EU Influence Research Articles

INFLUENCE OF EU MEMBERSHIP ON THE COMPETITIVENESS OF THE EASTERN EUROPEAN COUNTRIES

Констатовано актуальність аналізування впливу членства в ЄС на КСП країн-членів в умовах євроінтеграції України. Проаналізовано сутність понять конкурентоспроможність (КСП) країни, національної економіки та методику Всесвітнього економічного форуму з її оцінювання. Наведено результати аналізування КСП країн Європейського союзу за останнє десятиліття, які засвідчили загалом позитивні тенденції їх розвитку, однак істотний розрив південно-східних економік регіону від північно-західних. На основі Індексу глобальної КСП показано відсутність різкого підвищення КСП нових країн-членів після вступу в ЄС при загальній тенденції до її зростання у трьох обраних для аналізу країнах Східної Європи, що приєднались до союзу останніми, – Болгарії, Румунії та Хорватії, – та проаналізовано причини повільного розвитку цих країн та невиконання взятих при вступі в союз зобов'язань, незважаючи на активну підтримку ЄС. За результатами аналізу з'ясовано, що чинники, які найбільш негативно впливають на ведення бізнесу в аналізованих країнах та Україні (корупція, урядова бюрократія, податкове регулювання тощо), – схожі й фактично перебувають поза безпосереднім впливом ЄС. Сформовано висновок, що членство в ЄС загалом сприяє розвитку та підвищенню КСП країн. І хоча його підтримка в боротьбі з корупцією, реформуванням органів державного правління є часто неефективною через відсутність у країнах інклюзивних інститутів, підтримка союзу у здійсненні розвитку знизу-вгору у майбутньому створить фундамент для інклюзивного розвитку та підвищення КСП країн.

Controlled preparation and photoluminescence properties of Zn6O(OH)(BO3)3:Eu(III) phosphors

Controlling the morphology of micro/nanomaterials precisely enable us to manipulate their properties as desired. Therefore, understanding the complex growth mechanism of micro/nanomaterials, regulating and controlling their morphology and related luminescent properties are the focuses of chemistry and materials science. In this paper, we have firstly prepared five different morphologies of zinc borate (Zn6O(OH)(BO3)3:Eu(III), ZBEu) phosphor by hydrothermal method, which were characterized by EDS, XRD, TG-DTA, FT-IR, SEM and TEM. Different morphologies of ZBEu were obtained via adjusting some of the reaction parameters, and the growth mechanisms of five kinds of morphologies were illustrated in detail. Photoluminescence (PL) analysis manifested that sphere-like ZBEu exhibited the strongest PL intensity in the five morphologies under the same doping concentration. The reasons why different morphology influences the PL intensity are also discussed in detail. Meanwhile, the influences of the doped Eu(III) concentrations and prepared time on the luminescent properties of ZBEu phosphor have also been investigated. The results indicate that Zn6O(OH)(BO3)3 could serve as a new good hydrated borate matrix for light-emitting materials.

Pioneering and Innovative Influence of EU’s Language Label Project and Its Enlightments

Pioneering and Innovative Influence of EU’s Language Label Project and Its Enlightments

Influence of EU and International Institutions in Albanian Higher Education

One of the problems identified in Albanian Higher Education (at least in the last 20 years ) is the bond that exists between the mission that it has and the vision that it is presented in development policies, reforms, strategies and legal framework from which derive these strategies. Is easily perceptible that proper studies on Higher Education are lacking, this fact often leads to the repetition of errors on higher education reform. On the other hand, the lack of clarity has led to the loss of many opportunities on the possibilities of internationalization of Albanian Higher Education, especially regarding the benefits of European funds from EU. The Study on the mission and vision of the Albanian higher education is part of a scientific research which will be presented at the PhD defense, however this article aim to present some of the findings and analyzes related to the vision of Albanian in Higher Education. The years that are compared are those on the Bologna agreement implementation, 2007 - 2013, which referring to the analysis results are years with a clearer vision in its Top - Down enforcement policies.

Influence of Eu(III) Complexes Structural Anisotropy on Luminescence of Doped Conjugated Polymer Blends.

Europium(III) complexes that are the anisometric analogues of a well-known Eu(DBM)3Phen (DBM = dibenzoylmethane; Phen = 1,10-phenanthroline) complex were synthesized. Quantum-chemical calculations of the excited states of new Eu(III) complexes and some conjugated polymers showed that poly(N-vinylcarbazole) provides the most efficient energy transfer in polymer films doped with synthesized Eu(III) complexes. These new composite films were prepared, and their luminescence properties were studied. The results of experimental data confirmed theoretical prediction about significant influence introduced in molecular structure long terminal alkyl chains and cyclohexane on the luminescence efficiency of "Ln(III)-polymer" composite. As the result a substantial contribution of complex anisometry to the luminescence efficiency of composite was revealed due to the increase of the complex limit concentration before self-quenching more than twofold.

