European Environment Research Articles

Human Rights in Islamic Law and the Integration of Muslims in European Countries

The steady growth of Muslim communities in European countries makes possible conflict situations due to the difference between Eastern and Western worldviews. The study of the European experience of finding possible ways to overcome intercultural crisis situations is relevant and expedient from the point of view of possible further implementation into national legislation. To achieve the goal, a set of methods was used: dialectical (for objectivity and comprehensive knowledge of the institution of human rights, taking into account various factors (in particular, religion), formal-legal method (for establishing the content of legal norms, analyzing the practice of their application), methods of analysis and synthesis (for the analysis of the constitutional legislation of foreign countries, which enshrines human rights and freedoms) and others. The comparative legal method was used as the leading one. The article compares Muslim and European approaches to the nature and content of human rights. The key characteristics of the legal status of a person, peculiar to Islamic law, are highlighted in the aspect of bringing such an understanding of human rights to the European environment. The constitutional-legal institution of human rights and freedoms in European states is based on the natural-law concept in the conditions of a liberal democracy and a secular state. Constitutional and legal norms on human rights in Muslim countries establish the inalienable influence of religion. The measures taken by the authorities of European countries are not effective enough. Only compromises, mutual respect for culture and preservation of religious foundations, and the use of primarily legal means of conflict resolution on both sides will help reduce tension and resolve disputes that arise between Muslims and European society. On the basis of the analysis and synthesis of constitutional and legal acts, scientific works, etc., possible ways of avoiding the problems of integration of Muslim minorities in Europe are suggested.

EUROPEAN INTEGRATION STRATEGY FOR TOURISM DEVELOPMENT OF UKRAINE

The purpose of this article is to investigate the essence and features of the implementation mechanism of the European integration strategy for the development of tourism in Ukraine.
 Methods of research. The article uses general scientific methods of researching economic phenomena: epistemological analysis, theoretical generalization, methods of analysis and synthesis, induction and deduction, structural-logical analysis, extrapolation, grouping and classification.
 Presentation of the main research material. The tourism industry of Ukraine is one of the first to suffer large-scale losses with the start of a full-scale war in Ukraine. The state budget did not receive almost 35% from the tourism industry, which was caused by the suspension or complete exit of tourist companies from the Ukrainian market of the tourism industry. The European integration process of tourism development in Ukraine consists in the implementation of European norms and standards, the spread of its own cultural, historical, geographical achievements in the EU countries. This will lead to the adaptation of European cultural identity in Ukraine and general integration into the European environment. Therefore, one of the key tasks of the Ukrainian tourism industry is the need to actively continue the implementation of the adopted strategic course for European integration through the mechanism of implementing the European integration strategy for the development of tourism in Ukraine. That is why the mechanism for the implementation of the European integration strategy for the development of tourism in Ukraine is becoming relevant, since only with the help of integration into the European space and the adoption of European laws, standards, norms and rules will Ukraine be able to revive and ensure the appropriate level of safe and high-quality tourist flow of Ukrainian tourists to EU countries and others.
 Conclusions from the conducted research. It was revealed that as a result of comprehensive actions regarding the implementation of the European integration strategy for the development of tourism in Ukraine, the following advantages will occur: the competitiveness of national and regional tourism products will increase with the prospect of expanding to European markets; the quality of life of the population will increase by ensuring socio-economic growth, environmental safety, consolidation of society, providing access to services in the field of tourism according to European standards; the emergence of new jobs and the expansion of the population's opportunities for employment and self-employment; creation of a modern tourist information industry, as well as ensuring information freedom about the tourist resources of Ukraine in the global information European space.
 Keywords: European integration strategy; integration processes; tourism development of Ukraine; tourism industry; mechanism of implementation of European integration strategy; tourism industry; competitiveness; European space; tourist flow.

