European States Research Articles

Exploring the diabesity characteristics and associated all-cause mortality at a population level: results from a small European island state

Exploring the diabesity characteristics and associated all-cause mortality at a population level: results from a small European island state

Program Graniczny Unii Afrykańskiej: cele i ich realizacja (2007-2022)

AFRICAN UNION BORDER PROGRAMME: OBJECTIVES AND IMPLEMENTATION (2007-2022)The African Union Border Programme (AUBP) was established in 2007 as part of African Union’s efforts to strengthen the structural conflict prevention capacities of its Member States. The main objective of the AUBP is the promotion of peace, security and stability through: delimitation and demarcation of borders, cross-border cooperation, and capacity building. The Program is implemented on three levels: national, subregional and continental, based on the principle of subsidiarity. In implementing the Programme, the AU Commission cooperates both with African organisations (primarily regional economic communities) and the United Nations, European states (especially Germany) and European organisations of cross-border cooperation (for example AEBR and MOT).

“Assessment of combined wind and wave energy in European coastal waters using satellite altimetry.”

In this study, the combined wind and wave energy potential assessment is presented for various locations in European coastal waters. The objective is to investigate the feasibility of satellite altimetry-based assessments of combined wind/wave renewable energy potential on the European shelf. The study is motivated by the potential reduction in energy supply variability by combining wind and wave. The method consists of using a homogenized multi-mission altimeter database available by the European Space Agency Sea State Climate Change Initiative (Sea_State_cci) that comprises 26 years of data, from January 1991 to December 2018, that allows extending the time range and spatial coverage to estimate site wind and wave power densities. An empirical model is used to estimate the wave energy period from the altimeter Ku band significant wave height and radar backscatter coefficient required to compute the wave power density. The results show that wind/wave energy is relatively correlated in the Mediterranean but not in the North Atlantic sites studied. Thus, the Western North Atlantic sites are the most adequate places for wind and wave farms, from the point of view of combined exploitation.The different characteristics of the studied sites show some correspondence between variability and mean wave power, which is an essential input to a marine renewable energy strategy in any jurisdiction. The level of overall variability decreases with an increase in mean wave power, related to the higher power swell waves are not highly correlated with the local wind.

Migration as an effect of russian aggression against ukraine: understanding the consequences

It has long been no secret that migration processes have a great impact on the number and composition of the population of all countries. These processes have always played and will play a multifaceted role in the development of mankind, acting as a form of human adaptation to the changing conditions of its existence. The war between Russia and Ukraine, which began back in 2014 with the occupation of Crimea along with some areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions, has serious far-reaching consequences, one of which is significant migration flows. As a result of hostilities, occupation, and invasion of Russian troops in February 2022, many Ukrainians were forced to seek refuge in other regions of the country or beyond. This led to the emergence of mass internal migration to relatively safe regions of Ukraine and unprecedented in the history of our country external migration to neighboring European states. Accordingly, these migration processes have a great impact on the demographic structure and social situation both in the receiving regions of Ukraine and in the countries that received Ukrainian refugees. It has been demonstrated that the main demographic risks faced by Ukraine pose a threat to stable socio-economic development and have become a serious challenge for Ukrainian society. The most urgent task of Ukrainian migration policy today is the development of political instruments that would encourage and facilitate the return of Ukrainian refugees to their homes. The article uses a systematic analysis based on statistical data of international and public organizations, and statesmen to determine the peculiarities of migration flows in war conditions; induction and deduction - to systematize the key causes and consequences of the migration of the population of Ukraine. The main emphasis is on the analysis of the impact of migration processes on the economic development of Ukraine, social stability and cultural identity of the population.

Foreign policy strategies of Eastern European countries and the Russian World

The author examined the impact of foreign policy strategies of Eastern European states based on nationalist ideology in relation to the Russian Federation and the states of the Russian world, which clearly manifested itself during the crisis of unipolarity in international relations.