A European Union global strategy for a changing world?

The EU agreed a ‘global strategy on foreign and security policy’ in June 2016, in the midst of unprecedented turmoil within the EU and outside it. This article begins with a discussion of what ‘strategy’ entails, and the challenges of strategising in the EU. It then traces the development of the EU global strategy, focusing on why it was considered to be necessary, and summarises its content. Finally, the article analyses the new strategy in terms of clarity of strategic objectives, specification of resources dedicated to the pursuit of those objectives, and provision for monitoring of progress made in achieving the objectives. The global strategy provides a more ‘realist’ guide for EU foreign and security policy in the near future, but Brexit presents a severe challenge to implementing it in a world in which EU influence is increasingly resisted or contested.

Private but parallel lives: National security and personal privacy in a European context

The tension between the requirements of state government to exercise control as a guarantee of national and human security, on the one hand, and freedom and human rights, on the other, lies at the core of western political thought. In the 20th century state security surveillance became more intrusive, while, paradoxically, individuals’ expectations relating to privacy and human rights increased. This tension has become even more pronounced in the 21st century with the expansion of the internet and social media. The article summarises the recent development of EU rules governing data protection and transfer and the potential conflict with the UK Investigatory Powers Act 2016. The apparently irrevocable decision that the UK will leave the EU has thrown the Investigatory Powers Act which received Royal assent in November 2016 into direct conflict with EU norms. At the time of writing it is unclear whether the Act, which provides for unprecedentedly intrusive scrutiny of communications, will be operable, at least initially, in the face of continued EU influence.

Pre-Accession Programmes as Example of EU Influence to Enlargement and New Member States Development: Case Study Slovakia

Pre-Accession Programmes as Example of EU Influence to Enlargement and New Member States Development: Case Study Slovakia

Channels of Influence: The EU and Delta Convergence of Core Labour Standards in the Eastern Neighbourhood

This article analyses the influence of the EU’s actions on labour standards in the Eastern neighbourhood. It conceptualizes the EU’s actions as potential delta convergence mechanisms and models these mechanisms through a spatial econometric approach, using spatial lags. It then analyses the impact of these mechanisms on target countries’ rate of alignment with the International Labour Organization’s standards using spatial two-stage least squares regression analysis. The results indicate that the EU influences labour standards in the observed countries through a combination of coercion and example-setting, but more so through the former than through the latter. The study finds that participation in the European Neighbourhood Policy does not influence countries’ labour standards, nor does being a Generalized System of Preferences beneficiary. The article concludes that the EU influences labour standards through the manipulation of target countries’ cost-benefit calculations.

STATE POLICY DEVELOPMENT IN THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION AND FOREIGN COUNTRIES’ NANOINDUSTRY

Analytical approaches to studying the state’s nanoindustrial policy depend on conditions, reflected in certain government documents, legislative acts, programmes and nanoindustry development strategies, elaborated by the leading countries, using nanotechnologies. Such analysis can help predicting and forecasting possible situations, which can negatively affect the state’s socio-economic development in short-, mid- and long-terms. Carrying out such analysis of the state’s policy in the nanoindustry will enable to determine the tendency of the nanoindistrie’s development in order to elaborate its mid- and long-term development tendencies. Purpose. The research goal is to develop long-, mid- and short-term tendencies, advantages and disadvantages, dangers and perspectives, aims and effects of the state policy cross-impact in the Russian Federation and foreign countries. Methodology. The research presents statistical, comparative and forecasting analysis methods. Results: US, EU and Russian Federation nanoindustrial influence long-term, mid-term and short-term tendencies, advantages and disadvantages, dangers, perspectives and goals of the mutual are defined. Practical implications. The results of the current research can be applied by the economic entities, making international economic transactions, the elements of which include export transactions.