Air pollution – a factor of the cardiovascular system diseases

Introduction. Air pollution is any chemical, physical or biological agent that alters the natural composition of the atmosphere. It is the cause of many respiratory, circulatory and nervous system diseases, as well as the occurrence of allergies, cancer and fertility problems. Aim. The purpose of this study was to summarize the effects of polluted air on the cardiovascular system. This impact is associated with the whole spectrum of negative effects from additional hospitalizations to premature deaths. Materials and methods. A review of the literature available in the PubMed database was conducted published by the World Health Organization (WHO) and European Environment Agency (EEA). Basic results. Air pollution is a real threat to the cardiovascular system. The human population is constantly exposed to the toxins in the air we breathe from tobacco smoke and fireplace smoking to industrial emissions and volcanic eruptions. It is not just a problem for large metropolitan areas, but a huge global problem. It is worth noting that polluted air is not only outside, but also indoors where we live despite our supposed sense of security. Conclusions. This is a huge problem that cannot be ignored, and a public health challenge. It is important to constantly raise awareness of the magnitude of the problem, take action on many levels and promote prevention to minimize exposure as much as possible and continue to improve air quality. Keywords: air pollution, cardiovascular disease, particulate matter, myocardial infarction, arrhythmia

The Use of Medieval History in Constructing National Identities in 19th-Century Portugal

Looking back at the development of Portugal today, the 19th century was undoubtedly an important turning point, with the emergence of professional historical writing in the country, the reconstruction of national identity, and the topic of intellectual commitment of the time. The main point of this study is to analyze the writing of European history in the early 19th century. Antony Smith considers the 19th century the beginning of professional historical writing under the framework of a national character. By the theory of Stephen Berger, the scientificity of history is seen as a key point. Combined with the actual situation of Portugal at that time, this paper seeks to emphasize that Portugal in the European environment was influenced by the general European view of history. Portuguese historians carried out scientific historical writing, choosing a romantic and liberal view of history. The paper focuses on Portuguese historians, represented by Alexandre Heeculano. In his view, the Middle Ages were a time of glory. Furthermore, the paper analyzes his professional historical writing and the literary creation of historical elements. Alexandre Heeculano used the well-ordered and vibrant Middle Ages to resist the depressed social situation in Portugal at that time. He called for the establishment of the Middle Ages as the origin of the nation, and the importance of the national imagination to restore national confidence and rebuild national identity. The paper follows this vein and explores how medieval history was used to construct Portuguese identity.

Economic comparison between conventionally powered and electric cars

One of the most serious environmental problems of our time is air pollution, which has a profoundly damaging effect not only on the ecosystem but also on the human body. Increasing air pollution not only increases the risk of respiratory infections, but also increases the risk of asthma, chronic bronchitis and heart disease. In order to reduce these negative effects , the European Environment Agency supports the implementation of measures taken by EU decision-makers to reduce air pollution. At its meeting in Strasbourg on 14 February 2023, the European Parliament adopted an agreement to clean up the air by requiring all new cars and vans sold in the European Union from 2035 to be electrically powered. When this provision becomes definitive, there will be a gradual expansion of the market for electric vehicles, which already represents a steadily increasing proportion of the total number of cars on the road. This latter fact justifies an examination of the penetration, operational and financial consequences of vehicles with green plates. In the study an economic comparison between the most popular pure electric passenger car in the European Union in 2022, the Tesla Model Y with a green plate, and the Peugeot 208 with a conventional engine has been presented. Four economically developed EU Member States, Hungary, Denmark, Norway and France have been taken for consideration. The financial burden on owners of these car types in the year of purchase and in the following years of use has been investigated. The calculations are based on the legislation and market prices in 2023. Taking into account the average change in market prices, an increase of 10% per year in the costs shown in the table for both types of car has been calculated. The analysis shows that, although in the short term, owners of electric cars face much higher costs than their petrol-powered counterparts, in the long term they are an excellent investment in a cleaner vehicle. Conclusions are supported by the fact that the total expenditure on a Peugeot 208 passenger car in 2023 will exceed the total purchase price and maintenance costs of a Tesla Y model in 2023 in Hungary after approximately 10 years, 13 years in Norway, 10 years in Denmark and 12 years in France

Phenotyping and identification of target traits for de novo domestication of wheat wild relatives

