Policy Directions Research Articles

EMPLOYEE’S RIGHT TO INFORMATION IN ECHR JUDGMENTS: ANALYSIS OF SPECIFIC CASES WHERE THIS RIGHT WAS VIOLATED OR RECOGNIZED - DOI: 10.12818/P.0304-2340.2024v84p335

Observance of the employee’s right to access information is important because the priority direction of state policy is the formation of a democratic country, which presupposes a strict observance of inalienable human rights and freedoms, maintenance of the rule of law and democracy. This study contributes to the development of the national legal system, protection of human rights, and preparation of Ukraine for integration into the European legal framework. It is necessary to take into account and adapt European standards to ensure fair and effective mechanisms for protecting employees’ rights. Therefore, the study of the ECHR cases on the employee’s information right can help Ukraine to adapt its legislation and judicial practice to European standards, which is a necessary step towards joining the European Union.

Implementation of Minister of Transportation Regulation No. 819 of 2018 by the Harbormaster Office and Port Authority: Challenges, Communication Strategies, and Fishermen’s Reactions in Dumai City, Riau Province

The waters of Dumai City, Riau Province, serve as an international transportation route with a strategic position in economic and industrial growth. Minister of Transportation Regulation No. 819 of 2018 was issued to regulate shipping zones and ensure the safety of port service users. However, this regulation has sparked numerous complaints from the public, particularly fishermen, due to livelihood restrictions that directly increase operational costs. To address these negative reactions, the Dumai Port Authority Office (KSOP) plays a significant role by implementing various measures in enforcing Ministerial Regulation No. 819 of 2018. This study aims to understand the communication strategies used by the Dumai Port Authority Office, especially in coordinating with stakeholders. This research uses a qualitative method, gathering data through observation and interviews. The results show that the Dumai Port Authority Office, along with the Class I Dumai Navigation District, PT Kilang Pertamina Internasional, and PT Wilmar Cahaya Asia, has a strategic role with the ability to influence policy direction and implementation. The Dumai Port Authority Office adopts strategies that involve collaboration with strategic partners, annual outreach programs, the distribution of social assistance and life jackets to the fishing community, and cooperation with relevant agencies and government institutions, including the Water Police, to monitor vessels violating regulations. Additionally, KSOP involves the participation of the community and companies, including the certification and standardization of maritime safety instruments. This study contributes to the discussion on the effectiveness of communication strategies in maritime policy implementation, where this approach can enhance understanding and acceptance of regulations within the maritime community.

Determinants of polydoctoring among multimorbid older adults; a cross‐sectional study in an urban area of Japan

AbstractBackgroundMultimorbidity increases with age, leading to various adverse outcomes, including higher mortality, care dependency, hospitalizations, and healthcare costs. Polydoctoring, managing a patient with multimorbidity by multiple healthcare providers, can be a risk of fragmented care and increased healthcare expenditures. This study aims to identify patient‐related factors contributing to polydoctoring in older adults with multimorbidity.MethodsThis study is a cross‐sectional study using baseline data from the Kawasaki Aging and Wellbeing Project. Participants were residents of Kawasaki City aged 85–89 years, without disability in basic activities of daily living, and being able to visit study site. The regularly visited facilities (RVF) index was employed to quantify polydoctoring. Polydoctoring was defined as having two or more RVFs. Poisson regression analysis was conducted to assess the association between polydoctoring and patient demographics, including types of chronic conditions and socioeconomic factors.ResultsA total of, 968 participants with multimorbidity were analyzed. Increased RVF was significantly associated with eye diseases (rate ratio [RR] 1.27, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.12–1.44), osteoporosis (RR 1.22, 95% CI 1.08–1.38), prostate diseases (RR 1.22, 95% CI 1.07–1.40), and osteoarthritis (RR 1.16, 95% CI 1.05–1.27). No significant correlation was found with educational status or financial hardship.ConclusionThe study indicated that certain chronic conditions are linked to increased polydoctoring among multimorbid older adults in Japan. However, most of those conditions are considered to be within a scope of family medicine/general practice. Training general practitioners to manage these conditions could reduce healthcare costs and the treatment burden, indicating a direction for future healthcare policy and medical education.

