Representatives Of Member States Research Articles

EFSA's activities on emerging risks in 2020

The main objectives of EFSA's activities on emerging risks are: (i) to carry out activities to identify emerging risks; (ii) to develop and improve emerging risk identification (ERI) methodologies and approaches; and (iii) communicate the issues and risks identified. The outcome of these activities also allows EFSA to prepare for future risk assessment challenges. The current technical report summarises the activities of all groups involved in the ERI procedure, the issues identified in the course of 2020, a description of the methodologies that have been considered, and collaborative activities. EFSA networks of knowledge contributing to the ERI activity include the Emerging Risks Exchange Network (EREN), the Stakeholder Discussion Group on Emerging Risks, EFSA's scientific units, scientific panels and the Scientific Committee. In total, 13 potential emerging issues were discussed in 2020. Six were concluded to be emerging issues. The potential issues were organised according to the hazard or driver identified. In addition, in 2020, EREN network members presented and discussed a total of 35 signals/potential emerging issues that had been identified by their own horizon-scanning activities. Member State representatives shared their work on signal identification with the objective of collecting additional information that could be used for better characterisation. It is crucial to introduce more dynamic and interactive approaches to gather and disseminate knowledge, while also taking into consideration the potential risks that may arise in new areas.

On the Competence Conflicts between the Constitutional Courts of the EU Member States and the Court of Justice of the EU

The article is aimed as a contribution to academic discourse on how to solve possible competence conflicts between constitutional or other highest courts of the EU Member States and the Court of Justice of the EU (CJEU). This discourse has rather recently received an extraordinary impetus when Federal Constitutional Court of Germany (FCC) handed down its judgment in Weiss. For the first time in its history, the FCC invoked the ultra vires doctrine against an EU act and a CJEU judgment. It is argued in the article that the final say in dealing with such competence conflicts should not and cannot rest with either the CJEU or individual national apex courts. The article supports the idea of establishing an EU-competence super-arbiter. However, it is stressed in this respect that the component members of whatever EU-competence super-arbiter to be established should always include the representatives of all EU Member States (although not necessarily only them) and the voting of such EU-competence super-arbiter should be based on the (absolute) majority of those of its component members that are the representatives of Member States. Otherwise, the collective competence-competence monopoly of the EU Member States in the EU would be breached too strongly.

The Geneva effect: where officials sit influences where they stand on WTO priorities*

Do representatives of member states in Geneva and officials based in capitals agree on priorities for cooperation in the World Trade Organization? Exploiting an original survey of trade policy officials, we find that respondents representing their countries in Geneva often accord substantially different priorities to institutional reform and policy issues than officials based in capitals. We hypothesize that this ‘Geneva effect’ reflects bureaucratic capacity in capitals and autonomy of Geneva-based officials, and that the effect should be smaller for officials from OECD member states, given extensive interaction outside the WTO to define good regulatory policies and address trade issues of common concern. Empirical analysis supports these hypotheses but also reveals differences in prioritization between Geneva and capital-based officials from OECD countries for specific issues. The results suggest that the prospects of international cooperation may be influenced not only by well-understood differences between states that reflect material interests and domestic political economy drivers, but by differences in relative priorities accorded to issues by officials representing states in international organizations and officials based in capitals.

Unpacking the Bureaucratic Representation–Legitimacy Relationship in International Organizations: The Role of Elite Beliefs and Self-Legitimation Practices

AbstractThe link between bureaucratic representation and the perceived legitimacy of international organizations (IOs) is often cited in the literature. However, we do not know exactly how this works empirically. In this article, I introduce two variables to better understand the bureaucratic representation–IO legitimacy relationship: elite beliefs about geographical representation and self-legitimation practices. The theoretical framework bridges the literature on IO legitimacy in international relations and the literature on representative bureaucracy in public administration. Based on the case of the United Nations Secretariat and semistructured interviews with staff members, human resources experts, and member state representatives, the qualitative analysis points to two conclusions. First, this article presents the various representative bureaucracy–related legitimation practices employed by the bureaucracy at the discursive, institutional, and behavioral levels. Second, bureaucratic representation is perceived as a democratic, fair, and technocratic source of legitimacy by member state representatives. This article adds to the empirical study of IO legitimacy and to recent studies on representative bureaucracy in IOs.

