European Point Of View Research Articles

Political alliances and trade: Europe in a polarized world

This study investigates how political alliances influence trade and welfare in Europe and major global economies amidst escalating geopolitical tensions. Utilizing a panel data approach, we assess the impact of military alliances on trade through structural gravity and staggered difference-in-difference methodologies. We further simulate the potential trade and welfare effects of the strengthening and disintegration of political alliances within blocs. Results reveal significant trade and welfare consequences stemming from the expansion or disintegration of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the establishment of a military alliance under the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO). From a European point of view, our results suggest that the accession of new NATO members will bring economic benefits, while the US leaving NATO, or the deepening of the SCO, will bring negative trade and welfare effects. If a US exit from NATO triggers a disintegration of the alliance and the SCO creates a military alliance, this would lead to severe negative consequences for the EU. Notably, the study finds that the benefits of collective security provided by NATO substantially outweigh the costs associated with its 2% defence spending requirement.

GEOPOLITICAL VIEWS AND GEO-ECONOMIC CONSIDERATIONS ON THE GERMAN STRATEGY AND EU WIDER FRAMEWORK RELATIONS WITH CHINA

On July 13, 2023, the German Government has released the first national strategy related to approaching China in international relations, including from a geo-economic perspective. The text of the German strategy is of significant importance for other EU member states and the EU authorities, as it encloses aspects pertaining to the industrial policy and cyber-security, serving nonetheless as a use-case and / or a model for developing a coherent approach to China, including the perspective of economic diplomacy in the larger context of policy dialogues with China. From a diplomatic stance, China has anchored international relations in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe, some of which being EU members – in 2012, China forged partnerships via the “16+1” Cooperation, later extended after the Dubrovnik Summit to “17+1” by the adhesion of Greece. China looks to consolidate bilateral relations in Europe via a multi-level approach and sectorial-specific coordination (to include trade, energy, financial technologies, forestry, maritime services, etc) and the German strategy complements the projected EU-China comprehensive strategic partnership, rather than to be an alternative to it. In this context, the paper explores the implications of the German strategy towards China from the European viewpoint and analyses its value-added potential to supporting the wider angle of EU international relations towards China. The research hypothesis is that in the current international geopolitical context related to China, the German strategy enhances at the national level the guiding principles of EU approach to managing the relations with China and adds value to EU economic diplomacy instead of duplicating it. The research methodology is focused on a qualitative analysis of documented authentic scientific public resources and synthesis of key aspects from a geopolitical and geo-economical wide angle of Sino-European relations. The conclusions draw on the fact that China acts as an international challenger, on a path to consolidate its international role and the EU and the German strategies towards China support the mitigation of exposures to economic dependencies by de-risking linkages rather than economic de-coupling from “a partner, a competitor and a systemic rival” at the same time, as designated by EU.

Overrepresentation of Whiteness Is in Sign Language As Well: A Commentary on “Undoing Competence: Coloniality, Homogeneity, and the Overrepresentation of Whiteness in Applied Linguistics”

Overrepresentation of Whiteness Is in Sign Language As Well: A Commentary on “Undoing Competence: Coloniality, Homogeneity, and the Overrepresentation of Whiteness in Applied Linguistics”

Depicting the Black African Refugee in The Jungle by Joe Murphy and Joe Robertson

This paper explores the depiction of black African refugees in The Jungle, a 2017 play by two young British playwrights, Joe Murphy and Joe Robertson. The Jungle is a theatrical recreation of the lives of refugees from the migrant camp in Calais, from which hundreds of refugees made – and still make – often fatal attempts to enter the UK through the Channel Tunnel. The graphic images of the squalid living conditions of its residents – many of them from Africa – dominated the news, as did the dramatic manner in which the camp was dismantled in 2016. This paper is interested in the textual gestures and representational decisions of the playwrights in the written play that provide clues to the possible ways in which black Africans are thought of and constructed in the minds of Europeans. In this way, this inquiry contributes to analysing literary engagements with contemporary African migration to Europe provided from European points of view.

