EU Integration Research Articles

The middle-class base of European integration? New class divides and attitudes towards market integration in ten EU countries

ABSTRACT Highly educated ‘new’ middle classes have been identified as a fundamental constituency that, by supporting technological innovation and liberalisation, bolsters the stability of advanced capitalism. By contrast, less educated production workers are usually described as opponents of such policies. This article investigates the extent to which these class divides translate into different positions on support for EU integration, a key process in the liberalisation of European political economy. In addition to class-based positions, we take into consideration how the subjective perceptions of situations such as unemployment, income loss and job insecurity affect support for EU integration. By relying on an original 2019 survey conducted in ten member states, the analysis confirms that high-skilled middle classes overwhelmingly support European market integration, while ‘old’ middle classes appear more concerned about the welfare losses that integration could imply. Low-skilled service workers emerge as a critical cross-pressured group, taking a mid position between ‘old’ and ‘new’ middle classes.

Immigration and integration policy change in France during Sarkozy’s era

This paper sheds light on the factors behind the introduction of restrictive immigration and integration policy in France between 2002 and 2012, which is closely associated with Nicholas Sarkozy and his party Union for a Popular Movement (UMP). Using the evidence from semi-structured interviews, conducted with The Republicans (UMP) elected representatives, political advisors and civil servants, the paper argues that the introduction of restrictive immigration policies is explained not only through electoral pressure from the radical right Front National, but also by publics’ perceived economic concerns, cultural anxieties around Islam, as well as the effects of the EU integration. The paper also contributes to immigration policy liberalisation scholarship, by highlighting the importance of non-economic benefits migration brings, which take a form of soft power, as a way to increase French influence (rayonnement) in the world, contrary to the previous literature that explains liberalisation from economic advantages of skilled migration.

Agricultural cooperation as a basis for ensuring food and environmental security in Ukraine: legal aspects

The article examines the legal aspects of the agricultural cooperation, which is important for the economic and social development of the state, especially in war and post-war times, as the basis for ensuring food and environmental security in Ukraine. The concepts of «sustainable agriculture», «food security» and «environmental security» are considered. It has been established that at the present stage limited attention is paid to the issue of implementing sustainable agriculture as a priority direction for achieving food and environmental security of Ukraine. It was determined that in order to implement sustainable agriculture, it is necessary to harmonize social, ecological and economic factors in the agrarian sector of the economy of Ukraine, especially in the field of agricultural cooperation. It is emphasized that there is an insufficient level of synergy between the environmental and agrarian policies of the state, environmental factors are not sufficiently integrated into the system of agrarian relations, into cooperative legislation, particularly in the context of the agricultural cooperation. In conditions of European integration processes, the specialized Law of Ukraine «On Agricultural Cooperation» is not fully oriented towards ensuring sustainable agriculture: it does not contain the term «sustainable agriculture» or provisions on environmental protection, food and environmental security. The Law of Ukraine «On Cooperation» also does not cover environmental aspects. In the course of the study, it was substantiated that a necessary condition for the proper implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals, the introduction of sustainable agriculture in Ukraine in the field of the agricultural cooperation is the strengthening of the legal framework, the creation of an appropriate legal field that will reflect the focus of agricultural cooperation on achieving sustainable agriculture, as well as ensuring food and environmental security. In this context proposals for improving the cooperative legislation of Ukraine are made in the article.

Digital transformation research trends in Ukraine and the world: meta & bibliometric analysis

In this work, the main trends in research and publication activity in digital transformation in the world and Ukraine are analyzed using meta- and bibliometric analysis. For this purpose, bibliometric data on scientific publications on the topic of digital transformations in the Google Scholar and Scopus databases were selected, which were additionally analyzed using the VOSviewer software package. Based on filtering the results obtained, an array was formed that included 366 scientific publications for 2019–2023 in Ukrainian in the Google Scholar database and 3,703 scientific publications in English for 2020–2023 in the Scopus database. Dynamic time analysis revealed a significant surge of scientific interest in the topic of digital transformations in recent years, while structural analysis revealed the multi-industry structure of existing research. The creation of bibliographic maps of keywords and publication maps allowed us to form an idea of the main thematic areas of research in the context of digital transformations and their opinion leaders. The data obtained became the basis for formulating recommendations for further areas of research in digital transformation, in particular, on the development of a unified roadmap for the digital transformation of education at different educational qualification levels and for various specialties. This will contribute to the formation of a single systemic approach to the digital transformation of Ukraine as a guarantee for the state’s sustainable development, well-being, strengthening of national security, speeding up the pace of European integration processes, as well as promoting national interests at the international level.