Ensuring National Security in Conditions of War: NATO’s Influence

The study is devoted to determining the NATO’s influence on building Ukraine’s national security in wartime. The purpose of the study is to determine the prospects for building national security with and without NATO’s participation in the conditions of war and the realities of the current military situation in Ukraine. The relevance of the study is determined by the public and government discussion points regarding the possibility of ensuring peace by the Alliance in the context of the war between Ukraine and Russia and the government’s position on finding alternative ways to ensure national security without NATO participation. General scientific methods of cognition were used to study the issue, the key of which is a critical analysis of statements of officials, politicians and officials on the formation of national security, published in the media. The study results show the current state of NATO’s cooperation with Ukraine, Ukraine’s readiness to participate in the Alliance, and the assessment of readiness by representatives of NATO member states. The discussion field is formed by statements of Ukrainian officials on alternative options for the formation of national security without NATO participation. The conclusion is made that cooperation with NATO is necessary for Ukraine, and it should be strengthened by future membership after completing a number of tasks. The practical significance of the study lies in the possibility of its use for building strategic directions for the formation of national security.

Critical Implications of IVDR for Innovation in Diagnostics: Input From the BioMed Alliance Diagnostics Task Force.

Critical Implications of IVDR for Innovation in Diagnostics: Input From the BioMed Alliance Diagnostics Task Force.

United Nations of the International Law Commission: qualifications and procedure for the election of members

The United Nations of the International Law Commission is one of the most prominent international institutions dealing with the progressive development of international law and its codification. At the same time, the analysis of the latest scientific publications, which disclose various aspects of the activities of the International Law Commission of, has led to the conclusion that representatives of the native science of international law do not pay adequate attention to the study of various aspects of its legal status. Taking this into account, the article reveals the procedure of election of the members of the International Law Commission of and describes the established requirements for their qualification. According to the results of the conducted research it has been established that membership of the International Law Commission is consisted of 34 persons having an acknowledged authority in the branch of international law and representing the most important forms of civilization and the main legal systems of the world. From the first session until today, the membership of the International Law Commission has changed three times, in particular: in 1956; in 1961; and in 1981. Each time the reason for the increase in the membership of the International Law Commission has been the significant increase in the number of States Members of the United Nations. All members of the International Law Commission attend meetings on their own account and not as representatives of member states of the United Nations. As a general rule, the members of the International Law Commission are elected on the basis of equitable geographical distribution in a secret ballot by the General Assembly of the United Nations for a term of five years, with the right of re-election. In the event of a vacancy in its membership at the time of the next election, the International Law Commission shall fill the vacancy independently. The grounds for such an election may be the incumbent member's own wish to cease serving on the International Law Commission, death, serious illness, appointment to a new post, and so forth. Members elected to fill casual vacancies shall serve for the remainder of the term of the current membership of the International Law Commission and shall be eligible for re-election at the next election.

Complexities of international mediation at sub-regional levels in Africa: lessons from South Sudan