A Positive Program for Antitrust? Enforcement in Times of Political Tides

The rise of Big Tech led to a still ongoing debate over the shape of antitrust enforcement. Many of such discussions take place in the United States and focus on the validity of consumer welfare standard, often leading each party of the discussion to entrench its position. In the European context, however, the success of the consumer welfare standard was never so full as in the United States, making way instead to the adoption of a ‘more economic approach’. This article discusses how the current tension within antitrust could be looked at from the European point of view. It suggests that antitrust might be subject to a perpetual movement between what has already been described in European antitrust as the more economic approach and what could be now termed as a more political approach. The article investigates what elements could be seen as part of such a more political approach. It leaves aside the question of which approach is the ‘correct’ one and attempts instead to look for ways of adjusting enforcement in times of change. The article concludes that while the more economic and more political approach are at odds, there appear to be ways of easing tensions within antitrust when political conditions change. Big Tech, Chicago School, consumer welfare, efficiency, enforcement, more economic approach, neobrandeisianism, ordoliberalism, populism, public goals

Regulatory Preconditions for the Deployment of Bioenergy With Carbon Capture and Storage in Europe

Paris-compatible climate scenarios often consider bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) as an important technology for carbon dioxide removal (CDR). Although the main barrier to BECCS deployment is often associated with lack of economic policy incentives, unfavorable regulations can also impede investments. Over the past decade, the regulatory conditions at the UN and on the EU level have developed to be more permissive toward BECCS. For instance, CDR accounting guidelines have been developed by the UN, and the EU CCS Directive regulates responsibilities regarding storage of CO2. However, several existing regulations still cause deployment hurdles. Taking a European viewpoint, this perspectives article takes stock of recent regulatory developments and provides a discussion on legal acts that need to be reformed in order to facilitate BECCS deployment. Although the European trend is characterized by developing a regulatory regime that is more supportive of BECCS, we identify three areas for further improvement: (1) allowing EU Member States to use negative emissions from BECCS to comply with their obligations under the legislative pillars that underpin the EU's climate objectives: (2) amending the CCS Directive to exempt physical leakage of biogenic CO2, attributable to sustainably sourced biomass, from the requirement to surrender emission allowances in the EU ETS or, if BECCS has been economically rewarded, the penalty for leakage should correspond to the level of the reward; and (3) pushing to erase the last few barriers due to multilateral regimes, such as clarifying whether BECCS is covered by the geoengineering moratorium maintained by the UN Convention on Biological Diversity. These proposed reforms would further improve the regulatory preconditions for BECCS deployment in the EU.

Behavioural insights and the evolving COVID-19 pandemic.

Behavioural sciences have complemented medical and epidemiological sciences in the response to the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. As vaccination uptake continues to increase across the EU/EEA – including booster vaccinations – behavioural science research remains important for both pandemic policy, planning of services and communication. From a behavioural perspective, the following three areas are key as the pandemic progresses: (i) attaining and maintaining high levels of vaccination including booster doses across all groups in society, including socially vulnerable populations, (ii) informing sustainable pandemic policies and ensuring adherence to basic prevention measures to protect the most vulnerable population, and (iii) facilitating population preparedness and willingness to support and adhere to the reimposition of restrictions locally or regionally whenever outbreaks may occur. Based on mixed-methods research, expert consultations, and engagement with communities, behavioural data and interventions can thus be important to prevent and effectively respond to local or regional outbreaks, and to minimise socioeconomic and health disparities. In this Perspective, we briefly outline these topics from a European viewpoint, while recognising the importance of considering the specific context in individual countries.

Osvrt na prisustvo mikotoksina u hrani sa srpskog tržišta u periodu od 2005. do 2022. godine

This paper aimed to review the publications on mycotoxins' presence in cereals and foodstuffs originated from the Serbian market covering the period from 2005 to 2022. The review covers all the important steps in mycotoxins analysis including sampling, sample preparation, instrumental analysis, and concentration ranges in which the mycotoxins were found. Also, the results were interpreted from the European Union regulation point of view. The review emphasizes the importance of multi-mycotoxins analysis for determining the simultaneous presence of mycotoxins that can negatively affect the Serbian human population. The most frequently used instrumental technique in the mycotoxin analysis of Serbian products was the Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay followed by the Ultra-High Performance Liquid Chromatography coupled with triple quadrupole mass spectrometry. Most of the studies undertaken in Serbia until now investigated a few groups of matrices such as wheat, maize, milk, and dairy products. Only a few studies involved specific matrices such as nuts, dried fruits, biscuits, cookies, and spices. The review showed that contamination of milk and dairy products with aflatoxin M1 (AFM1), occurred at the very beginning of 2013, was the major health issue related to the population health. The contamination of milk and dairy products with the AFM1 was a consequence of maize contamination with aflatoxins which occurred in the year 2012, characterized by drought conditions. The studies dealing with the analysis of masked and emerging mycotoxins are rare and more attention should be paid to monitoring the presence of these types of mycotoxins in foodstuffs from Serbia.

