non-European Union Countries Research Articles

What a difference an OFDI makes. Firm-level evidence from the EU

Using a large panel of European firms covering the years 2007–2015, this study investigates the effects of outward foreign direct investment (OFDI) on performance. Controlling for self-selection through propensity score matching techniques at baseline in a two-way fixed effect difference-in-differences framework, we determine that OFDI firms exhibit higher productivity, value-added, sales, and profit compared with non-OFDI firms. Heterogeneity analysis by destination reveals that the highest performance premia accrue to firms that invested in non-European Union (EU) countries, developed economies and technology-advanced hosts. Heterogeneity analysis by ownership structure shows that OFDI established via joint-venture or wholly owned enterprises have similar, positive performance premia. Furthermore, investing abroad entails no reduction in the parent companies’ number of employees. Finally, we document an increase in research and development expenditure for OFDI firms at both intensive and extensive margins, indicating a potential driver of the observed performance premia.

International trade, mandatory IFRS adoption and financial reporting quality

Purpose This study examines how bilateral international trade among mandatory International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) adopter countries moderates the relation between IFRS adoption and firms’ financial reporting quality. Design/methodology/approach The authors use data from 2007 to 2015 and focus on publicly listed firms from non-European Union countries that adopted IFRS on a mandatory basis. Findings The authors find that the interaction between mandatory IFRS adoption and a country’s bilateral trade with other countries using IFRS is negatively and significantly related to accruals-based earnings management, which is an inverse measure of financial reporting quality. This result is driven by firms in less developed countries. The improvement in accounting quality is for firms located in countries that both fully and partially adopt IFRS. The authors also find a significant and negative coefficient for the relation between real earnings management and the interaction between mandatory IFRS adoption and a country’s bilateral trade with other IFRS countries in the post-global financial crisis period. Originality/value Overall, the authors’ results are consistent with the notion that the mandatory adoption of IFRS creates a positive externality where firms improve their accounting quality because increased financial statement comparability means that foreign customers and suppliers can monitor the quality of earnings more easily.

How Do Adherence to COVID-19 Mitigation Measures and Its Predictors Change between 2020 and 2021? An Explorative Investigation in Eight European Union and Non-European Union Countries

Introduction: Adherence to COVID-19 mitigation measures is an important vehicle that has contributed to the fight against the pandemic. The present study investigated potential changes of the level of adherence and its predictors between 2020 and 2021 in eight countries. Methods: Adherence to COVID-19 measures and its potential predictors (perception of usefulness of the measures, rating of the governmental COVID-19 communication, mental health variables, COVID-19 burden) were compared between representative population samples from European Union countries (France, Germany, Poland, Spain, Sweden) and non-European Union countries (Russia, UK, USA) assessed in 2020 (N = 7,658) and 2021 (N = 8,244). Results: In the overall sample, multiple analyses of variance revealed significantly higher levels of adherence to the measures, their perception as useful, positive mental health, and feelings of being well supported and well informed by governments in 2020 than in 2021. In contrast, feelings of being left alone and symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress were significantly higher in 2021 than in 2020. In France, Poland, Spain, and the UK, the adherence level was significantly higher in 2020 than in 2021. In European Union countries, ratings of governmental communication were less positive, and levels of mental health were lower in 2021 than in 2020. In non-European countries, an opposite result pattern was found. Conclusion: The current results indicate a decrease in adherence to the mitigation measures and factors that could foster it. Potential ways how governments and authorities could enhance the population’s trust in COVID-19 mitigation measures are discussed.

The advent of EU water reuse regulation in the Mediterranean region: policy and legislative adaptation to address non-conventional water resources utilization in agriculture

ABSTRACTThe provision of safe, sustainable and accepted ways of water supply for the Mediterranean basin by using non-conventional water resources is key to reducing the gap between agricultural water demand and supply. The article offers a review of the current policy and legislative frameworks addressing non-conventional water resources in agriculture in selected Mediterranean countries, including non-European Union countries. A particular focus is put on the EU Water Reuse Regulation of 2020. By combining a literature review and stakeholders’ consultations, this study offers different visions from EU countries and non-EU countries around the Mediterranean which might be affected by the regulation.

