Policy Instruments Research Articles

Social-ecological system trajectories of peri-urban watersheds based on a spatial analysis of vulnerability components: A case study in Mexico City, 1999-2039.

Urban periphery watersheds play a crucial role in providing diverse ecosystem services, especially hydrological services (HES), for society at different temporal and spatial scales; moreover, local populations directly influence ecosystem functionality through their decisions and actions. The interactions between social and ecological factors create social-ecological systems (SESs), whose trajectories continuously change in response to internal factors such as land use cover change (LUCC) and external factors such as climate change (CC). This situation influences the vulnerability of SESs in terms of exposure, sensitivity and adaptation capacity. In this study, the social-ecological vulnerability (SEV) of the periphery of Mexico City was investigated based on the Collaborative Protocol for Ecosystem Services Assessment and Social-ecological Vulnerability Mapping (ECOSER) and a quantitative method approach. For this purpose, spatial analysis was performed using the ecological and social spatial data for LUCC tendencies calculated for 1999-2019 and projected for short-term CC scenarios and using LUCC calculated for 2039 in trend-based (TREND) and restrictive (REST) scenarios. The results reveal that increases in the SEV in 2039 will be related to important decreases in the HES; furthermore, the REST scenario suggests decreases in the SEV due to decreases in the HES, assuming that environmental public policy instruments will be preserved in this region. The present work aims to contribute to decision-making for HES preservation at local and regional scales and to help develop adaptation strategies under LUCC and CC scenarios.

Longitudinal policy surveillance of state obesity legislation in California, 1999-2020.

Obesity rates among children and adults continue to accelerate in the U.S., particularly among marginalized and low-income populations. Obesity prevention and reduction policies can significantly impact population health by improving environmental conditions and increasing access to health-promoting resources. Limited research has been conducted to examine state obesity policy change over time. The primary aim of this study is to examine legislative approaches used to prevent and reduce obesity in the state of California (U.S.). We used quantitative policy surveillance methods to develop a state database of obesity-related legislation (bills, resolutions) introduced in California's legislature between 1999 and 2020. Descriptive statistics were used to examine trends of introduced and enacted policy by legislative and policy characteristics. Chi-square tests were used to determine differences in characteristics between enacted and non-enacted legislation. Legislative session and policy characteristics found to be associated with enactment were used to predict adoption in a logistic regression. A total of 284 obesity-related bills and resolutions were introduced in California's legislature between 1999 and 2020 with a peak of 43 in 2005-2006. On average, 25.8 bills and resolutions were introduced each 2-year legislative cycle. Findings indicate that (a) children and schools were the most frequently specified population and setting; (b) the most common policy topics were nutrition (45%) and physical activity (33%); and (c) only 15% of legislation mentioned race/ethnicity. Overall, 24.9% of bills were enacted compared to 82.1% of resolutions adopted. Legislation to raise awareness about obesity had 5.4 times the odds of being passed compared to other topics. Yet this difference was not statistically significant in a sensitivity analysis when we excluded resolutions. This database can be leveraged to advance our knowledge of effective and equitable policy instruments to prevent and reduce obesity. Results reveal important policy elements that may impact legislative success, including policy topic, and contribute to a nascent evidence base for public health law research, legal epidemiology, and practice. Future work should investigate the role of policy effectiveness research and evidence on legislative policymaking.

Effect of green trade barriers on export enterprise green technological innovation from the perspective of the low-carbon city pilot policy

