European Union Initiatives Research Articles

Adapting International Business Models for EU Projects: Macro- and Micro-Foundations of the Uppsala Model in Multinational Collaborations

This study examines the adaptation of the Uppsala Model to enhance the management of European Union (EU)-funded projects, particularly focusing on the macro- and micro-foundational elements of the model. The Uppsala Model, originally developed for firm-level internationalization, provides a valuable framework for addressing the complex challenges of EU project implementation, which include bureaucratic hurdles, diverse stakeholder management, and the intricacies of European integration. This paper highlights the persistent issues faced by project managers despite improved application processes and skilled beneficiaries. By applying the Uppsala Model, which emphasizes incremental knowledge development and resource commitment, this study aims to bridge the gap between fund acquisition and project delivery. The integration of both macro- (broad external factors) and micro- (individual and organizational behaviors) perspectives of the Uppsala Model offers a comprehensive approach to managing international, multi-stakeholder EU initiatives. This approach is exemplified through the SuMaNu project, which addresses nutrient recycling and sustainable manure management in the Baltic Sea Region. The findings suggest that the Uppsala Model’s principles can be effectively applied to enhance the execution of complex EU projects by fostering better stakeholder relationships, incremental learning, and adaptive strategies. This study underscores the relevance of experiential learning and network perspectives in achieving successful project outcomes in the EU context.

Industries, citizens, and non-governmental organizations’ positioning and arguments used in European Union initiatives for alcohol taxation and cross-border regulation

BackgroundThe European region has the highest daily alcohol consumption per capita and a high alcohol-related burden of disease. Policymaking at the European Union level is open to participation by interest groups, from public health organizations to alcohol industry representatives. This study aimed to map the interest groups present in the alcohol taxation and cross-border regulation initiatives and identify which arguments were used to support positions in favor or against them. MethodsWe used qualitative content analysis on the comments submitted on the official European Commission website during the 2017, 2018, 2020, and 2022 participation periods. Interest groups were characterized considering their positioning, and arguments were identified and compared by position and type of initiative. ResultsOpponents of changes to the structures of alcohol excise duties and cross-border regulations were mostly representatives of the alcohol and agricultural industries, and the proponents were mostly health-related nongovernmental organizations. Opponents of these initiatives used a wide variety of arguments, from economic and trade to health arguments, while proponents focused mainly on health arguments, such as the effectiveness of alcohol taxation in preventing alcohol-related morbidity and mortality. ConclusionThis study highlights the wide range of arguments used by opponents around alcohol control policies, contrasting with the health-centered arguments of proponents. It further shows that there is a lobbying network at the European Union level, combining national and international representatives of industry and non-governmental organizations. These findings provide an opportunity for better preparation for upcoming discussions on alcohol control at national and regional levels.

Defense Resources Implications of the Conflict in Ukraine on European Countries

Abstract The conflict in Ukraine has determined significant shifts in European defence and security paradigms. This paper focuses on the European Union (EU) has reacted to the crisis on its borders, examining the evolution of EU defence spending, procurement policies, and cooperation agreements in the wake of the conflict, analysing the impact on both individual member states and collective EU initiatives. The aim of this paper is to examine how the conflict in Ukraine influenced the European Union countries in terms of defence spending and defence policies. The objectives of the paper consist in identifying the main changes in the defence expenditures of the European Union Countries, overall and in terms of destination of expenditures and highlighting the main changes on terms of procurement policies and cooperation agreements generated by the events in Ukraine.

‘Constructive juxtaposition’ as a policy assemblage method: Towards an understanding of the European Union's heritage initiatives and the making of ‘European city’ ideals

The policy assemblage approaches offer productive ways to understand how actors, institutions, and discourses interact to steer policies in different directions and produce new meanings and relations in society. However, they are disadvantaged by the lack of productive methodologies. This study addresses this gap by introducing the method of ‘constructive juxtaposition’ and engaging with an interdisciplinary approach to studying policy assemblages. This method facilitates a critical engagement in a single study, with, on the one hand, intended or unintended outcomes of policies or related instruments and, on the other hand, the understanding of the ways in which those outcomes are (re)produced in interplays between actors, institutions, and discourses in given contexts. The method of ‘constructive juxtaposition’ brings these two, often separate, research agendas into a productive dialogue. Building on the approaches and techniques of ‘studying through’ or ‘following’ policies, this method is based on the assumption that researching and exploring both sides of juxtaposition simultaneously bring a more comprehensive understanding of policy assemblages. By applying this method, this paper demonstrates how ‘European city’ ideals are produced in the interplay between actors, institutions, and discourses in the processes of implementation of the European Union's initiatives for designating common European heritage.