PurposeThe Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) has been mediating the South Sudan conflict since 2013. IGAD’s intervention in South Sudan is anchored on its founding norm of peaceful settlement of regional conflicts and in reference to the principle of subsidiarity, under the Africa Peace and Security Architecture (APSA). However, it is puzzling how violence continued unabated even as conflict parties negotiated and signed numerous agreements under the auspices of IGAD. The parties to conflict seem unwilling to implement the 2018 peace agreement, which is arguably un-implementable. Yet, it appears that IGAD mediators were privy to this situation all along. The question that then arises is why IGAD would continue engaging in a mediation process that neither ends violence nor offers a promise of a resolution? Drawing out on empirical data, this paper argues that IGAD’s organisational structures and functionality are key to understanding and explaining the South Sudan phenomenon within broader discourses on peace and security regionalism in Africa. This paper suggests the need to pay attention to the embeddedness of political power dynamics in the structures and functionality of Africa’s Regional Economic Communities (RECs), such as IGAD, as one of the ways to (re)thinking and (re)orienting norms and practices of regional conflict management within the APSA and in pursuit of the “African solutions to African problems.”Design/methodology/approachData for this paper was obtained through document reviews and 39 elite interviews. The interviews were conducted with representatives of IGAD member states, bureaucrats of IGAD and its organs mediation support teams, conflict parties, diplomats and other relevant experts purposively selected based on their role in the mediation. The physical interviews were conducted in Ethiopia, Kenya and Uganda, with others conducted virtually. Analysis and presentation of findings are largely perspectival, highlighting coexistence of contending peacemaking ideas and practices. The discussions centre around inter-linked themes of IGAD’s conceptions of peace and approaches to peacemaking as informed by its structural and functional designs.FindingsFindings illustrate the complexity of the peace process and the centrality of power politics in IGAD’s peace and security arrangements. In view of the findings, this paper echoes the need for enhanced and predictable collaborative framework between IGAD and the African Union (AU) as central to the operationalisation of the APSA and pursuit of the African solutions to the African problems. Hence, this paper suggests transforming IGAD’s political program into a robust political bureau with predictable interlinkages and structured engagements between IGAD’s heads of state and government and the APSA’s Panel of the Wise (PoW).Originality/valueThe study is based on empirical data obtained through the researcher's own framed questions, and its argument is based on the researcher's own interpretations innovatively framed within existing theoretical framework, particularly hybrid peace theory. Based on the findings, this paper makes bold and practical recommendations for possible workable collaborative framework between IGAD and the AU under the APSA framework

Development of the first edition of African treatment guidelines for common bacterial infections and syndromes.

Standard treatment guidelines (STGs) are an important tool for ensuring high quality clinical care and prudent antimicrobial use (AMU) and stewardship (AMS). In 2018, African Union (AU) member state representatives recognized the lack of STGs as a barrier to AMS at national and facility levels. Previous research reported that only 17 of 55 (31%) member states had STGs that provided disease- or pathogen-specific antimicrobial treatment recommendations, excluding those that covered only treatment of HIV, malaria, and tuberculosis). The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention convened expert panels to develop first edition antibiotic treatment guidelines for priority infectious diseases and clinical syndromes for pediatric and adult patient populations in Africa. The purpose of the guidelines is to provide healthcare workers with treatment guidance by harmonising existing national STGs, filling gaps where existing STGs are not available, and serving as a model for future guidelines. Two expert panels of 28 total clinicians, pharmacists, and other relevant stakeholders from 14 AU member states representing each continental region convened to develop consensus treatment recommendations for select priority bacterial infections and clinical syndromes. In developing recommendations, the panels considered treatment recommendations from existing STGs, drug availability, clinical experience, and available antimicrobial resistance data. The guidelines underwent an external review process where clinical stakeholders who did not serve on either panel were invited to submit feedback prior to their publication. The guidelines provide empiric antibiotic therapy guidelines – including drug selection, route of administration, formulation, dosage, and therapy duration – and principles of stewardship for 28 bacterial infections or clinical syndromes. The first edition guidelines for the treatment of common infectious diseases and clinical syndromes in Africa aims to improve clinical treatment and antimicrobial stewardship and will serve as a template for future regional guidelines.

To Everything there is a Season: Instrumentalising Article 10 TEU to Exclude Undemocratic Member State Representatives from the European Council and the Council

To Everything there is a Season: Instrumentalising Article 10 TEU to Exclude Undemocratic Member State Representatives from the European Council and the Council

