three remaining antibiotics (tetracyclines). For the antibiotics from other families, the detection capabilities were low for beta-lactams and sulfonamides and satisfactory for dihydrostreptomycin (DHS) and fluoroquinolones, which are usually difficult to detect with microbiological tests. The CCβ values of the AM II kit were much lower than the respective MRLs for three detected antibiotics (tetracycline, oxytetracycline, tylosin). Concerning the nine other antibiotics, the detection capabilities determined were low. The highest CCβ was obtained for streptomycin (100 µg kg–1).

Sol-gel-graphene-based fabric-phase sorptive extraction for cow and human breast milk sample cleanup for screening bisphenol A and residual dental restorative material before analysis by HPLC with diode array detection.

Fabric-phase sorptive extraction has already been recognized as a simple and green alternative to the conventional sorbent-based sorptive microextraction techniques, using hybrid organic-inorganic sorbent coatings chemically bonded to a flexible fabric surface. Herein, we have investigated the synergistic combination of the advanced material properties offered by sol-gel graphene sorbent and the simplicity of Fabric phase sorptive extraction approach in selectively extracting bisphenol A and residual monomers including bisphenol A glycerolatedimethacrylate, urethane dimethacrylate, and triethylene glycol dimethacrylate derived dental restorative materials from cow and human breast milk samples. Different coatings were evaluated. Final method development employed sol-gel graphene coated media. The main experimental parameters influencing extraction of the compounds, such as sorbent chemistry used, sample loading conditions, elution solvent, sorption stirring time, elution time, impact of protein precipitation, amount of sample, and matrix effect, were investigated and optimized. Absolute recovery values from standard solutions were 50% for bisphenol A, 78% for T triethylene glycol dimethacrylate, 110% for urethane dimethacrylate, and 103% for bisphenol A glycerolatedimethacrylate, while respective absolute recovery values from milk were 30, 52, 104, and 42%. Method validation was performed according to European Decision 657/2002/EC in terms of selectivity, sensitivity, linearity, accuracy, and precision.

Regulação dos setores em rede para além dos valores econômicos: uma análise das políticas de interconexão IP para suporte a serviços de voz na União Europeia a partir das Teorias do Interesse Público

Propósito – O artigo analisa de que forma teorias de regulação econômica dos setores em rede podem antecipar o comportamento das autoridades reguladoras no setor de telecomunicações contemporâneo, especificamente no que concerne à adoção de políticas de acesso e interconexão de redes.
 Metodologia/abordagem/design – Inicialmente, o trabalho examina os principais argumentos econômicos de regulação de setores em rede sustentados pela literatura especializada, destacando estudos recentes que consideram que o dinamismo tecnológico inerente ao setor de telecomunicações tornaria desnecessária uma intervenção estatal mais efetiva na imposição de obrigações de interconexão de redes. Em seguida, são exploradas algumas das críticas feitas pelas Teorias do Interesse Público às abordagens regulatórias baseadas exclusivamente na perseguição de valores econômicos, destacando-se de que forma tais críticas podem ser endereçadas às teorias examinadas na primeira parte do trabalho. Por fim, será examinado o quadro normativo comum europeu aplicável às políticas de acesso e interconexões de redes, bem como decisões recentes de Agências Reguladoras Nacionais de dois países da União Europeia (França e Alemanha), investigando-se como as abordagens econômicas de regulação dos setores em rede podem antecipar o comportamento dessas entidades reguladoras.
 Resultados – A partir das decisões examinadas, é possível inferir que, nessas jurisdições, a imposição de obrigações de interconexão IP fundamenta-se em princípios como o da concorrência efetiva e o da neutralidade tecnológica, que não se reduzem ao ideal econômico neoclássico de eficiência alocativa. Assim, nesse contexto, pode-se dizer que a intervenção regulatória perseguiu objetivos substantivos de regulação para além dos valores econômicos invocados pelas tradicionais teorias de regulação dos setores em rede.