EU Protective Security Advisors. European Union initiative to support Member States’ efforts in the protection of citizens and critical infrastructure from terrorist attacks

EU Protective Security Advisors. European Union initiative to support Member States’ efforts in the protection of citizens and critical infrastructure from terrorist attacks

Green Transition and Electricity Sector Decarbonization: The Case of West Macedonia

During the last 50 years, the vast majority of European countries have relied on coal and imported carbon-containing fuels to meet their growing electricity demand. Coal is the only fossil fuel in significant reserves across Europe. However, the pressing threat of radical climate change and the looming depletion of fossil fuels necessitate a structural transformation from a conventional centralized fossil fuel-based electricity generation system to an innovative decentralized system based on zero carbon (green) energy resources. In this context, one important issue for communities operating coal-based Thermal Power Stations (TPS) nearing retirement is whether the European Union (EU) policy can ensure a socially just development of the coal mining areas during the coal phase-out. The objective is to avoid a decline in living standards and mass immigration. In response to the EU’s decarbonization policy, the Greek state has recently decided to retire the lignite-based West Macedonia TPS, which has been in operation since the 1970s. Since its establishment in August 1950, the (initially State-controlled) Greek Public Power Corporation (PPC) has undertaken the responsibility to operate the quarries and the six local TPS, offering approximately 25,000 direct and indirect jobs. Over the last 50 years, the extraction of lignite and the operation of the 4500 MWe TPS of West Macedonia has been the primary economic activity, accounting for nearly 45% of the entire Region’s GDP. While both the Greek state and the EU have prepared and presented plans to financially support local communities and encourage new private and public investments, local citizens remain anxious about their future. The present study investigates the attitude of young scientists towards the forthcoming radical changes linked to the green transition in seriously affected EU Regions, with a focus on West Macedonia. The proposed analysis in West Macedonia reveals the skepticism of young people regarding the speed of the green transition and concerns about significant migration and potential brain drain. On the other hand, the implementation of EU initiatives, including the involvement of young scientists in the planned new green energy-related activities, offers a promising alternative solution. This engagement can lead to the successful integration of local communities into the sustainable and green future envisioned by the EU.

ROBOMINER: Development of a Highly Configurable and Modular Scaled-Down Prototype of a Mining Robot

Historically, mining operations have faced numerous challenges, including safety hazards, inefficiencies, and environmental concerns. However, recent advances in robotics, automation, and artificial intelligence have presented opportunities for the mining industry. The ROBOMINERS project, a Horizon 2020 European Union initiative, aims to revolutionize the mining ecosystem by implementing disruptive robotic concepts. One such concept is resilience, which involves enabling mining robots to reconfigure morphologically during operation. This article presents the development of a modular robotic system that focuses on modularity and self-assembly to provide insight into developing a highly adaptable and compact solution for future mining robots. The robotic system is composed of a set of highly configurable modular robotic platforms that can be reconfigured with other robotic modules or submodules to form more complex systems to perform different tasks. Several module configurations are presented, and different locomotion experiments were carried out to test the ability of the modules to navigate unstructured environments. The modules exhibited great maneuverability in unstructured terrain and demonstrated self-assembly and reconfiguration capabilities during operation. This is a foundational step towards the long-term goal of developing compact autonomous agents capable of self-assembly and mining task execution.

