Multi-level Cooperation Research Articles

Features of the functioning of the European Union institutional mechanism

The institutional mechanism of the European Union remains an important object of research in connection with the constant evolution of integration processes and political challenges faced by the EU. In the conditions of globalization, economic crises and geopolitical instability, there is a need for a flexible and effective management system. However, despite significant achievements in the development of its institutions, the EU continues to face challenges related to the transparency of decision-making, the accountability of institutions and the proper representation of the interests of Union citizens. This is especially relevant against the background of the current debates on reforming the EU and improving its internal architecture. The article focuses on analyzing the institutional mechanism of the European Union, its evolution, and the current challenges in ensuring the effective functioning of this supranational organization. The aim of the study is to examine the functioning of the EU’s institutional mechanism in terms of its ability to ensure coherence and efficiency in decision-making processes and the implementation of common policies. The research employed general scientific methods of cognition, such as analysis, synthesis, induction, deduction, and comparison. The study’s findings show that the institutional mechanism of the European Union is a complex, multi-level system that ensures the interaction of key institutions for the Union’s effective operation. The European Council performs a strategic role by determining the overall political directions of EU development. The European Commission carries out executive responsibilities and initiates legislative proposals, while the European Parliament and the Council of the EU jointly exercise legislative functions, emphasizing the equality of these institutions in decision-making. The Court of Justice of the European Union ensures compliance with legislation, providing legal oversight over the implementation of EU treaties and decisions, thereby guaranteeing the legal consistency of all institutions’ activities. The European Central Bank plays a key role in financial control, being responsible for monetary policy, while the Court of Auditors oversees the spending of the EU budget. The EU’s institutional system also includes numerous auxiliary bodies and agencies, such as the Committee of Permanent Representatives (COREPER), which plays a critical role in policy coordination between member states. These institutions provide multi-level cooperation between national governments and EU bodies, highlighting the Union’s supranational character and its integration processes.

Examining the Utilisation of Pascal’s Triangle for Community Development and Allocation of Resources in Eastern Uganda

Challenges ranging from resource scarcity to social deprivation and environmental concerns confront the East Region of Uganda. Let’s focus on Pascal’s Triangle as a conceptual model to deal with the problems of unjust resource distribution among communities. This model, which is a triangular arrangement of numbers, affords an opportunity to gain useful insights into community interactions and the process of resource distribution. Understanding Pascal’s triangle’s mathematical nature is a key driving force behind realistic and feasible resource allocation methods and community development approaches. Equal resource distribution methods, clear resource allocation mechanisms, community involvement, and multi-level cooperation are essential for promoting fairness and resilience. East Ugandan communities celebrate diversity as a resource for social cohesion, creativity, and resilience. Collaboration and unity are keys to getting over the difficulties and achieving great heights. It creates resilience and sustainability through community-based organisations, cooperative ventures, and participatory decision-making processes. When involved in solving complex problems, education serves as a key tool for empowering individuals and communities. Participatory decision-making creates a degree of transparency and representativeness in resource allocation. Merging community building and resource deployment with SDGs ensures sustainability and durability. Policies and programmes that address gender issues and encourage community participation are the keys to improving inclusivity. This review article examines Community Building and Resource Allocation: Learning from the Pascal Triangle in Eastern Uganda: Insights. We used data from the last decade (2014–2024) available from many reliable data sources. The findings advocate for community participation in decision-making, the implementation of policies that promote gender equality and social inclusion, collaboration among stakeholders, and the prioritization of education and capacity building, in addition to the integration of Sustainable Development Goals into community development plans and the strengthening of local governance institutions for equitable resource distribution. To solve complicated issues in the east of Uganda, it’s imperative to put more emphasis on equal resource allocation, community mobilisation, and social integration. Apply the insights from Pascal’s Triangle to foster communities that are adaptable, inclusive, and stable. Keywords: Community Building, Resource Allocation, Pascal’s Triangle, East Uganda, Resilience, Sustainable Development Goals

Subjective Assessment of Knowledge and Health-Promoting Behaviors in the Area of Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms in Women