The low-carbon city pilot policy (LCCPP) is an important part of achieving “dual carbon” goals and promoting green technology innovation (GTI) in Chinese export enterprises. This study integrates Green Technical Barriers to Trade (GTBTs), LCCPP, and the GTI of exporting enterprises into a unified framework based on data from A-share market Chinese non-financial export enterprises from 2007 to 2021 and discusses how export enterprises should optimize green innovation resource structure with support from LCCPP to facilitate enterprise GTI when facing GTBTs. Several findings are uncovered: (1) GTBTs have a significant negative impact on the GTI of Chinese export enterprises, and the LCCPP significantly mitigates the negative impact of GTBTs on export enterprises’ GTI. (2) After distinguishing the heterogeneous characteristics of export enterprises, the moderating effect of the LCCPP becomes even more pronounced in non-state-owned enterprises, general trade enterprises, and enterprises whose export destinations are high-income countries. (3) Further exploration of the moderating effect of the LCCPP with different policy instruments and intensities is needed. We found the best moderating effect on export enterprises’ GTI under high policy intensity, and only market-based policy instruments had a significant moderating effect. These findings provide direction for policymakers expanding the pilot scope of low-carbon cities as well as theoretical support for realizing foreign trade growth for sustainable development.

INNOVATING URBAN CHINA: The Rise of the Local Venture State and the Making of New Entrepreneurial Spaces

AbstractIn this article we centralize the analytic of the local venture state (LVS) to offer a novel framework for investigating China's new urban entrepreneurialism, which emerged after the 2008 global financial crisis. As a spatiotemporally specific response to the crisis, the LVS goes beyond GDP‐driven developmentalism, seeking to simultaneously promote economic development, indigenous innovation and social equity using a variety of financialized policy instruments. Ethnographic case studies of new entrepreneurial spaces in Beijing's Zhongguancun area situate the LVS at the interface between Zhongguancun's urban space and China's innovation system. They reveal the rationalities behind the rise of the LVS and discrepancies among policy intentions, the implementation thereof and actual local results. Underlying the mixed results of the LVS, we argue, is the complicated power dynamics within the LVS and a fundamental contradiction between the dynamics of technological innovation and those of wealth redistribution. In our examination of China's LVS vis‐à‐vis global struggles to tackle the protracted economic crisis and achieve a more socially inclusive model of urban development, we stress the need to theorize urban entrepreneurialism from the global East with the aim of enriching the literature of urban China and of variegated urban entrepreneurialism.

Policy Gaps and Diverging Perceptions of Effectiveness: An Assessment of Sustainable Permanent Grassland Management in Switzerland

This article focuses on the effectiveness of the Swiss policy mix promoting sustainable permanent grassland (PG) management in the country. We used the Cascade Framework and stakeholder’s sentiment analysis to qualitatively assess propagation pathways for generating policy effectiveness in terms of PGs’ deliverance of ecosystem services (ESs), to ultimately enable sustainable PG management. We employed a mixed-method approach combining a review of governmental documents, formal policies and policy evaluations with semi-structured interviews with Swiss stakeholders. Through this analysis, we identified 16 policy instruments influencing PG management, including 3 regulatory instruments, 11 incentive instruments, and 2 informational instruments. Results showed that these instruments primarily aim to promote sustainable PG management by employing measures targeting the very structure and composition of the landscape. As such, we found gaps in the types of instruments employed, particularly in terms of demand-side policies, which can explain the poor policy outcomes in relation to a number of environmental quality objectives. In parallel, we found that most of the interviewed stakeholders considered Swiss grassland policy as generally effective, mainly because it was perceived as democratic. While this study focuses on Switzerland, its novel conceptual and methodological approach of using the cascade-framework for policy analysis can be applied to other biogeographical regions and socio-economic contexts. Our findings can improve the calibration of future policy instruments to enable land managers and grassland landscape users to restore or maintain PGs in good ecological condition, by targeting mechanisms that can ensure achieving environmental quality objectives while remaining democratically legitimate.

Forest fates: Unraveling the peri-urban social-ecological trajectories in Mexico City's conservation land.

