Supranational Organizations Research Articles

Analysis of the Conceptualization of Quality in Spanish Educational Legislation

<p style="text-align:justify">Since the 1990s, there has been a global trend in the search for quality in school systems that have materialized in the educational policies of the most developed countries. This article analyzes the treatment given to the concept of quality in the educational reforms approved in the last fifty years in Spain. The objectives of this study were: (a) to analyze the presence and recurrence of the term ‘quality’ in each of the laws and (b) to identify the factors associated with quality in these laws. To respond to these objectives, a bibliographic study was carried out using a content analysis approach to the texts of the different laws, as well as a review of the existing literature on the subject in question. It was, therefore, an eminently qualitative research approach. Among the findings found, it is worth highlighting the high presence of the term ‘quality’ in the legislative texts analyzed since the beginning of the new millennium, as well as a continuity in the educational reforms of evaluation policies of the educational system in coherence with the demands produced by supranational organizations at a global level.</p>

Imaginary of Post-National European Constitutionalism: Lessons from Central European Philosophy, Sociology and Jurisprudence

Abstract The article focuses on the paradoxes of constitutional identity and the impact of constitutional sovereignty on post-sovereign European society and politics. It uses post-1989 constitutional and social transformations in Central European countries, the rise of constitutional populism and identitarian politics to argue that the nation state continues to operate through the principle of constitutional sovereignty even in the EU’s post-sovereign constitutional constellation. It thus proves that democratic politics is identity politics even in post-sovereign and post-national politics and the EU’s supranational organisation has to respond to the constitutional and political identity question through its own structures and semantics. The central argument, therefore, revisits classic notions of social and constitutional theory such as the distinctions between community and society, ethnos and demos or authenticity and alienation to outline the persistence of nationalism and its varieties in contemporary constitutional populism in Central Europe. While recognising that the nation state continues to be the only organisation to successfully combine rational efficiency and communal bonds constituted by the national identity, the EU’s response to the challenges of constitutional populism and nationalism needs to enhance its democratic legitimation and constitutionally integrate the imaginaries of European public spheres and demoicracy to promote an anti-explosive alternative to the explosive nationalist imaginaries.

A guide for policy and decision makers on health literacy policies

Abstract Supported by supranational organizations such as the WHO or the European Union, governments across the world have begun to work systematically on developing and implementing action plans, strategies and policies to improve the health literacy of their citizens and the health literacy friendliness/responsiveness of health organizations. In 2023, a first project on evidence-based policies and practices was initiated by the WHO Action Network on Measuring Population and Organizational Health Literacy (M-POHL) and financially supported by the Swiss Ministry of Health. In this project a guide on how health literacy policies can be developed and implemented was developed by an international working group. This guide brings together insights from existing literature on national health literacy strategies, action plans and interventions, including an expert snowball search within the M-POHL network and among other partners, experiences and case examples collected from M-POHL members and other countries. Feedback on the guide was collected in interactive webinars with policy representatives and decision-makers and addressed. The structure of the guide follows an adapted version of the Public Health Action Cycle model, assisting step-by-step action on health literacy policy development: situation analysis; agenda setting; developing policies, strategies and interventions; implementation; evaluation and monitoring. Each phase is described, and best practices and recommendations provided. The guide closes with a checklist for self-assessment which follows the structure of this document. It supports reflection on the state of policies in a country. This innovative guide contributes to supporting evidence-informed policies and practice. This can be of interest to experts and practitioners who have data on challenges relating to the health literacy levels of population groups and who wish to develop or adjust their policies, services and communications accordingly.

Health information system assessments: Opportunities for international collaboration

Abstract Since the late 1990s, with the development of European Core Health Indicators (ECHI) and the European Health Interview Survey (EHIS), the EU aims to strengthen its continental database for evidence-informed public health policy and research. BRIDGE Health (2015-2017), InfAct (Information for Action 2018-2021) and PHIRI (Population Health Information Research Infrastructure 2020-2023) projects prepared for the establishment of a sustainable European health information infrastructure. Country health information system (HIS) assessments were core project activities, performed on the basis of the WHO Euro ‘Support Tool to strengthen health information systems’. To serve project objectives, the original top-down Support Tool was modified and implemented in a peer-to-peer approach among project countries. InfAct and PHIRI conducted 9 country peer-assessments each. InfAct assessments were carried out through country visits, targeting overall health information inequalities and good practices. PHIRI performed virtual country visits, focusing on COVID-19 health information flows. The WHO Tool was further adapted by the Joint Action TEHDAS (2021-2023) to assess the readiness of HIS in Europe for the European Health Data Space. Experience with these different iterations led to the revision of the Support Tool in 2021 to include a more expanded and modular approach which enables HIS assessments to opt to focus on specific aspects. To date, a sustainable European health information infrastructure has not been set up. Currently, the EU funds a joint Health Information Network with WHO Euro. Building regional infrastructures for public health and NCDI/MH monitoring and reporting depend on structures and on the political will of supranational organizations and their members. Meanwhile, HIS assessments to improve surveillance, population health and to reduce health information inequalities lend themselves to increased international collaboration and knowledge exchange.