Right to a Healthy Environment and Legal Regulation of Viticulture

The foundations for the introduction and development of the modern right to a healthy environment were laid almost half a century ago, by adoption of the Declaration on the Human Environment at the United Nations thematic Conference on the Human Environment, held in Stockholm in 1972. The gathering was preceded by extensive preparations in which members of the academic community and people from politics participated equally. Scientists have obviously prepared a good basis for considering key issues, and representatives of member states and UN bodies have given it an appropriate political dimension. Thanks to that, reasonable, necessary compromises were made, which made it possible to establish a (fragile) balance of interests in the then polarized world and to start a process of great importance for humanity with a lot of optimism. Unfortunately, relatively little has been done on global level since then. This is evidenced by the terminological inconsistency and conceptual uncertainty of the right to a healthy environment, unclear legal nature, dominant development and expansion through constitutionalization at the national level (not on the basis of international instruments), as well as indirect application through the so-called greening of other human rights. The United Nations Human Rights Council, which in October 2021 adopted a Resolution on a safe, clean, healthy and sustainable environment by which the right to a healthy environment was raised to the level of human rights, officially assessed that many questions about the relationship of human rights and the environment remain unanswered and require further examination. This paper opens several interrelated topics whose consideration can contribute to the further development of the right to a healthy environment. The author believes that over time there will be an interaction between the right to a healthy environment and property rights; that this will pave the way for a more extensive interpretation that could result in an individual's autonomous right to independently shape a healthy environment in the space person uses as the owner or holder of another property right; that such interaction would enable the owner to more effectively counter unjustified restrictions on property rights established by state bodies or supranational institutions, such as those existing in the field of viticulture. The paper points out the need to rethink policies and rights related to agriculture and to pay more attention to the part of the population that contributes to the preservation of a healthy environment through their way of life and work. In the final part, winegrowers ’oases that represent specific spatial units are analyzed.

Перспективні напрями євроатлантичної інтеграції системи професійної підготовки персоналу Державної прикордонної служби України

The purpose of the article is the definition of prospective areas of Euro-Atlantic integration of the system of professional training of future border guard officers on the basis of the National Academy of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine. Results. The article reveals perspectives of Euro-Atlantic integration of the system of professional training of the personnel of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine. The considered perspective directions envisage joining the system of joint training of specialists of various subjects of border guard activity in order to increase the level of interoperability of the personnel of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine on the basis of NATO standards. It has been determined that it is necessary to carry out wide consultations with representatives of NATO and NATO member states on the implementation of training programs for personnel training on issues within the competence of the Ukrainian Border Guard Service, ensuring the participation of National Academy in new research projects between Ukraine and NATO, obtaining grants for research support. It was found out that in the conditions of introduction of informal models of education in the Ukrainian system of training of border guards of various specialties it is necessary to introduce experience of NATO countries on development and carrying out of trainings on relevant subjects, especially on formation of foreign language professional competence of border guards according to STANAG 6001. Practical implications and value. Modernization of the technical component of the educational process of a higher military educational institution includes: creation of an internal educational network on border security and management, introduction of a platform for information exchange and communication between national and foreign educational institutions; creation of a virtual contact center to provide video conferencing; intensive use of mobile learning, introduction of electronic tools, virtual simulators and simulators for use by teachers in personnel training. Key words: the Euro-Atlantic integration, border guards, integrated training, NATO standards, interoperability.

Creating common sense: getting NATO to Afghanistan

This article raises the question of how NATO became bogged down in Afghanistan. I scrutinise how the alliance became involved in Afghanistan and how it formulated its strategy. In doing this, I follow the general premises of practice theory. However, instead of the common focus on diplomats and their everyday doings, this article suggests an approach that pays more attention to the structure of the field of positions. I demonstrate that the actions of permanently seconded representatives of member states and of NATO’s administrative cadre were crucial in drawing the alliance into Afghanistan. I argue that their actions significantly contributed to the creation of a fatal common sense: namely that the alliance had to become and remain engaged even in the absence of clear political goals. This provided the basis for a means-focused and endless mission.

Contested comitology? The overlooked importance of the EU Commission

ABSTRACT Composed of member states representatives, the comitology committees are watchdogs that limit the Commission’s discretion in implementing EU law. Yet, these watchdogs appear very tame, eventually adopting all measures proposed by the Commission. This apparent consensus clashes with the institutional skirmishes that characterize the negotiations over the design of the comitology system and the delegation provisions in daily EU legislation. In this article, we offer a quantitive study of the interaction between the Commission and the comitology committees. Using latent class analysis, we identify two worlds of comitology. Dealing with technically complex, non-salient cases, the first world is characterized by high specialization and hardly any dissenting comitology votes. By contrast, the second world includes politically salient cases, mobilizing high levels of expertise in the Commission and about 35% dissenting comitology votes. In the second part, we zoom in on this second world, studying under which conditions dissenting votes appear.