Peri-urban areas provide multiple ecosystem services, but face critical challenges, including deforestation, unplanned urban sprawl, and environmental pollution and degradation. To address these issues, environmental public policy instruments have been implemented. This paper aims to investigate the social ecological trajectories of a peri-urban area of Mexico City and the role of environmental public policy instruments in addressing land use change. Focusing on four watersheds of the southern periphery of the city, we analyze land use change drivers through neural networks and Markov chains, and we develop two land use scenarios for the next 20years: one characterized by business as usual and another with a more restrictive land use regime. Our findings show that infrastructure drivers are the most critical factor overall, when combined with the historical social ecological trajectory of the study area. The impact of environmental public policy instruments on future trajectories demonstrates their potential to decrease deforestation. The results provide insights for the integrated territorial planning of peri-urban areas with similar social ecological dynamics and developing context.

Research on Whether Quality Policies Can Promote the High-Quality Development of China’s Manufacturing Industry and Its Configuration Paths in the Context of Sustainable Development

High-quality development enhances economic quality and resource allocation efficiency through various effective and sustainable means, with particularly notable results in the manufacturing sector. Quality policies, through establishing standards, norms, and incentive measures, aim to foster technological innovation, efficient resource utilization, and quality improvement in manufacturing, thereby supporting its high-quality development. This study explores the impact of quality policies on high-quality development in manufacturing and their configurational pathways, providing theoretical foundations and practical guidance for optimizing policy combinations and promoting sustainable development. This analysis is based on quality policies released from 2013 to 2022 and sample data from 30 Chinese provinces. The findings reveal that quality policies significantly promote high-quality development in manufacturing, particularly through incentive, capacity building, and system changing instruments, while command instruments may exert certain pressures on high-quality development. Configuration analysis further indicates that a single instrument is insufficient to support high-quality development in manufacturing fully; the synergistic effect of multiple policy instruments is essential, and regions should optimize policy combinations according to their characteristics. This study provides valuable insights for sustainable development, offering a deeper understanding of the complex causal relationship between quality policies and high-quality development in manufacturing.

Strategy towards sustainable energy transition: The effect of policy uncertainty, environmental technology and natural resources rent in the OECD nations

The stupendous increase in environmental pollutants alongside climate alterations are calling for integrated tasks at the global level to meet the Paris Agreements. Energy conversion from fossil fuel to renewable energy sources is an important step to address the adverse effects of extreme climatic conditions. This study explores the key contributors of energy transition in the context of the OECD countries during the period 1991 to 2019. To this end the major determinants chosen include natural resources rents, policy uncertainty, environmental technologies, environmental policies, income and globalization. The quantile regression technique is used to explore heterogeneous role of the contributory factors of energy transition across its different levels. This study applies method of moments quantile regression (hereafter MM-QR) by Machado and Silva (2019) that provides evidence on how the covariates affect the integral conditional distributions of energy transition. The study documents interesting findings. (i) Natural resources rents reduce the pace of the progress of sustainable energy transition in OECD economies. (ii) An escalation in the world uncertainty index leads to an improvement in energy transition index. (iii) Environmental technologies support the transition concerning cleaner and more efficient energy sources. (iv) Finally, as natural resources, uncertainty, environmental technologies, and globalization impacts energy transition differently, their effects need to be rationalized with varying environmental policy instruments. The study concludes that energy transition process requires the task of upgrading the quality of implementation of policies related to energy technology.

PREREQUISITES FOR THE APPLICATION OF MONETARY POLICY TOOLS OF THE "NEW REALITY" IN THE CONDITIONS OF THE GEOPOLITICAL IMPACT OF MILITARY AGGRESSION IN UKRAINE

The prospects of using a new type of monetary policy instruments, which determine modern significant changes in the development of global financial, economic and social relations, caused by the geopolitical influence of military aggression in Ukraine, are studied. Not only the negative financial and economic impact on the country victim of hostilities, i.e. Ukraine, was established. Problems with inflation and debt were also identified in the G7 countries, as well as in China due to the consequences of the war in Ukraine. It was determined that the financial system of countries that have close trade and monetary transactions with developed market countries will also have a significant impact of the global crisis. The financial and economic indicators of Ukraine, the G7 countries and China for the medium term are predicted. The influence of the main financial threats on the macroeconomic stability of the country's economy in the conditions of military aggression is determined, and the main instruments of monetary policy that would allow maintaining such stability are indicated. It is noted that the use of a new type of monetary policy in modern realities, based on non-traditional instruments, will contribute to overcoming the negative impact of military aggression in all countries that experience it.

