European Landscape Research Articles

Cultural landscape as heritage: proposals for Ukraine from the experience of certain European countries

Formulation of the problem. Ukraine has a vast and uniquely diverse cultural landscape potential. However, the state of the landscapes, which has long been a matter of public concern, has deteriorated many times over as a result of russia's full-scale armed aggression against Ukraine. At the same time, Ukraine is far behind in implementing the commitments made by the European and international community in a number of international documents on the preservation of cultural landscapes. The purpose of the article. The purpose of this publication is to develop proposals for the implementation of the concept of cultural landscape in the field of protection and preservation of cultural and natural heritage on the basis of fulfilling Ukraine's relevant international obligations and introducing the best mechanisms and practices of European countries. Methodology and results. The research methodology is based on a descriptive qualitative and comparative approach, which made it possible to reveal the peculiarities of the experience of preserving the cultural landscape as a heritage in certain EU countries - representatives of the “old Europe” (Italy and Spain), post-socialist (Poland, Slovakia, Czech Republic) and post-Soviet (Latvia and Lithuania) space. The European experience was studied through the prism of meeting the requirements of the European Landscape Convention and the possibilities of its practical application in Ukraine. The analysis of examples of practical implementation of the concept of cultural landscape by European countries in comparison with domestic practice in Ukraine made it possible to identify the main problems in this area and to outline indicative directions of a possible strategy for their solution, the main mechanisms, tools and specific measures for their implementation. The first step in the development of such a strategy could be the development and adoption by government decree of a National Action Plan for the Protection and Preservation of the Cultural Landscape Heritage of Ukraine. The overall goal of this plan for the next 5-10 years should be to ensure the protection, preservation and careful use of the country's cultural landscapes by: bringing the country's legislation into line with the EU system of legal and regulatory standards for landscape protection, regulation and planning; taking these issues into account in the formulation and implementation of state cultural, environmental and urban planning policies and including them as an integral part of the strategy for Ukraine's post-war reconstruction; raising public awareness and involving communities. Scientific novelty and practical significance. The novelty of the study is the identification of the main areas of action for the protection and preservation of the cultural landscape heritage of Ukraine and the development of concrete proposals for their filling with appropriate measures. Acknowledgement. The research is financed by the European Union NextGenerationEU from the funds of the Recovery and Resilience Plan mechanism within the project "Scholarships for outstanding researchers threatened by the military conflict in Ukraine" No. 09І03-03-V01-00021. This article is one of the results of the research within the framework of grant no. 2/0043/23 "Identification of landscape diversity and its changes in Slovakia based on remote sensing data in the context of the European Green Deal" supported by the Slovak Scientific Grant Agency VEGA.

Pesticide use negatively affects bumble bees across European landscapes

Sustainable agriculture requires balancing crop yields with the effects of pesticides on non-target organisms, such as bees and other crop pollinators. Field studies demonstrated that agricultural use of neonicotinoid insecticides can negatively affect wild bee species1,2, leading to restrictions on these compounds3. However, besides neonicotinoids, field-based evidence of the effects of landscape pesticide exposure on wild bees is lacking. Bees encounter many pesticides in agricultural landscapes4–9 and the effects of this landscape exposure on colony growth and development of any bee species remains unknown. Here we show that the many pesticides found in bumble bee-collected pollen are associated with reduced colony performance during crop bloom, especially in simplified landscapes with intensive agricultural practices. Our results from 316 Bombus terrestris colonies at 106 agricultural sites across eight European countries confirm that the regulatory system fails to sufficiently prevent pesticide-related impacts on non-target organisms, even for a eusocial pollinator species in which colony size may buffer against such impacts10,11. These findings support the need for postapproval monitoring of both pesticide exposure and effects to confirm that the regulatory process is sufficiently protective in limiting the collateral environmental damage of agricultural pesticide use.