Development of an analysis method for determination of sulfonamides and their five acetylated metabolites in baby foods by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled to high-resolution mass spectrometry (Orbitrap-MS)

A high sensitive and reliable multiresidue method was developed and validated for determination of twelve sulfonamides and five acetylated metabolites in baby foods by using UHPLC-Orbitrap-MS. The sample preparation included two extraction methods as QuEChERS and ASE. The original QuEChERS method was performed, whereas ASE method was optimized to achieve the best recovery for all analytes. UHPLC-Orbitrap-MS parameters were optimized to obtain good retention and separation in LC and high sensitivity and selectivity in MS. The performance of the method was evaluated according to the European Commision Decision 2002/657/EC. Matrix matched calibration curves showed good r2 (≥0.999) and LOQ was ranged from 0.10 to 0.55μg/kg. ASE was significantly more effective for extraction of the analytes (recovery ranged from 75.5 to 96.6% with RSD≤10.1%) than QuEChERS (recovery ranged from 60.9 to 85.9% with RSD≤19.1%). This method was applied to the analysis of 47 different baby foods and no positive samples were found.

Concept of ‘Sail by Wire’ controller for a ship’s propulsion system from an unmanned ship perspective

ABSTRACTThe intention of this paper is to present the idea of total ship control called the Supervisory ‘Sail by Wire’ Control System. As a part of it, there is an optimal controller of the ship’s propulsion plant presented in this paper. The paper focuses on the integration of four control subsystems of ships: navigation, propulsion, auxiliary and deck machinery systems, hull structures and cargo handling equipment. Such a controller can be build also on the base of conventional, fuzzy, or neural principles. Critical situations are detected, warned in advance is given about them, and they are reported to the ship's operator. The analytical results and recommendations as well as real vessel conditions will be recorded and post-processed. The intelligent integration of acquired data from subsystems will ensure that the control commands and actions compromise the multi-effects of a vessel's dynamics and operation. While performing accurate regulation and governing functions, this control system should have the capability of identifying and compensating failures during the ship's operation. The ‘Sail by Wire’ Supervisory Controller delivers a comprehensive study and a new idea to common European strategies and decisions for tracking issues in shipping in critical situations.

Postal Services: Survey of Competition Law Developments

This article summarises the most significant competition law development in the postal services sector in the last 12 months, at EU level (II.–IV.) and at national level in France, Germany, the Netherlands and the UK (V.).1 The last 12 months have seen a European Commission merger control decision in the parcel delivery services sector in the Fedex/TNT Express case (II.) and a judgement of the Court of Justice of the EU (‘CJEU’) upholding the European General Court judgement in the Slovenská Pošta2 case (III.). In the State aid area, the European General Court has allowed an appeal by Deutsche Post against the 2012 decision of the Commission finding that the public financing of pensions constituted unlawful State aid, and the Commission has approved Italian State aid funding for Poste Italiane's universal service obligation (IV.). In January 2016, the European Commission approved the acquisition of TNT Express by Fedex following a phase 2 investigation.3 TNT Express and Fedex are two of the four ‘integrators’ operating in the small package delivery sector in the EU. Integrators are delivery service companies that control a comprehensive air and road delivery network for purposes of providing a range of reliable delivery services. The other integrators are DHL (owned by Deutsche Post) and UPS (of the USA). In 2013, the European Commission prohibited the acquisition of TNT Express by UPS because it would have resulted in a substantial lessening of competition in the EU, with a reduction of competitors from three to two in some EEA countries, because Fedex is not active in all EU member states.4 At this stage, the full decision of the Commission has not yet been published, but the main reason was explained in a Commission press release.5

Review of the Greek Legislative Framework for Ground Source Heat Pumps (GSHPs) and Suggestions for its Improvement

The current paper presents an overview of the Greek legislation which is directly or indirectly related to ground source heat pump (GSHP) systems. The legislative acts which concern, among others,geothermal potential, shallow geothermal energy, installation of heating/cooling systems and domestic hot water production, use of surface water or groundwater, heat pumps, development of renewable energy sources (RES), energy related products and energy efficiency of buildings are outlined in this study. Furthermore, the relevant European directives and decisions with which the Greek legislation has been harmonized are presented.The Greek legislative framework for the development of GSHPs has been improved over time mainly due to the relevant European directives and decisions; however further improvements and developments are required. Therefore, changes regarding the legislative framework involving the licensing process for the installation of GSHP systems are recommended, concerning: a) system definition, b) installation specifications, c) clarification of responsibilities of involved departments, d) technical issues and e) simplification of the process.