Monetary Policy Instruments and Financial Performance of the Banking Industry in Kenya

The Kenyan banking sector has faced significant volatility in recent years, notably marked by a decline in Return on Assets (ROA). This decrease reflects the sector's struggles with rising inflation, currency depreciation, and increased non-performing loans. Economic uncertainties and tighter global monetary policies have compounded these challenges, resulting in a more unstable financial environment. This volatility underscores the sector's sensitivity to both domestic and international economic conditions. In response, this research aimed to investigate the effect of monetary policy instruments on the financial performance of banks in Kenya. The study sought to analyze the effect of lending rates, money supply, open market operations (OMO), and the Central Bank Rate (CBR) on banks' financial performance. Anchored on four relevant theories—the Loanable Funds Theory, Quantity Theory of Money, Keynesian Economics, and Zero Bound Theory. The research utilized a causal design and a multiple linear regression model. Covering all 42 banks operating in Kenya from January 2009 to December 2023, the study employed secondary data. The correlation analysis reveals significant relationships between the monetary policy instruments and the financial performance of commercial banks in Kenya. Lending rates demonstrate a positive relationship with financial performance, suggesting that higher rates may benefit banks’ profitability. In contrast, both money supply and central bank rate show negative associations with financial performance, implying that increases in these variables might hinder profitability. Additionally, the analysis indicates a positive link between open market operations and bank performance, highlighting the varied effects of these monetary instruments on the banks' financial outcomes. Collectively, these insights underscore the interconnectedness of these monetary policy instruments and their impact on the financial performance of banks in Kenya. Given the complex interplay of these factors, policymakers should adopt a holistic view, regularly reviewing and adjusting policies to maintain economic stability while supporting a robust banking sector.

Issue uncertainty and selections of policy instruments in policy pilots: evidence from China’s long-term care insurance

ABSTRACT Policy pilots have been instrumental in governing China’s economic and social development. Prior research has primarily concentrated on examining the types of policy pilots and their promotion strategies through the lens of central-local dynamics, and analysing the organizational models of policy pilots within specific contexts. However, there’s a gap in understandinghow the central government employs policy instruments to foster organizational learning within pilots. In complex policy pilots, there is often uncertainty regarding objectives, pathways, and outcomes. Using China’s Long-Term Care Insurance (LTCI) pilot as a case study, this research reveals that policy pilots utilize distinct sets of policy instruments during the organizational learning process, contingent upon the context. The first set of instruments indicates a shift in the central government’s intervention intensity, ranging from weak to strong, employing autonomous, advocacy, and directive policy instruments in sequence. The second set of instruments shows an evolution in the depth of the central government’s engagement with the policy issues, progressing from shallow to deep, with the use of booster, framework, and calibrated policy instruments, respectively. This study highlights how policy pilots employ a diverse array of instruments to navigate the intricacies of policy implementation when confronting complex social policy challenges.

Exploring the patterns of China's carbon neutrality policies

To achieve the ambitious carbon neutrality goal by 2060, the Chinese government has implemented a series of carbon neutrality policies. These policy documents are pivotal in facilitating the examination of policy substance, the scrutiny of policy evolution, and the dissection of the policy instruments involved. This study develops an analytical framework for assessing carbon neutrality through policy documents, applying text mining and network analysis to probe the intricacies of policy topics, interagency collaboration, and diffusion dynamics. This research aims to delineate and expound upon the strategic paradigms employed by the Chinese government in its quest for carbon neutrality. The findings reveal a constellation of eleven policy topics, with "green" and "low carbon" being key aspects of each. The policy collaboration network has a density of 0.593, and the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC)'s high average weighted degree of 14.6 highlights its crucial role in leading and coordinating these policies. In terms of diffusion dynamics, the green energy transition topic has a diffusion speed of 0.967 and a strength of 49, indicating its importance to the Chinese government. On a practical level, the findings offer policy-makers concrete, actionable recommendations to refine policy design and enhance implementation effectiveness. Theoretically, this study advances the scientific understanding of policy dynamics by proposing a novel analytical framework that integrates multiple dimensions of policy analysis, contributing to the methodological development of policy research.