State aid for broadband network deployment: National and subnational governance mechanisms, 2003–2023

This paper examines the governance models of State aid measures for broadband network deployment in European Union Member States. The research is based on 199 decision letters collected from the European Commission's competition cases database, published between 2003 and 2023. Deploying a theory-driven content analysis approach, the analysis reveals and categorises a variety of governance models. These models vary regarding the authority responsible for the decision-making and, in the case of national schemes, the authority responsible for the implementation, including centralised and decentralised arrangements. Different legacies and institutional set-ups explain the governance models, including the typology of state structures, the constitutional powers, the traditions of participation in the telecommunication sector, policy diffusion and regional development. There are several possible pathways to a gradual transition from one model to another. The design of flexible national schemes, which offer subnational authorities the option to implement them in their regions or to rely on central management agencies for specific tasks adapted to their interests, resources and capacities, could be the optimal solution to prevent the launch of ad hoc measures by subnational authorities and to adapt to different institutional arrangements.

Trust in the Police — Findings From a Cross-Comparison of European Union Member States

This article summarises the findings of an exploratory research on variables that explain variations in trust in the police across European Union Member States. Using available cross-national data sets and multiple linear regression analysis, results show feelings of safety in the immediate environment and perceptions of police corruption explain 62% of trust in the police variations across European Union Member States. These results add to a growing body of evidence suggesting investment in better policing outcomes and in less police corruption can significantly increase public’s trust in the police.StreszczenieNiniejszy artykuł podsumowuje wyniki badań nad różnicami w zaufaniu do policji w państwach członkowskich Unii Europejskiej. Korzystając z dostępnych międzynarodowych zbiorów danych i wielokrotnej analizy regresji liniowej, wyniki pokazują, że poczucie bezpieczeństwa w bezpośrednim otoczeniu i postrzeganie korupcji w policji wyjaśniają 62% różnic w zaufaniu do policji w państwach członkowskich Unii Europejskiej. Wyniki te uzupełniają rosnącą liczbę dowodów sugerujących, że inwestycje w lepsze wyniki policyjne i mniejszą korupcję policji mogą znacznie zwiększyć zaufanie społeczeństwa do policji.ResumenEste artículo resume los resultados de un estudio sobre las diferencias de confianza en la policía entre los Estados miembros de la Unión Europea. Utilizando conjuntos de datos internacionales disponibles y análisis de regresión lineal múltiple, los resultados muestran que la sensación de seguridad en el entorno inmediato y la percepción de la corrupción policial explican el 62% de las diferencias de confianza en la policía entre los Estados miembros de la Unión Europea. Estos resultados se suman a un creciente número de pruebas que sugieren que las inversiones en una mejor actuación policial y una menor corrupción policial pueden aumentar significativamente la confianza de los ciudadanos en la policía.ZusammenfassungDer vorliegende Artikel fasst die Ergebnisse einer Studie über Unterschiede im Vertrauen zur Polizei in den Mitgliedstaaten der Europäischen Union zusammen. Verfügbare internationale Datensätze und eine multiple lineare Regressionsanalyse zeigen deutlich, dass man das Gefühl der Sicherheit in der unmittelbaren Umgebung und die Wahrnehmung der Polizeikorruption anhand 62 % Unterschiede im Vertrauen zur Polizei in den Mitgliedstaaten der Europäischen Union erklären kann. Durch diese Ergebnisse wird eine wachsende Zahl von Nachweisen erklärt, die darauf hindeuten, dass Investitionen in bessere polizeiliche Leistungen und wenige Polizeikorruption das Vertrauen der Öffentlichkeit zur Polizei erheblich steigern könnenРезюмеВ данной статье обобщены результаты исследований различий в доверии к полиции в разных стра- нах-членах Европейского Союза. Используя доступные международные базы данных и множественный линейный регрессионный анализ, результаты показывают, что ощущение безопасности в ближайшем окружении и восприятие коррупции в полиции объясняют 62 % различий в доверии к полиции в государствах-членах Европейского Союза. В итоге они дополняют растущий объем данных, свидетельствующих о том, что инвестиции в повышение эффективности работы полиции и снижение уровня ее коррупции могут значительно повысить доверие населения к полиции.

