Regional Agreements Research Articles

REGIONAL DIGITAL ECONOMY IN THE DANUBE MEMBER STATES UNDER THE IMPACT OF THE NEW CHALLENGES

The paper aims to analyse the changing economic structure and the trends of the digitalization amplification through the prism of a dynamic multi-criteria model, assessing the strategic perspective by pivoting digitalization in the strategic equation. The main objectives of the research cover the context of vulnerability across the EUSDR countries, the solutions from the literature review and the definition, testing and implementing of a new dedicated model. The model takes into account regional indicators, reported by Eurostat. Statistical analysis procedures and methods were applied in order to capture the expected disparities under the impact of the pandemic, as well as harmonization with European Strategy for Danube Region (EUSDR) – specific impact indicators. The analysis uses la latest official statistical data from Eurostat. The importance of this scientific approach lies in the fact that the results are applicable to the wider region, the vast majority of the Danube states being EU members (9 states), 3 candidate states and 2 potential candidate states in the new geo-political and military context. States that are not yet EU members have regional and cross-border cooperation agreements with the EU. Moreover, the region itself has reacted in a unified way to the challenges of the economic and pandemic crises, the study being conducted over the period 2004–2020. In addition, EU Member States have additionally benefited from European emergency allocations to counter the effects of the global economic crisis and stem the spread of the pandemic. We used empirical and analytical methods, starting with the study of literature, data collection and consolidation of the database, its homogeneity and the application of modelling procedures. The major key findings are focused on the existence of a strong connection between investment effort, labour skills, sustainable development and the digital economy able to face new global and regional challenges. The policy implication of this research consist in offering viable elements capable of assisting regional decision-makers in adopting topical measures on digitisation and reconfiguring strategic regional connections to maintain a sustainable direction for the EUSDR. The recommendations from this study imbraca forma some directions for action related to labour high skills, digitalization, R&D investment and e-commerce.

Globalizing Regulation: A New Progressive Agenda for Trade and Investment

The past two decades have witnessed growing concern about the challenges governments face in regulating multinational corporations. Trade and investment agreements play a crucial role in setting the regulatory regime that governs these transnational activities. The multilateral trade and investment regime has been experiencing a period of crisis, with the collapse of proceedings at the World Trade Organization’s appellate body and the failure of the Doha Development Round. During this period, states have turned to unilateral, bilateral and regional channels in lieu of multilateral progress. Bilateral and regional agreements contain a much higher degree of regulatory coordination among members, including a growing number of binding standards on labor, the environment and human rights which apply to multinational corporations operating across the trading blocs. This paper reviews three cases of states, or groups of states, endeavoring to impose binding regulation on multinational corporations through the trade and investment regime. This paper argues, that these efforts, while partial, form the basis for a new multilateral trade and investment regime that holds corporations accountable. It shows that during the multilateral system’s period of crisis, as states in both the Global North and Global South have pursued their own strategies and shown a shared commitment to increasing their regulatory capacity, the policy consensus among practitioners at the multilateral level has shifted towards accommodating these efforts. Together, this paper argues, these developments lay the groundwork for a new multilateral model of trade and corporate accountability.

A Comparison of the Porvoo, Waterloo, and Called to Common Mission Agreements from the Perspective of Transitivity

Abstract The Anglican-Lutheran Porvoo Declaration (1996) has implications for global Anglican-Lutheran relations. It nurtured ecumenical processes which resulted in ‘full communion agreements’ between Lutherans and Episcopalians in the United States of America (1999), and in Canada between Lutherans and Anglicans (2001). Although the Porvoo Declaration influenced the later documents, regional bilateral agreements are not automatically interchangeable. The concept of ‘transitivity’ describes the relationship of two ecumenical agreements with each other and the possibility of applying an agreement in other regions. The Anglican Consultative Council (acc) in 2015 invited churches where appropriate to implement recommendations on ‘Laying foundations for transitive relationships’. In this article an analysis is offered of the current ecumenical situation and the presuppositions and implications of full communion agreements in general and individually. Communion-wide guidelines to identify possible next steps and the grounds on which all three ‘full communion’ agreements could become mutually transitive is also examined.