Monetary Policy Instruments and Stock Market Returns Volatility in Nigeria

The study examines monetary policies instruments impact on stock market volatility in Nigeria for the period of 1993-2022. The study identified the independent variables, namely; reserve requirement (RR), cash reserve ratio (CRR), discount rate (DR) and money supply (MS) which were analyzed in relation to stock market volatility proxied with all share index volatility (ASIV). The data was analyzed with descriptive statistics, correlation matrix several diagnostics tests (VIF, validity test, ADF and Johansen tests) and the multiple regression analysis. The findings revealed that RR, CRR and MS have significant effect on ASIV while DR has insignificant effect on ASIV in Nigeria. It was concluded that reserve requirement, discount rate and money supply exert significant effect on Nigerian economy. Thus, it thereby recommended that management of CBN should put modalities in place to aggressively control ASIV in Nigeria. CBN should put measures in place to increase CRR. This will provide banks opportunity to fund economic transaction in the Nigerian economy, thereby reducing ASIV.

URBAN PLANNING, DIGNITY AND THE RIGHT TO THE CITY, IN THE ERA OF PPPs FOR LARGE URBAN PROJECTS

This work is the result of research for the theoretical framework of a doctoral thesis, developed in the Postgraduate Program in Architecture and Urbanism of the Federal University of Bahia, in order to promote a discussion on the Right to the City. An exploratory research is carried out based on a bibliographic survey, which includes scientific articles and books that deal with the topic under discussion here. The discussion has been taking place for decades, since the period of struggle for Urban Reform in Brazil. The objective is to discuss the instruments of urban policy, relating the issue of the Right to the City and the role of the State as a mediator in a process where there are several actors, but in which, together with the private sector, social movements and civil society organizations, it constitutes one of the main agents of (re)production of urban space. The aim is to discuss the role of the State, through such instruments of urban policy, as well as their effectiveness and the processes of urban planning and management, in the sense of the social function of urban property, in the face of large urban projects, often managed with PPPs.

Analysis of the influence and coupling effect of environmental regulation policy tools on industrial green and low-carbon transformation

Industrial green and low-carbon transformation plays a crucial role in China’s efforts to achieve its Carbon peaking and Carbon neutrality objectives. The implementation of environmental regulation policies is a key institutional framework that facilitates this transformation. Therefore, it is of great importance to explore the impact and interplay of these policies on industrial green and low-carbon transformation to foster high-quality economic development. This study categorizes environmental regulation policy instruments into three types: command-type, investment-type, and expense-type. Using industrial panel data from 30 provinces in China spanning the period from 1997 to 2021, both theoretical analysis and empirical testing are conducted to investigate the effects of these different policy instruments on industrial green and low-carbon transformation. The benchmark regression results show that the impact of command-type environmental regulation and investment-type environmental regulation on industrial green and low-carbon transformation shows an inverted U-shaped feature of rising first and then declining. The impact of cost-based environmental regulation on industrial green and low-carbon transformation shows a U-shaped feature of decreasing first and then increasing. The coupling of command-type environmental regulation and investment-type environmental regulation, command-type environmental regulation and expense-type environmental regulation, and the coupling of the three kinds of environmental regulation can promote industrial green and low-carbon transformation. The mechanism test results show that the impact of formal environmental regulation on industrial green and low-carbon transformation has a transmission mode of “formal environmental regulation–green technology innovation path–green and low-carbon transformation.”