Effect of grass cover and abandonment on soil surface changes and soil properties in traditional vineyards in Vráble viticultural region in southwestern Slovakia

Land use transition, related to the extensification of management and agricultural abandonment, is a widespread phenomenon across European landscapes. In this study, we examined the effects of protective grassing and abandonment on soil protection and regeneration in traditional vineyards of the Vráble viticultural region, located in the temperate climate zone of central Europe. We analysed changes in the soil surface level, soil profile, and soil properties at various slope positions: shoulder, backslope, and footslope. Variability in the soil surface level was assessed using the poles height method, which was developed to quantify soil erosion and deposition. The results showed that both measures positively affected soil development. In the abandoned vineyard, the soil surface level increased by 0.72 mm yr−1 on the slope shoulder, 0.26 mm yr−1 on the backslope, and 3.58 mm yr−1 on the footslope. In contrast, the cultivated vineyard exhibited minimal changes in the slope shoulder (0.02 mm yr−1), erosion on the backslope (4.52 mm yr−1), and deposition on the footslope (19.30 mm yr−1). The vineyard that was hoed for half of the analysed period and then grassed showed erosion rates of 0.25 mm yr−1 on the shoulder, 1.48 mm yr−1 on the backslope, and deposition of 3.42 mm yr−1 on the footslope. All slope profiles showed evidence of erosion-accumulation processes resulting from past management practices without protective vegetation cover; however, the development of a new humic layer was observed in grassed and abandoned vineyard. Grass cover and abandonment positively influenced soil organic carbon (SOC) content, bulk density, and porosity.

Landscape Education Two Decades after the European Landscape Convention—A Study with Trainee Teachers

The European Landscape Convention promotes the protection, management and planning of landscapes and organises international co-operation on landscape issues. Member states committed to implement measures such as promoting social education about landscapes. The convention stated that, although it was part of the education curricula in some countries, landscape education was to be expanded from a multidisciplinary perspective. The Education Act in force in Spain in 2008 (LOE, 2007), when the convention was ratified, included landscape in the syllabus, but not from as broad a perspective as that reflected in the ELC. Later education reforms have gradually increased the presence of the landscape in school curricula. This study examines landscape-related knowledge and awareness among current trainee primary school teachers, whose whole education has occurred under the umbrella of the ELC. This aims to assess whether the ELC’s targets have been met in terms of social awareness of landscape issues. A mixed questionnaire was designed, validated, and implemented in a sample of 322 students studying subjects related to the teaching of geography. The answers were analysed with descriptive and inferential statistics. The results reflect poor landscape-related knowledge and awareness, suggesting that the educational measures implemented since the ratification of the ELC have not been successful.

Diamond Open Access landscape in Croatia - preliminary DIAMAS survey results

Open access scholarly publishing is a diverse realm, involving numerous stakeholders and various organisational models (Fuchs and Sandoval, 2013). However, one facet that has often been overlooked is the publishing activities carried out by scientific institutions themselves. Given that these institutional initiatives play a vital role in preserving the social, linguistic, cultural, and epistemological diversity within the European research landscape, the primary objective of the Horizon Europe project, "Developing Institutional Open Access Publishing Models to Advance Scholarly Communication" (DIAMAS), is to establish a unified European standard for the currently fragmented institutional publishing landscape (Mounier and Aspaas, 2023). This initiative aims to enhance efficiency, quality, and the overall practices of publishing activities and services across the European Research Area (ERA).The DIAMAS survey targeted 252 Institutional Publishing Service Providers (IPSPs) in Croatia and achieved a robust response rate of 77%. Half of Croatian IPSPs are affiliated with universities, faculties, and learned societies. IPSPs in Croatia primarily handle academic journals, academic books, and conference outputs. However, their services extend to encompass other research outputs, media, digital products, and non-academic content. On average, a Croatian IPSP publishes 1-5 scholarly journals, 11-100 scholarly articles, 1-10 academic books, and 1-20 conference proceedings annually. Multilingualism is a notable feature among IPSPs, with 82% practising multilingual publishing to engage wider audiences. Despite linguistic complexities and the need for human translators, the scientific community's commitment to extensive outreach remains evident.
 Croatia's Commitment to Open AccessIn Croatia, the academic publishing landscape is significantly shaped by universities and learned societies, staunch proponents of the non-profit model and early adopters of open access (OA). This dedication, supported by a national HRČAK platform hosting over 400 active OA journals and government subsidies, underscores Croatia's unwavering commitment to unencumbered knowledge sharing. The country's preference for not resorting to "article processing charges" reflects strong support for the diamond OA model.While a comprehensive national OA/OS policy is still in progress in Croatia, support for OA exists through different national laws and strategies. The government mandates OA and inclusion in the HRČAK portal for subsidised journals and OA repositories for graduation and doctoral theses. 64% of respondents reference some form of OA/OS policy, indicating the integration of OA principles into scholarly publishing practices over decades.
 Funding, Income Streams and SustainabilityGovernment subsidies from the Ministry of Science and Education and other ministries are the primary sources for scholarly journals, with the average IPSP budget below €10,000. Voluntary efforts significantly influence Croatia's IPSP landscape, with 53% of respondents relying on unpaid staff, accentuating the country's unique and complex scholarly publishing ecosystem. The importance of voluntary work is underscored by IPSPs' reliance on in-kind support from parent organisations in terms of facilities, IT services, and staff salaries.Challenges to financial sustainability include the lack of funding continuity, irregularity, delays, and insufficient funding. Furthermore, changes in government funding eligibility without notice and price increases in printing and copy-editing pose challenges. Suggestions to address these issues include enhancing financial literacy, collaboration, and promotion of scholarly publishing.Editorial Quality, Technical Services, Visibility, Metrics and Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging (EDIB)IPSPs actively participate in editorial management, with 71% involved in editorial board recruitment and other aspects. Regarding peer review, a double-anonymous peer review is preferred by 44%, followed by a single-anonymous peer review (15%). Some IPSPs have begun implementing open identities and open review reports. IPSPs predominantly offer editorial services voluntarily or as in-kind contributions. In contrast, production and IT services are mostly outsourced. Technical challenges arise from financial constraints, lack of human resources, expertise, and technical limitations.Croatian IPSPs aspire to have their journals indexed in WoSCC and Scopus databases. Other indexes such as DOAJ, DOAB, ERIH PLUS, PubMed, Google Scholar, Research Gate, Google Books, and OAPEN are also considered. While 44% of IPSPs are content with their current indexing status, some face challenges in meeting technical participation criteria.IPSPs utilise metrics such as submissions, acceptance and publication dates, visits, views, downloads, and Journal Impact Factor. EDIB measures are prioritised, with the main measures being a code of conduct and non-discrimination policies. Accessibility standards are often unknown, and 64% of IPSPs do not have accessibility policies. Gender Equality Plans (GEP) are implemented by 25% of IPSPs.In summary, the DIAMAS survey illuminates the intricate landscape of scholarly publishing in Croatia, revealing its commitment to diamond open access while highlighting challenges and opportunities for improvement.