The European Semester as a Policy Instrument in Education—The Cases of Spain and Sweden

ABSTRACTIn this article we examine the European Semester as an innovative form of policy coordination, with distinct effects on education and skills policies for Member States. We analyse the Semester's framing of education policy, and examine its manifestations in Spain and Sweden, two countries considered to be different in their approach to education. Drawing on a policy instrumentation approach and interviews with policy actors and documentary analysis, our research suggests that while the Semester has given education policy a significant place within the EU's governance, economic rationales for education are clearly dominant in the process. Still, we identify underpinning logics that strengthen the social and educational perspectives represented in the Semester, although these are still treated as productive forces for labour market integration. In addition, there is a strengthening of collaboration between the European Commission and Member States, but also tensions between different parts of the Commission over the definition and direction of education policy.

Long-term monitoring of water quality and phytoplankton community structure of Lake Manzala, Mediterranean Coast of Egypt

Coastal wetlands play a crucial role in supporting biodiversity, providing valuable ecosystem services, and contributing to the resilience of coastal ecosystems, making the preservation and restoration of these wetlands essential for sustainable development in coastal regions. This study focuses on Lake Manzala, a coastal wetland located on the Mediterranean Coast of Egypt, highlighting the significance of conserving and managing this unique environment. The objective of this research was to evaluate the water quality and phytoplankton structure of Lake Manzala and establish an updated long-term ecological database for the region, specifically evaluating the effectiveness of development plans that were carried out in 2017. Surface water samples were collected seasonally at eleven sites between 2010 to 2022. The findings revealed that prior to the development plans, the phytoplankton abundance in Lake Manzala exhibited high levels of eutrophication, characterized by increased abundance and species richness. The dominant phytoplankton classes in Lake Manzala were Bacillariophyceae, Chlorophyceae, and Cyanophyceae. Prior to development plans, they accounted for 46.5% and 45.0% respectively. Post-development, Bacillariophyceae increased to 62.8%, while Chlorophyceae decreased to 25.1%. Dinophyceae increased from 1.3% to 9.04%, while Cyanophyceae decreased from 6.1% to 1.6%. Based on the Trophic State Index for chlorophyll a, Lake Manzala underwent a shift from predominantly hypertrophic to eutrophic conditions. The study explored the relationship between biological factors and environmental conditions using principal component analysis, cluster analysis, and the modified water quality index (WQI). The results indicated positive signs of improvement in Lake Manzala during the post-development phase, as it transitioned from a poor to a moderate state. This research emphasizes the need for integrated land and water management approaches. By informing policy direction and development, this research underscores the importance of preserving and restoring ecosystems for the long-term well-being of both local communities and the global environment.

Implementation in the European Union. A concept structural meta-study of environmental and social policy

ABSTRACT The implementation of EU law has been investigated since the 1980s without pinpointing any general explanatory mechanisms, while most studies focus on highly specific empirical analysis without going beyond basic conceptual descriptions. Theoretically, this paper proposes an alternative comparative framework to conceptualize and analyze differentiated policy implementation based on concept structural considerations. Empirically, existing case studies are compared in a meta-study by transferring their statements on explanatory conditions and outcomes into a parsimonious, procedural model. This approach enables a theory-guided, systematic comparison of qualitative case studies which has long been considered a desideratum in the implementation literature. The paper addresses the question under which conditions correct implementation (i.e. transposition and application) of EU directives occurs. Starting from a literature assessment, explanatory patterns are extracted and formalized as set-theoretic conditions connected to transposition and application as outcomes. The resulting concept structural model links the conceptual and explanatory levels of the underlying concepts. Using fuzzy set QCA, cases from environmental and social policy directives are assessed empirically based on case study data. The results largely confirm the expectation that only a conjunction of willingness- and ability-related conditions leads to correct implementation, particularly conjunctions of favourable attitudes and compatible institutional structures or capacities.