Exploring the policy context of Whole School in eight EU countries: the Schools4Health project

Abstract Background Moving from the recognition of WHO principles of health promoting school (HPS) to concrete practices is challenging. The Schools4Health project is an EU initiative with the aim to introduce, strengthen, and sustain the adoption of a participatory whole-school approach to health and wellbeing. The aim of this work is to present an update about the policy environment around HPS approaches in eight EU countries. Methods Between September-November 2023, Schools4Health partners from Spain, Belgium, Hungary, Greece, Latvia, the Netherlands, Romania and Slovenia carried out a preliminary scoping exercise to investigate the policy conditions which can influence the national uptake of HPS approaches. A three-step methodology was developed: a. identification of core stakeholders b. Rapid Situation Analysis survey and c. national roundtable meetings, to assess stakeholders’ awareness of and engagement in health promotion programs in schools. Results In total, n = 192 responses from stakeholders from health, education, social and agricultural sectors were selected. Most experts were aware or partly aware of the HPS concept. While there is consensus that health promotion at school is essential, there is a lack of, or weak implementation of legislation and voluntary initiatives due to barriers such as limited time and financial resources, teachers burnout and insufficient interaction between education and health governmental bodies. Conclusions Effective advocacy can highlight the potential of HPS in addressing the urgent challenges related to wellbeing in youth, and the associated decline in educational performance across Europe. Policymakers, public authorities and the broader community should also be engaged. Key messages • Creating HPSs should not solely fall on schools and teaching staff. • Policymakers, public authorities and the broader community around schools have responsibility to ensure that policy measures and instruments embed the key considerations for HPS approach.

Taxing animal-based food products: A qualitative framing analysis of the media debate in Germany

Abstract Background In most high-income countries, consumption of animal-based food products exceeds levels recommended for health and environmental reasons. Although taxes can reduce the consumption of animal-based products, they are politically controversial. In recent years, various tax models and motivations for these have been discussed. Our study seeks to identify key arguments and policy actors in the German media debate on the taxation of animal-based products, shedding light on emerging narrative frames surrounding tax models and motivations. Methods We conducted a qualitative analysis of German media coverage on taxes and levies influencing the price of animal-based foods. We analyzed 488 articles from 10 national newspapers and eight trade press journals published between February 2019 and July 2023. Employing an inductive approach, we identified the actors involved in the debate and common frames and arguments around various tax proposals. Results We found broad consensus on a need for change due to inadequate animal welfare conditions, while environmental and health arguments are more contested. Significant debate surrounds the suitability of taxation as the preferred policy instrument. Furthermore, doubts are raised about a tax’s effectiveness and appropriate revenue allocation. Framing of the tax often emphasizes potential negative impacts on domestic production and product affordability. Additionally, concerns about various unintended consequences and the overall unpopularity of taxation emerge as prominent themes. Conclusions The taxation of animal-based products for health and environmental reasons is still highly contested in the media debate in Germany. Many, but not all arguments commonly raised against such taxes may be considered spurious from an evidence-based public health perspective. Proponents of such taxes may seek to address existing concerns through appropriate policy design and communication strategies. Key messages • Taxation of animal-based foods may help to align consumption with levels recommended for health and environmental reasons, but adoption and implementation is hindered by political controversy. • Objections common in the public debate on such taxes could be addressed with appropriate policy design alleviating justified concerns, and with communication strategies countering spurious arguments.

How Can Land Use Management in Traditional Cultural Landscapes Become a Policy Instrument for Soil Organic Carbon Sequestration and Climate Change Mitigation? A Transylvanian Case Study

Changes in land use from high-nature-value grasslands to arable fields reduce the organic carbon stock in soil, increasing atmospheric carbon concentrations. Maintaining grasslands through traditional agricultural techniques can mitigate climate change by transferring atmospheric carbon to the soil. Benefits of soil organic carbon sequestration include improved soil properties and enhanced ecosystem services and biodiversity. With Romania’s ratification of the Paris Agreement, it is crucial to review climate-related agricultural policies and incentivize carbon sequestration practices in organic soils. This paper presents a soil carbon study in Transylvania’s Târnava Mare region, Romania, known for its preserved cultural landscapes. Soil samples were taken at a depth of 60 cm to assess organic carbon pools under grassland and arable land management across three soil classes: Cernisoils, Hidrisoils, and Luvisoils. Several statistical tests were applied to evaluate the most significant drivers of soil organic carbon sequestration including land use, soil class, and soil depth. The results indicate that land management has the largest impact, with grasslands storing 45% more carbon than arable land on average. This finding should be integrated into national climate action plans, prioritizing the preservation of grasslands and sustainable agricultural practices to support soil organic carbon sequestration.

