European Structures Research Articles

Principal Structures in Europe: A View from Germany and France

The authors discuss a court ruling regarding the reorganization of a US-headquartered group's European structure into a Swiss principal model, which involved converting German entities from residual to routine-margin earners. While the German court concluded no transfer-of-function compensation was required, the debate on transfer pricing methods continues, questioning the consistency of a cost-plus service model of a French entity while being characterized as entrepreneur. It notably emphasizes the importance of functional analysis in determining strategic and operational roles and risks rather than merely simplistic labels like "entrepreneur" or "routine".

Medically assisted reproduction and non-normative family forms: legislation and public opinion in Europe

ABSTRACT This paper explores the relationship between access legislation of medically assisted reproduction (MAR) and public attitudes towards family structures in Europe. It contributes to understanding the contextual frameworks that may facilitate the formation of a family outside the different-sex couple norm. The permissiveness of MAR policies has received political attention owing to its potential to revolutionize family formation, with varying regulatory routes among states regarding access for single individuals and same-sex couples. We particularly examine regulatory trends in granting MAR access to single women and lesbian couples in Europe, and how legislation aligns with attitudes towards single motherhood and same-sex parenthood. Utilizing descriptive analysis and two-level models on original MAR legislation data across 36 European countries and the European Values Study (2008–10 and 2017–20) for attitudes, we show that MAR access is granted to lesbian couples in contexts where same-sex parenthood is accepted. By contrast, legalized MAR access for single women seems rather disconnected from public opinion towards single motherhood. As a whole, the paper delineates contexts in which the combination of social acceptance and legal permissibility of MAR use for non-normative prospective parents may favor the formation of ‘new’ family forms.

Transformation of Settlement Structures in Europe: Trends, Challenges, and Reform Approaches

Changes in the number of municipalities and their administrative organization represent one of the central themes of European public administration, reflecting historical context, demographic changes, economic pressures, and technological progress. The aim of this study is to analyse approaches to the merging and division of municipalities in selected European states and to identify factors influencing the success of these reforms. The research uses a combination of comparative analyses of legislative frameworks, socio-economic conditions, and case studies and works with data from official statistics, scholarly literature, and reports on the implementation of reforms. The main findings show that some states, such as Denmark, achieve significant improvements in efficiency through the merging of municipalities, while others, such as France, prefer the preservation of smaller municipalities in order to maintain local identity and community ties. Reform processes often face cultural and political obstacles, and their success depends on a combination of voluntary approaches, financial incentives, and effective communication with the public. The study concludes that the key to effective governance is the balance between the need to optimize public services and the preservation of local specificities. These findings provide important guidance for further reform processes in the European context and can contribute to the sustainable development of regions as well as to the greater satisfaction of the population.

Lok-Test and Capo-Test pullout for in-situ concrete strength

Among the test systems for in-place concrete strength available today, two measure the in-place physical strength, pullout, and cores. Both systems are dealt with in detail in this paper, the pullout systems named LOK-TEST/CAPO-TEST (ASTM C900-19) and coring (ASTM C42/42M-18). Testing in-situ with accurate test systems will reveal effects on the final strength from a potential mix’s over transportation, pumping, consolidation, compaction, and curing. With the LOK-TEST system testing of the pre-installed inserts takes 4–5 minutes each, easily and with only one small suitcase brought along. The CAPO-TEST, originally designed to supplement the LOK-TEST, takes 15–20 minutes for each test to be performed anywhere on a structure without pre-installed inserts. No large holes are left in the structure from coring and thinner elements may be tested without weakening them structurally. The pullout test provides accurately the In-Place Strength without testing cores and the duration is about 15 minutes compared to 3–4 days for coring correctly cured. General robust correlations to strength of standard specimens exist no matter what parameter is considered for normal concrete, even for carbonation of the surface layer. With the systems the cover layer protecting the reinforcement may be checked efficiently and quickly, not at least in areas with dense reinforcement or on slim structures. Bad curing conditions are revealed and the consequences in terms of reduced service life for presence of chlorides or carbonation may be estimated swiftly. This paper is benchmarking 50 years of successful in-situ concrete strength measurements, from studies of the failure mechanism and laboratory/on-site correlations to full scale testing of structures in Europe, Scandinavia, and Canada. Six testing cases with emphasis on pullout and cores are illustrating different applications: Case 1. Production testing at the Great Belt Link, Denmark. Case 2. Service life of bridge pier, Great Belt Link, Denmark. Case 3. Curing of the cover layer evaluated by pullout and conductivity, Denmark. Case 4. Strength testing with CAPO-TEST for further loading of old bridges, Poland. Case 5. In-Situ compressive strength testing of quarantined precast concrete tunnel lining segments using CAPO-TEST, UK. Case 6. Safe and early loading with LOK-TEST, Canada. Other cases are given on www.NDTitans.com