Brain Death Between Jurisprudence and Medical Innovation

This study aims to explore the multiple concepts of brain death through jurisprudence and medical innovation. The study focuses on understanding the interaction between these concepts and analyzing the challenges and problems they face. To analyze the multiple concepts of brain death and provide a comprehensive and balanced understanding of this issue from different perspectives. And also to know the ethical and legal challenges associated with determining brain death. The study included the jurisprudential, medical, ethical and legal community interested in the topic of brain death. The study followed a multidimensional approach and is guided by the methodology of literature review, comparative analysis, and applied analysis of medical trials. Previous studies and research were reviewed, including jurisprudential, medical, ethical and legal studies. The results showed a significant discrepancy in understanding and application between the jurisprudential concept of death and recent medical developments to address the ethical and legal challenges associated with determining brain death. The recommendations and directions for health and legal policies were to achieve harmony between the jurisprudential, medical and ethical dimensions of the issue of brain death. The research indicates the need for further research and analysis to better understand the interaction between the multiple concepts of brain death and to apply comprehensive and balanced solutions.

Missing missions or partial missions? Translating circular economy directionality into place-based transformative action

Abstract This paper investigates how top-down policy direction setting is interpreted and implemented within horizontal networks of practice. This is an under-investigated issue, yet vital for delivering ultimately transformative outcomes. It seeks to unpack how actionable directionality can influence progress and introduces the idea of nascent or partial missions. Options for identifying and nurturing these missions to expand in scale and scope are then discussed. Utilising Wales as an illustrative case study, we draw upon a unique dataset of circular economy (CE)-related interventions, networks and participants. Finally, the paper outlines implications for policy-making and proposes avenues for future research.

Urban low-carbon governance and ecological efficiency: new evidence from prefecture-level cities in China

IntroductionIn the search for sustainable development, urban eco-development is becoming a core agenda for all countries. China’s low-carbon city pilot (LCCP) policy is an important initiative to promote urban low-carbon governance. And exploring the direction of LCCP policy is an important step towards sustainable urban development.MethodsSuper-SBM is employed to calculate urban ecological efficiency using panel data from 254 prefecture-level cities between 2007 and 2020. The methods of kernel density estimation and spatial Markov chains are applied to the spatial analysis of urban ecological efficiency. The spatial analyses examine the spatiotemporal patterns and dynamic evolving trends of urban ecological efficiency. Additionally, the multiperiod difference-in-differences method is used to assess the impact of the LCCP policy on urban ecological efficiency. On this basis, we apply the method of mechanism analysis to discuss the influence mechanism.ResultsThe results indicate that urban ecological efficiency gradually forms a continuous spatial clustering pattern, although there is a widening tendency in the absolute differences. In the subsequent transfer process, the spatial factor plays a highly significant role. Benchmark regressions and auxiliary robustness tests demonstrate that the LCCP policy is effective in improving urban ecological efficiency. Further analysis shows that the effect of LCCP policies on ecological efficiency can be transmitted by promoting green technology innovation as well as facilitating a low-carbon transition in the energy mix. The above findings indicate the presence of the "Green Innovation Effect" and the "Decoupling Effect".DiscussionThese discoveries enhance the theoretical framework of urban ecology and offer valuable insights for other regions seeking to implement low-carbon urban governance.

Current status and challenges in operating flood early warning systems at the local level in Japan