Integracja europejska w kulturze w perspektywie historycznej: lata siedemdziesiąte XX wieku

The aim of this paper is to illustrate the European Community decision making processes regarding culture and cultural policy in the Seventies, as well as their evolution over the years. The discussion is based on the analysis of EC documents and political declarations, which created the foundation for the ‘European Identity’ phenomenon. The Identity proved to be a crucial factor in all of following cultural policy initiatives and undertakings. It also played a role in definition of ‘cultural belonging’ and ‘European common values’. The political summits, meetings, and discussions organised within EC affected documents and statements of the European Council and the European Commission, which in turn generated multilevel, processual and democracy-based ‘European identity’. Since that initial period, it morphed into far more complex, transcultural, and heterogenic form.

Development of an HPLC-DAD Method for the Determination of Five Sulfonamides in Shrimps and Validation According to the European Decision 657/2002/EC

A method for the determination of five sulfonamide drugs: sulfadiazine (SDZ), sulfamethazine (SMTH), sulfisoxazole (SIX), sulfadimethoxine (SDMX), sulfaquinoxaline (SQX) in shrimps was developed using a high-pressure liquid chromatography–diode array detection (HPLC–DAD) instrumentation. The drugs were extracted from the samples using a solid-liquid extraction, with a mixture of acetonitrile-methanol and aqueous solution of acetic acid. The separation was achieved with LiChroCART-LiChrospher® 100 RP-18 (5 μm, 250 × 4 mm), and the mobile phase consisted of (A) aqueous solution of acetic acid 0.1% (65%) and (B) mixture of ACN-MeOH 50:50 v/v (35%), delivered at a flow rate of 0.8 mL/min isocratically. A DAD detector was used for the detection of the sulfonamides at 265 nm. The method was validated according to the 657/2002/EC decision of the European Union. The recoveries for within-day repeatability were 90.2–109.0% and for between-day precision 88.6–108.4%. The limit of quantitation for all five suflonamides was 50 μg/kg, and the limit of detection was 15 μg/kg.

Fabric phase sorptive extraction of selected penicillin antibiotic residues from intact milk followed by high performance liquid chromatography with diode array detection.

Fabric phase sorptive extraction (FPSE), a novel sorbent-based microextraction method, was evaluated as a simple and rapid strategy for the extraction of four penicillin antibiotic residues (benzylpenicillin, cloxacillin, dicloxacillin and oxacillin) from cows' milk, without prior protein precipitation. Time-consuming solvent evaporation and reconstitution steps were eliminated successfully from the sample preparation workflow. FPSE utilizes a flexible fabric substrate, chemically coated with sol-gel derived, highly efficient, organic-inorganic hybrid sorbent as the extraction medium. Herein short-chain poly(ethylene glycol) provided optimum extraction sensitivity for the selected penicillins, which were analysed using an RP-HPLC method, validated according to the European Decision 657/2002/EC. The limit of quantitation was 10μg/kg for benzylpenicillin, 20μg/kg for cloxacillin, 25μg/kg dicloxacillin and 30μg/kg oxacillin. These are a similar order of magnitude with those reported in the literature and (with the exception of benzylpenicillin) are less than the maximum residue limits (MRL) set by European legislation.

Negative equity companies in Europe: theory and evidence

Businesses in technical bankruptcy are part of the European context, many of them in such financial distress that they have lost all their equity and a very high percentage of them have even incurred negative equity. There is a very little literature analysing these companies; moreover, they are considered as out of the ordinary because they do not fit into conventional theories of business, and are removed from most samples. They are largely neglected. The research questions posed here are a step towards remedying this: “What are the scale and the economic impact of negative equity companies in terms of risk transference?”, “Does this problem differ from one European country to another?”, “Is it an effect of the crisis?”. Using the Bureau Van Dijk’s Amadeus database, we find that nearly 20% of companies have negative equity. Such companies handle more than one billion Euros, i.e. nearly 10% of European GDP. So the results suggest that negative equity companies have a high weight in Europe and, based on the country cluster studied, it seems that neither culture nor geographical area is determinant in explaining their distribution across countries. Nor is the crisis a determinant in explaining their existence, so the problem is not cyclical but structural. These findings have potentially important implications in encouraging European decision makers to factor such companies into their policies and to include them in economic models.