Concepts of Ethics to Engage the Older Person with the Community

Abstract Almost half of Europe’s region is rural. There is also a dearth in essential services along with an aging population. There is an ethical obligation by society to reflect on how the older person is facilitated to engage with communities. Family structures in Europe are changing, moving from rural to urban areas with increasing numbers of older people living alone. This has consequences for the role of communities and public policy to ensure that the older person remains socially connected. The aim of this review paper is an attempt to explore some important concepts in relation to the older person and their engagement with communities. It is not an ultimate review. The objective is an attempt to reflect on ethical considerations that necessitates consideration in relation to the older person and their self- determination with regards to reducing loneliness and assisting them to live in age friendly communities. Methodology utilised a snapshot of various ideologies in relation to the older person and their unique attributes that may improve their quality of life. Conclusion: The older person is growing in population, throughout the globe. Their enormous contribution to society is at times undermined. Empowerment of the older person to enable them to express their wishes is vital. An ethical model for enabling the older person to make decisions is vital. This model must also include components with expertise from various technologies in relation to the older person. This review will place emphasis on communities to ensure that the older person is included in societal affairs and facilitate them to make their contribution. This review will help to understand how important it is to ensure that the older person gets opportunities to get involved in communities so that loneliness and social isolation is minimised.

Social organizations and political institutions: why China and Europe diverged

AbstractThis paper discusses the historical and social origins of the bifurcation in the political institutions of China and Western Europe. An important factor, recognized in the literature, is that China centralized state institutions very early on, while Europe remained politically fragmented for much longer. These initial differences, however, were amplified by the different social organizations (clans in China, corporate structures in Europe) that spread in these two societies at the turn of the first millennium AD. State institutions interacted with these organizations, and were shaped and influenced by this interaction. The paper discusses the many ways in which corporate organizations contributed to the emergence of representative institutions and gave prominence to the Rule of Law in the early stages of state formation in Europe, and how specific features of lineage organizations contributed to the consolidation of the Imperial regime in China.

Analysis Options for Urban Green Spaces Based on Unified Urban Masks: Selected Results for European Cities

At a time of rising urbanisation and climate change, urban green spaces (UGSs) are an essential element to help adapt to extreme weather events. Especially in urban core areas, heat and drought are regarded as human stress factors. The delineation of such areas constitutes an important reference geometry in topographic geodata (urban mask). This article deals with possibilities for investigating UGSs in European cities—based on unified urban masks—by applying city-wide metrics to Copernicus data (Urban Atlas including the Street Tree Layer). Both public and tree-covered urban green spaces are examined in detail. Selected results are presented for 30 European cities that display a wide range of urban structures. The spatial reference to uniformly delineated urban masks places the analytical focus of city-wide metrics onto corresponding core areas. In general, the values of UGS metrics vary considerably between cities, indicating the strong influence of city-specific factors on urban structures in Europe. For the comparative analysis of tree-covered urban areas, the Urban Green Raster Germany and a municipal tree register are used to provide additional data sources. The regular updating of the Copernicus dataset means that green spaces in European cities can be monitored, also using urban masks.

Accurate design of BHE fields for geothermal heat pump systems: The ASHRAE-Tp8 method compared to non aggregated schemes applied to different European test cases

The European targets addressed to greenhouse gas emissions reduction require a series of actions, including the role to be played by heat pumps and ground-coupled (GCHP) high performance ones. The correct design of the Borehole Heat Exchangers (BHE) field is the core of any GCHP project. The building heating and cooling demand is one of the inputs that shape the problem, to be associated with the use of precalculated temperature response factors describing the ground thermal response to different BHE field arrangements. Commercial codes (e.g. EED, GLHEPRO) can address such a complex computing task by referring to the monthly step thermal loads. In this paper, the monthly approach is compared with the three thermal pulses approach (modified ASHRAE-Tp8 method) by investigating a series of typical building structures in Europe (Tabula webtool database). Hourly heat load profiles for different European countries (Italy, France, Sweden, Germany, Spain) are calculated by EnergyPlus simulations. The present analysis, based on a representative set of building heat demands in Europe, demonstrates that the simple three-pulses approach with the Tp8 formulas is able to provide the correct BHE field overall length with 5% accuracy (average error 2.22%) with respect to the reference monthly calculations performed with commercial codes.