R&D investment: A dynamic efficiency approach in the EU countries

This paper aims to analyze the role of research and development (R&D) in the production efficiency of European Union Member States. Utilizing Bayesian methods within a dynamic framework, the study jointly estimates production functions and efficiency for a sample of 27 countries over the 2000–2021 period. The findings reveal that human capital investment exhibits a higher output elasticity compared to physical capital investment. Additionally, the results indicate that inefficiencies persist due to escalating costs—both monetary and temporal—as inputs expand. Across the studied countries, an upward trend in R&D expenditure is associated with increasing technical efficiency levels, establishing a positive relationship between R&D spending and technical efficiency scores. Geographically, eastern and southern European regions exhibit lower average efficiency levels. These insights are crucial for policymakers seeking to foster innovation-driven policies, highlighting the importance of maintaining or increasing R&D spending to achieve the economic and social objectives of the European Union. Through appropriate R&D policies, policymakers can enhance technical efficiency, ensure the EU's global competitiveness, and promote more equitable development across the Union.

Ireland, intellectual property and the political economy of information monopolies

Ireland's policies towards US-owned global digital intermediaries (Big Tech) have emerged as an international political issue and received global media attention. So far, political and media focus has been on the impact of Ireland's tax policies on the revenue-raising ability of other European states and perceptions of light touch regulation of those corporations based in the Republic. The current paper will focus on how Ireland's switch to a focus on capital allowances for the sizeable American tech corporations has enabled the latter to sustain their dominance in the digital transition through incentivizing and subsidizing their switch to assetization as a means of deriving investment. Assetization enables investment and profits based on present and future rents from intellectual property. We argue here that the assets and intellectual property of the tech giants are emblematic of a broader process of political–economic restructuring and information monopoly building. The evidence for this resides in Ireland's bumper rise in corporate tax from 2015. Ireland's facilitation of assetization is the end process of some broader institutional transformations that structure economic power.

Small European states and Brexit: comparing the coping strategies of Portugal and Finland

Small European states and Brexit: comparing the coping strategies of Portugal and Finland

Time to intravenous diuretic administration in patients hospitalized with heart failure: An observational study.

To help establish optimized treatment strategies for congestion in patients with acute heart failure, this study aimed to provide a detailed summary of real-world diuretic use in hospitalized patients with heart failure requiring urgent therapy in Japan. This observational study used a Japanese medical records database to extract data of patients admitted to hospital with a heart failure diagnosis and an intravenous diuretic prescription from the day before admission to 2days after. Time from hospital visit to first dose, second dose, and maximum dose of intravenous diuretics were determined. Patients were grouped according to whether they received diuretic modification, defined as an intravenous diuretic dose increase or concomitant use of other diuretics. Overall, 1577 patients were included in the study (without diuretic modification, n=1140 [72.3%]; with diuretic modification, n=437 [27.7%]). The study population was 49.5% female (n=780) and the mean age±standard deviation was 80.1±12.7years. Intravenous diuretic treatment was received within 1h of their hospital visit in 43.5% of patients (686/1577) and ≤2h in 16.4% of patients (258/1577). Among 437 patients with an inadequate response following their first dose, 42.1% received an intravenous dose titration, 56.5% received combination diuretics, and 1.4% received both. Over half of the patients (59.0% [258/437]) with diuretic modification received it after the first 24h of the hospital visit. The median time from hospital visit to first dose titration was similar to time to first combination diuretic use (18.6h and 17.0h, respectively). The mean±standard deviation duration of intravenous diuretic use was significantly longer for patients with versus without diuretic modification (6.3±5.2 vs. 3.7±3.2days), and a significantly greater proportion of patients (44.6% [195/437] vs. 35.0% [399/1140]) received repeated intravenous diuretic administration. Other characteristics/outcomes of intravenous diuretic use were similar with versus without diuretic modification, including in-hospital death (15.6% [68/437] vs. 13.9% [159/1140]) and mean±standard deviation length of hospitalization (21.9±14.7days vs. 22.1±21.2days). In Japan, real-world patterns of intravenous diuretic administration for patients with heart failure remains far from the time-sensitive approach recommended in Japanese, European, and United States guidelines.