AbstractDe novo domestication—the modification of domestication genes in crop wild relatives via genome editing—is an approach for harnessing the beneficial genetic diversity of crop wild relatives. A prerequisite for de novo domestication is phenotyping to identify genetic materials suitable for cultivation in the respective environment. Taxa from the wheat genepool (Triticum aestivum, Triticum durum, Triticum monococcum) are a staple food; these taxa comprise wild relatives of different ploidy levels. The diploid Triticum boeoticum and Triticum urartu and the tetraploid Triticum dicoccoides and Triticum araraticum harbor desirable traits such as high grain quality and abiotic and biotic stress tolerance. Hence, they are candidates for de novo domestication. Here, we grew 111 wild wheats and 38 landraces originating predominantly from the Fertile Crescent and six modern wheat cultivars in a field in Giessen, Germany, to evaluate their environmental adaptability to the central European climate and to identify potential candidates and target traits for de novo domestication. We demonstrate that several wild taxa are suitable for cultivation in the central European environment and that they have distinct characteristics that need to be modified during de novo domestication. The normalized difference vegetation index and the thermal time to heading and flowering indicated excellent adaptability of some wheat wild relatives to central European conditions. The values of yield parameters such as grain weight per plant, number of tillers, and thousand kernel weight were lower in the wild wheats than in the landraces. Therefore, these traits should be targeted for improvement during the de novo domestication of wild wheats.

Legal Status of the National Intellectual Property Authority: European Experience

The purpose of the scientific research is a detailed analysis of theorganization and activity of the national intellectual property body in European countries. The analysis of the European experience of intellectual property bodies is a necessary foundation for the Ukrainian mechanism in the context of the implementation of positive aspects and integration into the European environment. Research methods were used: systematization, comparative method, generalization; analysis and synthesis of ideas developed. On the basis of the conducted analysis, taking into account the study of positive European experience, recommendations were developed for possible implementation into national legislation in the researched area. As a result of the conducted research, it was concluded that in such European countries as Great Britain, France, Germany, Spain and Poland, a single universal model of building national intellectual property bodies has not been developed; each State has a special system of intellectual property bodies; at the same time, despite the diversity of sub-departments and the organizational structure of the national intellectual property bodies of each of these countries, there are several common features.

Feasibility of wave energy harvesting in the Ligurian Sea

A series of short and mid-term guidelines have been established due to the pursuit to offer clean energy and reduce the environmental impact in the Mediterranean and European environment. Currently, the scientific community and the industrial sector promote to find new technologies and means to achieve these regulations. Efforts to provide sustainable ways to supply electricity in Italy have led to the exploration of marine renewable energies (MRE) in the Mediterranean Sea. In particular, in the Ligurian Sea, where the wave climate can provide one of the higher energy sources, represents an optimal opportunity for supplying this energy resource to coastal cities. However, the wave conditions are not as significant as those in other marine regions around the world. There are several devices currently developed which can be applicable to the region. Hence, an evaluation from a technical and economic perspective is advised. Additionally we also investigate the scaling and survival considerations for Wave Energy Converters (WECs) when facing extreme storm events. The proposed study offers the evaluation of a sustainable alternative for powering the electricity mix in the Liguria region, through the exploitation of the wave energy resource. Attractive findings emerge after the assessment of eight floating-body wave energy converters.

Feasibility of hydrothermal liquefaction in phosphorus-recovery from wastewater sludges

A new process train is proposed to stabilize wastewater sludges and to recover calcium phosphate (CaP) from them via hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL). The HTL process concentrates most of the P-content of wastewater sludges into a solid residue referred to as HTL-char. Acid leaching of HTL-char to elute P followed by a 3-step precipitation process is demonstrated for recovering high-quality CaP. Leaching HTL-char with 0.4 M HCl at a liquid:solid ratio of 20 for 0.5 h at 60 °C enabled >99 % elution of P. The 3-step precipitation process resulted in 60–89 % recovery of the P-content of HTL-char as CaP, yielding 15–26 g of CaP/kg dry sludge. Yield of CaP could be increased further if the raw sludge mix is dewatered to increase its solid content to ∼5 wt% prior to HTL. Inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrophotometer results confirmed that the 9 regulated heavy metals in the recovered CaP were below the limits defined by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the European Environmental Agency. Resource and energy costs associated with the proposed process are found to be comparable to those reported for the five patented processes for recovering P from anaerobically digested sludge (17.9 vs 21.2 ± 12.7 €/kg P recovered).