Introducing innovative policy instrument to reduce antibiotics use. Relevant evidence from Bulgaria

Abstract Background of the public health challenge Excessive individual consumption of antibiotics (ABs) increases global antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Therefore, shaping consumers’ behaviors towards responsible ABs use is an essential strategy in the battle with the silent pandemic of AMR. The EU One Health (OH) Action Plan against AMR targets making Europe a best-practice region. Overall consumption of ABs in the EU decreased significantly, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Bulgaria is the only EU country that has reported an annual increase in ABs use during this period (ECDC data). A growing part of Bulgarians, believe that ‘ABs kill viruses’ and is unaware that ‘unnecessary use of ABs makes them ineffective’ (Eurobarometer 2022). This limited understanding of adequate ABs use resulted in counterproductive behaviors that demand change. Introducing innovative policy instrument as a tool for behavioral change: Undeniably, drug prescription monitoring has the potential to change consumers’ behaviors. In October 2023 mandatory electronic prescribing (e-Rx) for ABs was introduced in Bulgaria at a primary healthcare level. Consequently, there was an observed decline exceeding 30% in ABs sales (IQVIA Bulgaria data), evidencing a reduction in ABs consumption. However, there were negative reactions by the stakeholders, due to time-consuming procedures, nonoptimal IT infrastructure, etc., and that led to e-Rx-moratorium. Finally, in April 2024, the e-Rx is sustainably introduced. Conclusions Legislative measures, like e-Rx, can hinder the chaotic use of ABs. Moreover, Bulgarians need to reflect on their behaviors and values of solidarity which OH offers. Herewith, a multidisciplinary team of academic educators unite their OH efforts in raising awareness related to AMR and the rational use of ABs. Years of national endeavors toward healthcare digitalisation led to the introduction of e-Rx for ABs in Bulgaria. Research will prove its relevance for the rest of Europe. Key messages • To the European community: The introduction of the innovative policy tool (e-Rx for antibiotics) in Bulgaria is a significant national effort in making Europe a best-practice region regarding AMR. • To the Bulgarian society: Antibiotics are not bonbons! Responsible ABs use of every one of us can contribute to the EU efforts to manage AMR. In the context of AMR, every person is a stakeholder.

Is taxation a curse or a blessing? The case of Turkiye

This study aims to reveal whether taxes are blessings or curses based on the distinction between direct and indirect taxes. As in the past, taxation is an indispensable instrument of government policy in today’s modern state administration models. Since taxation is an inevitable phenomenon, designing an effective and efficient tax policy is an important decision process in economic development. This study will serve as a source for formulating an effective fiscal policy. Within the scope of the study, 1998/Q1 period and 2023/Q2 quarterly data for Turkiye are used. The tax curse hypothesis is analyzed using Prais-Winsten and Cumulative Fourier-frequency Toda & Yamamoto Test methods. In addition, the long-run performance of the relationship between the variables used in the model was evaluated by Wavelet Transform Coherence (WTC) analysis. The results of the analysis reveal that direct taxes have a negative impact on economic growth and thus the tax curse hypothesis is valid, while there is no tax curse in terms of indirect taxes. The study also reveals that direct taxes have a devastating effect in economies that are in the middle of the economic growth process and have a high growth rate, but this effect is not permanent and disappears after a while. The results are important in terms of guiding the formulation of government policies and the formulation of effective tax policies, especially for developing countries.