A antropologia brasileira vista nos dados da ABA coletados na Pesquisa Global de Práticas Antropológicas. De uma nação imaginária à defesa de direitos

Abstract The article explores the characteristics of Brazilian anthropology identified by analyzing the response of more than 300 Brazilian anthropologists to the GSAP. Even if there is a movement towards internationalization, the data shows that majority of anthropologists in the country conduct research in Brazil and are employed by universities. The article argues that the thematic foci most often chosen are due to the anthropologist's public role in combining research with defense of rights since the 70’s. Social or cultural anthropology are the topical expertise of the majority of Brazilian anthropologists, followed by ethnology. The thematic foci most often cited are: ethnicity and social identity; urban anthropology; political anthropology; Indigenous peoples and colonialism; gender and sexuality. In a Brazilian society where democracy is not consolidated, an anthropological study rarely fails to raise a political debate, either among anthropologists, as it was the case for racial quotas or, either, confronting segments of society or government. In this sense, Brazilian anthropology’s focus on national social and political issues cannot be considered from the European or American point of view to be the same as “anthropology at home”. The voices of Anthropologists are present in the public arena and in many cases have influenced state practices.

Osvrt na prisustvo mikotoksina u hrani sa srpskog tržišta u periodu od 2005. do 2022. godine

This paper aimed to review the publications on mycotoxins' presence in cereals and foodstuffs originated from the Serbian market covering the period from 2005 to 2022. The review covers all the important steps in mycotoxins analysis including sampling, sample preparation, instrumental analysis, and concentration ranges in which the mycotoxins were found. Also, the results were interpreted from the European Union regulation point of view. The review emphasizes the importance of multi-mycotoxins analysis for determining the simultaneous presence of mycotoxins that can negatively affect the Serbian human population. The most frequently used instrumental technique in the mycotoxin analysis of Serbian products was the Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay followed by the Ultra-High Performance Liquid Chromatography coupled with triple quadrupole mass spectrometry. Most of the studies undertaken in Serbia until now investigated a few groups of matrices such as wheat, maize, milk, and dairy products. Only a few studies involved specific matrices such as nuts, dried fruits, biscuits, cookies, and spices. The review showed that contamination of milk and dairy products with aflatoxin M1 (AFM1), occurred at the very beginning of 2013, was the major health issue related to the population health. The contamination of milk and dairy products with the AFM1 was a consequence of maize contamination with aflatoxins which occurred in the year 2012, characterized by drought conditions. The studies dealing with the analysis of masked and emerging mycotoxins are rare and more attention should be paid to monitoring the presence of these types of mycotoxins in foodstuffs from Serbia.

DARFUR PEACEKEEPERS, REVIEW

DARFUR PEACEKEEPERS, REVIEW

Covid-19 and contracts in China and Europe

The purpose of this succinct contribution is to present to the readers the Chinese law of contract on “force majeure” and “hardship,” in a comparative perspective from a European point of view. The concept of foreseeability of the event rendering the performance of the contract impossible or unbearably difficult is used as an eye-catcher. The two concepts “force majeure” and “hardship” are close to each other, but must be sharply distinguished. One has to also distinguish the foreseeability of the event (of “force majeure” or “hardship”), which causes the hindrance of the performance of the contract, from the foreseeability of the damage suffered because of the non-performance.