Flood early warning systems (FEWS) are crucial in reducing flood loss and damage, especially under increasing flood risks due to climate change. Currently, there is limited literature holistically investigating all components of FEWS, namely Risk knowledge, Monitoring and Forecasting, Warning Dissemination, and Preparedness and Response Capabilities. There is also a lack of in-depth understanding of FEWS operation at the local level where local governments play a crucial role. This study conducted a nation-wide survey targeting Japanese municipalities (n = 350) to investigate the current status and challenges of FEWS operations at the local level and the relationships between these elements. The results indicated that while progress in FEWS operation varies in municipalities, they are encountering different challenges in each element of the system. These include a lack of human resources and financial resources, difficulties in risk assessment and data acquisition, limitations of dissemination methods to reach vulnerable, and limited understanding of public perception. This study is the first to investigate all four key elements of FEWS at the local level and the relationships of its key factors, providing useful implications for policy directions to enhance FEWS implementation. All key elements of FEWS positively correlate, suggesting that improving one component can improve the whole system. Government should also strengthen progress in vulnerability assessment, particularly incorporating socio-economic changes as these have the strongest influence on preparedness and response capability of the local areas.

Legislation and policy for involuntary mental healthcare across countries in the FOSTREN network: rationale, development of mapping survey and protocol.

Several countries are currently revising or have already revised their mental health laws to align with the global movement to reduce the use of coercive care. No government has yet fully implemented the recommendation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) to eliminate the use of coercion in mental healthcare. Consequently, the international field of mental health law and policy is in a degree of flux. To describe the rationale, development and protocol for a project that will map and examine how mental health laws, policies and service capacity across European countries relate to the use of coercive measures, including involuntary admissions and treatment, restraints and seclusion. This will help to better understand the current situation and explore future directions of policies regarding coercive care. The project is being carried out under the purview of the European Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST) action network, entitled FOSTREN (Fostering and Strengthening Approaches to Reducing Coercion in European Mental Health Services). A multidisciplinary group of experts developed a comprehensive survey assessing mental health laws, policies and service frameworks, based on World Health Organization and UNCRPD recommendations. The survey was piloted in three countries, revised and disseminated to 30 FOSTREN country representatives. The survey will provide data for three strands of work on legislation, policies and service-level context. A comprehensive evaluation will be conducted, drawing on findings from all work packages. The project could inform the development of strategies, interventions and legislation to address gaps and promote compliance with international standards.

A policy option towards improving efficiencies in Victorian public oral healthcare.

International oral health policy directions led by the World Health Organisation call for the inclusion of oral health within universal health coverage. The aim of this study is to perform a budget impact analysis of a policy option for a more cost-efficient oral health workforce skill-mix (dentists and oral health therapists) to provide public oral healthcare in Victoria, Australia. Two hypothetical standard care pathways were developed. A dynamic population Markov model in TreeAge software, with a time horizon of 6years. Two scenarios were modelled to determine: (1) base-case scenario: the threshold the dentist workforce could reduce per year, while achieving the same service delivery outputs, and (2) alternative scenario: the potential cost-savings for utilising an optimally cost-efficient oral health workforce skill-mix. The threshold analysis showed a minimum reduction of 13% of the dentist workforce being replaced with oral health therapists can occur without having any impact on the same service delivery outputs. Under the alternative scenario, the potential cost-savings would be AUD$1,425,037 (standard deviation 58,954). Governments and policy-decision makers should consider strategies in training, attracting, and retaining oral health therapists to achieve an optimally cost-efficient oral health workforce skill-mix when delivering public oral healthcare.

지속가능한 도시로서의 스마트 도시재생을 위한 리질리언스 정책 방향에 관한 연구

The purpose of this study is to find Policy measures that can help smart cities contribute to urban regeneration as sustainable safe cities. This is a policy direction to move toward a sustainable city by combining smart cities and urban regeneration, which are spreading as models of future safe cities. After analyzing the trends of existing papers using text mining techniques, the concept of disaster resilience was grafted to smart city regeneration. The basic elements that constitute the qualitative criteria of resilience were used as the study method for building a sustainable city. Results, the policy direction of resilience construction for a ‘sustainable urban regeneration-type smart city’ was presented in three aspects. First, it’s constructing resilience capacity in smart urban regeneration plans. The qualitative criteria for resilience capacity were presented as four: Resourcefulness Robustness, Rapidity, and Redundancy. The four elements of disaster preparedness resilience capacity can be used as qualitative criteria for resilience required for smart urban regeneration as a safe city. The Second is the construction of the ‘decision support system for resilience’ that is needed for smart urban regeneration plans. For this, seven types of infrastructure were presented. These infrastructural interrelationships form the basis for the operation of the ‘decision support system for resilience’. Third, the establishment of ‘Privacy by Design as a smart resilience’ is necessary for the preemptive protection of personal information in smart urban regeneration. Privacy protection is essential for a modern safe city. In conclusion, we hope that the policy directions of the above three aspects will be linked to legislation and contribute to the activation of urban regeneration-type smart city as a sustainable and safe city in the future.