Central European strategies in the new Cold War: between balancing and bandwagoning

This article argues that the security of Central Europe – defined as stretching from the Baltic Sea to the Black See–is based first and foremost on the viability and engagement of the Western alliance, understood as NATO and the European Union. The security and defense policies in the region are designed in relation to NATO and bilateral relations with the United States, with limited attempts to achieve some degree of self-sufficiency. Therefore, to understand the security of Central Europe and its individual nations, it is essential to understand their attitudes and fears related to alliances as well as their perceptions of Russia’s intentions. It is posited here that the concept that can best explain the behavior of the nations of the region, allowing also for forecasting future behavior, is the balance of threat theory, as put forward by Stephen Walt. According to the theory, the nations facing threat chose to either balance the threatening power by joining forces with other actors and forming alliances or joining in with their predator, which constitutes a bandwagoning behavior. Historically, especially during the interwar period, these strategies have been employed by Central European nations. Today, the security environment is arguably very different– we have NATO, EU, and American engagement in the region. However, the international environment has deteriorated recently, especially since the Russian full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Arguably, Central European states have responded by falling, to some extent, into patterns of behavior familiar from the past, with some clinging to closer relations with their external patron (the United States) and some hedging their bets and opting for relative neutrality or even closer relations with Russia. The article argues that four factors determine states’ behavior vis-à-vis the Russian threat: geography, history, predator intentions, and the perception of allied reliability.

Mapping the moral foundations of the European Union: Why a lack of moral diversity may undermine perceived EU legitimacy.

The stability and effectiveness of supranational organizations, like the European Union (EU), will improve when citizens perceive them as legitimate. Across three studies, two of which were preregistered, and a preregistered pilot study, we combined EU legal expertise with social psychological theory on morality to understand how perceived EU legitimacy is influenced by a sense of moral alignment with the EU. We propose that, currently, the EU gives more weight to values linked to "individualizing" moral foundations (e.g. compassion, social justice, and equality) than to values linked to "binding" moral foundations (e.g. patriotism, religion, and traditionalism). As this may leave people who endorse binding moral foundations feel unrepresented, we investigated whether the EU could gain legitimacy by appealing to values that resonate with binding moral foundations. In study 1, text analyses revealed that the European Commission President's State of the Union speeches indeed appeal more to individualizing than to binding moral foundations. Study 2 (n = 595) provided correlational evidence that the negative relationship between binding moral foundations and perceived EU legitimacy was mediated by lower moral alignment with EU law. Finally, study 3 (n = 567) showed through an experiment that reframing or rebalancing EU law to better align it with binding moral foundations could increase perceived EU legitimacy among people who endorse these moral foundations. The results illustrate the importance of understanding and attending to moral diversity among EU citizens. More generally, our work shows how a collaboration between social psychology and law contributes to safeguarding the legitimacy of supranational organizations.

Theoretical foundations of the modern paradigm of digitalization of the Ukrainian economy

Introduction. Nowadays, more and more attention is paid to the problems of digitalization of the economy, the characteristic features of which are the process during which the electronic information environment develops and the latest technologies. Under current conditions, Ukraine is the only one among European states that does not have sufficient digital resources for its complete transfer to the rails of the digital economy. Not the biggest reason why this process slowed down was the full-scale invasion and hostilities, due to which the Ukrainian economy has significant costs (losses), as well as the process that would allow it to transform into the latest digital environment. Because of such trends, there is an urgent need to identify the current problems of the process during which the Ukrainian digital economy is being formed, the main trends and perspectives of how it should develop, moving in the direction of European integration, are maturing. Purpose. The purpose of the article is to reveal the theoretical foundations of the modern paradigm of digitalization of the Ukrainian economy. Methods. In the process of writing this article, the following methods were used: methods of analysis and synthesis (for the purpose of a thorough study of the essence of digitalization of the economy), a graphic method (for the purpose of providing the main definitions of this concept by various Ukrainian scientists), a generalization method, a complex and systematic approach, and an abstract-logical method (for the purpose of formulating conclusions and prospects for further research). Conclusions. The essence of the concept of “digital economy” is revealed and it is determined that it is expedient to consider it as a separate sector of the economy, where business entities conduct economic activity using information and communication and digital technologies, and the leading means (factors) of production are digital (electronic, virtual) data (numerical and text). At the same time, it was established that digitalization should be understood as a process related to the active formation, use, and improvement of technologies specializing in information and communication content. Discussion. Prospects for further research are the study of modern trends in the use of information and communication technologies during digitalization, which has been actively gaining momentum in recent years.