Differences in US Regional Healthcare Allocation Guidelines During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Hospitals faced unprecedented scarcity of resources without parallel in modern times during the COVID-19 pandemic. This scarcity led healthcare systems and states to develop or modify scarce resource allocation guidelines that could be implemented during "crisis standards of care" (CSC). CSC describes a significant change in healthcare operations and the level of care provided during a public health emergency. Our study provides a comprehensive examination of the latest CSC guidelines in the western region of the USA, where Alaska and Idaho declared CSC, focusing on ethical issues and health disparities. Mixed-methods survey study of physicians and/or ethicists and review of healthcare system and state allocation guidelines. Ten physicians and/or ethicists who participated in scarce resource allocation guideline development from seven healthcare systems or three state-appointed committees from the western region of the USA including Alaska, California, Idaho, Oregon, and California. All sites surveyed developed allocation guidelines, but only four (40%) were operationalized either statewide or for specific scarce resources. Most guidelines included comorbidities (70%), and half included adjustments for socioeconomic disadvantage (50%), while only one included specific priority groups (10%). Allocation tiebreakers included the life cycle principle and random number generators. Six guidelines evolved over time, removing restrictions such as age, severity of illness, and comorbidities. Additional palliative care (20%) and ethics (50%) resources were planned by some guidelines. Allocation guidelines are essential to support clinicians during public health emergencies; however, significant deficits and differences in guidelines were identified that may perpetuate structural inequities and racism. While a universal triage protocol that is equally accepted by all communities is unlikely, the lack of regional agreement on standards with justification and transparency has the potential to erode public trust and perpetuate inequity.

The Different Types of Regional Trade Agreements

In this article, we will present and explain the different types of regional agreements. We will also show that currently, we are talking about the emergence of a new type which appears with the birth of the World Trade Organization (WTO) and which tends to dominate especially between developed and developing countries.

International transfer of technologies in the conditions of modern challenges

Keywords: international technology transfer, innovation, European Union, implementation
 The globalization of international economic and technological cooperation increases the importance of international technology transfer. It is thanks to him that technology spreads as the most important resource of socio-economicdevelopment. At the international legal level, the international transfer of technologies is regulated by the norms contained in the provisions of universal, regional and bilateral agreements. Ukraine's acquisition of the status of a candidate for EU membership necessitated the implementation of the norms of European law into the legal system of Ukraine.The article examines the main problems of harmonizing the norms of competition law with the norms of legislation on the protection of intellectual property, in particular in the field of technology transfer. Particular attention is paid to the analysis of mergers and acquisitions and other forms of technology transfer, as well as Ukraine's fulfillment of its obligations under the association agreement between Ukraine and the EU, problems and trends in further improvement of the regulatory regulation of technology transfer issues in the field of public procurement and state aid are identified. It is determined that the technical assistance provided to Ukraine by the partner states requires a review not only of national norms regarding technology transfer, but also the creation of new norms of international technical cooperation in the military, technical and medical spheres. It is noted that access to the latest equipment and technologies can be a significant impetus for the development and restoration of the state, however, this requires working out new mechanisms of cooperation with international partners and support from the state and business, in particular in terms of the creation of new industries and joint scientific research, the results of which can become the basis for the restoration of the state and a long-term strategic partnership.

Drafting e-commerce regulations for a sustainable economic recovery: Lesson from DEPA analysis

The current international pandemic situation caused by the COVID-19 outbreak has disrupted economic activity and development worldwide. However, digital enabled activities have proven a relative stronger resilience, and, worldwide, most economic sectors have shifted to digital platforms to continue operating. In this context, the drafting of digital economy regulations has become a relevant policy issue for governments across the Asia Pacific region. Nevertheless, the absence of multilateral regulations in this area has become an obstacle for achieving common regulatory frameworks to deal with digital economy issues, for which regional and bilateral agreements have begun to draft regulations. The proliferation of digital economy provisions in preferential agreements may lead to the so called “spaghetti bowl”. From here, the objective of this paper is to contribute to the governance of digital economy among APEC economies, through the characterization of free trade agreements signed between APEC and Latin American economies. This selection was made due to the diversity of agreements that can be found within this subregion. In this context, the Digital Economy Partnership Agreement (DEPA), led by Chile, New Zealand, and Singapore has become a reference point that could serve as a stepping stone towards common regulatory frameworks in this matter. The paper concludes that DEPA may be used as a benchmark for the development of regulations that will help boost cross border e-commerce in APEC economies for a post pandemic sustainable recovery.

Approaches to transnational organized crime. Prevention and combat by international organizations

A feature of the contemporary erass, determined by technical and scientific progress, by the intense exchange of material and spiritual values, is the tendency to intensify cooperation between States on various levels of political, social, cultural and legal activity. International crime is not a figment of people with a rich imagination, it is a reality that threatens to turn our lives into a nightmare with bad consequences. At the moment, all countries of the world, regardless of their level of development, are facing a real explosion of international crime. Recognizing the extent and special danger of international crime, the problem of preventing and countering it began to concern the suprastatal forums, which, in stilling its expansion and evolution, put emphasis on regulating some forms of its activity, through the conclusion of regional agreements and international conventions. Thus, the eradication of crime is a primary objective for both developing and developed countries. It should be noted that criminal organizations in Moldova have multiple links with similar structures in CIS countries, Romania, Poland, Germany, Italy, the USA, Canada, Israel. Despite the imperfection of legislative amendments and additions, we consider, however, that a legislative basis in countering international crime in Moldova exists.