Towards new perspectives of stakeholder engagement in sustainability transitions: Bringing the supranational level into view

Although stakeholder engagement is a well-discussed topic within sustainability transitions research, it is underexplored in the context of supranational actors, such as the EU, despite the apparent relevance. Through the case study of the European citizen and stakeholder consultations around European Green Deal (EGD), this paper investigates the implications of stakeholder engagement conducted on a supranational level. By applying a transitions-based engagement framework, gaps are highlighted in the existing knowledge of the particular supranational dynamics in engagement for sustainability transitions. The goals of engagement are entangled and point to the complexity of supranational organisations, as well as specific challenges these organisations face in engagement processes. These include challenges of overcoming scale, relevance for the citizens, as well as legitimizing their own role as a transitions actor. These distinctly supranational challenges of engagement in transitions highlight several new avenues for research. In order to play a more effective role in transitions, supranational organisations must overcome these challenges.

A cross-sectional assessment of the influence of information sources about substance use in adolescents’ tobacco prevalence

BackgroundTobacco consumption is a relevant public health problem, with adolescence being a common period of initiation. One factor that has rarely been investigated is the information available to adolescents regarding the consequences of substance use. Therefore, the primary objective of this study was to assess the correlation between teenagers' self-reported information level about substance consumption and its sources and smoking prevalence. The study differentiates between sources monitored by state or supranational organizations (schools, parents, and mass media) and those that are not (peers, siblings, and the Internet). Three modes of tobacco consumption were examined: cigarette, e-cigarette, and hookah. MethodsThis study used a survey conducted in 2023 with teenagers residing in Tarragona (Spain). The survey received 1307 responses from a target demographic comprising approximately 8000 individuals. Hierarchical ordered logistic regression was employed to evaluate the significance of the variables pertaining to each modality of tobacco consumption. The assessed variables encompassed the perceived level of information concerning substance use and the quantity of monitored and unmonitored resources that provide that information. These variables were controlled for four individual and four environmental factors. ResultsLogistic regressions indicated that although the extent of information regarding substance consumption consequences does not correlate with smoking in any form, the amount of monitored and unmonitored information resources was significantly associated with all consumption modalities. Information derived from monitored sources consistently exerts a protective effect. In the case of cigarette consumption, the 95 % confidence interval of the odds ratio (95%CI) was 0.43–0.91; for e-cigarrette, 95%CI = 0.45–0.86, and for hookah usage 95%CI = 0.42–0.86. The use of unmonitored resources appears to encourage consumption. In the case of cigarette, 95%CI = 1.08–2.34; for e-cigarette, 95%CI = 1.39–2.69; and for hookah use 95%CI = 1.39–2.68. ConclusionsThe results in this paper have significant implications for health literacy dissemination, underscoring the need for public authorities to consider both monitored and unmonitored information sources in relation to smoking prevalence in adolescents. These results imply that information emanating from monitored sources of information in the design and implementation of measures against adolescents’ tobacco use.

Unfinished Business: Review of the EU’s Policies on Gender Equality in Education

This article presents a broad historical review of the European Union (EU)’s policies on gender equality in education. The review shows that the EU’s policies on gender equality in education have gone through four stages: germination, foundation, formation and deepening. Though the EU has sought to call for greater gender equality in education and made some progress and achievements, gender equality in education is still an unfinished business because its success largely depends on enforcement, regulation and a gender equality culture in society. In reality, the EU, as a supranational organization, does not have enough enforcement power or regulation of its policies, and the patriarchal culture still exists and has a hidden legitimacy in society.