‘Precarious parents’ in Italy: A study on gendered and racialised labour-power

This research explores the conditions of parents in precarious employment in Italy (European Union) with an emphasis on (but not confined to) mothers from non-European Union countries of origin. The aim is to construct a critical understanding of the material conditions of workers and parents in precarious employment and their everyday struggles to achieve employment and income security, when this income security can be achieved only through the sale of labour-power in gendered and racialised labour markets. Their everyday lives are marked by their conditions of bearers of labour-power and crucially these precarious social conditions produce a pressure which tends to reduce precarious workers’ lives to ‘bare life’. Bare life is connected to the ‘bare minimum’ that these participants get in terms of income. This study aims to give a new interpretation to the concept of bare minimum through which precarious parents must arrange their lives. Gendered and racialising processes take place through the struggles around this ‘minimum’.

The impacts of agricultural development and trade on CO2 emissions? Evidence from the Non-European Union countries

The climate crisis and related events are often in the headline in recent years. The climate agreements reflected these concerns and called the researchers’ attention to the urgent need for climate mitigation and adaptation policies. Many countries made new commitments during the latest United Nations Climate Conference (COP26) in November 2021 in Glasgow. In turn, scientists and experts worry that new pledges are not ambitious enough. The first environmental regulation was ratified in Great Britain in 1863. Later, the industrial and agricultural revolution stimulated pollution and brought about the emergence of environmental issues. The first agreement aiming to mitigate environmental pollution and stabilize greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere was the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), adopted at the Rio Earth Summit in 1992. Behind the European Union, the contribution of the biggest polluter countries to climate change is also significant. The objective of the paper is to investigate the explanatory factors of CO2 emission, focusing on the contribution of economic growth, agriculture, and trade along with free trade and climate agreements on climate change in Non-European Union member states, including the biggest emitters in the past two decades. In addition, it investigates the role of specific free trade agreements in emission cuts. The results showed an increase in CO2 emissions in third countries, the reduction in the impact of agricultural export on greenhouse gas emissions, underlining the potential hidden effect of trade-related emissions between 2000 and 2018. NAFTA was encouraged while EFTA, ASEAN and MERCOSUR reduced emission growth. The USA, China, and Russia have the highest responsibility in controlling climate change. The findings reflect the limited progress and implementation of climate and trade policies and agricultural-related emissions in Non-EU countries.

A critical race analysis of structural and institutional racism: Rethinking overseas registered nurses' recruitment to and working conditions in the United Kingdom.

Language tests for overseas registered nurses (ORN) working outside their home country are essential for patient safety, as communication competency needs to be established in any workforce. We argue that the current employment of existing language tests is structurally and institutionally racist and disadvantages ORNs from non-European Union (EU) and non-White countries seeking to work in the United Kingdom. Using Critical Race Theory (CRT), we argue that existing English language tests for ORNs seeking registration in the United Kingdom are discriminatory due to the UK's racist migration policies and a regulatory body for nursing and midwifery that fails to acknowledge and understand its own institutionally racist practices.

EXAMINING THE ROLE OF FIRM SIZE IN COMMITMENT - SMALL FIRM PERFORMANCE RELATIONSHIP AMONG SOUTHEAST EUROPEAN SMES

Studies on the effect of the firm size and commitment on small firm performance indicators are inconclusive, especially in the geographic area of Southeast Europe. This study examines the role of firm size in the relationship between commitment and firm sales growth, operating profit and market share. Alterations in firm size and commitment are attributed to differences in market structures, namely, non-European union and European union member states. Results of the empirical research state that firm size and commitment have a positive and significant effect on performance indicators (sales growth rate, operating profit, and market share). Separating firms that originate from the European union member states from those that do not, suggested that firms that are not part of the European union rely on commitment more firmly than those that from the European union member states. Moreover, firm size moderates the relationship between commitment and firm performance indicators only in the non-European union countries. Larger firm size indicates a smaller effect of the commitment on firm performance for firms from the non-European union countries. The study concludes with limitations and practical implications of the empirical research.

Surveillance and epidemiology of syphilis, gonorrhoea and chlamydia in the non-European Union countries of the World Health Organization European Region, 2015 to 2020.