4. Mexico

This year, we report on activities in the international field regarding Mexico during the twenty-sixth Conference of the Parties (COP-26) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Glasgow; actions to implement amendments to the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Waste and Their Disposal (Basel Convention); and the promulgation and entry into force of the Regional Agreement on Access to Information, Public Participation and Justice in Environmental Matters in Latin America and the Caribbean (Escazú Agreement). Also, on the domestic agenda, we report on activity regarding institutional reorganization in Mexico following the decision to eliminate water and climate change agencies and a sudden presidential decision to grant speedy approvals to strategic projects. Among other developments, we note the creation of new reserves in Yum Balam-Holbox in Quintana Roo and a decision to declare the site of the largest international airport—cancelled by the presidential decision—as a natural protected area.

Legal Status of the Caspian Sea: Gaps in the Convention Regime

The conclusion of the Convention on the Legal Status of the Caspian Sea in 2018 was intended to put an end to a very long and difficult negotiation process to determine the legal regime for this closed water body, which has no natural connection with the World Ocean. The Convention was supposed to fill the gaps in the management of this water area that existed in the framework of the previous Soviet-Iranian agreements of 1921 and 1940, which were in force but not up to date, and to give all the Caspian states common and equal rights and powers to use and exploit the spaces and resources of this maritime region. However, up to 2022, the Convention has not entered into legal force, as one of the Caspian countries — the Islamic Republic of Iran — has not yet ratified this regional agreement, considering that it is the most disadvantaged party. Despite the resolution of the Caspian Sea seabed delimitation issues in its northern part in previous years, the problem of delimitation in its southern part may require both enormous efforts and time, further complicating the current situation. There is as yet no final understanding as to what delimitation models can be used here to satisfy the interests of all the states involved. Moreover, the implementation of the norms and provisions of the 2018 Convention requires the drafting and signing of new bilateral and multilateral documents that close a whole series of “gaps” in the proposed convention regime. In fact, the fate of the 2018 Convention depends on how these contradictions will be resolved. The analysis of these problems is the focus of this paper.

Evaluation of Development Planning in Riau Islands Province

The purpose of this research is to analyze the development planning process in the Riau Islands in 2020 which is not optimal. The development planning process is analyzed and described using three indicators by Willian N. Dunn's development planning evaluation theory, that is: (1) efficiency; (2) equality and (3) responsiveness. The research method used is a qualitative research method. The results of this research indicate that although the development planning process starting from the phasing and scheduling carried out by the Riau Islands Provincial Government in the preparation of the 2020 Regional Government Work Plan has been appropriate and stakeholder participation in the Musrenbang is also quite good, the work achievements contained in the regional head performance agreement at the end of the year it was found that 25% of the performance targets had not been achieved.

THE IDENTIFICATION OF INCOME CONTINGENT TRANSACTION IN LOCAL GOVERNMENT ENTITIES

This study is intended to identify contingent income transactions in local government entities. The research was conducted using qualitative methods through in-depth interviews and field observations. The key informants in this study were BPKAD staff in East Luwuk district. The results show that the local government revenue account indicated as a contingent transaction is due to a formal engagement through a contract or engagement. Recognition of revenue that is tied to the contact requires that new revenue be recognized if the engagement is fulfilled, but if it is not fulfilled, it cannot be recognized as revenue. The income transactions in question are; Road Lighting Tax Revenues, Land and Building Rights Acquisition Tax Revenues, Non-Rock Minerals Tax, Retribution Revenues, Other Legitimate Revenues include sales of official vehicles, late fees, receipt of health insurance), income Central transfer of funds for Special Allocations and Other Legislative income under regional grant agreements. The results of the identification are expected to be the basis of prudence for the management of regional assets transactions in recognizing income transactions in order to avoid future uncertainties which result in the resulting financial statements knowing the element of uncertainty

P01-12 The Netherlands united by sport: implementtion and monitoring of the national sports agreement in 2019