Enriching the GEOFON seismic catalog with automatic energy magnitude estimations

Abstract. We present a seismic catalog (Bindi et al., 2024, https://doi.org/10.5880/GFZ.2.6.2023.010) including energy magnitude Me estimated from P waves recorded at teleseismic distances in the range 20°≤Δ≤98° and for depths shorter than 80 km. The catalog is built starting from the event catalog disseminated by GEOFON (GEOFOrschungsNetz), considering 6349 earthquakes with moment magnitude Mw≥5 occurring between 2011 and 2023. Magnitudes are computed using 1 031 396 freely available waveforms archived in EIDA (European Integrated Data Archive) and IRIS (Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology) repositories, retrieved through the standard International Federation of Digital Seismograph Networks (FDSN) web services (https://www.fdsn.org/webservices/, last access: March 2024). A reduced, high-quality catalog for events with Mw≥5.8 and from which stations and events with only few recordings were removed forms the basis of a detailed analysis of the residuals of individual station measurements, which are decomposed into station- and event-specific terms and a term accounting for remaining variability. The derived Me values are compared to Mw computed by GEOFON and with the Me values calculated by IRIS. Software and tools developed for downloading and processing waveforms for bulk analysis and an add-on for SeisComP for real-time assessment of Me in a monitoring context are also provided alongside the catalog. The SeisComP add-on has been part of the GEOFON routine processing since December 2021 to compute and disseminate Me for major events via the existing services.

Transformation Of Economic System In Poland. The SMEs And EU Integration.

Brand-new economic system has been introduced in Poland two decades ago. The economic transformation from central planning to market system had no precedent and the theory of economics had not offered any complex model of such a makeover. So, we have been all learning by doing. And now, as we want to understand the process we aim at identifying both major agents and processes that were responsible for the results achieved. Without any doubt there has been at least one important agent of the transformation that could be easily recognized, namely: individual entrepreneurship. After 1989 we have been observing numerous small enterprises being established in Poland. The SMEs sector (small and medium enterprises) after half a century of centrally planned economy has been catching up with its developments. Nowadays - as in any other market economy - SMEs are important element of economic system in Poland, too. They account for 99.8 per cent of total number of enterprises, approx. half of both capital investment and value added and roughly 1/3 of exports. The following paper aims at identify the role of the SME sector in the process of reconstruction of market system in Poland after 1989. It concentrates on one special aspect of economic transformation, namely the integration with European Union on SME development potential. To set our reasoning in order we pose the subsequent questions: What is the role of SMEs sector in Polish economy? What changes of business environment has EU integration brought? What were the costs and benefits of the integration for Polish SME sector?

ПУБЛІЧНІ ФІНАНСИ ТА ПУБЛІЧНІ ІНВЕСТИЦІЇ В КОНТЕКСТІ ІНТЕНСИФІКАЦІЇ ЕКОНОМІЧНОГО РОЗВИТКУ

The purpose of this article is to study the interdependence of the state, local governments, institutional investors and the level of foreign direct investment in Ukraine's economy in conditions of instability. The article examines the role of institutional investors and clarifies the main trends in attracting investment resources into the economy of Ukraine, taking into account the European integration vector, the state investment policy of Ukraine should include the main aspects of the main goals and objectives of the new generation investment policy, which takes into account the latest trends and needs of the world economy. In this context, it is especially important to establish the optimal ratio of foreign direct and domestic investment. In the context of European integration processes and ensuring investment security in Ukraine, it is necessary to protect domestic markets from monopolization by foreign investors by setting a limit on foreign direct investment in each sector.