Social media, misinformation and fake news in the pandemic: the dominant gaps and future research avenues

PurposeSocial networking sites have become breeding grounds for the spread of fake news and misinformation. At the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, the spread of fake news intensified, causing complications for health communicators by drowning authentic information from verifiable official sources. Looking at the impact of this growing phenomenon on people’s attitudes and behaviour during the pandemic, research in the area must be populated to help governments, supranational organisations, non-governmental organisations as well as civil society organisations to formulate policies to curb the menace. This study was therefore undertaken to unravel current gaps and future research avenues to empower academia in achieving the desired scholarly impact.Design/methodology/approachThe study adopted the systematic review approach, relying on 56 peer-reviewed articles on social media, fake news and misinformation in the Covid-19 pandemic.FindingsThe study found that the use of social media during the height of the pandemic led to unhelpful information creation and sharing behaviours such that people’s self-awareness reduced drastically, thereby impeding the fight against the pandemic. The study also established that Entertainment motives, Ignorance and Altruism motives were the dominant factors that influenced the spread of fake news. There was evidence of the marginalization of research on the subject matter from contexts such as Africa, South America and Oceania.Originality/valueThis study has established existing gaps in issues and evidence, methodology, theory and context and consequently discussed future research avenues for social media use and the spread of fake news. The study has also provided practical implications for both governmental and non-governmental organisations in curbing the phenomenon of fake news and misinformation.Peer reviewThe peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/OIR-07-2022-0366.

The attractiveness of the BRICS and G7 countries in the global hydrocarbon market

The increasing international political tensions and the growing use of economic sanctions in world markets have made it more important to compare the prospects for the development of major players in the global economy. The aim of this study is to evaluate the potential of the BRICS and G7 countries based on the attractiveness of their industries for other countries, including those from the Global South and East, which are still undecided about joining either group. To achieve this goal, the following objectives were set and achieved: to obtain statistically significant data on the capabilities of associations, taking into account the political and economic orientation of supranational organizations; to form and compare the financial and economic profiles of industry participants from BRICS, G7, and non-aligned countries; to assess the attractiveness and development potential of players in the BRICS and G7 markets. The methodology used has been based on regression analysis, comparative analysis, multidimensional analysis, and nonparametric testing of corporate financial statements from public companies in 2019 and 2020. The analysis of the images of the industry residents of BRICS, G7, and “neutral” countries has allowed to identify a trend toward increased polarization and growing differences between the BRICS and G7 members. The criteria for this trend are indicators of business margins, sales volumes, capital, and the volume of non-current assets. According to three out of four criteria, the overall image of an industry resident from BRICS is more attractive than that of from G7 due to multiple exceedances of the values of these criteria indicators. This serves as a clear example of the potential for undecided countries from the Global South and East to join this association and strengthens BRICS’ authority and development.

Mapping the moral foundations of the European Union: Why a lack of moral diversity may undermine perceived EU legitimacy.

The stability and effectiveness of supranational organizations, like the European Union (EU), will improve when citizens perceive them as legitimate. Across three studies, two of which were preregistered, and a preregistered pilot study, we combined EU legal expertise with social psychological theory on morality to understand how perceived EU legitimacy is influenced by a sense of moral alignment with the EU. We propose that, currently, the EU gives more weight to values linked to "individualizing" moral foundations (e.g. compassion, social justice, and equality) than to values linked to "binding" moral foundations (e.g. patriotism, religion, and traditionalism). As this may leave people who endorse binding moral foundations feel unrepresented, we investigated whether the EU could gain legitimacy by appealing to values that resonate with binding moral foundations. In study 1, text analyses revealed that the European Commission President's State of the Union speeches indeed appeal more to individualizing than to binding moral foundations. Study 2 (n = 595) provided correlational evidence that the negative relationship between binding moral foundations and perceived EU legitimacy was mediated by lower moral alignment with EU law. Finally, study 3 (n = 567) showed through an experiment that reframing or rebalancing EU law to better align it with binding moral foundations could increase perceived EU legitimacy among people who endorse these moral foundations. The results illustrate the importance of understanding and attending to moral diversity among EU citizens. More generally, our work shows how a collaboration between social psychology and law contributes to safeguarding the legitimacy of supranational organizations.

An Overview of the Eurasian Economic Union as an Economic Integration Supranational Organization

The Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), founded on May 29, 2014, represents a significant effort to enhance economic growth and prosperity among former Soviet states, notably Kazakhstan, Belarus, and Russia. Tracing its origin from the dissolution of the USSR and the subsequent establishment of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) in 1991, the EAEU emerged after overcoming initial challenges faced by the CIS, formalizing its structure in 2015. This paper provides a comprehensive analysis of the EAEU's historical evolution, institutional framework, and the dynamics of its economic integration. By examining the EAEU's impact on member economies, including achievements like the creation of a unified labour market and increased trade volumes, the study stresses its role in advancing regional economic cooperation. It also addresses persistent challenges such as disparities in energy resources and the union's limited supranational authority. Furthermore, this paper draws comparisons between the EAEU and the European Union (EU), offering perceptions into their differing organizational structures and levels of integration. Through this comparative lens, it elucidates how each union shapes regional dynamics and influences global economic relations.