Historic timber roof structure vulnerability assessment procedures – Critical analysis and comparison

Historic timber roof structure vulnerability assessment procedures – Critical analysis and comparison

The influence of axial misalignment on the load‐bearing capacity of buttwelded joints

AbstractSteel structures in Europe are generally designed and dimensioned according to EN 1993. The execution, in turn, is carried out according to EN 1090‐2, which for the evaluation of welded joints refers to the quality levels of EN ISO 5817. Here, significant incompatibilities between the design, execution and quality standards have been identified in recent years. The evaluation of weld imperfections according to EN ISO 5817 is based on quality levels with clear limits. However, it is questionable whether the tolerances for weld imperfections defined by the assessment limits represent a realistic limit under static load conditions. To better understand the impact of weld imperfection size on the load bearing capacity axial misalignment and its' influence on load‐bearing capacity is investigated in this article. At first, the characteristics of the axial misalignment are described statistically and an overview of the current state of the art is given. Afterwards the results of quasi static large‐scale tension tests on buttwelded joints with axial misalignment are presented. Finally, the quality levels of EN ISO 5817 are evaluated regarding the influence of imperfection size on the load‐bearing capacity of joints containing axial misalignment.

Universal Design for Learning across Formal School Structures in Europe—A Systematic Review

Over the past two decades, there has been a global movement towards creating more inclusive education systems and learning environments, which involves adopting transformative pedagogies, such as Universal Design for Learning (UDL). However, empirical research on UDL conducted across Europe has primarily focused on the higher education context, resulting in limited knowledge or publications on formal school settings. Therefore, the purpose of this article is to highlight empirical studies conducted across Europe that specifically focus on UDL in the formal school years. The study employed a systematic literature review, conducting an extensive search across three databases (Libsearch, Ebsco and Scopus). Empirical studies were selected based on predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria, and the results were analyzed using descriptive narrative synthesis. The results revealed that the included articles mainly explored students’ and/or teachers’ perceptions of various phenomena related to the learning process, predominantly employing a qualitative approach. The findings suggest a need for further research in this area, with a particular emphasis on explicit learning outcomes. Moreover, there appears to be a lack of research on UDL implementation in preschool and early years education.

Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Multi-airport Systems Worldwide

Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Multi-airport Systems Worldwide

Some Directions of Use of International Experience by Law Enforcement Bodies of the Mia System of Ukraine

Problem setting. Today, Ukraine is in a state of war. Active hostilities continue in some regions. Law enforcement agencies subordinate to the Ministry of Internal Affairs occupy one of the decisive positions in countering the aggressive manifestations of the Russian Federation. Law enforcement structures have a double burden, namely: performing tasks related to repelling an armed attack of the Russian Federation, as well as ensuring the inviolability of state borders, maintaining a proper state of public order and security, and detecting manifestations of collaborationism in controlled territories. Under the conditions of the legal regime of martial law on the territory of Ukraine, law enforcement agencies of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine effectively perform tasks in all areas of official activity. We are talking about the maximum use of all opportunities and developments, including the use of the experience of law enforcement agencies of partner countries. In view of this, there is an urgent need to implement the positive experience of the law enforcement agencies of the USA and European countries. Analysis of recent researches and publications. Questions regarding the use of the experience of the police of Europe, the United States, and Japan in the field of security and public order protection at the national, regional, and local levels were investigated by domestic and foreign scientists, namely: O.M. Bandurka, O.I. Bezpalova, O.V. Jafarova, A.M. Dovgopolov, V.O. Zarosylo, N.V. Kaminska, V.L. Kostyuk, S.P. Melnyk, O.S. Pronevich, Yu.I. Rymarenko, V.O. Sichkar, E. Thompson, V.L. Filstein, O.S. Yunin, O.N. Yarmysh In these publications of scientists, the need to take into account the experience of the law enforcement system of foreign countries when introducing new forms and methods of work of law enforcement bodies of the system of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine is substantiated. Target of the research is to investigate and analyze the actions of the National Police, as well as other law enforcement agencies of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, which are aimed at using international experience in the process of increasing the efficiency of the work of these state institutions. Study the experience of law enforcement agencies of EU countries and other foreign countries regarding measures aimed at ensuring the proper state of public safety and public order protection. Article’s main body. The article analyzes proposals for improving the effectiveness of the National Police, as well as other law enforcement agencies of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, using the international experience of law enforcement structures in Europe and the United States. Including the interaction of the police with local bodies of executive power, local self-government, public organizations and the population. Conclusions and prospects for the development. We can note that the effective functioning of the law enforcement system of independent Ukraine requires the leadership of the Ministry of Internal Affairs to implement the positive experience of the law enforcement agencies of the USA and European countries. as an example of such experience, in particular in the field of protection of human rights and freedoms, combating crime, protection of public order and security, in conditions of martial law, in our opinion, it is necessary, in particular, to develop proposals at the legislative level that provide for stricter responsibility of the participants and, in the first place in turn, the organizers of mass events for violating the order of their holding provided by law, including criminal liability (examples of EU countries).