Background: Lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) are a complex and widespread problem among women, resulting in serious problems in both physical, mental, and social health and occupational activity. Methods: A self-administered survey questionnaire was conducted among 100 women diagnosed with LUTS via Google Forms. Among other things, the level of knowledge and self-assessment of existing knowledge about the condition among affected women and the preventive activities undertaken were assessed. Results: The respondents' level of knowledge varied widely. The average score reached was 66.67% (64.48 ± 24.63%). The study demonstrated that women under 35 years of age (U = 772.5; p = 0.005) and those with higher education (U = 615.5; p < 0.001) had significantly higher levels of knowledge. Conclusions: Women's age and education affect knowledge of incontinence prevention. The common occurrence of lower urinary tract symptoms requires the development of a system of preventive, educational and therapeutic activities. Multilevel cooperation is important to increase the effectiveness of therapy.

Transmission centers of global embodied mercury emissions are moving from developed to developing regions

Mercury (Hg) can accumulate in the food chain, posing significant threats to human health and biodiversity. Existing studies have identified critical primary suppliers, producers, and final consumers driving Hg emissions in global supply chains. However, the hotspots in the intermediate transmission stages of global supply chains remain unknown. This study reveals critical transmission sectors and transactions of global embodied Hg emissions during 1995–2022. Results show that the critical transmission sectors and transactions of global embodied Hg emissions have been moving from developed (e.g., Japan and Russia) to developing (e.g., China and India) economies. Critical transmission sectors were primarily concentrated in the metal products, transportation, machinery and equipment manufacturing, and construction industries. Domestic transactions were the primary transmission pathways for embodied Hg emissions, with nearly half of these being intra-sectoral transactions. These findings can help policymakers develop transmission-bound Hg reduction policies and multi-level cooperation to support joint Hg emission reduction.

City diplomacy as a mechanism of multi-level solidarity and support for Ukraine: A study of the changes following the 2022 Russian invasion

The full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022 changed the situation in Europe, impacting various aspects, such as politics, security, and international relations. It also underscored the significance of local authorities, particularly cities, in responding to and addressing the consequences of the crisis. The paper answers the questions on the impact of the Russian invasion on the international partnerships of Ukrainian cities, the role of city diplomacy in promoting solidarity and support for Ukraine, and the dynamics of multi-level cooperation in supporting Ukraine during the war. This research was based on a survey sent to 56 Ukrainian cities, of which 70% of them responded. The findings indicate that almost 90% of Ukrainian cities receive diverse forms of support from foreign partners, and two-thirds of them engage in forging new partnerships. Moreover, through many multi-level initiatives, they contribute significantly to the dynamic interplay between local, national, and international levels of governments. These results highlight the noteworthy role of cities in international relations as actors in times of war.

Adaptive governance of disaster preparedness? The case of regional networks in Finland

Adaptive governance (AG) has emerged as a theoretical alternative to traditional forms of governance, which often fail to address complexity and rapid changes in socioecological systems. Frequently recognized attributes of AG include learning and experimentation, collaboration and networks, polycentric institutions and multilevel governance at multiple appropriate scales, as well as reflexivity, flexibility and adaptive capacity. To provide more examples of the practical implementation of AG, we examine whether a Finnish regional preparedness network model could be an example of a tangible way to implement AG. According to our results, the regional networks embody many features of AG: they facilitate person- and organization-level networking and peer learning, and thus help their members to grasp the overall picture of preparedness and safety in the region, and reveal ambiguities concerning the division of responsibilities. The networks also support nestedness and polycentricity through cross-sector and multilevel cooperation. At the same time, the voluntary nature of the networks is perceived as problematic considering the overall preparedness of society. Notably, although networks often include non-state actors, citizens remain outside of them, which may reduce the effectiveness of a network.