Substantial light woodland and open vegetation characterized the temperate forest biome before Homo sapiens.

The extent of vegetation openness in past European landscapes is widely debated. In particular, the temperate forest biome has traditionally been defined as dense, closed-canopy forest; however, some argue that large herbivores maintained greater openness or even wood-pasture conditions. Here, we address this question for the Last Interglacial period (129,000-116,000 years ago), before Homo sapiens-linked megafauna declines and anthropogenic landscape transformation. We applied the vegetation reconstruction method REVEALS to 96 Last Interglacial pollen records. We found that light woodland and open vegetation represented, on average, more than 50% cover during this period. The degree of openness was highly variable and only partially linked to climatic factors, indicating the importance of natural disturbance regimes. Our results show that the temperate forest biome was historically heterogeneous rather than uniformly dense, which is consistent with the dependency of much of contemporary European biodiversity on open vegetation and light woodland.

Rural tourism in Europe from a landscape perspective: A systematic review

This systematic review offers a comprehensive analysis of the current state of knowledge regarding tourism in European traditional multifunctional cultural landscapes (TMCLs) from a landscape perspective. Adhering to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) 2020 guidelines, this study aims to identify the principal contextual themes, geographical patterns, and drivers of change in TMCL tourism research from a theoretical landscape perspective. The outcomes of this systematic review revealed that the study of tourism in European TMCLs is still in its early stages, characterized by a scarcity of studies and a limited representation of countries within the existing literature. The analyzed papers underscore a restricted focus on local stakeholder preferences and carrying capacity, with only one study acknowledging the concept of landscape services. Conversely, government initiatives and local community engagement emerge as the most influential drivers of change in the tourism sector. In view of these findings, this study accentuates the significance of embracing a holistic approach to tourism that integrates living systems thinking and regenerative tourism as key priorities. Consequently, the study suggests that future research prioritize investigating local stakeholder preferences, carrying capacity, and other contextual variables to overcome the current limitations of the literature and shape tourism towards a more resilient and sustainable future. The results of this systematic review provide valuable insights for researchers, practitioners, and policymakers in the field of tourism in TMCLs. Additionally, they serve as a foundational basis for future research endeavors in this domain.

Unveiling the gender gap: exploring gender disparities in European academic landscape.