Policy packaging or policy patching? The development of complex energy efficiency policy mixes

The ambition of energy policy has long been to reduce carbon emissions, secure energy supply and provide affordable energy services. In recent years an increasing number of policy instruments have been introduced to promote energy efficiency in different sectors across the EU. While previous research has largely analysed the effectiveness of individual policy instruments and their impact on the diffusion of particular energy efficient technologies or practices, our analysis takes a broader view and examines the mix of existing policies aimed at stimulating reductions in energy use. The empirical focus of the paper is on policy goals and instruments aimed at stimulating energy efficiency in buildings in Finland and the United Kingdom (UK). We trace the development of the policy mixes during 2000–2014 and analyse their emerging overall characteristics. The analysis is based on a mapping of policy goals and instruments, documentary analysis and semi-structured interviews with stakeholders. We find that both countries have increasingly complex policy mixes, encompassing a variety of goals and instruments and make use of a range of different instrument types to encourage users to reduce their energy consumption. Despite the shared EU influence, the way in which the policy mixes have evolved in both countries were found to be quite different.

The 'Arc of Prosperity' Revisited: Homelessness Policy Change in North Western Europe

This paper compares continuity and change in homelessness policy in Ireland, Scotland and Norway with a particular focus on the period of post-crisis austerity measures (2008–2016). The analytical approach draws on institutional theory and the notion of path dependency, which has rarely been applied to comparative homelessness research. The paper compares welfare and housing systems in the three countries prior to presenting a detailed analysis of the conceptualisation and measurement of homelessness; the institutions which address homelessness; and the evidence of change in the post-2008 period. The analysis demonstrates that challenges remain in comparing the nature of homelessness and policy responses across nation states, even where they have a number of similar characteristics, and despite some EU influence towards homelessness policy convergence. Similarly, national-level homelessness policy change could not be interpreted as entirely a result of the external shock of the 2008 general financial crisis, as existing national policy goals and programmes were also influential. Overall, embedded national frameworks and institutions were resilient, but sufficiently flexible to deliver longer term policy shifts in response to the changing nature of the homelessness problem and national policy goals. Institutionalism and path dependency were found to be useful in developing the comparative analysis of homelessness policy change and could be fruitfully applied in future longitudinal, empirical research across a wider range of countries.

Transnational European Party Federations as EU Foreign Policy Actors: The Activities of Europarties in Eastern Partnership States

AbstractThis article assesses how the involvement of European party federations (Europarties) in the politics of Eastern Partnership (EaP) states relates to the objectives of the EU in the region. Under specific scope conditions, Europarties can promote EU interests and values and help EU neighbourhood policy overcome some of the inconsistencies created by the lack of the enlargement tool. The article conceptualises Europarties as transnational actors whose external activities match the pathways of EU influence in EaP states. Empirically, by examining political developments in Georgia and Moldova, the article demonstrates how Europarties function as a conduit for EU strategic influence over pro‐European elites, as well as a normative influence on the functioning of party politics in EaP states.

What Type of Power has the EU Exercised in the Ukraine–Russia Crisis? A Framework of Analysis

AbstractWhat impact has the Russia–Ukraine crisis had on the EU as a foreign policy actor? Most studies examine how the EU has evolved as an actor over time of its own initiative, but tend to discount the role that the external context or structure of the international system might play in constraining or enabling the EU's exercise of power. This Special Issue seeks to understand the EU's influence in the world through recognizing its embeddedness in an unpredictable and uncertain international system. Specifically, we ask whether and to what extent the Russia–Ukraine crisis serves as a critical juncture and catalyst for shaping the EU's power.

Eu+3-doped chalcone substituted cyclotriphosphazenes: Synthesis, characterizations, thermal and dielectrical properties

A series of new cyclotriphosphazene derivatives (2a-e) were prepared from the reactions of substituted chalcone compounds (1a-e) containing different organic side groups at para position with cyclotriphosphazene (2) bearing dioxybiphenyl. The structures of 2a-e were approved by microanalysis and spectroscopic techniques (MS, FT-IR, 31P, 1H, 13C, and 13C-APT NMR). The thermal behaviors of compounds 2a-e were investigated by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). These compounds were found to be stable up to about 300°C. Dielectric properties of 2a-e were measured against temperature (between 25 and 160°C at 1kHz) and frequency (range from 100Hz to 5kHz at 25°C) using means of an impedance analyzer. Among them dielectric properties of methoxy substituted cyclotriphosphazene 2e were found to be higher than other phosphazenes. The compound 2b, which has the lower dielectric property values than other phosphazenes, was selected to determine the influence of Eu+3-doping on the dielectric properties of phosphazenes and doped with Eu+3 at different mole ratios. At the dielectric properties of Eu+3-doped compound 2b (with increasing molar ratios of Eu+3) was observed an excellent increasing according to Eu+3-undoped phosphazene compounds.