Neuverteilung von Verantwortung? Brandschutzerziehung als Strategie zur Zukunftssicherung Freiwilliger Feuerwehren

Volunteer firefighters are an established institution in many rural areas across Europe. In spite of this ubiquity, many volunteer brigades have been increasingly facing challenges in discharging their functions. Issues such as undertaking necessary investments, and ensuring daytime availability have become particularly critical against the backdrop of an increase in the number of interventions. Many of the measures intended to futureproof volunteer firefighting are based on transferring responsibility to different actors. To this end developing and expanding the reach of fire safety education functions to enhance the public’s prevention and self-protection skills. The aim of this paper is to explore the process of institutional change induced by innovative initiatives, which aim to advance fire safety education. For the study, we draw on empirical research, which follows the development and mainstreaming of two projects in Austria and Germany. These initiatives aim to standardise disparate approaches and are underpinned by new forms of multi-level cooperation. Our inductive analysis identifies five key steps which define the successful long-term implementation of projects in coproduced services of general interest. We conclude with observations on the redistribution of responsibility for fire services and hazard prevention in contemporary societies.

RAMC: Reverse-Auction-Based Multilevel Cooperation for Large Size Data Download in VANETs

RAMC: Reverse-Auction-Based Multilevel Cooperation for Large Size Data Download in VANETs

Towards emerging Industry 5.0 – a review-based framework

PurposeThe study aims to investigate the integration of human and machine intelligence in Industry 4.0 (I4.0), particularly in the convergence of industrial revolutions 4.0 (IR4.0) and 5.0. It seeks to identify employee competencies aligned with industry 5.0 (I5.0) and propose a framework for deep multi-level cooperation to improve human integration within the intelligence system.Design/methodology/approachThis study uses bibliometric analysis to review 296 research papers retrieved from the Scopus database between 2002 and 2022. The prominence of the research is evaluated by analyzing the publication trend, sample statistics, theoretical foundation, commonly used keywords, thematic evolution, country-based contributions and top-cited documents.FindingsThe study observed that research in I5.0 has been limited in the past but has gained momentum since 2015. An analysis of research papers from 2002 to 2022 reveals a gradual shift toward human-centric practices. The literature on I4.0, the internet of things (IoT), artificial intelligence (AI), cloud manufacturing, blockchain and big data analysis has been increasingly highlighting the growing importance of digitalization in the future. An increase in the number of countries contributing to the field of study has also been observed.Originality/valueThis analysis offers valuable insights for managers, policymakers, information technology (IT) developers and stakeholders in understanding and implementing human-centric practices in I5.0. It emphasizes staying current with trends, embracing workforce empowerment through reskilling and upskilling, and prioritizing data privacy and security in adaptable systems. These strategies contribute to developing effective, inclusive and ethically sound approaches aligned with the principles of I5.0.

Research on the Path of RMB Internationalization under the Background of "the Belt and Road"

The "the Belt and Road" is a win-win cooperation road to promote common development and achieve common prosperity, and a peaceful friendship road to enhance understanding and trust and strengthen all-round exchanges. This article first explores the current development status of RMB nationalization and analyzes the current process of RMB internationalization from multiple perspectives. Then, it analyzes the impact of "the Belt and Road" initiative on RMB internationalization from both opportunities and challenges. Finally, it proposes suggestions and specific implementation paths for RMB internationalization in the context of the "the Belt and Road". Under the "the Belt and Road" initiative, China's RMB internationalization should adhere to the real economy orientation and promote the steady development of RMB internationalization; Build a multi-level cooperation mechanism and create a favorable international environment; Efforts will be made to promote Chinese standards and the use of the RMB in infrastructure construction.

Multilevel cooperation in the Baltic Sea Region during the COVID-19 pandemic

Multilevel cooperation in the Baltic Sea Region during the COVID-19 pandemic

Improving multilevel policy mixes for sustainable urban mobility transition

Transitioning to sustainable urban mobility in the EU requires a complex policy mix covering various transport modalities and levels of governance. Yet, existing studies focus mainly on a single modality or governance level as unit of analysis. To fill this gap, this article combines the literatures on policy mixes and on urban mobility transition to investigate the relations between various policies influencing the transition to sustainable urban mobility across governance levels. Analysing data from 32 interviews focused on Dutch cities, two key conflicts are identified as hampering the transition to sustainable urban mobility: i) a bias of national funding towards solving bottlenecks through infrastructure development; ii) a significant influence of the national level on the local level, while the former is hardly influenced by others. The analysis suggests that these conflicts might be overcome by shifting the emphasis of national funding to mobility in a broader sense and institutionalizing multilevel cooperation.