Unveiling the gender gap: exploring gender disparities in European academic landscape.

Historical evidence for context-dependent assessment of Erigeron canadensis invasions in an 18th-century European landscape

Understanding the historical roots of invasion science provides insights into early perceptions of invasive species, allows us to trace the evolution of the discipline over time, and helps contextualize modern research. This paper analyzes work by Christian Ludwig Krause, published 250 years ago, on the invasion of an 18th-century European landscape by Erigeron [Conyza] canadensis (Canadian horseweed), one of the most common invasive species today and a widespread agricultural weed. Here an analysis is conducted of the ecological consequences and underlying mechanisms Krause described, how he evaluated E. canadensis invasions in different land-use systems and how his insights align with existing knowledge. Krause identified copious seed production and long-distance dispersal by wind as key mechanisms for the formation of dominant stands on degraded sandy soils. He recognized various ecosystem services associated with population establishment, such as erosion control, increased soil fertility, and the facilitation of other species. While Krause highlighted the benefits of E. canadensis invasions for the recovery of degraded grasslands and fields, he also acknowledged this introduced species as a troublesome weed in gardens. Thus, Krause’s work is not only an early report on the invasion of a cultural landscape subject to wind erosion but also an early example of a context-dependent invasion assessment, illustrating both positive and negative impacts of the same species in different environments. Krause’s perspective may encourage current assessments of E. canadensis not solely based on its presence or frequency, but on documented ecological and socioeconomic effects and their associated benefits or harms. As Krause impressively demonstrated 250 years ago, these effects can differ starkly in different environments, necessitating multiple responses to the same species.

4.C. Round table: The role of EU bodies and European Health Union policies, and implications for the Pandemic Treaty

Abstract As the CoViD-19 pandemic unfolded, policy- and decision-makers within and beyond European borders became acutely aware of the urgent need to revisit policies and cross-border collaboration to increase preparedness. CoViD-19 lessons, regional autonomy, the way EU bodies functioned at times of crisis but also at times of peace, and EU's role in global health were all considered. In 2022, a new EU body, the Health Emergency Preparedness and Response (HERA) Authority became operational “to prevent, detect, and rapidly respond to health emergencies, through intelligence gathering and building the necessary response capacities.” In March 2022, the Council of the EU adopted the decision to authorise the opening of negotiations for an international agreement on these topics, i.e., ‘The Pandemic Treaty’. Upon ratification, the treaty will become a legally binding instrument to determine coordination of public-private partnerships, towards discovery, and research and development (R&D) for vaccines, diagnostic and medicinal products. Negotiations started in the summer of 2022, with the Intergovernmental Negotiating Body (INB4) drafting the treaty in the WHO framework, the ‘Zero Draft’ presented in Nov 2022, progress to be reported to the World Health Assembly (WHA76) (May 2023), and a final draft agreement to be delivered in May 2024. In March 2023, HERA and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), and HERA and the European Medicines Agency (EMA) formalised agreements to clearly delineate working arrangements “to strengthen cooperation and to coordinate their work in support of health emergency preparedness and response in the area of medical countermeasures”. The increasing level of complexity, with rapid policy developments necessitates better understanding of the role of EU bodies and policies play, equipping public health professionals and of the tools to participate in these exchanges at national and cross-border levels, ultimately ensuring public health priorities and interests are served. This RT aims to provide an overview of recent developments for these bodies (HERA, EMA, ECDC), how they interact with WHO, and implications of the recently presented EU Global Health Strategy (EUGHS) (Nov 2022) and EU General Pharmaceutical Legislation (EUGPL) (Apr 2023). Panellists and Chairs include representatives to these bodies and legal experts to help elucidate key aspects. Brief interventions followed by discussion will explore: • The role of EU bodies in relation to the treaty • EU priorities, incl. regional autonomy, and related legislation, i.e., EUGPL and EUGHS • Key treaty articles and implications for European public health and global public health • The relevance of existing instruments, e.g., International Health Regulations, the Nagoya Protocol, the UN Biodiversity Convention • The guiding principles and rights in the Zero Draft Active audience interaction is envisioned via polls to prioritise topics and submit questions. Key messages • The global and European public health landscapes are rapidly being transformed. Comprehensive understanding of bodies and policies at interplay by public health professionals is key. • Current developments involve key deliberation and consultation steps at national, EU-wide and global levels. The public health community must be informed and engaged to safeguard public health. Speakers/Panelists Ricardo Mexia INSA - National Health Institute Doutor Ricardo Jorge, Lisbon, Portugal Debjani Muller HTAi, Edmonton, Canada Sujitha Subramanian UK Dimitra Lingri National Organization for Health Care Services Provision, Athens, Greece