Construction of order mesoporous (Eu–La)/ZnO composite material and its luminescent characters

For the first time, the order mesoporous zinc oxide was synthesized by a soft template synthesis method. The Eu and La phosphate were introduced into the prepared mesoporous zinc oxide by the high temperature solid phase method, and got the mesoporous rare earth/zinc oxide composite materials. The luminescence characters of the materials were studied. The influences of La to Eu luminescent properties had been studied, and the optimum proportion of Eu and La was discussed. The influences of La and Eu to ZnO luminescence properties were also been studied. La phosphate had the large influence to Eu luminescent. ZnO had a strong emission peak at 469nm, which overlapped with the 7F0–5D2 transition excitation peak of Eu at 465nm. It indicated that the effective energy transfer happened between ZnO and Eu, which strongly enhanced the luminescence intensity of Eu. At the same time, the Eu and La phosphates could regulate the defect density of ZnO, which could regulate the luminescent intensity of ZnO, and realized the adjustment of luminescent color between green and red light.

ASYLUM LAW REGULATION AND CURRENT EVENTS OF ITS APPLICATION IN LATVIA

The development of the regulatory framework of Latvia’s Asylum and external border is determined by international regulatory framework, the EU's regulatory framework and influence of Latvian bilateral relationship as well as the need to balance the free movement of persons which is essential part of human rights in order to ensure the legislation in relation to Latvian external border regime within international and national legal framework. This is evidenced as a problematic issue in regulatory framework, law practices and border control both in Latvia and other EU countries. It is necessary to explore international, EU and national legal framework within the EU's external borders functioning in Latvia by detecting problems in the EU's Asylum determination in the context of border regime and border control regulatory framework, by exploring legislation, legal concepts, incompleteness of terminology and eventually to develop suggestions for improving laws and regulations. The primary method is Analytical method - the analysis of international, EU, the Schengen Acquis and the national regulatory framework and administrative practice.

Influence of Eu and Sr co-substitution on multiferroic properties of BiFeO3

Pure BiFeO3 (BFO), and Eu-Sr co-substituted BFO samples were prepared by a sol–gel method. The effects of Eu and Sr codoped on the structural, morphological, magnetic and ferroelectric properties were systematically investigated. The X-ray diffraction and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy reveal that substitution of Eu and Sr at the Bi site results in structural change and single phase formation. The maximum remnant magnetization of 0.287emu/g and coercive field of 10.305kOe are observed in the Bi0.85Eu0.05Sr0.10FeO3 sample. The suppression of spin cycloid caused from the structural distortion can play an important role in the improvement of magnetic properties. The Eu and Sr co-doped samples also exhibit good ferroelectric properties, which may be attributed to suppressing the formation of oxygen vacancies by Eu substitution.

‘Spatial Play’ at the Ends of Europe: Oyapock Bridge, Amazonia

AbstractDrawing on the work of philosopher‐semiotician Louis Marin, this contribution to Outlook on Europe reveals the ‘spatial play’ of contending outlooks hovering fitfully over the construction of a bridge at the ‘ends of Europe’, in the heart of the Amazon rainforest, on that very spot where French Guiana and Brazil, the European Union and Mercosul, physically touch one another over a muddy tributary, the Rio Oyapock. The inter‐play of visions colliding around the Oyapock bridge, it is argued, illuminates the paradoxes and contradictions of European territorial governance in the globalised time‐space of its postcolonial frontiers. In spite of the high geopolitical rhetoric seeking to unite both continents, the peculiar blindness of Europe's metropolitan gaze vis‐à‐vis indigenous difference sets the stage for perverse effects of exclusion and disempowerment in and around the site of the bridge itself, extending far into its regional hinterlands. Framed against the backdrop of a long, ‘utopian’ modernity of European imperial expansion and territorial conquest, the ghostly spatial dynamics surrounding the Oyapock River bridge project serve to illuminate wider challenges to the projection of EU influence ‘in the world’. A close examination of similar dynamics elsewhere may help bring into focus the lineaments of a more fully confident and mature postcolonial European border studies.

The Impact of EU Law on a National Competition Authority's Leniency Programme the Case of Poland

This paper is devoted to the impact of EU law on national leniency programmes, especially the Polish one. It analyses the jurisprudence of the Court of Justice in Pfleiderer, Donau Chemie and Schenker and identifies three specific areas of potential EU influence on national leniency programmes. The impact of EU law on the rules of access to leniency documents is analysed in detail on the basis of both EU and Polish law and taking into account the Draft Directive on Antitrust Damages Actions. The paper covers also the extent to which the principle of effectiveness of EU law limits the procedural autonomy of Member States in regard to their leniency programmes. This analysis covers both “negative conditions”, that is, elements of national leniency programmes which are incompatible with EU law, and “positive conditions”, in order words, those elements of domestic leniency programmes which are seen as necessary for securing their effectiveness.