Fruit production and exploited labor in northern Italy: Redefining urban responsibility toward the agrarian ground

AbstractImmigrants play a crucial role in the development of capital‐intensive, industrialized agriculture and often find themselves living in derelict, stigmatized neighborhoods where they become not only objects of fear and exclusion but also objects of racketeering, exploitation, and profit‐making dynamics. Global trends and migration flows trigger new concerns among policymakers who realize that food production is not only a rural issue. Discussing the Italian case of the Saluzzo Fruit District and the Prima Accoglienza Stagionali (PAS, First Reception of Seasonal Workers) project, this contribution focuses on the role that cities as institutional complexes can have in preventing illegal recruitment and exploitation of labor in agriculture as well as improving the living conditions of migrant field hands through the activation of urban–rural synergies for multifactor and multilevel cooperation. Results offer an overview of the potentiality of the abandonment of an emergency approach limited to the sole provision of shelters to migrant workers for adopting a more structured and holistic approach to territorial planning.

Analysis of the Relations Between China's Ruling Parties and Russia in the Context of Diplomacy of Heads of State

Cooperation between parties is an important part of the party’s work in the field of international relations. As Chinese-Russian relations deepen, the CCP actively promotes inter-party exchanges with Russia and promotes comprehensive, wide-ranging and multi-level cooperation between Chinese and Russian political parties. Interaction of political parties of the Russian Federation and the People’s Republic of China plays an important role in relations between the two countries and within cooperation «One belt – one union» (“一带一盟”). Since the XVIII Congress of the Communist Party of China, its Central Committee, led by Xi Jinping, has comprehensively promoted great-power diplomacy with Chinese specificity in a new era based on an accurate understanding of changes in the world structure and China’s overall development trends. Xi Jinping's diplomatic thinking has become a guide to action for Chinese-specific diplomatic work. In practice of cooperation between the political parties of China and Russia, Xi Jinping used the diplomacy of the heads of state to ensure clear leadership of cooperation between the political parties of China and Russia, led the direction of cooperation between the political parties of the two countries, planned the goals of cooperation between their political parties and determined the future of bilateral strategic partnership. Diplomacy towards the head of the Russian state is a concrete example of Xi Jinping's diplomatic thinking and an important innovation in the diplomacy of a great power with Chinese specifics.

Zoning In on Transit-Oriented Development

Problem, research strategy, and findings Transit-oriented development (TOD) has been widely encouraged as a strategy to limit urban sprawl, increase urban density, and enhance neighborhood diversity. Federal and regional governments have been increasingly promoting such TOD in parallel with light rail transit (LRT) projects to foster sustainable transitions. Little is known, however, about the processes through which municipalities have made changes to existing land use regulations to achieve TOD goals. In this article we trace changes in municipal plans and bylaws surrounding a CA$7 billion LRT in Montréal (Canada) that opened in summer 2023, 7 years after its announcement. Specifically, we analyzed whether changes in municipal bylaws conformed to TOD plans recommended by the metropolitan government while exploring local barriers to zoning reform. Through policy and spatial analysis, we found that only a limited number of municipalities made sufficient bylaw changes between 2016 and 2022 to support TOD plans aimed at implementing mixed-use zoning, increasing urban density, and reducing parking ratios. Through an analysis of rezoning processes, we see an opportunity for improved multilevel cooperation, public engagement activities, and positive communication strategies in the process of building integrated transport and land use systems. Takeaway for practice These findings can aid planners and policymakers in understanding the importance of reforming municipal zoning bylaws and regional approaches to TOD, strengthening collaboration between different levels of government, and engaging in meaningful public consultation practices to foster an integrated transport and land use approach. If LRT projects are to be successful in meeting sustainability goals, greater engagement with land use regulations across multiple scales is needed to facilitate TOD.