Enhancing multifunctionality in European boreal forests: The potential role of Triad landscape functional zoning

Land-use policies aim at enhancing the sustainable use of natural resources. The Triad approach has been suggested to balance the social, ecological, and economic demands of forested landscapes. The core idea is to enhance multifunctionality at the landscape level by allocating landscape zones with specific management priorities, i.e., production (intensive management), multiple use (extensive management), and conservation (forest reserves). We tested the efficiency of the Triad approach and identified the respective proportion of above-mentioned zones needed to enhance multifunctionality in Finnish forest landscapes. Through a simulation and optimization framework, we explored a range of scenarios of the three zones and evaluated how changing their relative proportion (each ranging from 0 to 100%) impacted landscape multifunctionality, measured by various biodiversity and ecosystem service indicators. The results show that maximizing multifunctionality required around 20% forest area managed intensively, 50% extensively, and 30% allocated to forest reserves. In our case studies, such landscape zoning represented a good compromise between the studied multifunctionality components and maintained 61% of the maximum achievable net present value (i.e., total timber economic value). Allocating specific proportion of the landscape to a management zone had distinctive effects on the optimized economic or multifunctionality values. Net present value was only moderately impacted by shifting from intensive to extensive management, while multifunctionality benefited from less intensive and more diverse management regimes. This is the first study to apply Triad in a European boreal forest landscape, highlighting the usefulness of this approach. Our results show the potential of the Triad approach in promoting forest multifunctionality, as well as a strong trade-off between net present value and multifunctionality. We conclude that simply applying the Triad approach does not implicitly contribute to an overall increase in forest multifunctionality, as careful forest management planning still requires clear landscape objectives.

Free Trade‐Populism and Nativist‐Protectionism: Trade Policy and the Sweden Democrats

The past three decades have seen the entry and increased influence of radical right parties into the European party landscape. These parties harness disaffection with the status quo by appealing to nativist or authoritarian tendencies in the electorate. Their policies often center around the protection of the “common man” from foreign or elite forces (particularly, cultural and economic globalization) and their emergence has been linked to decreasing support for globalization—the so-called “globalization backlash.” Several authors note that although radical right parties advocate economic protectionism to attract voters, who are disaffected by globalization, they say little about how this is manifested in advocacy of concrete policy measures. This speaks to the need for more systematic study of the trade policies of radical right parties. This article studies the Swedish radical right party, the Sweden Democrats (ostensibly free traders), to advance an argument based on the core ideology of radical right parties, nativism, and populism. In doing so, the article contributes to the literature that stresses cultural rather than economic foundations for opposition to globalization. Moreover, this article widens the definition of protectionism from that germane to the literature on radical right parties to include non-tariff barriers to trade (in addition to tariffs and quotas), providing a more up-to-date and multifaceted account of the range of trade policy instruments that radical right parties may advocate. I find that populism inspires advocacy of liberal trade policies, while nativism inspires protectionist trade policies. Protectionism almost exclusively consists of non-tariff barriers.

Human-beaver cohabitation in the Early and Mid-Holocene of Northern Europe: Re-visiting Mesolithic material culture and ecology through a multispecies lens

The Eurasian beaver ( Castor fiber) was an important member of Early and Mid-Holocene landscapes and animal communities in Northern Europe. Previous zooarchaeological research has established the alimentary roles of beavers for Mesolithic societies and their importance for fur procurement. In this paper, we develop an integrated biocultural approach to human-beaver interactions, examining the position of humans and beavers in Mesolithic and Early Neolithic multispecies systems. We contextualize beaver landscape agency in hydroactive environments with human behaviour, synthesizing currently available data on mammalian assemblages, ichtyofauna and beaver-related material culture across Northern Europe. This cross-cultural, diachronic analysis reveals previously overlooked facilitations of human behaviour by beaver practices and ecological legacies. We show that long-term trajectories of human-beaver cohabitation differed between northern European regions. While in Southern Scandinavia, human-beaver intersections witnessed major re-organizations during the Mid-Holocene, beavers retained a key role for human societies across Northeastern Europe throughout much of the Holocene and played an important part at the Mesolithic-Neolithic transition in the Dutch wetlands. Divergent pathways are also evidenced by Mesolithic beaver-related material culture, highlighting the cultural keystone status of Castor fiber in higher latitude European landscapes. We argue that this keystone status is grounded in the supply of human hunting, fishing, and gathering affordances by the animals, pointing to the generative commensality between Mesolithic foragers and their beaver neighbours. Taken together, our findings demonstrate the importance of the beaver in the making of Early and Mid-Holocene forager societies in Northern Europe and illustrate the fruitfulness of deploying an integrated multispecies approach.