A case for synthetic data in regulatory decision-making in Europe.

Regulators are faced with many challenges surrounding health data usage, including privacy, fragmentation, validity, and generalizability, especially in the European Union (EU), for which synthetic data may provide innovative solutions. Synthetic data, defined as data artificially generated rather than captured in the real world, are increasingly being used for healthcare research purposes as a proxy to real-world data (RWD). Currently, there are barriers particularly challenging in Europe, where sharing patient's data is strictly regulated, costly, and time consuming, causing delays in evidence generation and regulatory approvals. Recent initiatives are encouraging the use of synthetic data in regulatory decision-making and health technology assessment to overcome these challenges, but synthetic data have still to overcome realistic obstacles before their adoption by researchers and regulators in Europe. Thus, the emerging use of RWD and synthetic data by pharmaceutical and medical device industries calls regulatory bodies to provide a framework for proper evidence generation and informed regulatory decision-making. As the provision of data becomes more ubiquitous in scientific research, so will innovations in artificial intelligence, machine learning, and generation of synthetic data, making the exploration and intricacies of this topic all the more important and timely. In this review, we discuss the potential merits and challenges of synthetic data in the context of decision-making in the European regulatory environment. We explore the current uses of synthetic data and ongoing initiatives, the value of synthetic data for regulatory purposes, and realistic barriers to the adoption of synthetic data in healthcare.

More streamlined and targeted. A comparative analysis of the 7th and 8th Environment Action Programmes guiding European environmental policy

Environment Action Programmes (EAP's) are the most important documents defining the environmental policies within the European Union. Their implementation, over the previous 50 years, represented a significant advance in raising eco-friendly awareness and suggesting solutions for environmental problems in the European Union. In this paper, we used Institutional Grammar Tool and network analysis to identify the evolution of EU EAP's by investigating the most recent two programmes (7th Environment Action Programme and 8th Environment Action Programme), particularly in priority objectives, institutional statements, enforcement perspectives, and projected participation of stakeholders. We found that the EU's 8th Environment Action Programme (2021–2030) is further streamlined and target oriented as compared to 7th Environment Action Programme. Furthermore, institutional statements included in the 8th EAP will be implemented predominantly at the levels of European Union and European Commission. On the contrary, in the 7th EAP, the number of institutions, frameworks, and stakeholders is higher and often regional and local (e.g., European Union, Environment Action Programme, European Environment Agency, European Commission, European Parliament, Convention on Biological Diversity, regional authorities, local authorities). The close links of the 8th EAP targets with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the European Green Deal represent an important step towards a greater applicability of environmental policies in the European Union. Our study reveals that comparative analysis of legal documents using Institutional Grammar Tool and network analysis can assist policymakers in assessing the drafting of legal environmental documents and obtain indispensable information about the changes to improve environmental policies.

Socio-Culturally Different Motor Skills of Czech Children with ASD Aged 7-10 Years Assessed by the Test TGMD–3

Background: Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are associated with gross motor development delays and a limited ability to imitate human movements. Early intervention in the field of motor skills is crucial both from the point of view of the need for comprehensive care for these children and to increase their quality of life. Diagnostic evaluation tools for use in practice are a necessary prerequisite for targeted intervention programs. The Test of Gross Motor Development–Third Edition (TGMD-3) is declared for use in children with ASD (Ulrich, 2019). The TGMD-3 was developed in the USA and consists of two subtests – Locomotor and Ball skills. The Ball skills subtest contains culturally different elements such as strike stationary ball and underhand throw, performed according to US practice. For these reasons, modifications have been made in some countries in the European socio-cultural environment (Wagner et al., 2017) that do not include these elements typical of the US environment. The aim of this study was 1) to record and describe the reactions of children with ASD to culturally different elements in the ball skills subtest in the TGMD-3 motor test and 2) to compare their evaluation with other items of this subtest.
 
 Methods: This pilot study included 16 children with ASD aged 7-10 years. A total of 1 girl and 15 boys were evaluated by the TGMD-3 motor test using visual support. (Allen et al., 2017) Four independent examiners assessed participants' physical performance by following the instructions of the Examiner's Manual Test TGMD-3 3.
 