Reducing Plastic Pollution by Recovery and Recycling: Evidence from a “Blue Economy” Project Impacting Policy-Making in Italy

This paper recognizes the relevance of the Seabed Cleaning Project, created by the Angelo Vassallo Sindaco Pescatore Foundation in 2010, and presents it as a tool to achieve benefits in environmental, social, and economic terms, in line with the innovative framework of the Blue Economy. The project suggests a practical, feasible, and scalable solution to plastic pollution that can be obtained thanks to the activity performed by fishermen in cooperation with the municipality and local community (in a multi-level cooperation perspective). The data show a significant reduction of plastic on the seafloor thanks to the project, but further research is needed in order to collect further positive outcomes from different applications of the project. In 2022, the "Salva Mare" Law was approved in the Senate, extending the good practices proposed by the Foundation nationwide and showing how small gestures and concrete actions can provide significant improvements in pursuit of a healthier, safer, greener, and smarter city for the future.

Safety Incidents in Psychiatric Inpatient Care: A Qualitative Content Analysis of Safety Incident Reports

Introduction. Safety is an essential factor in patient recovery, occupational well-being, and a well-functioning care environment. To identify and understand potential safety risks, information from safety incidents is needed. Aim. To describe safety incidents that occurred on psychiatric inpatient wards. Method. A retrospective register study. The data were collected from a web-based incident reporting database (HaiPro) from six Finnish psychiatric inpatient wards. The incident reports (N = 76) were analysed with descriptive statistics and inductive content analyses. Results. The incidents were verbally or physically aggressive situations, rule violations, or challenges in the ward’s basic activities. The incidents resulted in consequences for patients, personnel, and the wards with varying severity. Some of the incidents could have possibly been prevented with simple, practical measures, such as sharing information, being prepared for safety practices, and having comprehensively planned care. Discussion. Safety incidents cause fear and challenges and could partly be prevented with multiprofessional and multilevel cooperation. Implications for Practice. Preventative actions include multidisciplinary and ward-specific education for safety practices, ensuring resources and not having too many patients on the ward. Multiprofessional communication and mutual understanding, including patient participation, are central. Wards should be designed or renovated so that safe environments can be guaranteed.

Underwater Formation System Design and Implement for Small Spherical Robots

Aiming at the difficulty of communication and positioning of the existing underwater robot system, this article combines the vision system with a closed leader–follower formation structure to realize the underwater formation of three underwater robots. On account of the long-standing tracking requirements during vision-based formation process, an antiloss and redetecting strategy is fused in the proposed detecting and tracking algorithm and the binocular vision system can achieve real-time positioning underwater and calculate the 3-D coordinate so as to complete the follower's follow-up to the leader. An artificial submarine detection experiment and an antiloss redetection experiment are applied to demonstrate the robustness of the algorithm. And the underwater formation experiment is implemented so that the effectiveness of the proposed vision-based formation strategy is proved, which also provides a new solution for expanded formation system and multilevel cooperation.

Multi-level cooperation within the framework of the integrated qualifications system as an opportunity to better adapt education to the labour market needs

Multi-level cooperation within the framework of the integrated qualifications system as an opportunity to better adapt education to the labour market needs

Looking for Economic Cooperation between Austria and the Soviet Union during Khrushchev’s Thaw

This article aims to contribute to the development of a more correct model of the relationship between East and West. The traditional view of Europe after 1945 with its opposite and mutually exclusive military and economic organizations is characterized in traditional historiography by the existence of a symmetrical and parallel development of two ideological blocs during the bipolar confrontation of the systems. In the context of modifying this model, the article proposes to consider the continent as a complex space where parallelism, asymmetry, and convergence coexist, and which has seen multi-level cooperation between a wide range of subjects in various fields. All this will allow a new assessment of the degree of involvement of the USSR in global economic relations. Particular attention is paid to the compensatory supply of goods in accordance with the State Treaty after 1955, as well as the attempts of the Soviet leadership to establish bilateral trade. A comparative analysis of the mechanisms for the implementation of Soviet-Austrian economic cooperation makes it possible to show more clearly how fundamentally different socio-economic systems could interact and how they adapted to the new economic reality. The author mostly refers to documents from the Russian State Archive of Economics and the Bruno Kreisky Archive Foundation, which have not been used previously, and are first introduced into scholarly circulation.