Mapping the imaginary of Information Communication Technologies (ICTs) in education: the case of Botswana

ABSTRACT This article investigates policy-as-discourse and policy-as-technology with specific focus on how the deployment of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in education is positioned as a redemptive force in the case of Botswana. Therborn's theory of inequalities was adopted to catalogue ways in which supranational organisations and the national government of Botswana consider the potential of ICT and/ICT in education to address (in)equalities in Botswana. A deductive Directed Qualitative Content Analysis (DQICA) was adopted focusing on how the national government and supranational organisations view and present ICT in education in Botswana with regards to being an equaliser. The analysis of the evidence points to ICT in education being seen and operationalised to ameliorate existing inequalities in education and broader society, without, necessarily, questioning broader socioeconomic structural arrangements and factors sustaining inequalities.

Green Parties and the Quest for Biodiversity: The Political Economy of Fiscal Commitments in OECD Economies

This study focuses on green parties in government and analyzes the political economy of public spending for biodiversity and landscape protection, comparing it with other environmental and non-environmental spending categories. Using panel data covering 26 OECD economies during the sample period from 1995 to 2021, we employ an error-correction approach that effectively accounts for both the presence of stochastic trends in the data and the structure of public budgets. Our findings highlight significant differences in the political economy of biodiversity and landscape protection spending compared with other environmental expenditures. Firstly, while governments under the participation of green parties generally allocate more funds to other environmental issues, the same does not hold true for biodiversity. Secondly, growth rates of other environmental expenditures increase considerably during election periods, whereas expenditures dedicated to biodiversity and landscape protection tend to shrink. Thirdly, environmental expenditures are more procyclical in comparison with public spending for non-environmental purposes, where, however, under green parties in government the cyclicality of biodiversity and landscape protection expenditure is mitigated during periods of fiscal adjustments. These results underscore the importance of establishing enhanced and counter-cyclical funding mechanisms, bolstered by support from supranational organizations, to ensure continuous and effective preservation of biodiversity.

Cross-sectional and spatial panel data analysis of territorial economic cohesion in the European Union regions based on convergence approach: From 2 to 8 per cent?

From an economic, political and social standpoint, one of the most evident and visible features of today's European Union as a supranational regional organization is its heterogeneity, where disparity seems to be the common denominator. This leads to the interest for measuring the territorial economic cohesion of the EU. From an eminently economic perspective, and working with the GDP per capita of the EU NUTS-2 regions for the period 2003–2021, this paper aims to provide evidence of a lack of territorial economic cohesion through a beta and sigma convergence methodology by applying cross-sectional and spatial panel data analysis.The findings show that the speed of convergence depends mainly on the level of economic development, its cycles and the heterogeneity of the, which implies conditional convergence. Less developed regions show higher convergence speeds, which are also accentuated during recession periods. Greater heterogeneity among the regions also increases the convergence speed, while accentuating in the less developed regions. In general terms, the results reveal convergence speeds of the entire NUTS-2 regions between 7 and 11 per cent (much higher than 2 per cent under absolute convergence). Likewise, when considering spatial dependence, a reduction in convergence speeds between approximately 3 and 8 per cent is detected. Finally, the 29 vulnerable regions have been identified, with economic development and growth below the EU average mean, emphasizing the need to take the concerns of territorial economic cohesion into account.

Protection of public health at the level of supranational organizations

Emergence of international integration processes raises new issues of the development of the legislative and regulatory framework at the supranational level for public health benefit. The paper explains the need to actively protect the interests of public health at the supranational level based on the analysis of relevant aspects of the policy, structure, functioning and experience of the largest regional integration structures – the Eurasian Economic Union and the European Union. The review of the basic principles, approaches and measures is carried out, using the example of ensuring food safety, which is directly related to solving the problem of prevention and control of infectious and non-communicable diseases. The relevant regulatory framework of the World Trade Organization (WTO), as well as the development of technical regulation, are discussed. The relevance of cooperation between supranational structures and the World Health Organization and other relevant UN organizations in the field of public health is emphasized. Specialists in this field are called upon to participate in the regulation of international integration processes, including the activities of the WTO, trade and investment agreements, and tariff policy.