 Results: The results of the study are presented in the form of case studies of individual participants, which allow for further research in this heterogeneous population of children with ASD with better descriptive and comparative possibilities than statistical numerical expression. The limited ability to imitate, which is characteristic of children with ASD, is likely to have a significant effect on culturally dissimilar designs, especially the Underhand throw. The two-hand strike of a stationary ball's culturally different skill was very motivating for children with ASD aged 7-10.
 
 Conclusion: The limiting factor for generalization to the entire population of children with ASD aged 7-10 in the Czech socio-cultural environment is their small number and heterogeneity, which were affected by restrictive measures during the Covid-19 pandemic. Further research using the TGMD-3 instrument in the Czech population has the potential to expand diagnostic methods in the field of motor skills and contribute to the possibilities of early physical intervention in children with ASD.

Selânikli Tevfik – writer, journalist, translator

The last four decades of the nineteenth century were a period when, as a result of increased investment in education as well as closer contacts with Europe, Ottoman Turkey and the provinces of the Empire registered a significant growth in the reading public. Newspapers, journals and books began to be published, sold and read in large numbers partly because, in addition to providing news, views and items of public education, they also published Turkish novels in the original and European novels in translation, in instalments. Several newspapers and journals that began publishing in Turkey in the second half of the nineteenth century were still on the market till the start of the First World War and their editors were usually well-known literary figures, such as Selânikli Tevfik, the subject of the present article. Tevfik was a journalist, an author and poet, a competent translator and an all-round man of letters. His life and works are presented in the article in the context of the period in which he lived. Selânikli Tevfik was a prolific Ottoman literary figure of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. However, he is primarily remembered as one of a sizeable group of hardworking individuals of his generation who, while producing proficient and creative works of different literary genres in Turkish, had also become fully competent in European languages, mainly French. These writers wished to narrow the gap between the European and Ottoman literary environments of their period by translating popular novels into Turkish and publishing them in book form and/or instalments in Ottoman newspapers and journals. Selânikli Tevfik means Tevfik of Salonica [now Thessaloniki], and his full name was Mehmed Tevfik. He lived in an age when surnames were not legally enforced in the Ottoman Empire and thus some attention is required to distinguish him from other writers or well-known people with similar or almost identical names. 1 Not much is known about the life of Selânikli Tevfik; the year of his death is 1910, and his date of birth is almost always given as 1860 though, as will be seen later, it is highly likely to be 1857.

Bilateral cooperation - Fostering the ability of native European beech and sessile oak forests in the border region against the impacts of climate change

Adequate adaptions and actions to combat anthropogenic climate change (CC) are significant challenges of the 21st century. In Europe, according to the European Environmental Agency, warming of around 2°C is expected under the moderate climate scenario (RCP 4.5) by the end of the century, but the pessimistic RCP 8.5 scenario project an increase of up to 6°C. In addition to the rise in temperature, changes in precipitation and increased frequency of extreme weather events are predicted. New environmental conditions affect tree species and habitats differently; thus, forest biodiversity and local tree species compositions probably will be altered in many regions in the future. The effects may be manifold: some tree species may persist, locally adapt and migrate, while others may disappear from given regions and be replaced by native or non-native species. The native forests of the Austrian-Hungarian border region are particularly affected by the climate change. To mitigate the consequences of anthropogenic climate change to preserve forest biodiversity for future generations and to enable their use, deliberate and planned human interventions and actions are essential. These require transnational or even global efforts since nature and climate do not recognise man-made borders. The REIN-Forest project (Interreg V-A Austria-Hungary Programme - ATHU150), a bilateral project between Austria and Hungary, aimed to establish harmonised protection measures for the conservation of native forests in Northern, Central and Southern Burgenland, Vienna, Vienna Umland-South, Lower Austria South, Graz and Eastern Styria, Győr-Moson-Sopron, Vas and Zala counties (the so-called programme area). In the scope of this project, international cooperation between three project partners: the Austrian Research Centre for Forests (BFW, Austria), the Forest Research Institute – University of Sopron (SOE ERTI, Hungary) and the Vas County Government Office (VVÖH, Hungary) was established. Previous results and outputs of the SUSTREE project (Interreg Central Europe CE614), such as: a) Transnational delineation model of conservation and forest seed transfer zones in climate change, b) Report of intraspecific response function and derivation of climate transfer limits, SusSelect data, recommendations and c) Application of the species distribution models for the delineation of seed transfer zones/models in Central Europe, were put into practice during the project, focusing on two native deciduous forest tree species of the Austrian-Hungarian border region: European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) and sessile oak (Quercus petraea (Matt.) Liebl.). During the REIN-Forest project, the following joint documents were prepared and several activities were implemented: 1. Model-based document on the current state and future perspectives of European beech and sessile oak forests; 2. Bilateral strategy for the transfer of forest reproductive material (FRM) and its use in the Austrian-Hungarian border region; 3. Establishment of altogether six demonstration sites (three in each country) with local and climate-adapted FRM of European beech and sessile oak for long-term monitoring; 4. Management and monitoring plan of the demonstration sites; 5. Joint bilingual communication strategy, which included informative programmes and meetings with professionals, locals and schools and also education material for further use. REIN-Forest focused on using scientific results and outputs in the field of applied forestry and awareness-raising. Besides strategies, recommendations and reports that would facilitate forest managers' decisions for the future in the border region, events and workshops were offered for forestry practitioners, school pupils and the public and a short film and educational materials were published.