BackgroundEpidemics of sexually transmitted infections (STI) are a major public health challenge in the World Health Organization (WHO) European Region.AimWe aimed to provide an overview of case reporting and other surveillance data for syphilis, gonorrhoea and chlamydia for the non-European Union (EU)/European Economic Area (EEA) countries of the Centre and East part of the WHO European Region as per classification used by the WHO Regional Office for Europe (WHO/Europe) and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control.MethodsData were provided by the surveillance agencies of the Member States for the period 2015 to 2019 through the WHO/Europe Communicable Diseases Annual Reporting Form. We analysed reported cases, explored data reported to the WHO Gonococcal Antimicrobial Surveillance Programme (GASP) and performed a review of publications on antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in gonorrhoea in the period 2015 to 2020 using systematic methodology.ResultsFrom 2015 to 2019, in most of the countries with three or more data points, there was a pattern of decrease in reported syphilis, gonorrhoea and chlamydia cases, which is in contrast to the EU/EEA. The number of reported cases per 100,000 population was 0.4–26.5 for syphilis, 0–18.5 for gonorrhoea and 0–43.3 for chlamydia. Four countries reported recent data on AMR in gonorrhoea to GASP, and we identified further publications from Georgia, Russia and Ukraine.ConclusionWe found wide heterogeneity in reported rates of STI. There is a strong need to improve availability and quality of STI surveillance data in the non-EU/EEA countries.

Consumers' view on pork: Consumption motives and production preferences in ten European Union and four non-European Union countries

To analyse consumers' attitudes and perceptions towards pork, online surveys were performed with 11,294 consumers from ten European Union (EU) and four non-EU countries. The survey indicates that, although animal welfare affects consumers' view on pork, it is not consumers' primary concern. For most countries, the ranking order of food motives was health and natural, sensory quality, price, and animal welfare. The ranking order for pork production preferences was quality and health, environmental and animal friendliness, regional identity, and production efficiency. A choice experiment, conducted for four countries: Denmark, France, Italy, and Poland, showed that natural was the most important factor, followed by health, taste, animals' pain and stress, costs, and pharmaceutical interventions. Four consumer segments were identified: Demanding, Average, Low-on-eco, and Indifferent. Although the percentage shares of these groups differ in each country, we conclude that consumer consumption motives and production preferences are sufficiently similar to include them as communicative elements in marketing strategies for meat from non-castrated pigs.

Network resilience and EU fisheries policy engagement in third countries: Lessons for post-Brexit governance

This article examines the ways in which third countries can engage with, and respond to, European Union policy-making processes. A novel analytical framework based on the concept of network resilience which consists of an institutional, political and policy dimension is operationalised to understand third country access to European Union policy-making. Empirically, the article examines the experiences of three non-European Union countries, Iceland, the Faroe Islands and Norway in the context of the European Union’s Common Fisheries Policy. The article concludes by presenting a research agenda based on an in-depth analysis of network resilience and reflects on what the findings mean for future research, particularly within the context of understanding the development of UK–EU post-Brexit relations.

Business Cycle Synchronization between European and Non-European Union Countries

Business Cycle Synchronization between European and Non-European Union Countries

Drug crime transformation under the effect of online platforms

Many types of drug crimes are already known, but it is common to offender groups to implement them in an organised, coordinated, multi-level framework. Affected by online platforms, drug crimes are undergoing a transformation that presents new challenges for the authorities. Criminal groups also like to (re)take the opportunities offered by the Internet. Platforms that connect to the Dark Web, the Dark Internet (secret network form), have become increasingly popular over the past few years, thanks to the fact that there are also services available which are not available by traditional browsers. Coordinated cooperation between several countries, over several years, is needed to ensure successful detection in cyberspace. This is illustrated by a current EUROPOL report, published on 12 January 2021, which shows that a successful liquidation has occurred in the case of DarkMarket, one of the largest illegal marketplaces, requiring the cooperation of several European Union Member States and several non-European Union countries. In the face of the coronavirus epidemic, organised crime groups are still trying to remain active and resilient, which is not a challenge in the online space at this time, although drug delivery models needed to be changed, but they are trying to maintain the constant cycle of the market through their hiding methods. In my study, I am also looking for answers how the detection and recovery of criminal property is carried out at national and international level, in cases where drug crime takes place in the online space. What is the path of illegally acquired criminal property, how can financial profiling be carried out in these cases? In case of drug offences, we are talking about a special asset recovery where is no victim demanded, because there are very few known victims existing. With my study, I intend to capture the current topicality of drug crime, by detecting methods of committing crimes in the online space, internationally and domestically, and by exploring the current processes of asset discovery and recovery. In this way, I wish to provide results that can be used by the profession.