Intersections of Science and Society

An impressive volume, Company Curiosities describes the history of the East India Company with a specific focus on the contributions of company naturalists, illustrators, and collectors. A monopolistic British corporation that controlled trade between England and India–Southeast Asia, active between 1600 and 1874, the East India Company “contributed voluminously and systematically to the sum of the riches reaching British collections.” Particularly during the first quarter of Queen Victoria’s reign, there was an obvious and natural connection between the company’s collections, Victorian acquisition, cabinets of curiosity, and the rise of natural history museums. Not only did the company provide thousands of collected objects for exhibitions and private individuals, but its imported concepts and designs influenced many types of British manufacture and architecture.A particularly interesting aspect of this history is that it predates the development of naturalists as specialists: many of the company’s collectors, botanists, and illustrators also held positions as surgeons, judges, and surveyors employed by the company. Generously illustrated, Company Curiosities chronicles European “discovery” of numerous species of mammals, plants, and birds, as well cave paintings, fossils, and human artifacts. Numerous illustrations are provided, including portraits of significant company figures, specimen drawings, architectural details, and artifacts. Of particular note are the beautiful biological illustrations drawn by both local and company artists, which are exquisite in their detail of observation and execution. A highlight, and the book’s cover illustration, is Tipu’s Tiger, a bizarre wooden structure depicting a life-sized tiger mauling a prone man, which had a mechanical crank that could, when turned, alternately produce roars, groans, and oddly celebratory melodies.Detailed and meticulous, Company Curiosities will appeal to any reader interested in the history of Western exploration, natural history, and the troubled relation between Europeans and the peoples of colonized nations. The extent and detail of this book require a dedicated reader with particular interest in India, Victorian Britain, and colonization – the general reader will likely wish for shorter descriptions. In particular, specifics from the “Company Collects” chapter will interest students of the history of science. The many illustrations add significantly to the narrative. This history is very much told from a European point of view and is chilling in recounting the millions of artworks, artifacts, and specimens removed to Britain. The moral aspects of removing these animals and artifacts from their native India are far from self-evident in the text – a significant omission in these days of increased reckoning with the consequences of colonial power. India’s reaction to this pillage can easily be seen in the famous Tipu’s Tiger. As the Royal Tiger devours him, the European, wearing the red jacket of an East India Company official, lifts his hand to express his “helpless and deplorable condition.” It is easy to see the not-so-subtle representation of the Sultan Tipu’s desire to put an end to British domination.

The « race » correction in estimating glomerular filtration rate: an European point of view.

There is currently a heated debate ongoing whether or not to use the race coefficient for black people in the Modification of Diet in Renal Diseases and Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology-equation. The use of the race coefficient is thought by several American authors as a source of discrimination. It has recently been shown that the race coefficient is inaccurate in European and African black people. Therefore, it seems that the race correction is more a correction for black Americans, rather than for black in general. This 'correction' at the glomerular filtration rate (GFR)-level has been criticized, as it is misleading, and should be abandoned, as it has not been shown that GFR is different between black and white people. However, as differences in creatinine generation between black and white people might exist, a correction or adjustment, different for black and white people, at the creatinine level might be required, very similar to the different scaling of creatinine for males and females. The current debate on the race coefficient is particularly difficult because of the absence of good scientific data in black subjects and there lies the real discrimination in our opinion. We therefore call for future dedicated studies, both in Europe and USA.

A Genealogy of XIXth Century French Criticism—Typology, Physiology and Genealogy in Sainte-Beuve, Taine and Nietzsche

The genealogical paradigm was renewed in French literary criticism in the XIXth Century. The problem it encounters is the following: on the one hand, to reduce the specificity of literary and artistic genius within natural or historical laws; on the other hand, being too fascinated by the uniqueness of genius, so that any historical explanation of the latter could be attempted. Literary genealogy in France is aimed at escaping the antithesis between reductionist naturalism and ahistorical romanticism. First approached through both a biographical and naturalistic method by Charles-Augustin Sainte-Beuve during the first half of the century, it turns into a more physiological and Darwinian perspective through Hippolyte Taine’s historiography. Seen from Nietzsche’s European point of view, this way of proceeding lacks self-examination, because every good genealogy must become aware of the values it conveys.

Who needs lobbying? The usefulness of interest representation in the European Union from the European Commission's point of view

The article addresses issues related to the use of cooperation with lobbying groups for the European Commission. The main subject of the paper is the representation of interests in the European Union arena and the Commission’s exercise of its treaty competences. The analysis focuses on the use of expert knowledge and legitimacy provided by lobbying groups in the context of their usefulness in the process of fulfilling the Commission’s legal obligations. The arguments are classified into four groups: legislative, executive and supervisory, organisational, and legitimacy. In each of the groups, the Commission’s Treaty obligations are analysed, as well as the use of particular goods provided by lobbying groups in the course of their implementation, which allows to determine of the scope of benefits resulting from such cooperation. The purpose of this article is to examine the usefulness of lobbying in fulfilling the Commission’s Treaty functions.