Connecting Sustainable Development with Media, Journalism and Communication Programs in European Universities

Abstract Media plays a critical role in shaping public opinion and policy on global issues related to sustainable development. As such, journalism higher education has an important responsibility to prepare journalism students to report on sustainable development issues and to promote the Sustainable Development Goals. However, integrating the SDGs into journalism curricula presents several challenges. This article reviews the current state of teaching the SDGs in European journalism higher education and identifies the challenges and opportunities for integrating the SDGs into journalism curricula. The authors examine the connection between journalism programs, courses and the topics of the SDGs, in the European university environment by accessing existing reports (mainly from institutions like UN, UNESCO, EU-HEIs), studies and articles on SDGs in journalism and the websites of EU-HEIs. The EU universities providing Journalism / Media Programs were selected based on three criteria: i/ the 2020 QS World University Ranking by Subject (subjects used: “communication & media studies”, “development studies”), ii/ Google search based on keywords related to journalism or media education and SDGs and iii/ existing partnerships LBUS has with European universities in the field of journalism and media.

Uncertainty, Anxiety and the Post-Pandemic Economic Environment.

There is ample evidence from medical and social sciences that economic crises impact on individual mental health. This makes neuro-psychiatric dynamics and individual mental health, particularly that of entrepreneurs, relevant for economic policy designers. At the same time, economic policies can have an impact on mental health, reducing or increasing economic uncertainty and, consequently, changing the level of anxiety in individuals. The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a severe economic crisis and a drastic transformation of the European economic environment. However, the severity and impact of this crisis differ from many other economic and financial setbacks of the past, including the one resulting from the 2008 crisis. Moreover, the consequences of the pandemic on mental health will add to the long-term consequences of the 2010s crisis and the effects of the war at Europe's Eastern borders. Together, the three crises may increase economic uncertainty in the post-pandemic World and its impact on mental health. This essay examines the connections between economic uncertainty, anxiety, and mental health. It suggests considering some relevant elements to estimate the impact of economic uncertainty on individual mental health. Also, hypotheses about the consequences of the "three crises shock" on mental health in the post-pandemic World are advanced. Finally, the essay helps anticipate how the EU anti-crisis economic policies may generate needs and opportunities for mental health care in national health systems.