Information security in the Republic of Moldova in the context of the European integration process

In this article, the author analyze the information security phenomenon of the Republic of Moldova in the context of the European integration process of our country, in the conditions of the war started by Russian Federation in Ukraine. It is highlighted that at the present time, the Republic of Moldova does not have sufficient protection of the public sector and the private sector against incidents, risks and threats related to the security of networks and IT systems, therefore in the context of the obligations assumed by the Republic of Moldova with reference to securing information in the context of the European integration process, a legal basis was created. The author mention that the phenomenon of Russian media propaganda represents one of the main challenges for the information space of the Republic of Moldova. In conclusion, the author emphasize that informational threats threaten the stability, national and political security of the state, and informational aggressions in the chain can constitute an informational war, in which the specialized information services froabroad foreign countries. Ensuring information security requires a joint effort between intelligence services, academic environments and non-governmental organizations. The purpose of the information security strategy of any state is to legally correlate and systematically integrate the priority areas with responsibilities and powers to ensure information security at the national level, intended to protect the sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity of the state.

Інституційно-економічний механізм формування конкуренто-спроможності еколого орієнтованого підприємництва в аграрному секторі Карпатського регіону України

In the conditions of the European integration processes and intensifying competition, the improvement of the management of ecologically oriented development of enterprises in the agrarian sector acquires special relevance. At the regional level, the rationale for the competitive development of ecologically oriented entrepreneurship in the agricultural sector involves an analytical assessment of organizational, institutional and economic prerequisites and factors. According to the calculations, in the Carpathian region of Ukraine there is a significant reserve for meeting the needs of middle-class consumers for certain types of organic products. In this regard, it is advisable to focus attention on the implementation of regional programs for the development of the agro-industrial complex. A conceptual scheme of the institutional and economic mechanism of the formation of the competitiveness of ecologically oriented entrepreneurship in the agrarian sector of the region is proposed

Investigating Phenotypic Diversity in a Germplasm Collection of Scarlet Eggplant under Mediterranean Conditions

This study aimed to determine phenotypic diversity in the germplasm collection of Solanum aethiopicum, also known as scarlet eggplant, under Mediterranean conditions. Two different experiments were established in which morphological and valuable agronomic traits were employed to measure diversity among 57 and 55 accessions, respectively. The experiments were carried out in a greenhouse and open field, and descriptors designated by the European Cooperative Program for Plant Genetic Resources (ECPGR) and the International Board for Plant Genetic Resources (IBPGR) were used to measure the plants and fruits. The results from descriptive statistics on quantitative traits data of plants and fruits show a great variation among accessions of Solanum aethiopicum. Multiple correlation analysis in the two distinct experiments shows that the highly correlated variables/descriptors represented fruit quantitative traits. Finally, results from principal component analysis (PCA) confirm that the overall differences observed in the germplasm collection of Solanum aethiopicum were mainly due to fruit quantitative traits, which are decisive for phenotypic characterization of this eggplant.

Види цифрового бізнесу у сфері рітейлу

Analyzing various aspects of digital business in the context of European integration processes, it is substantiated that digitalization plays a key role in the modern economy, facilitating the transformation of traditional business approaches. It has been proven that European integration processes provide a powerful impetus for the development of digital business, opening new markets and promoting the establishment of unified standards in e-commerce, data protection, and consumer protection. This creates conditions for seamless cross-border interaction between companies and consumers, ensuring high competitiveness and innovative development. It is argued that the use of digital technologies and online platforms allows businesses to adapt to changing market conditions, optimize internal processes, and enhance customer satisfaction through personalized offers and high-quality service. At the same time, digital businesses face challenges related to the need to comply with regulatory requirements, ensure cybersecurity, and protect personal data. However, these challenges also encourage companies to innovate and seek new solutions for effective risk management. Overall, European integration processes significantly contribute to the development of digital business in Europe, opening up broad prospects for growth and international cooperation.