Issue/problemThe favorable international position of the Netherlands in terms of sport an physical activity is no reason for those involved in policy to lean back. The motor skills of our children are decreasing, some population groups never engage in sports, respectful behavior in sports needs our attention and the traditional sports clubs are under pressure due to declining numbers of members and volunteers. To tackle these issues, for the first time in history, the Netherlands have a National Sports Agreement (NSA) involving a numerous set of stakeholders besides the national government.Description of the problemThrough the NSA, we want to make sport enjoyable for everyone. Now and in the future, without any restrictions and in a safe and healthy environment. The sports infrastructure will be strengthened at every level: locally, regionally and nationally. Policy makers want to involve communities of practice and knowledge from monitoring and science in order to be able to adjust policy on the short term and create a ‘self-learning' policy process.ResultsLocal and regional stakeholders were invited to strengthen and start collaboration and compose local and regional sports agreements in line with the NSA which has six main ambitions: inclusive sport, sustainable sports facilities, vital providers, positive sports culture, enjoying exercise from an early age and elite sport inspires. As registered on 08-11-2019, 339 out of the 355 municipalities in the Netherlands have started work on a local sports agreement. Thirty nine local agreements were already in place covering 45 municipalities. From the national level, vouchers are made available for local stakeholders to facilitate implementation of particular interventions within a certain ambition on the local level. A consortium of national knowledge institutes provided local policy makers with training sessions facilitating them to incorporate local data, facts and figures in the local sports agreements. Twice a year, National Parliament is informed about the efforts taken and results obtained. On a continuous basis, for every ambition, a set of indicators is disseminated through the website www.sportenbewegenincijfers.nl

Impacts of regional cooperation agreements on international tourism: Evidence from a quasi-natural experiment

Using the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) as a quasi-natural experiment, this paper constructs the Propensity Score Matching and Difference-in-Differences regression approach (PSM-DID) to explore the impact of regional cooperation agreements (RCAs) on international tourism. This paper also firstly quantifies the mediating effects of five different channels on the impacts of RCAs on international tourism, especially an “unimpeded trade” indicator is constructed using complex network model. Furthermore, heterogeneity test was conducted according to the economic development level and geographic location. The results show that the BRI can significantly promote the development of international tourism in member countries, especially presenting significant economic and geographical heterogeneity. The BRI mainly affects inbound tourist flows through facilities connectivity, unimpeded trade, and people-to-people bonds. The empirical evidence presented here provides a decision-making reference for boosting the development of international tourism by promoting regional cooperation.

Capital mobility in Latin American and Caribbean countries: alternative view on the “Feldstein-Horioka” coefficient

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to examine two issues, namely the degree of current account deficit (CAD) sustainability and the degree of capital mobility.Design/methodology/approachThe sample for this study comprises 24 Latin American and Caribbean countries, including three regional agreements: Andean Community, MERCOSUR (Mercado Común del Sur), and SICA (Central American Integration System). This study employs the dynamic common correlated effects mean group (DCCEMG) estimator in a panel data set to investigate the long-run relationship between savings and investment along with short-run dynamics.FindingsThe findings indicate that CAD is weakly sustainable in the Latin American and Caribbean region, MERCOSUR, and SICA, while CAD is strongly unsustainable in the Andean Community. The sub-period analysis reveals that CAD has been adversely affected by the 2008 crisis. However, in the post-crisis period, CAD has been slowly decreasing in the Latin American and Caribbean region and Andean Community, whereas CAD has continued increasing in MERCOSUR and SICA. Further, the estimates of error-correction terms and short-run coefficients indicate that the Andean Community and MERCOSUR observe a higher degree of long-run and short-run capital mobility than SICA.Practical implicationsThe results carry fundamental implications for policy-making processes aimed at maintaining sustainable CADs.Originality/valueThis study gives an alternative interpretation of the “Feldstein-Horioka” coefficient in terms of CAD sustainability and analyses the saving–investment relationship in light of Chudik and Pesaran (2015).

Conceptual and Methodological Foundations for the Articulation of Geospatial Data on Water Resources in South America’s Cross-Border Hydrographic Basins

When observing transboundary waters through the lens of Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM), it is essential to emphasize the principle of watershed unicity, which must overcome geopolitical interests while being supported by technical criteria. This paper used a multilevel and multiscale approach for integrated management of transboundary water resources in two South American transboundary river basins: the Javari River Basin (between Brazil and Peru) and the Quaraí River Basin (between Brazil and Uruguay). The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) provided spatialized data for South American watersheds. Our research focused on several broad issues concerning regional transboundary water management: (a) Because only Peru and Brazil use the Otto–Pfafstetter method, a uniform method within a regional agreement about methodological differences for delimiting hydrographic basins in each country is required; (b) It is necessary to organize accurate databases to avoid problems of mismatched borders by overlapping national databases or mismatches due to scale problems; (c) It is also necessary to establish a coordinating body capable of working with each country’s representatives. In this case, building integrated and collaborative cartographic database becomes critical; (d) Because river meanders can change, historical data of a river’s morphology is required. In this sense, this research provides guidelines to make water management in transboundary rivers feasible in South America.