Fog formation, smog situations and air quality in high school physics education

Abstract. It has become a worldwide expectation that the physics curriculum includes everyday knowledge as well. One important field that can make the curriculum more colourful and exciting is the field of meteorology. In our paper, a three-lesson-long curriculum for high schools will be presented on how to teach the connection between fog formation and air quality. The international educational experience of this particular topic will be surveyed, mainly in the countries of the Carpathian Basin, moreover, the measurement processes and education methods used in the GLOBE Program will also be presented. The experimental curriculum consists of three parts. In the first part air humidity and the concepts of absolute and relative humidity are discussed. Through a few specific exercises, the students participating in the program learn to specify relative humidity and become acquainted with fog formation. It is shown via an experiment that air cooling at a saturated state is not enough to form fog because condensational nuclei are needed for the formation of tiny water drops. In the 2nd lesson, the concept of temperature inversion and its connection to fog and air pollution are discussed. Using Internet websites the students collect information about the formation of smog, its types, occurrence, and the conditions for declaring smog alerts. In the 3rd lesson, the methods of air pollution analysis and different air pollutants are discussed. Websites, where the students can follow the air pollution data of their area, are used. Based on these, problems related to the interpretation of the data will be solved. The information which is available on the website of the European Environment Agency is also touched on.

Do education and the labor market speak the same language?

Abstract This paper addresses the need for terminology convergence and the systematic use of up-to-date descriptors and concepts in the European higher education and labor market environments. Rapid developments in the language industry are remodelling the translation profession in particular and generating new processes, new training needs and, therefore, a new skills demand. Changing market expectations, cross-occupational mobility and multifaceted professional profiles in the translation industry claim to exploit the full potential of standard and multilingual taxonomies like ESCO – the European Classification of Skills, Competences, Qualifications and Occupations. This research draws on the European Master’s in Translation (EMT) competence framework for 2018–2024 to perform a descriptive analysis of the English and Spanish entries for the occupation of “translator” in ESCO’s latest 2020 version. Findings suggest that ESCO’s content could be aligned with the professionally oriented EMT framework to overcome shortcomings in representing translators’ identity and present the reality of the translation market, while matching its content more accurately to the most relevant skills and competences generally developed in current translator training programs.

Outcomes from the First European Planetary Health Hub Convening at ARTIS in Amsterdam

A new network of over 72 organizations from 12 countries was activated during a convening at ARTIS in Amsterdam on 26–27 September 2022. Representatives are aligned with the transdisciplinary field and social movement of Planetary Health, which analyzes and addresses the impacts of human disruptions to natural systems on human health and all life on Earth. The new European Planetary Health Hub consists of organizations from various sectors, including universities, healthcare, youth, business, and civil society. The Convening, co-organized by the Planetary Health Alliance (PHA), the European Environment and Sustainable Development Advisory Councils Network (EEAC), and Natura Artis Magistra (ARTIS), aimed to develop Planetary Health Working Groups for Education, Policy Engagement, Research, and Movement Building. The Convening resulted in an outline for each of the Working Group’s aims, visions, missions, priorities, and activities, and set the framework for sustaining their activities in the future through the establishment of the European Planetary Health Hub Secretariat in the Netherlands. The Hub members shared lessons learned, built relationships, and developed artwork-inspired perspectives on Planetary Health. In conclusion, the Convening led to the establishment of a strong European foundation to contribute to the transformations needed for sustainable, just, and equitable societies that flourish within the limits of our ecosystems.

Climate Change-A Global Threat Resulting in Increasing Mycotoxin Occurrence.

During the last decade, scientists have given increasingly frequent warnings about global warming, linking it to mycotoxin-producing moulds in various geographical regions across the world. In the future, more pronounced climate change could alter host resilience and host-pathogen interaction and have a significant impact on the development of toxicogenic moulds and the production of their secondary metabolites, known as mycotoxins. The current climate attracts attention and calls for novel diagnostic tools and notions about the biological features of agricultural cultivars and toxicogenic moulds. Since European climate environments offer steadily rising opportunities for Aspergillus flavus growth, an increased risk of cereal contamination with highly toxic aflatoxins shall be witnessed in the future. On top of that, the profile (representation) of certain mycotoxigenic Fusarium species is changing ever more substantially, while the rise in frequency of Fusarium graminearum contamination, as a species which is able to produce several toxic mycotoxins, seen in northern and central Europe, is becoming a major concern. In the following paper, a high-quality approach to a preventative strategy is tailored to put a stop to the toxicogenic mould- and mycotoxin-induced contamination of foods and feeds in the foreseeable future.