Make-up of fiscal integration in the European Union

The present article aims to expose current trends in fiscal integration in the EU. Its milestones are brought forward, with particular attention being paid to the “NextGenerationEU” recovery plan, the latter constituting Brussels' key response to the socio-economic crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The article evaluates whether this program is going to remain a temporary phenomenon and to what extent it can define the “new normal” for the Economic and Monetary Union. Due to the Ukrainian crisis, the suggestions are spelled out more insistently to provide Brussels with “fiscal capacity” or permanent fiscal mechanisms that could repel emerging challenges and threats. The question that is considered here is whether we can expect such perpetual tools to become future elements of a full-scale fiscal union, bringing the euro area closer to the contours of an optimum currency area. The influence of European institutions as initiators of the integration process and the involvement of non-governmental players in it have received wider coverage in the specialized literature. Thus, in this case the role played in the process of fiscal integration by national governments is explored in more detail. For this purpose, the theory of multilevel governance and, in particular, its “dynamic” version are applied. It proves useful for identifying cases and ways in which governments can maintain control over decisions made within the integration system. The analysis confirmed that the Union has no plans to increase the issuance of the EU debt in order to replace national borrowing, or to transfer taxes from the national to the supranational level. It can be expected that in the future more active EU borrowing in financial markets will be accompanied by the measure of institutional flexibility which has now been achieved due to an intergovernmental compromise. At the same time temporary tools like NGEU and SURE are unlikely to lead to the fiscal union being completely federalized.

Потенціал гармонізації національного трудового законодавства до європейських стандартів

The article reveals the potential of harmonizing national labor legislation to European standards in the context of Ukraine's European integration. In the context of the European integration of Ukraine, the constitutive principles of the realization of the right to work should be formed on the dominant principles: ensuring the maximization of legally defined labor rights and guarantees, the optimality of opportunities for their implementation, and effective prevention of violations of the labor rights of employees. It was determined that such constitutive principles primarily include the harmonious balancing of the productive and protective functions of labor law, which will contribute to ensuring the interests of employers and employees; the basis of reforming national labor legislation should be the observance of established social standards in the field of labor and the clear implementation of the Constitution, which does not allow narrowing of the content and scope of existing rights and freedoms when adopting new laws; reforming should take place in an evolutionary way, and only the provisions of national legislation that do not meet the rights and interests of employees and employers and the modern demands of the market economy should undergo radical changes; in the process of developing the new Labor Code of Ukraine, the practice of the International Labor Organization and the provisions of the legislation of the EU and countries with transition economies must be used to ensure optimal harmonization of national labor legislation with international and European legal standards in this area; it is expedient to shift the focus of legal protection of labor relations from the purely legislative level to the level of contractual regulation, primarily collective agreement, with the permissible use of social partnership mechanisms with the involvement of employers and trade unions; the basis of the reform of the national labor legislation is the elimination of all manifestations of discrimination against employees on the basis of race, article, political or religious beliefs and other circumstances provided for by the Constitution of Ukraine, with the preservation of increased conditions for the protection of the labor of women and young people and the specific prohibition of child and forced (mandatory) labor It is concluded that the right to work is one of the fundamental rights of a person, which provides him with a decent life and the opportunity to grow professionally and spiritually. Namely, European integration processes allow to raise the realization of this right to a completely new level, according to international and European legal standards.

Civil society in the context of the EU accession: the case of Montenegro

This study aims to provide evidence on the role of the civil society in the EU integration of the Western Balkans and the involvement of the civil society in the policy-making process, with a case study on Montenegro. We have chosen Montenegro as a case study even though Montenegro is a small state, being a state at the intersection of ma­jor geopolitical clashes. The research was conducted by correspondence in March-May 2023, the questions being addressed online to different non-governmental organiza­tions in Montenegro, with the aim of learning about the role and involvement of civic society, the relationship between NGOs and state institutions, and cooperation among civil society organizations. The analysis shows a weak relationship between civil society organizations and state institutions and a low involvement in policy-making process, usually conducted pro forma, and high-level of dissatisfaction among NGOs concerning the work of the government. The lessons learned by the civil society sector are that it can only rely on international aid, and the sustainability of this sector in the future could only be achieved by relying more heavily on foreign project calls.