Explaining the political use of evaluation in international organizations

Despite a growing literature on the politics of evaluation in international organizations (IOs) and beyond, little is known about whether political or administrative stakeholders indeed realize ex-ante political interests through evaluations. This is, however, especially important considering the booming business of evaluation and the proliferation of institutional assessments both in domestic and international politics. We argue that formally independent IO evaluation units informally orientate towards either member states or the IO administration, depending on who controls the unit’s budget, staff, and agenda resources. This should enable either actor to also use evaluation results along pre-defined strategic interests. Interview data gathered among evaluators, secretariat officials, and member state representatives of six IOs support the expected pattern, highlighting striking differences in the orientation of evaluation staff and evaluation use. Findings challenge the technocratic, apolitical image of evaluation, offering practical and theoretical implications for future research.

International academic mobility through the prism of soft power theory

Introduction. In the era of globalisation and digitalisation of society, the phenomenon of mobility is of particular relevance in the humanitarian discourse. Technological, socio-political and economic changes, penetrating into the sectors of education and science, contribute to internationalisation, intensification, as well as the inclusive growth of these priority areas of society. The study of academic mobility in the context of the theory of soft power will make it possible quantitatively measure and qualitatively evaluate the information and educational infrastructure as a separate educational and scientific organisation, and the country as a whole. The aim of the present research is to comprehensively consider the international academic mobility of students as a component and recourse of the country’s soft power in post-industrial realities.Methodology and research methods.The methodological framework of the research involves discursive and conceptual approaches. The following general scientific methods were used: comparative and system-structural analysis, synthesis, generalisation and comparative method. Statistical reports and data from global rating systems were analysed and processed through the method of secondary data analysis. The coefficient of rank correlation of the relationship between the number of foreign students in the countries (included in the Top 30 of soft power) and indicators of the rating of the world universities was calculated according to Spirman’s rank correlation test.Results and scientific novelty.The theories of soft power and academic mobility are synthesised on the basis of an analytical review of scientific publications by European, American, Russian and Chinese scientists. The hypothesis of the close interdependence of these concepts is confirmed. Academic mobility, including the virtual one, is shown to be an important tool for achieving geopolitical and economic goals both in the long-term and short-term perspectives. It is established that academic mobility, on the one hand, is determined from the standpoint of economic and political expediency; on the other hand, as a consequence of the globalisation, transforming the higher education system. While Western researchers emphasise the positive aspects of international law by students and scientists, the Russian scientific discourse is largely focused on the negative trends of this process. Two directions of soft power formation in the field of education are identified: training of future leaders (elite) and education of ordinary citizens. The authors revealed the vectors of the discussed type of mobility – Western-centric (Anglo-American) and the new one Asian (Eurasian), in whichChinaand the Chinese language take a special place. It was initiated to establish the SCO University Network among the representatives of member states in order to balance educational flows. The obstacles to its effectiveness are identified.Practical significance.The research findings and conclusions extend the knowledge of the possibilities and limitations of the academic mobility realisation to increase university competitiveness.

RESPONSIBILITY OF MEMBER STATES REPRESENTATIVES AND PERSONNEL ON THE EXAMPLE OF SOME EUROPEAN UNION INSTITUTIONS

Abstract: the article analyzes the features of the responsibility of official representatives of the Member States and European Union personnel on the example of particular institutions of the European Union. Four of the seven institutions of the European Union were included in the analysis, namely: the European Parliament, the European Council, the Council of the European Union and the Commission of the European Union. The article examines the provisions of a number of EU legal acts on the responsibility of representatives of member states and EU personnel, in particular Treaty on the European Union of 1992, Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union of 1957, Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union of 2000, Act concerning the election of the Members of the European Parliament by direct universal suffrage of 1976, Protocol on the Privileges and Immunities of the European Union of 2007, Statute for members of the European Parliament of 2005, Rules of Procedure of the European Parliament, Rules of Procedure of the European Council, Rules of Procedure of the Council, Rules of Procedure of the European Commission. As a result of the analysis of these acts of primary and secondary law of the European Union, it was possible to reveal a number of features of the responsibility of member states representatives in particular institutions of the European Union and personnel of the European Union individual institutions. Such features in the article include: attachment of political, administrative, disciplinary and financial responsibilities in the analyzed acts of European Union law and the absence in them of a direct indication of the possibility to put these categories of persons under criminal responsibility; a differentiated approach, which in most cases shows itself in various types, forms and mechanisms for the realization of the responsibility of official representatives of the European Union Member States and personnel of European Union institutions; realization within the institute of responsibility of the Member States representatives and personnel of EU institutions a balanced approach based on the sphere and volume of functions performed by such an individual.