Sustainable Development of the Energy Sector in a Country Deficient in Mineral Resources: The Case of the Republic of Moldova

The energy sector is an essential element in an economy’s infrastructure, so a deficit of national mineral resources makes the energy sector dependent on imports of raw materials, which in turn can negatively affect a country’s energy security. The sustainable development of the energy sector for countries with transitioning economies should be based on the energy trilemma. Four principles are proposed: diversification of energy resources and energy generation sources, ensuring energy efficiency, ensuring energy affordability, and green energy production. Based on a comparative analysis of the economic and energy indicators (for the years 2014 to 2019) of European countries that are not members of the European Union, the situation in the energy sector of the Republic of Moldova is classified as critical and its fundamental issues are identified (107th place in the World Energy Trilemma Index). The main objectives of the study are: (1) To analyze energy and economic efficiency as well as the conditions for and problems of the functioning of the energy sector in countries with transition economies (using non-European Union countries as an example); (2) To present a substantiation of the directions for development of the energy sector in countries with transition economies that lack energy resources (using the Republic of Moldova as an example), taking into account the identified factors and principles of sustainable development; (3) To develop an economic and mathematical model for assessing the directions for the development of the energy sector in countries with transition economies using multiple-criteria decision analysis (MCDA). Decision-making methods can be used to select strategic development alternatives, particularly in the energy sector. MCDA has several advantages and uses in the following situations: comparing several alternatives; identifying the most preferable and unacceptable alternatives; comparing alternatives based on several (sometimes conflicting) criteria; looking for a compromise in a situation where different stakeholders have conflicting goals or values. A methodology including a system of 7 indicators and an economic and mathematical model for assessing development paths for the energy sector in countries with transition economies were developed that are based on multiple-criteria decision analysis. An algorithm and a computer program were developed to carry out MCDA and select the best development path for the energy sector of the Republic of Moldova. The article presents a rationale for choosing the best option regarding the development of the energy sector of the Republic of Moldova, which is a country with a deficit of its own energy resources.

Understanding EU External Perceptions: Theorising Local ‘Cultural Filters’ in the Normative Power Approach (casestudy of textbooks)

This article argues that one way to advance the ‘Normative Power Europe’ (NPE) discourse is to shift the analytical focus to the ‘locals’ – or ‘norm-receivers’ – rather than to ‘norm-senders/makers’. The analysis examines the range of locals’ reactions – from learning to adaptation or rejection of norms – and explains the factors behind those reactions. Building on Ian Mannersʼ claim that normative power is informed by ‘cultural filters’ which affect the impact of international norms and political learning in non-European Union (EU) countries, the article advances the concept of ‘external recognition’. It considers one type of local cultural filters -- images and perceptions of the EU as a normative power. Deepening and enriching the ‘Normative Power Europe’ Approach (NPA) by theorising ‘cultural filters’ of external perceptions, this article undertakes a comparative study of Europe’s normative images in high school textbooks in Israel and New Zealand.

Disparities in the use of regular pap smears among migrant and non-migrant women in Austria: A population-based survey of 7633 women.

Regular pap smears are effective in reducing cervical cancer incidence and mortality. Migrant women have been reported to utilize cervical cancer screening less often than non-migrant women. However, inconsistent results, e.g. from Germany, have also been reported. This study examines disparities in the use of annual pap smears among 20-69 year old migrant and non-migrant women in neighboring Austria. Data from a nationwide population-based survey of 7633 women is used of whom 504 (6.6%) were migrants from European Union countries and 251 (3.3%) were migrants from non-European Union countries. Logistic regression analysis was conducted to account for socio economic and health differences between the three population groups. The study shows that as compared to the non-migrant women, migrant women from European Union and non-European Union countries were at lower odds of having received a pap smear in the last 12 months (adjusted odds ratio = 0.80, 95% confidence interval = 0.66-0.96 and adjusted odds ratio = 0.74, 95%-confidence interval = 0.57-0.97, respectively). Disparities were similar with respect to utilization in the last 36 months (adjusted odds ratio = 0.60, 95% confidence interval = 0.46-0.77 and adjusted odds ratio = 0.58, 95% confidence interval = 0.40-0.82, respectively). The findings are in agreement with research from the majority of other countries. They suggest barriers that migrants encounter in the health system and highlight the need for diversity-sensitive health care strategies.