Coxiella burnetii: A Brief Summary of the Last Five Years of Its Presence in the Abruzzo and Molise Regions in Italy.

Coxiella burnetii is the causative agent of Q fever. The main reservoirs for this bacterium, which can lead to human infection, in our region are typically cattle, goats, and sheep. In animals, C. burnetii infection is often detected due to reproductive problems. European Member States are required to report confirmed cases annually, but the lack of uniform reporting methods makes the data rather inconsistent. The Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell'Abruzzo e del Molise is involved in official controls to identify the causes of abortions, monitor suspected or positive herds, evaluate suspected infections in pets and humans, monitor the spread in wildlife, etc. In this paper, we summarize the presence of C. burnetii over the last five years (2019-2023). Additionally, a detailed overview of C. burnetii infection in wild and domestic animals is provided. Five hundred sixty animals-including cattle; goats; sheep; wild animals, such as deer, boars, wolves, roe deer, owls, and otters; buffalo; dogs; horses; cats; and a donkey-and six human samples were tested by real-time PCR on the transposase gene IS1111 to detect C. burnetii. The MST profile was identified in some of the samples. Outbreaks of C. burnetii occurred in four herds. In one of them, it was possible to follow the outbreak from inception to eradication by evaluating the effect of vaccination on real-time PCR Ct values. A total of 116 animals tested positive for C. burnetii, including 73 goats, 42 sheep, and one bovine. None of the other samples tested positive. The strains for which the ST was performed were identified as ST79, a strain that has been present in the area for more than ten years. The effect of vaccination on the reduction of positive samples and the variation of real-time PCR Ct values was evaluated in strict correlation.

Methodology for the data flow mapping and analysis in the European Member States

Methodology for the data flow mapping and analysis in the European Member States

Studying the Impact of European Union Regulatory Interventions for Minimising Risks From Medicines: Lessons Learnt and Recommendations.

The European Medicines Agency's (EMA) Pharmacovigilance Risk Assessment Committee (PRAC) launched a strategy to examine the public health impact of major regulatory interventions aimed at minimising risks of medicinal products. We conducted a lessons learnt analysis of impact studies completed between 2015 and 2023. We surveyed PRAC Sponsors and (Co-)Rapporteurs involved in the evaluation of 12 impact studies (10 commissioned by EMA and 2 conducted collaboratively by Member States) to explore how these support regulatory decision-making. Questions covered achievement of study objectives, risk minimisation effectiveness, added value for regulatory decision-making, and recommendations for future impact studies. Themes were generated using thematic content analysis. Survey responses from 15 PRAC Sponsors and (Co-)Rapporteurs from 10 European Union Member States were included in the analysis. Among four cross-sectional surveys and eight drug utilisation studies, 50% achieved all objectives, the other studies partially due to limitations. Two studies concluded that risk minimisation measures were overall effective, two were effective with variation across countries, two were partially effective and four studies showed limited effectiveness. Two studies were deemed inconclusive due to limitations. The reasons for the limited effectiveness of risk minimisation may be explored using mixed-method approaches. Assessment of study feasibility and a priori discussion of effectiveness measurements is important. Despite limitations, impact research adds value to regulatory decision-making by addressing knowledge gaps and providing additional information on unintended consequences of regulatory interventions. Our recommendations will help to improve planning, conducting and interpretating future impact studies.