A Drone Strategy 2.0 for a Smart and Sustainable Unmanned Aircraft Eco-System in Europe

On 29 November 2022, the European Commission published its long-awaited ‘Drone Strategy 2.0 for a Smart and Sustainable Unmanned Aircraft Eco-System in Europe’. This document builds upon previous European Union (EU) initiatives such as the ‘An Aviation Strategy for Europe’, ‘European Green Deal’, ‘Sustainable and Smart Mobility Strategy - Putting European Transport on Track for the Future’ and the numerous European Union Aviation Safety Agency drone-related publications. The Drone Strategy 2.0 constitutes the Commission’s vision for developing the drone sector and provides the foundations for the next steps at the EU level to develop a thriving, viable drone ecosystem in the EU. This article gives a clear overview of the Strategy’s main goals, its strengths and weaknesses, and assesses whether it is sufficient. It presents the evolutionary path from the Drone Strategy 1.0 and Drones Leaders’ Group Report, to the Drone Strategy 2.0, with a parallel assessment of the challenges presented in these documents. The article argues the Strategy is a positive political initiative and that more efforts in the legal field should be taken for the goals set to be achieved. Finally, the article underlines the EU’s shift from an initial safety-based approach to geopolitical protectionism, which is evident throughout the Strategy and this shift’s significance for the future of drones in the EU. Aviation Safety, Civil-Military Synergies, Drones, Drone Strategy, European Commission, Funding and Research, Unmanned Aircraft Systems

Is China's rising presence in Hungary since 2012 impacting on Hungary's relations with the EU?

Hungary has been an active participant in China’s 16+1 initiative which is a cooperation scheme launched by Beijing in 2012 to facilitate comprehensive cooperation between China and 16 Central and Eastern European countries. The relationships between China and Hungary have improved greatly since then and China’s political and economic presence in the country is increasingly visible. Apart from the Budapest-Belgrade railway, the recent high-profile Chinese investment in Hungary includes a vaccine plant and Fudan University branch campus in Budapest. Since their bilateral relations have deepened, will China’s political and economic presence in Hungary impact Hungary’s relations with the European Union (EU) and the EU’s unified stance towards China? This article evaluates the impact of the 16+1 initiative on Sino-Hungarian political and economic relations and the impact of their engagement on Hungary’s relations with EU institutions and initiatives.

Making rights real in children's lives

Child poverty and social exclusion affect children from their beginnings. Investing in nurturing care and quality services in children's earliest years is essential for tackling poverty, inequality and social exclusion. The European Child Guarantee, along with other European Union (EU) initiatives, is a huge opportunity to invest in early childhood at the national level and make a real difference to the lives of millions of children across the EU. Every Member State has children at risk of poverty or social exclusion. While every country is different, all must be ambitious and demonstrate strong political will to implement EU policies on the ground.

Post-2027 Cohesion Policy for All

The uneven development and territorial disparities in the European Union (EU) have been increasing for years and has now reached a level that increasingly threatens its economic and social cohesion as well as the political stability. Cohesion policy is therefore more important than ever to ensure the competitiveness and cohesion of the EU. Based on the critical overview of the relevant literature, policy documents, conceptions and narratives, the paper argues for a renewed cohesion policy with reinforced territorial dimension, that should focus on place-based strategies, keep balance between efficiency and equity, as well as capable working together with other EU and national policies and initiatives.

The Liability Regime for the Transportation of Goods by Drones: Is There a Need for a European Union Initiative?

The use of civil Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) is becoming more common place, and the application and development of this technology open the door for numerous opportunities, particularly from a commercial perspective. This article first provides an overview of the liability regime applicable in the European Union for the transportation of goods by UAS (otherwise known as drones), or more precisely, emphasises the lack of a liability regime adapted to unmanned aircraft operations within the Single European Sky. Second, an overview of the liability regime for the transportation of goods under the Montreal Convention of 1999 will be studied for its potential applicability to unmanned aircraft operations which will further underscore the lack of any such adaptability of that regime to unmanned aircraft operations. Finally, this article raises the question of whether the creation of a liability regime specially designed for the use of unmanned aircraft in the transportation of goods is needed – one which would take into account all of the specificities related to this advancing technology that cannot be adequately encompassed within the existing regimes governing manned aviation. Unmanned Aircraft System, Cargo, Liability, European Union