Residential tower of the Koło castle in the light of the latest archaeological research

The Koło castle (Wielkopolskie voivodeship) is the best-preserved royal stronghold in the broadly defined historical province of Wielkopolska (Greater Poland). The castle owes this status not so much to the scale of the structures preserved to this day (i.e., ruins of the bergfried; the west curtain walls, still visible today in full length and considerable height; the greater part of the north curtain wall; and a section of the south one), but rather to the dilapidated condition of other castles founded by Polish monarchs. For a number of years (1977–1983), the Koło castle was subjected to archaeological research led by Łucja Pawlicka-Nowak (Regional Museum in Konin). Among other things, the excavations uncovered the residential tower discussed in thispaper. The excavations at the time covered the western half of the building’s interior, both of its outer southern corners, and the north-western area. The research was resumed in 2019, and the authors of this paper faced the challenge of verifying the earlier fieldwork, the extent of which was very wide and not fully documented. The investigations presented here shed completely new light both on the construction history of the Koło castle, and the issues concerning its chronology, which, in the light of current research, would have been as follows: Casimir the Great acquires the village and founds the town of Koło in 1362; the construction of the castle commences and the work on the site of the residential tower quickly progresses following 1365 (or 1367); the monarch dies in autumn 1370, before or shortly after the unfinished castle is consumed by fire. The article concludes with a chapter showing the Koło tower against the background of similar structures in Europe.

CLUSTERING OF THE NATIONAL ECONOMY AS AN EFFECTIVE TOOL FOR THE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT OF EUROPEAN COUNTRIES

The cluster model is an effective tool for ensuring the effective development of national economies and the transformation of the innovative ecosystems of European countries. This is determined by the goals of the cluster approach. In most European countries, cluster structures are recognized as the most effective means of implementing regional policies that promote balanced sustainable development of regions based on the use of local conditions, resources and competitive advantages. World practice testifies to the intensification of the processes of formation of cluster associations of organizations in recent decades. Currently, about 50% of the economies of developed countries are covered by the processes of creation and functioning of clusters. The purpose of the article is the analysis and synthesis of the European experience in the development of cluster structures to develop recommendations for the possible use of clustering the national economy as an effective tool for sustainable development of European countries in Ukraine. Methodology. The theoretical and methodological basis of the study are the provisions of institutional theory, in particular the paradigm of evolutionary development, clustering theory, the concept of strategic and logistical management, enterprise development management. In the process of research the following general scientific methods were used: analysis and synthesis (for the analysis of scientific schools of development of cluster theories, generalization of existing theoretical approaches and provisions, scientific developments on the problems of managing the development of cluster structures, clarification of terminological apparatus); classification and systematic approach (to systematize the conceptual approaches to defining the concepts of "cluster", "clustering", to identify industry-specific development of cluster structures in Europe); comparison and structural-logical generalization (to determine the features of the European practice of clusters and the possibility of its use in Ukraine). Results. The study revealed the sectoral focus of cluster structures in European countries. The features of the implementation of cluster policy and the key objectives of support for the development of cluster structures in a number of EU countries were identified. It is proved that the clusterization of the national economy, cluster policies and initiatives in the last decade have become important elements of strategies and concepts of innovative and sustainable development of European countries. Based on the analysis and synthesis of sectoral trends in the creation of cluster structures in European countries, it was found that the national characteristics of existing cluster policy determine the direction of cluster initiatives; strategic cluster alternatives are determined by national characteristics and the adopted cluster concept; to assess the feasibility of the cluster strategy of development of the territory it is necessary to correlate the level of investment potential and investment activity; methodological principles of formation of a national cluster strategy need to be refined and clarified, taking into account the current challenges. Practical implications. On the basis of summarizing the best European experience, it was found that to increase the competitiveness of the national and regional economy it is necessary to create cluster structures as effective forms of partnership. But as a result of the study, it was found that the current legislation of Ukraine does not pay proper attention to the formation and functioning of clusters. This requires changes and additions to the Concept of creating clusters in Ukraine, the Regional Development Strategy until 2027 and action plans for their implementation in 2021-2023 years to create cluster structures as a business entity. It is advisable to develop and approve the Concept of cluster policy and the Target Program "The formation and development of cluster formations in the regions of Ukraine for 2021-2023 years", which should provide for the creation of clusters as a special type of associations of enterprises in different fields of activity and taking into account regional characteristics. Value/originality. The author's approach to improving the regulatory support for the development of cluster associations in Ukraine, taking into account the best European practices was formulated.