EULAR/eumusc.net standards of care for rheumatoid arthritis: cross-sectional analyses of importance, level of implementation and care gaps experienced by patients and rheumatologists across 35 European countries

ObjectiveAs part of European League against Rheumatism (EULAR)/European Musculoskeletal Conditions Surveillance and Information Network, 20 user-focused standards of care (SoCs) for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) addressing 16 domains of care were...

Association of immigration background with kidney graft function in a publicly funded health system: a nationwide retrospective cohort study in Italy.

The impact of immigration background on kidney graft function (eGFR) is unknown. Italy has a publicly funded health system with universal coverage. Since immigration from non-European Union (EU) countries beyond Eastern Europe is a recent and extensive phenomenon, Italy is a rather unique setting for studying the effect of immigration status as a socioeconomic and cultural condition. We retrospectively identified all adult deceased donor kidney transplant recipients (KTRs) in Italy (2010-2015) and followed them until death, dialysis or 5-years post-transplantation; 6346 were EU-born, 161 Eastern European-born, and 490 non-European-born. We examined changes in eGFR after 1-year post-transplant using multivariable-adjusted joint longitudinal survival random-intercept Cox regression. Compared to EU-born KTRs, in non-European-born KTRs the adjusted average yearly eGFR decline was -0.96ml/min/year (95% confidence interval: -1.48 to -0.45; P<0.001), whereas it was similar in Eastern European-born KTRs [+0.02ml/min/year (-0.77 to +0.81; P=0.96)]. Adjusted 5-year transplant survival did not statistically differ between non-European-born, Eastern European-born, and EU-born. In those surviving beyond 1-year, it was 91.8% in EU-born (87.1-96.8), 92.5% in Eastern European-born (86.1-99.4), and 89.3% in non-European-born KTRs (83.0-96.0). This study provides evidence that among EU KTRs, non-European immigration background is associated with eGFR decline.

The long arm of GDPR in Africa: reflection on data privacy law reform and practice in Mauritius

ABSTRACT The recently adopted General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in the European Union has certainly set the highest standards of all data privacy policies across the world. In theory such standards have provided more control to individuals over their personal data. Due to the strengthened third-party obligations in the GDPR for data export to non-European Union countries and fear of loss of foreign investment if such countries fail to provide adequate protection of personal data, the GDPR exerts profound influence on data privacy law reform and practice outside Europe. This article analyses the impact of the GDPR in Africa by using Mauritius as an intrinsic case study. Mauritius is selected in this analysis due to its leading role in the privacy policy reforms in Africa and the internationalisation of its data protection systems. Accordingly, the development of the data protection system in Mauritius from the repealed Data Protection Act 2004 to the current Data Protection Act 2017 is analysed in detail, drawing on the largest body of reported complaints, appeals and judicial decisions so far decided by courts.

Associations of age, occupation and nationality of seafarers with risk of evacuations at sea: A register-based study on Danish-flagged merchant ships

Although prevention of incidents leading to evacuations at sea is of vital importance, little is known about its causal patterns and demographic determinants. We investigated therefore relationships between age, occupation and nationality and causes of evacuations. The data were obtained from the Telemedical Assistance Service (TMAS) in Denmark between 2004 and 2014 supplemented with data on all seafarers from the Danish Maritime Authority (N = 73,344). These data included information on broad age groups, occupational position and nationality. The outcomes were evacuations from any cause and in four broad categories of causes leading to evacuations. A total of 403 evacuations were reported in the 11-year study period. 27% of the evacuations were due to external causes, 19% due to diseases of the circulatory system, 14% due diseases of the digestive system and 40% from other or undetermined causes. Age-adjusted all-cause evacuation rates varied between 1.4 and 3.4 incidents per 1000 person-years in 2004–2014 for officers and between 3.3 and 20.2 incidents for non-officers. An elevated risk of evacuations was found among both officers and non-officers aged ≥50 years, compared with those aged 30–49 years with odds ratios of 2.73 (95% confidence intervals 1.66, 4.50) and 2.59 (2.03, 3.31), respectively. The odds ratios for non-officers from non-Danish European Union and from non-European Union countries compared with Danish non-officers were 1.51 (1.12, 2.04) and 0.55 (0.42, 0.71), respectively. In conclusion, working as non-officer, older age and non-Danish EU nationality were associated with a higher risk of evacuations irrespective of the cause leading to evacuation.