Introduction – CAI’s Contribution to International Investment Law: European, Chinese, and Global Perspectives

Abstract The European Union and the People’s Republic of China ‘in principle’ concluded the Comprehensive Agreement on Investment (CAI). Considering that the agreement has been passed in the backdrop of dynamic multi-fora trade and investment policy-making practices, both parties’ negotiations at the bilateral, multilateral and plurilateral levels require testing. This is important to understand whether the growth of bilateral and regional agreements and the fragmentation of international economic law are enablers or roadblocks to further liberalisation of international trade and investment. This Special Issue shall analyse the CAI and argue in favour of the importance of this development. It will examine the current hyper-politicisation and geo-politicisation of investment treaties to situate the symbolic importance of the CAI. In lieu of the uncertainty of final ratification of CAI and sanctions imposed by China, this article (and the whole Special Issue it introduces) are a timely academic contribution that shall trace its scope and potential effectiveness and enable much-needed discourse.

The ubiquitin-ligase TRAF6 and TGFβ type I receptor form a complex with Aurora kinase B contributing to mitotic progression and cytokinesis in cancer cells.

SummaryBackgroundTransforming growth factor β (TGFβ) is overexpressed in several advanced cancer types and promotes tumor progression. We have reported that the intracellular domain (ICD) of TGFβ receptor (TβR) I is cleaved by proteolytic enzymes in cancer cells, and then translocated to the nucleus in a manner dependent on the endosomal adaptor proteins APPL1/2, driving an invasiveness program. How cancer cells evade TGFβ-induced growth inhibition is unclear.MethodsWe performed microarray analysis to search for genes regulated by APPL1/2 proteins in castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) cells. We investigated the role of TβRI and TRAF6 in mitosis in cancer cell lines cultured in 10% FBS in the absence of exogenous TGFβ. The molecular mechanism of the ubiquitination of AURKB by TRAF6 in mitosis and the formation of AURKB–TβRI complex in cancer cell lines and tissue microarrays was also studied.FindingsDuring mitosis and cytokinesis, AURKB–TβRI complexes formed in midbodies in CRPC and KELLY neuroblastoma cells. TRAF6 induced polyubiquitination of AURKB on K85 and K87, protruding on the surface of AURKB to facilitate its activation. AURKB–TβRI complexes in patient's tumor tissue sections correlated with the malignancy of prostate cancer.InterpretationThe AURKB–TβRI complex may become a prognostic biomarker for patients with risk of developing aggressive PC.FundingSwedish Medical Research Council (2019-01598, ML; 2015-02757 and 2020-01291, CHH), the Swedish Cancer Society (20 0964, ML), a regional agreement between Umeå University and Region Västerbotten (ALF; RV-939377, -967041, -970057, ML). The European Research Council (787472, CHH). KAW 2019.0345, and the Kempe Foundation SMK-1866; ML. National Microscopy Infrastructure (NMI VR-RFI 2016-00968).

L’Amérique latine et l’émergence d’un système international de brevets

This article examines the role of international dynamics in the early development of Latin American patent regimes during the long nineteenth century. It locates various national systems in their international contexts and delineates their differences from late colonial times until the region’s export age. It then investigates the role of Latin American countries in the international and regional patent agreements that emerged in the late nineteenth century. The article advances the hypothesis that patent institutions and multilateral agreements were far from an urgent necessity for Latin American countries and had a limited impact on the technological transformation of this region before 1930.

Policing Illicit Drugs in the Pacific: The Role of Culture and Community on the Frontline

Transnational and organized crime has become more prominent in the Pacific region in recent years, leading to challenges for law enforcement agencies in the region. The production and trafficking of illicit drugs are common concerns that illustrate the nexus between transnational and local crime landscapes. This article discusses approaches to the policing of such crime used by Pacific law enforcement agencies and regional partners. Informed by regional agreements, national security strategies of Pacific Islands governments, and theory about security networks, the article argues that plural and hybrid policing approaches, more commonly associated with community policing, may be effective models to combat drug-related crime. These approaches can involve cultural, social, and hierarchical webs that act as security nodes or networks on the frontline against illicit activities. Given different strengths and weaknesses of the various approaches available, an integrated and multifaceted approach to addressing drug-related crime offers the best chance of success.