Rationale of the rare cancer list: a consensus paper from the Joint Action on Rare Cancers (JARC) of the European Union (EU)

BackgroundThe Surveillance of Rare Cancers in Europe (RARECARE) project proposed a definition and a list of rare cancers. The Joint Action on Rare Cancers (JARC), launched by the European Union and involving 18 member states and 34 partners, promoted a wide consensus effort to review the list.Patients and methodsA group of experts was set up, including scientific societies, member state representatives of JARC, representatives of the European Reference Networks dedicated to rare cancers and rare cancer patient advocates. The definition and the list of rare clinical entities, based on the incidence data provided by two European projects (RARECARE and RARECAREnet), were rediscussed through a consensus meeting of the expert panel.ResultsBy consensus, it was reiterated that the best criterion for a definition of rare cancers is incidence, rather than prevalence. By consensus, the experts slightly modified the composition of the tiers of rare cancers, according to the definition based on an incidence threshold <6/100 000/year, and grouped all rare cancers within 12 families of rare cancers. Even when defined conservatively this way, rare cancers are not rare collectively, since they correspond to 10%–20% of all cancer cases.ConclusionsThe list of rare cancers reviewed by JARC should be viewed as a tool in the fight against rare cancers and rare diseases. It may help to appreciate that rare cancers are cancers and rare diseases at the same time, combining issues and difficulties of both. We hope that refinements to the list and a wider understanding of its implications may contribute to increase awareness of problems posed by rare cancers and to improve quality of care in a large group of patients with cancer, who may be discriminated against just because of the low frequency of their diseases.

The EU Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Knowledge Gateway

Abstract Issue/ problem Unhealthy diets, physical inactivity, alcohol and tobacco use are leading risk factors for non-communicable diseases. They are all modifiable and health promotion policies can support that. Description of the problem However, information overload, controversies and uncertainties, budget constraints and difficulties in balancing disparate interests are common challenges that can hamper action by policy makers in the field of public health. To support them, the European Commission has created the Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Knowledge Gateway. It is a reference point for independent and reliable information to assist policy making; it summarises both the data and knowledge needed to support prioritisation of public health policies and justify investments in health promotion. Results The Knowledge Gateway currently covers the areas of nutrition, physical activity, alcohol, marketing of foods and beverages, and related societal impacts such as disease burden and health inequalities. These topics have been prioritised by Member States representatives and policy makers. The content is organised into concise, well-structured briefs which include definition of each issue, health related effects, and examples of policy recommendations and implemented policies. The high-quality source documents are selected in a tiered approach and are mainly authored or endorsed by authoritative public health organisations. Lessons Judging by the positive feedback received, the Knowledge Gateway is being used widely across Member States and stakeholders. The content of the Knowledge Gateway will be further expanded to support other health priorities such as mental health promotion. Policy makers have a unique, trusted “one-stop-shop” with high quality information to support, justify and strengthen the development of public health policies and health promotion. Key messages The use of reliable authoritative information for the development of public health policies can support the prevention of major non-communicable disease risk factors. The EU Knowledge Gateway is a unique reference point of reliable, independent information to support policy making in the area of public health.

Governance networks shaping the G20 through inclusivity practices

ABSTRACT This article analyses how global governance networks contest, influence, and shape the Group of Twenty (G20) forum through the latter’s growing inclusivity practices, with important effects on global economic governance norms and practices. These transnational networks include public, intergovernmental, private, and civil society actors that interact through professional ‘ecologies.’ Some network actors participate in the G20’s official engagement forums, others contribute to G20 policy formulation and implementation in other ways, including member-state representatives and officials from international institutions. The research includes evidence from participant observation, semi-structured interviews, public statements, and document analysis, deploying analytical tools from social constructivism, discourse analysis, and the sociology of professions. It examines G20 policy-shaping capacities of global governance networks, especially on macroprudential financial regulation, sustainable economic growth, and sustainable development. The research finds that governance networks have contributed significantly to decentralising global governance authority by diversifying its actors since the 2008 financial crisis.