Data analysis evidence beyond correlation of a possible causal impact of weather on the COVID-19 spread, mediated by human mobility

Previous correlative and modeling approaches indicate influences of environmental factors on COVID-19 spread through atmospheric conditions’ impact on virus survival and transmission or host susceptibility. However, causal connections from environmental factors to the pandemic, mediated by human mobility, received less attention. We use the technique of Convergent Cross Mapping to identify the causal connections, beyond correlation at the country level, between pairs of variables associated with weather conditions, human mobility, and the number of COVID-19 cases for 32 European states. Here, we present data-based evidence that the relatively reduced number of cases registered in Northern Europe is related to the causal impact of precipitation on people’s decision to spend more time at home and that the relatively large number of cases observed in Southern Europe is linked to people’s choice to spend time outdoors during warm days. We also emphasize the channels of the significant impact of the pandemic on human mobility. The weather-human mobility connections inferred here are relevant not only for COVID-19 spread but also for any other virus transmitted through human interactions. These results may help authorities and public health experts contain possible future waves of the COVID-19 pandemic or limit the threats of similar human-to-human transmitted viruses.

The Political and Mental Aspects of Ukraine Integration with Europe

This research paper examines Ukraine’s path towards European integration. From the 10th to the 12th centuries, Ukraine – then known as Kyivan Rus’ – was a strong independent state, but due to internal conflicts and conquests, it became weakened and fell under the influence of other state entities. From the 17th century onwards, as a result of the Pereyaslav agreements (1654 and 1659) between the Cossacks and Moscow, Ukraine found itself increasingly under the sway of Russia, a situation that persisted until the collapse of the “prison of the peoples”, the Soviet Union. Despite Russian propaganda portraying Ukraine as an integral part of Russia for a long time due to shared history and culture, in reality, modern Ukraine and Russia are two different countries with distinct political systems, development trajectories, identities, mentalities, fundamental values, and traditions. Ukrainian society, though subjected to Sovietization during communist times and later targeted by political and propaganda actions from the Russian Federation, stands fundamentally opposed to the authoritarian Russian society and closer to the democratic European community. For centuries, Russian authorities sought to colonize and exploit Ukraine for their own interests, attempting to erase Ukrainian identity, language, traditions, and rewriting Ukrainian history, yet they failed to fully assimilate the Ukrainian people despite numerous manipulations and crimes against them. The European, Western development trajectory of Ukraine and its desire to break away from Russia’s sphere of influence is one of the main reasons for the current full-scale war. The greatest similarities between Ukraine and European states at the level of mentality include Ukrainian love for freedom, individualism, and desire for democracy, in contrast to Russian despotism and authoritarianism. These distinct features of the Ukrainian mentality have historically preserved and revived the Ukrainian nation, aiding in its further development and providing hope for its future not only geographically and economically but also mentally and spiritually.

Assessing the environmental footprint of alternative green biorefinery protein extraction techniques from grasses and legumes

The significant grasslands of Europe and its member states represents a significant feedstock opportunity for circular bioeconomy development. The development of green biorefineries (GBR), to supply protein for the feed industry from grass, could help many European member states to address significant deficits in protein availability and reduce imports. The current study assesses the environmental footprint of alternative GBR protein extraction techniques from grasses and legumes using life cycle assessment. The focus is on comparing feedstock and technology pathways that could displace soya bean imports. The study finds that leaf protein concentrate (LPC) produced from grass had an improved environmental performance when compared to soya bean meal (SBM), across the assessed feedstock (perennial ryegrass or grass-clover mixtures) and technology pathways (one-stage maceration versus multi-stage maceration). For example, in the case of Climate Change the emission intensity for LPC was 57–85 % lower per tonne of crude protein (CP) compared with SBM. Acidification burdens were 54–88 % lower, and Eutrophication: Freshwater burdens were 74–89 % lower. Some scenarios of GBR produced LPC with a larger Energy Resources: Non-Renewable burden than SBM, though this could be mitigated with higher renewable energy (biogas and wind energy) integration within the scenario. Grass-clover scenarios generally achieved a lower intensity of emissions compared to ryegrass scenarios, particularly in the category of Climate Change, where feedstock cultivation represented a significant contributor to impacts. Overall, GBR can produce high quality protein with a lower environmental burden than SBM, but choice of feedstock and system design are critical factors for overall environmental performance.