Energy Poverty and Sustainable Economic Development: An Exploration of Correlations and Interdependencies in European Countries

The problem of energy poverty exists in practically every European country. Its size and scope are determined by a variety of factors, ranging from economic development to the direction of energy and climate policy implementation to cultural factors. Our aim in this paper was to carry out a comparative analysis of indicators related to energy poverty and sustainable development to identify correlations and links between the two issues and determine how they are related. The fact that the analysis was performed for most European countries is new and represents a broad spectrum of research; we were not limited to studies of countries bound by formal political-economic arrangements or by consideration of the degree of economic development. This approach enabled explication of how diverse the situation is in Europe. The research methods used included a critical analysis of the literature and the use of descriptive and mathematical-statistical tools. The main conclusions and findings of the analysis were that in some countries in economically developed Europe, energy poverty is a major problem, and that, in this respect, there are large differences between “old European Union” and “new European Union” countries, and in the countries that do not belong to political-economic structures in Europe. It is clear, from the research, which countries are rapidly and effectively reducing their energy poverty problems and which factors are the determinants of this. These results are linked to the new direction of energy policy and the shift towards more environmentally friendly energy use. In conclusion, it has been possible to identify the causes of energy poverty and how the energy poverty situation in Europe is changing.

Chemical safety as a component of general and professional competences in training of future doctors

The study analyzes the content of international (project "Harmonization of educational structures in Europe") and Ukrainian (industry standard of higher education field of knowledge 22 "Health Protection", specialty 222 "Medicine") legal documents of training future doctors in the context of modern ideas on chemical safety. The components of chemical safety are identified: understanding of the chemical factor as an integral danger to human health; knowledge of methods of labeling chemicals and products; compliance with the rules and safety measures for working with chemical products throughout the life cycle. The content of the main professional competencies of the second level of medical education of the project "Harmonization of educational structures in Europe", which are related to the application of chemical safety issues in the future professional activity of the future doctor: to consult with the patient; provide emergency medical care in emergencies; apply the principles, skills and knowledge of evidence-based medicine; promote health, to address public health issues and work effectively in the health care system, is revealed. The general and professional competencies of the future doctor in the field of chemical safety, which are stated in the industry standard of higher education in the field of knowledge 22 "Health Protection ", specialty 222 "Medicine", are established: desire to preserve the environment; ability to carry out sanitary and hygienic and preventive measures; ability to conduct epidemiological and medical-statistical studies of public health; ability to assess the impact of the environment on the health of the population (individual, family, population); ability to implement resource efficiency activities

Una geografía regional de la familia en la Europa de la Segunda Transición Demográfica

En este artículo se analiza la distribución geográfica de las estructuras de hogares en Europa, a partir de datos simultáneos y metodológicamente equiparables de 32 países europeos y 1.340 regiones NUTS 3 (Eurostat) correspondientes a la ronda censal de 2010. Con esta información, hemos confeccionado una serie de mapas detallados con la distribución espacial de los tipos de hogares a escala NUTS 3. Para llevar a cabo este trabajo se han empleado técnicas de econometría espacial, análisis de componentes principales y conglomerados. La geografía de los tipos de hogares que emerge tras nuestro análisis constata la existencia de una significativa autocorrelación espacial en todas las formas y estructuras analizadas; es decir, los tipos de hogares no se distribuyen de forma aleatoria en el espacio europeo.

Patterns in global value chains: Integration, technology and employment structures in Europe. Country and sectoral evidence

Patterns in global value chains: Integration, technology and employment structures in Europe. Country and sectoral evidence

Asymmetries in Global Value Chain Integration, Technology and Employment Structures in Europe: Country and Sectoral Evidence

Asymmetries in Global Value Chain Integration, Technology and Employment Structures in Europe: Country and Sectoral Evidence