European recommendations on the proper indication and use of peripheral venous access devices (the ERPIUP consensus): A WoCoVA project.

Since several innovations have recently changed the criteria of choice and management of peripheral venous access (new devices, new techniques of insertion, new recommendations for maintenance), the WoCoVA Foundation (WoCoVA = World Conference on Vascular Access) has developed an international Consensus with the following objectives: to propose a clear and useful classification of the currently available peripheral venous access devices; to clarify the proper indication of central versus peripheral venous access; discuss the indications of the different peripheral venous access devices (short peripheral cannulas vs long peripheral cannulas vs midline catheters); to define the proper techniques of insertion and maintenance that should be recommended today. To achieve these purposes, WoCoVA have decided to adopt a European point of view, considering some relevant differences of terminology between North America and Europe in this area of venous access and the need for a common basis of understanding among the experts recruited for this project. The ERPIUP Consensus (ERPIUP = European Recommendations for Proper Indication and Use of Peripheral venous access) was designed to offer systematic recommendations for clinical practice, covering every aspect of management of peripheral venous access devices in the adult patient: indication, insertion, maintenance, prevention and treatment of complications, removal. Also, our purpose was to improve the standardization of the terminology, bringing clarity of definition, and classification.

Lung cancer screening: who pays? Who receives? The European perspectives.

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide, and its early detection is critical to achieving a curative treatment and to reducing mortality. Low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) is a highly sensitive technique for detecting noninvasive small lung tumors in high-risk populations. We here analyze the current status of lung cancer screening (LCS) from a European point of view. With economic burden of health care in most European countries resting on the state, it is important to reduce costs of screening and improve its effectiveness. Current cost-effectiveness analyses on LCS have indicated a favorable economic profile. The most recently published analysis reported an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) of €3,297 per 1 life-year gained adjusted for the quality of life (QALY) and €2,944 per life-year gained, demonstrating a 90% probability of ICER being below €15,000 and a 98.1% probability of being below €25,000. Different risk models have been used to identify the target population; among these, the PLCOM2012 in particular allows for the selection of the population to be screened with high sensitivity. Risk models should also be employed to define screening intervals, which can reduce the general number of LDCT scans after the baseline round. Future perspectives of screening in a European scenario are related to the will of the policy makers to implement policy on a large scale and to improve the effectiveness of a broad screening of smoking-related disease, including cardiovascular prevention, by measuring coronary calcium score on LDCT. The employment of artificial intelligence (AI) in imaging interpretation, the use of liquid biopsies for the characterization of CT-detected undetermined nodules, and less invasive, personalized surgical treatments, will improve the effectiveness of LCS.

The Importance of Non-Profit Organization in Globalized World: International Comparison of American and European Continent

Research background:In developed countries, we see a significant increase in the importance of non-profit organizations thank to public initiative. The primary objective is to improve the quality of life in society. Cooperation between private, public and non-profit sectors creates synergy effects. The primary problems of non-profit organizations include legislation that does not sufficiently motivate entrepreneurs to support non-profit subjects, but also a shortage of employees and volunteer.Purpose of the article:Despite the fact that, under the conditions of globalization, there is a greater interconnection of the economies of individual countries, also in the area of non-profit sector, there is still exist important differences between the operation and importance of non-profit organization in an American and European continent.Methods:Firstly, theoretical part of the paper provides historical development of non-profit sector based on primary theoretical approaches. Secondly, practical part of the paper describes non-profit sector on American and European continent. In other words, the paper summarises theoretical and empirical knowledge on importance of non-profit sector in various countries around all the world. Paper main aim is the highlighted the importance of non-profit sector under the conditions of globalization with the emphasis on the international comparison of American and European point of view.Findings & Value added:The results show that non-profit sector plays significant role in building national economies. This paper is the one part of the project outputs focused on non-profit sector. In developed countries, we see a significant increase in the importance of non-profit organizations thank to public initiative.

Opinions on talent management from an european viewpoint

Opinions on talent management from an european viewpoint