Embodied carbon quantification of luminaires using life cycle assessment and CIBSE TM65 methodologies: A comparison case study

AbstractThe European legislative landscape on sustainability is steadily growing to meet objectives to reach net zero targets by mid‐century. In this context, companies and manufacturers may soon be legally required to provide quantification of the environmental impact of their products and services. A key challenge is applying a consistent and robust methodology that ensures comparability between assessments made by different companies, as there is still fragmentation among environmental impact reporting methodologies. The objective of this study is to analyze and compare the results of two different methodologies for the calculation of the embodied carbon in lighting products using the cradle‐to‐grave approach. One is the globally known life cycle assessment (LCA) method, and the other is Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers Technical Memorandum 65's (TM65) mid‐level calculation methodology, which has been specifically tailored to building services. The two were applied to six different luminaires to evaluate their differences. Results show that the values of the embodied carbon calculated with TM65 are higher than those calculated with LCA and that the weight of the products plays a crucial role in creating discrepancies between the two methodologies.

Simply Versatile: The Use of Peribacillus simplex in Sustainable Agriculture.

Peribacillus simplex is a Gram-positive, spore-forming bacterium derived from a vast range of different origins. Notably, it is part of the plant-growth-promoting rhizobacterial community of many crops. Although members of the Bacillaceae family have been widely used in agriculture, P. simplex has, so far, remained in the shadow of its more famous relatives, e.g., Bacillus subtilis or Bacillus thuringiensis. Recent studies have, however, started to uncover the bacterium's highly promising and versatile properties, in particular in agricultural and environmental applications. Hence, here, we review the plant-growth-promoting features of P. simplex, as well as its biocontrol activity against a variety of detrimental plant pests in different crops. We further highlight the bacterium's potential as a bioremediation agent for environmental contaminants, such as metals, pesticide residues, or (crude) oil. Finally, we examine the recent developments in the European regulatory landscape to facilitate the use of microorganisms in plant protection products. Undoubtedly, further studies on P. simplex will reveal additional benefits for agricultural and environmentally friendly applications.

Mapping the European cancer prevention research landscape: A case for more prevention research funding

Despite the strong evidence of prevention as a prime defence against the disease, the majority of cancer research investment continues to be made in basic science and clinical translational research. Little quantitative data is available to guide decisions on the choice of research priorities or the allocation of research resources. The primary aim of the mapping of the European cancer prevention research landscape presented in this paper is to provide the evidence-base to inform future investments in cancer research. Using bibliometric data to identify funders that are active in prevention research in Europe and in the world, we have identified that 14% of cancer research papers had a focus on prevention research and those were funded by 16% of all the European cancer research funders. An important finding of our study is the lack of research on primary prevention with primary prevention funders accounting for 25% of European cancer prevention funders, meaning that less than 4% of all European cancer research funders identified show an interest in primary prevention. An additional analysis revealed that 7% of European cancer prevention research papers are categorised as implementation projects, meaning that only 1% of all cancer research publications are implementation research in cancer prevention. This paper highlights that the narrow focus on biology and treatment in Europe needs to be widened to include such areas as primary prevention and secondary prevention and a larger concentration on implementation research. These data can help support a more policy-focused cancer research agenda for individual European governments and charitable and philanthropic organisations and stimulate joining efforts across Europe to create a more systematic and structured approach to cancer prevention.

The distributional impact of local banking. Evidence from the financial and sovereign-debt crises

This paper investigates whether local cooperative banks played a role in mitigating income inequality within Italian municipalities following the main crises that marked the European landscape from 2008 to 2015, namely the financial and sovereign-debt crises. Our empirical findings indicate that, despite the overall rise in income inequality during the post-crisis periods, municipalities hosting at least one cooperative bank branch experienced a comparatively smaller increase. This mitigating effect on income inequality is not observed in the case of non-cooperative banks. Furthermore, the size of the cooperative banking sector emerged as a significant factor in shaping income distribution: municipalities characterized by larger amounts of cooperative banks loans and deposits displayed lower levels of income inequality. The distributional impact of cooperative banks following the two crises was particularly pronounced in smaller municipalities, and where the degree of financial and industrial development was higher.