Президентство Э. Макрона во Франции: итоги первого пятилетия (2017–2022)

The article analyzes the results of the first Emmanuel Macron’s presidential five-year term. The authors highlight that the period 2017–2022 proved to be a time of ambitious undertakings and difficult trials for France. The young president sensitively caught the French desire for change and set about solving urgent problems. The improvement of public finances and reboot of the economy, modernization of the administration of the Republic with expansion of “social lifts”, the return of France’s leadership in the European Union and strengthening of the EU’s position in the world – these were the main goals of Macron. Nevertheless, these plans ran into serious objections: inside the country – via the mass protests of working classes defending social guarantees and the opposition of parliamentarians facing the strengthening of presidential power, in the international arena – due to the EU problems and the rivalry of France with a number of other powers. The COVID‑19 pandemic has become a real “black swan” for the president, forcing him to adjust the initial settings. However, E. Macron had some achievements on his way – such as the Labor Code reform, political confidence laws, transformation of the ENA, development of the European Union initiatives, especially the Franco-German plan to save the EU economy during the 2020 pandemic. The authors conclude that despite Macron’s re-election, his second term will become very difficult: the loss of an absolute majority in the National Assembly in the June 2022 elections showed that a tripolar system has been formed in France, so the centrist Macron will have to take the positions of the extreme right and left forces into account when building his economic and domestic policy. As for his foreign policy, the main troubles lie in the serious aggravation of the international situation in Europe.

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on international students’ perception of service quality (Case study of the University of Split)

Purpose: Development opportunities of higher education institutions (HEI) arising from international activities are constantly evolving, increasing at the same time their complexity. Consequently, numerous activities have been created to connect different higher education institutions across Europe, where the biggest challenge of internationalisation today is the European Universities Initiative. In that context, it is important to measure whether the European Union initiative created better resilience to the COVID-19 pandemic. Methodology: Empirical analysis was conducted that included international students who studied at UNIST for one semester during the pandemic. The following descriptive statistics methods were used for data analysis: percentages, mean, frequency distribution, the standard deviation correlation method, as well as the independent-samples t-test and the correlation method. Results: The results show that from the perspective of international students, there is a positive relationship between perceived service quality and internationalisation during the COVID-19 pandemic period. A case study was presented on the internationalisation of the University of Split as one of the first universities that joined the European Universities Initiative. Conclusion: Internationalisation is one of the keys to success if the perceived quality of higher education can be considered as a key to student satisfaction.

International-Legal Approaches and National-Legal Regulation of Counteraction to Misinformation

The article analyzes some aspects pertaining to the issues of counteraction to misinformation. The subject of the study encompasses the relations arising in the field of international-legal and national-legal regulation of this activity. In March 2021, the Center for Counteracting Disinformation was established in Ukraine. Its development under the influence of threats to the state’s information security requires a detailed analysis of theoretical and legal foundations of countering disinformation, taking into account the fundamental principles of freedom of thought and speech. The aim of the article is to reveal international legal approaches and national legal regulation of countering disinformation. Theoretical methods of analysis, synthesis and comparison were used in the process of research. In particular, the work provided an analysis of international law, as well as the European Union initiatives aimed at combating misinformation. The comparative-legal method was used in conducting a comparative study of international and Ukrainian legislation. The article presents the outcomes of the analysis of the empirical basis of the study, namely: international law and domestic regulations of Ukraine, research works, etc. The methodological approach to the study of international legal issues and national legal regulation of countering disinformation is based on the fundamental principles of freedom of thought and speech and their mandatory consideration in the development of a new legislation. The research reveals the presence of several groups of government experts within the UN system who focused on studying the issues related to cyber operations, the use of ICT that contradicts the norms of a responsible behavior of states. They proved that the issue of countering misinformation had not yet been resolved. On the basis of the Tallinn Handbook 2.0 analysis, the author concluded that the interference in the spheres of elections, health care system and other areas pertaining to state sovereignty through disinformation operations could be interpreted as contrary to the international law provisions.