Analysis of South Korea’s Foreign Policy toward Israel: Proposal for Future Directions based on Documents of South Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs

South Korea’s foreign policy in the Middle East after 1945 focused on ensuring a stable supply of oil and expanding its export markets in the area. While the pro-Arab policies promoted economic market growth, it led to a distancing from Israel, thus hindering the relations between South Korea and Israel. Therefore, in this paper we examine (a) the causes for the development of South Korea’s distancing policies toward Israel, (b) the effects and implications of the recent political dynamics in the Middle East and the Abraham Accords on South Korea’s foreign policies, and (c) future policy directions toward Israel.

Synergizing shared micromobility and public transit towards an equitable multimodal transportation network

This paper assesses the equity impacts of shared micromobility and investigates regulatory policies that improve transport equity and promote synergy between public transit and shared micromobility. We consider a multimodal transportation network, where a micromobility platform deploys docking stations and operates a fleet of micromobility vehicles to provide shared micromobility services and a public transit agency offers transit services over a transportation network. A market equilibrium model is developed to capture the intimate interactions among access and egress times of shared micromobility services, waiting times of transit services, the spatial distribution of docking stations, passenger demand, platform pricing and fleet sizing, vehicle repositioning and the micromobility platform profit. The platform decision problem is cast as a high-dimensional non-convex program. A solution method is proposed to efficiently compute the solution through problem reformulation and dimensionality reduction. Based on the proposed framework, we evaluate spatial equity in transport accessibility using the Gini index, and find that although shared micromobility improves overall transport accessibility, the benefits are not fairly distributed across different geographic zones, which leads to enlarged spatial inequity gaps after introducing shared micromobility. To promote transport equity, we investigate three policy directions: (a) to impose a vehicle density floor on shared micromobility; (b) to offer a subsidy on shared micromobility rides for first/last-mile connections; and (c) to promote collaboration between public transit and shared micromobility. We show that different regulatory policies have advantages and limitations. The minimum vehicle density requirement can simultaneously improve spatial equity and passengers’ surplus, but has limited equity improvements. In contrast, the subsidy on bundled services could significantly mitigate spatial inequity, but it hurts passengers and the platform profit. Compared to the other two policies, the transit-micromobility collaboration can lead to higher equity improvement, higher passenger surplus, while offering a guarantee on the platform profit, which turns out to be the most cost-effective approach. These insights are validated through realistic numerical studies for San Francisco.

Predictive Analytics for Identifying High-Risk Medicare Patients: Enhancing Preventive Care

The intended purpose of this paper is to carry out an analysis of the use of predictive modeling for the early identification of high-risk Medicare patients with the aim of enhancing preventative measures. MEDI-CARE, a vital policy in the United States of America, which focuses on offering health care services to the old and people with disabilities, has been criticized over such factors as Shortcoming of Medicare hence can be attributed to factors such as the growing costs of health care and the emerging cases of chronic diseases. A new type of risk stratification: The use of predictive analytics, which incorporates ML-AI, is also in the early warning system and to monitor or follow up on the patient’s adverse health event, subsequent to which care coordination plans can be formulated. The abstract, hence, is an explanation of the roles of preventive and predictive analytics, especially in health care, with such a thing as the identification of early high-risk patients and management. They are that there is a rise in the dependence on methodologies that are data-driven for the purpose of attaining enhanced healthcare outcomes, reduction in the hospitalization quotient and the effective management of diseases which occur chronically. A few such points comprise data and information from electronic health records and other digital healthcare databases, model construction, and model application. It also addresses the various ethical pitfalls likely to arise when using the concept of predictive analytics, and these include the privacy of the patient’s data, how the collected data will be protected and filtered, as well as the prejudice that might be experienced when developing the algorithm. Current and earlier models of prediction, as well as their application in Medicare and research limitations, are described in the literature review of the article. Whereas in the methodology section, the procedures used in data collection, modeling, and validation are described, the results and discussion section put into perspective the effectiveness of the work done in enhancing Preventive care through predictive analytics. Finally, the discussion in the conclusion shall be based on the findings of the study and recommend future research directions for policy making.