Bolstering resilience in a polycrisis scenario: A cross-country analysis on the role of IT

IMPACT The article provides insights for government investment decisions in resilience strategies. It suggests enhancing resilience through IT development and e-participation measures, particularly in high and medium GDP nations. Moreover, it highlights that low GDP countries should prioritize investment in infrastructure to address structural weaknesses and bolster resilience. These findings are valuable for both national investment strategies and supranational organizations aiming to reduce risk exposure in vulnerable countries.

Beware the puppeteers: the role of geopolitics in the bargaining dynamics between a Russian politically connected MNC and the country of Montenegro

PurposeThis paper aims to use the obsolescing bargaining power (OBP) Model (Vernon, 1977, 1998) to analyze the case of United Company Rusal, a Russian politically connected multinational companies (MNCs) that was one of the world’s largest aluminum companies between 2005 and 2014, having acquired and, ultimately, sold the Montenegrin aluminum smelter company Kombinat aluminijuma Podgorica.The authors did so with the aim of answering the following question: How do geopolitics affect the bargaining balance of power between a Russian MNC and a host country? Design/methodology/approachThe authors used the discourse analysis methodology to identify the key players in the bargaining process and illustrate the evolving bargaining process.FindingsThe authors demonstrated that, over time, the shift in power from the Russian MNC to the host government had not merely been the result of the increase in committed MNC assets in the host country but, rather, of a geopolitical chess game involving the Russian Government, North Atlantic treaty organization (NATO) and the European Union (EU). By extending the OBP model with geopolitics, the authors found that a political agenda can influence the outcome of a bargaining process.Originality/valueThe authors extended the OBP model to illustrate the complex interaction between an emerging market MNC and an emerging host country government, indirectly influenced by two supranational organizations – the EU and NATO.

Political and Legal Developments in the EU Law

The European Union (EU) is a remarkable example of a supranational organisation in the 21st century political world, where its 27 Member States share power and resources to pursue common economic, environmental, political, and social goals. However, in recent years, it has encountered a myriad of challenges that fracture its structure and competency. This paper examines two such momentous case studies, the Migration Crisis and COVID-19, through a legal and political lens. The research, consisting of legislation and case law, finds systemic flaws within the Common European Asylum System (CEAS) and inefficiency caused by bureaucracy that sometimes causes a stalemate. On the other hand, the initial response to COVID-19 discloses unknown weaknesses in the EU’s ability to act as a collective union towards human health. The paper evaluates the successes and limitations of specific developments to EU law, including directives, economic mechanisms, and financial agreements, showcasing the workings of EU policy making and its impact on Member States. Then, the paper discusses the political implications of these legal developments and their role in redefining human rights for the EU in the 21st century. The paper concludes that the EU’s future relies on addressing the political implications of EU law that are essential to reinforce the EU’s role in crisis management and to better equip it to promote human development.

The Legal Definition of Artificial Intelligence

Abstract In the last five years, several issues related to the development of artificial intelligence have been tackled by various countries and international organisations and the legal definition is one of them. Fundamentally to understand what Artificial Intelligence is, and when to apply the related rules, the definition issue is addressed in this essay considering various documents adopted by several countries and international organizations, such as the European Union, United Kingdom, United States of America, China and the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (oecd). Moreover, the paper also considers the intended meaning of “trustworthy ai” in considered countries and supranational organizations and eventually, aims to give a comprehensive definition of Artificial Intelligence starting from what is exposed and trying to merge the considered solutions.

The EU’s normative justifications of refugee resettlement

Abstract The UNHCR promotes resettlement as an important protection tool to express solidarity with vulnerable refugees and countries of refuge. Yet, as resettlement is discretionary, its guiding principles and objectives are not binding and can be reinterpreted by states and supranational organizations. Against the background of UNHCR’s resettlement guidelines, this article examines the EU’s justifications of resettlement. Advancing theories of pragmatic sociology and based on an in-depth qualitative analysis, it teases out justifications of (1) humanitarianism, (2) border security, and (3) assimilability in EU discourses and policies. Revisiting EU policy advancements from the early 2000s until 2023, it shows that these justifications increasingly interlace and present resettlement as an instrument to protect refugees as well as EU borders and access to EU polities. The article argues for the need to understand the EU as a resettlement actor in its own right, with significant power to reshape resettlement as a protection tool.