Sewage Sludge - a Sustainable Material for the Production of Solid Recovered Fuel

The appropriate quality system of production control of pre-treated sewage sludge and its characterization needs to be established in order to provide confidence in its constant quality as a raw material in the circular economy. Waste to energy procedure with increased energy efficiency in utilization of its residues is gaining an increased recognition. To manage waste to energy procedure the pre-treated (dried) sludge must be continuously assessed in accordance with the CEN/TC 343 technical standards and the European Union (EU) initiative for circular economy. In evaluation of the dried sewage sludge as an alternative solid recovered fuel (SRF), three parameters are important – net calorific value (NCV), chlorine (Cl) and mercury (Hg) content. The statement of the authorized contractor on the quality of sewage sludge as a SRF with the Class code NCV 3 to 4; Cl 1; Hg 3 creates confidence in its stable quality for energy production in cement kilns, power plants and dedicated sludge mono-incinerators. The removal of Hg from municipal wastewater, constant quality control of the dried sewage sludge, and tracking the mass balance of Hg during incineration make it possible to prevent the circulation of this critical pollutant in the environment.

Collective memory or the right to be forgotten? Cultures of digital memory and forgetting in the European Union

This article investigates cultures of digital memory and forgetting in the European Union. The article first gives some background to key debates in media memory studies, before going on to analyse the shaping of European Commission and European Union initiatives in relation to Google’s activities from the period 2004–present. The focus of inquiry for the discussion of memory is the Google Books project and Europeana, a database of digitized cultural collections drawn from European museums, libraries and archives. Attention is then given to questions of forgetting by exploring the tension between Google’s search and indexing mechanisms and the right to be forgotten. The article ends by reflecting on the scale of the shift in contemporary cultures of memory and forgetting, and considers how far European regulation enables possible interventions in this domain.

Central European Ideas and Policies about International Circular Migration from Hungarian Angle

Abstract The author tries to investigate the thoughts and politics in literature about international circular migration in the lights of European Union (EU) initiatives related to Visegrad Four Countries (V4) with special attention to Hungary. The cross-border circular flows have become relatively frequent during life stages of people differentiated by previous migratory experiences, and next aspirations. The popularity of international circular migration erected from the hypothesis of ’triple win solution’ without any empirical verifications. Basically, two sorts of circular migration system exist: homogenous and heterogenous. The homogenous human circular migration system consists of the same kind of moves with similar time rhythm from statistical angles. It seems to us that the practice of life-long international circular migration characterises few long-term circulators. However, the heterogenous circular migration systems combine with other spatial mobility forms function during whole individual life cycle due to one of the symptoms of human beings. The main aim of the contribution is to explore some elements of similar ideas and politics on international circulatory flows interfered between Western and Eastern Europe. Moreover, we propose some old-new innovative solutions for V4 to reform the rigid EU migration policies.

A commitment to marginalized children in the European Union: The hope and challenges of the EU Child Guarantee.

While children in general are usually seen as a societal priority, many children are disadvantaged by marginalization, with adverse effects on health and development. Following feasibility studies, the European Commission has now adopted a formal Child Guarantee of service access. This paper links the Feasibility Studies to other reports on the need to address marginalized and institutionalized children. The problems in identifying and quantifying such children are outlined, as are the challenges of planning for these groups of children and the difficulty of finding universal definitions and data. This European Union initiative is timely, given that around a quarter of European children are marginalized, while the effects of Covid-19 will add to this marginalization.

Differentiated Integration and Europe’s Global Role: A Conceptual Framework

In a time of global challenges, rising geopolitical tensions and a weakening of the traditional trans-Atlantic security community, we can expect pressures for Europe to play a more important role in the world. Various initiatives have been taken to strengthen the role of the European Union (EU), but there are also tendencies towards a more complex European governance structure in the making, characterized by a combination of both EU and non-EU (but still European) initiatives. This introductory article presents a framework for studying a European role that includes initiatives taken within and outside the EU framework, but closely interlinked, indicating that the concept of differentiated integration (DI) may help to clarify Europe’s role in a changing and volatile global context. Differentiated Integration, Disintegration, EU as a global actor, EU foreign security and defence policy