Constitutionalization of Environmental Protection: Comparative Dimension

Modern comparative constitutional studies go beyond the analysis of traditional institutions. In particular, the process of constitutionalization of environmental protection is developing very dynamically. In the 1970s these issues were enshrined in four constitutions, at present they are contained in 157 constitutions of the countries of the world. The subject of constitutional regulation is significantly expanding: it includes the principles of environmental law, directions of environmental policy, environmental rights of future generations and institutional mechanisms for their protection. The evolution of constitutional provisions follows the drafting of soft international law norms. The countries of the global South are more active in this area of constitutional regulation than the countries of the global North. Certain regional approaches in this area have already emerged. Thus, in Latin American states there is a transition from anthropocentrism to ecocentrism, nature and its individual objects are recognized as subjects of law.

Функции и дисфункции правовой культуры в цифровом измерении

The article formulates and proposes for discussion three main directions of state policy aimed at enhancing legal culture among youth and overcoming its dysfunctions: 1) protecting Russian traditional values from digital informational-ideological and propagandistic attacks; 2) fostering legal culture among migrant youth; 3) implementing systemic policies to strengthen and protect traditional values through legal culture education across all societal levels. The dichotomy between digital and analog legal understanding within youth subcultures is addressed. Six functions of legal culture are formulated to develop effective measures of state policy aimed at shaping youth legal consciousness. The process is noted to be associated with preserving and promoting traditional values in society, both Russian and transnational, universal values; with the assimilation of cultural paradigms and language by young migrants; with their compliance with the legislative requirements for adaptation and socialization in Russia, and with societal consolidation.

India’s Framework for Cyber Security since 2014 and its Significance for Armed Forces

The character of warfare changes with the change in its nature. In the last two decades, cyberattacks have expanded in their dimensions with the advent of digital networking in the military sector. Cyber security occupies a significant position in the Indian armed forces because of the increasing threat of cyberattacks from hostile neighbouring countries, particularly China and Pakistan. Cyber threat undermines military preparedness and warfighting capabilities by infiltrating critical weapon systems, vital infrastructure, crucial communication networks, and Intelligence, Surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) systems. India is now concentrating on framing its cyber security policy to mitigate the cyber threat and enhance the cyber capabilities of its armed forces. With its cyber security policy, India aspires to make digital armed forces. The present research article will focus on the efforts the Indian government has taken since 2014 to neutralize cyberattacks and the policies it has framed to ensure cyber security. The article will also analyze the significance of the government efforts on the armed forces in the direction of defensive cyber policy.

Revitalizing municipal solid waste recycling: Review of current U.S. policies and potential directions for the circular economy

Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) recycling is a pivotal pillar in waste reduction and sustainable resource management. However, the United States (U.S.) is behind its schedule for the national recycling rate goal of 50% by 2030, which California is almost achieving. To this end, we review and compare the national and California recycling policies. Our analysis reveals that while there have been some positive changes toward sustainable waste management practices, significant gaps remain, particularly in the lack of a comprehensive national recycling law. The current federal allocation of funds has also been inadequate for achieving the national goal. Therefore, we identify policy options to grow toward a national policy and funding for recycling infrastructure and education. Using California as a model, we provide federal law options to balance recyclable supply and demand. These options are paired with future U.S. MSW policy and research directions.