The Internal and External Factors: EU Contestation in Kosovo as a Peripheral Country

Kosovo, as a peripheral country in the context of the EU integration process, remains a potential candidate country with one of the most isolated populations in the Western Balkan region. The citizens of Kosovo are still unable to travel to EU coun­tries without a visa. Unfortunately, this process has been a condition with Kosovo­­Serbia dialogue, facilitated by the EU. This article assesses the influence of both processes, from the internal and external perspective, on the contestation of the EU’s actress among different actors in Kosovo – political elites, experts, and citizens. An analysis of existing relevant research, statistical data of national and interna­tional organizations, and above thirty media articles published between 2015 and 2023, shows a decline in Kosovo citizens’ trust in the EU from 89% in 2015 to 73% in 2022, and lately a substantial drop with only 42%.

European parliamentarism and establishing the content of the institutional authority within the EU parliament

This article is devoted to the study of the role of the European Parliament in the global political and legal context. The author focuses on the characteristics and peculiarities of the European model of parliamentarism, in particular, institutional authority and its role in the decision-making process. The research includes an analysis of the views of various authors on the term “institutional authority”, in particular in the context of the functioning within state bodies. Different views help to reveal aspects of the definition of this term and its role in a positive assessment of the activities of public authorities. A special emphasis is placed on the importance of personal authority of the head of the body in comparison with institutional authority, which allows us to consider leadership not only through the prism of the position, but also personal qualities. This aspect of the study is a promising area that can help understand the interaction between institutional and personal authority. The definition of the term “institutional authority” becomes a key element for further elucidating the concept of supranational parliamentarism in the context of the European Union Parliament. This study contributes to a deeper understanding of the functions of the parliament at the supranational level and may open up new perspectives in the development of European integration processes. A key aspect of the study is the methodology used to analyse and study European parliamentarism and institutional authority. The methods used allow for a more complete understanding of the structure and functions of the European Parliament. The article also highlights the prospects for the development of the concept of supranational parliamentarism in international law. The author’s vision of the term “institutional authority” serves as a basis for further development of the concept within the framework of supranational interaction and decision-making at the international level. In general, this research article offers an in-depth legal analysis and understanding of the genesis of European parliamentarism, highlighting key aspects of the institutional authority of the European Union Parliament and the prospects for the development of supranational parliamentarism. The study makes a significant contribution to the understanding of the interaction of parliamentary institutions at different levels and can serve as a basis for further research on the role of parliaments in shaping the world order.

The unified state qualification exam STEP-1 as a marker of the success of the education of pediatric doctors in Ukraine and Bogomolets National Medical University

BackgroundUkraine’s higher medical education goes deeper and deeper every year in the European integration processes in the field of «Health Care» knowledge. Since 2005, the integrated license integrated exam STEP “General medical training” has been introduced in the country to diagnose the quality of training of specialists in all medical specialties. Since 2019, Ukraine, unlike other countries in Europe and the world, has been training specialists in the specialty “Pediatrics” at the stage of undergraduate training. The quality control of the training of specialists is carried out in the form of passing the Unified State Qualification Exam STEP (USQE STEP) separately for each medical specialty (Medicine and Pediatrics). Therefore, the purpose of our research is to conduct a comparative analysis of the results of the success of the first stage of the USQE STEP-1 by students of higher medical education in the specialty “Pediatrics” with the specialty “Medicine” in Ukraine and in the Bogomolets National Medical University (Bogomolets NMU).MethodsAnalytical references to the results of the first stage of the USQE STEP-1 for the students who have completed theoretical medical disciplines specialty “Pediatrics” and the specialty “Medicine” in Ukraine and Bogomolets NMU, which are provided by the Testing Center at the Ministry of Health of Ukraine. Тhe statistical significance of comparative indicators was proved using Fisher’s test, with a statistical error that corresponded to the specified value for ≤ 0.05.ResultsIt is shown that in 2022, applicants of higher medical education of Ukraine with the specialty “Pediatrics” improved the overall success rate by 8.4%, and the success rate of subtests by an average of 10.5%, despite the state of war in Ukraine. The exception was the results of the licensing exam for the subtest component “Biochemistry”: compared to 2021, the pass rate decreased by 3.6% in the specialty “Medicine” and by 6.4% in the specialty “Pediatrics”. At Bogomolets NMU, the leaders of 2022 were the students of the “Pediatrics” specialty, their success rate is 2% higher than that of the “Medicine” specialty.ConclusionsThe analysis of the results of USQE STEP-1 by applicants of higher medical education of the specialties “Pediatrics” and “Medicine” in Ukraine showed the effectiveness of the selection of the specialty “Pediatrics” into a separate section of the training of specialists at the undergraduate level in the field of “Health Care”. Using the methods of mathematical statistics, the effectiveness of organizational methodological techniques in the organization of the educational process in the conditions of the martial law of Ukraine and Bogomolets NMU as a leader in the training of specialists in Pediatric doctors has been proved.