Europe in the Indo-Pacific: Economic, security, and normative engagement

The Indo-Pacific has rapidly become the world’s geopolitical and geo-economic epicentre. Consequently, much scholarly attention has been focused on Sino–United States superpower competition and on the policies of the region’s great and middle powers. However, since Europe has engaged late with the Indo-Pacific, its policies remain under-examined. This Special Issue fills a lacuna in our knowledge through a dedicated appraisal of German, British, Italian, and European Union approaches to the Indo-Pacific. This introductory article provides an analytical survey of the impetus for Europe’s new awareness of the Indo-Pacific’s importance. It then sheds light on the European approach based on a tripartite framework comprising economy, security, and norms, which is adopted by all the articles in this Special Issue to draw out comparative insights. This research thus contributes to the literature on both European and Indo-Pacific strategic landscapes by examining an understudied development under a novel joint assessment.

The European landscape for gene therapies in orphan diseases: 6-year experience with the EMA Committee for Orphan Medicinal Products

In 2000, the European Union (EU) introduced the orphan pharmaceutical legislation to incentivize the development of medicinal products for rare diseases. The Committee for Orphan Medicinal Products (COMP), the European Medicines Agency committee responsible for evaluation of applications for orphan designation (OD), received an increasing flow of applications in the field of gene therapies over the last years. Here, the COMP has conducted a descriptive analysis of applications regarding gene therapies in non-oncological rare diseases, with respect to (a)targeted conditions and their rarity, (b) characteristics of the gene therapy products proposed for OD, with a focus on the type of vector used, and (c)regulatory aspects pertaining to the type of sponsor and development, by examining the use of available frameworks offered in the EU such as protocol assistance and PRIME. It was noted that gene therapies are being developed by sponsors from different backgrounds. Most conditions being targeted are monogenic, the most common being lysosomal disorders, and with a very low prevalence. Generally, adeno-associated viral vectors were being used to deliver the transgene. Finally, sponsors are not frequently using the incentives that may support the development and the reasons for this are unclear.

Uncovering historical roots of nature-based solutions: Christian Ludwig Krause's approaches to restoring degraded land in an 18th-century European landscape

Nature-based solutions (NBS) represent a recent umbrella concept to tackle land degradation and other urgent challenges. The concept has deep, often-hidden historical roots. To shed light on these origins, this paper examines 18th-century approaches to combat land degradation in a central European landscape, as documented in a 1773 book by Christian Ludwig Krause. First, historical sources on overexploitation and degradation of forests and grasslands in 18th-century Brandenburg (now part of Germany) are examined to illustrate major challenges of that period. Then, an analysis of Krause's book identifies the problems he addressed and the solutions he proposed in response. Krause astutely diagnosed the interaction of different land uses that led to the loss or degradation of forests and grasslands and then to wind erosion that severely affected agricultural fields. He identified reduced flower availability due to overgrazing as a threat to bees and honey production. His main recommendations include restoration of oak woodlands, establishment of tree plantations, recovery of degraded sandy areas, planting of hedgerows as living fences, and bee gardens. He justified these solutions by highlighting negative socioeconomic consequences of land degradation, such as timber shortages and reduced agricultural yields. He addressed farmers and other stakeholders directly, illustrating expected economic benefits of proposed interventions, including for the well-being of future generations. Krause's ideas stand out for several reasons: (i) they are underpinned by a clear-sighted understanding of natural components and processes, combined with practical experience; (ii) he treated land degradation as a social-environmental phenomenon, highlighting the responsibility of various stakeholders for problems and their solutions, supported by economic reasoning; (iii) he linked different land-use systems and local to regional scales, even incorporating urban-rural coupling of nutrient cycles. Most of his suggestions meet present-day criteria of NBS. Two aspects of his work fall outside the NBS framework: (i) historical data on the efficiency of the proposals are missing and (ii) biodiversity gains are not explicitly included in his proposals - although many of them would result in improved biodiversity. Christian Ludwig Krause can be considered an 18th-century pioneer of NBS, with his systems-based thinking serving as a model even today, and he was also a pioneer of ecological restoration and sustainable land use.