Effective Differences between 2D and 3D Planned Brachytherapy in Lung Cancer: An Institutional Retrospective Study.

Background and Objectives: Advanced lung cancer is usually manifested by endoluminal tumor propagation, resulting in central airway obstruction. The objective of this study is to compare the high dose rate brachytherapy treatment outcomes in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) depending on the treatment planning pattern-two-dimension (2D) or three-dimension (3D) treatment planning. Materials and Methods: The study was retrospective and two groups of patients were compared in it (a group of 101 patients who underwent 2D planned high-dose-rate endobronchial brachytherapy (HDR-EBBT) in 2017/18 and a group of 83 patients who underwent 3D planned HDR-EBBT between January 2021 and June 2023). Results: In the group of 3D planned brachytherapy patients, there was a significant improvement in terms of loss of symptoms of bronchial obstruction (p = 0.038), but no improvement in terms of ECOG PS (European Cooperative Oncology Group Performance Status) of the patient (p = 0.847) and loss of lung atelectasis (if there was any at the beginning of the disease) (p = 0.781). Two-year overall survival and time-to-progression periods were similar for both groups of patients (p = 0.110 and 0.154). Fewer treatment complications were observed, and 91.4% were in 3D planned brachytherapy (BT) patients. Conclusions: Three-dimensionally planned HDR-EBBT is a suggestive, effective palliative method for the disobstruction of large airways caused by endobronchial lung tumor growth. Independent or more often combined with other types of specific oncological treatment, it certainly leads to the loss of symptoms caused by bronchial obstruction and the improvement of the quality of life of patients with advanced NSCLC. Complications of the procedure with 3D planning are less compared to 2D planned HDR-EBBT.

The backlash against free movement: Does EU‐internal migration fuel public concerns about immigration?

AbstractThe free movement of people is a fundamental principle of the European Union (EU) that has led to an increase in EU‐internal migration. This study investigates the impact of increased immigration to Germany resulting from the 2004 and 2007 eastern enlargement of the EU on concerns about immigration within the German population. By merging 20 years of annual migration statistics with panel data on individual attitudes and exploiting exogenous variation in the gradual enlargement of the free movement policy, we examine the causal effects of EU‐internal migration on immigration concerns. Our findings suggest that the influx of immigrants from new member states did not have a clear average effect on concerns about immigration, but increased concerns among German natives with materialist‐survival values. The study provides insights into the societal division caused by opposition to immigration as part of the European integration process.

EU arms collaboration, procurement, and offsets: the impact of the war in Ukraine

ABSTRACT In the last twenty years, the EU has made increasingly greater efforts to boost defence cooperation among MS. To strengthen the EDTIB and avoid duplication of capabilities, the EU has encouraged “European preference” in arms procurement and MS’ defence collaborative projects, also by seeking to expunge defence offsets from the single market. Against this backdrop, on 24 February 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine. What impact has the war in Ukraine had on EU defence cooperation? Has the war impacted MS in a similar fashion or unevenly, reinforcing defence integration dynamics for some, while kickstarting disintegration for others? Two years on, a thorough analysis of the impact of the war on EU defence cooperation is still missing. This paper fills this gap by exploring three levels of analysis – arms collaboration, arms procurement, and offsets – and by comparing pre-invasion evidence with data from the post-invasion period. The analysis suggests that the Russo-Ukrainian war has negatively impacted EU defence cooperation, potentially increasing both fragmentation and non-EU dependencies. However, although MS’ threat perception and their ability to reap industrial benefits remain important to explain EU defence cooperation, integration or disintegration dynamics do not neatly map onto the geographical or size divides identified by the literature.