FOI in Ireland and Europe: Progress and Regression

2001 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
pp. 256-271 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maeve McDonagh
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
National Level ◽  
Eastern Bloc ◽  
Freedom Of Information ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Member States ◽  
Level Of Activity ◽  
Proposed Regulation ◽  
High Level ◽  
Access To Documents

There has been a high level of activity in the development of standards concerning access to public sector information in Europe in recent years. At domestic level, freedom of information (FOI) legislation has been introduced to the overwhelming majority of member states of the European Union and to a number of former Eastern bloc countries. Freedom of Information has also increased its impact at supra national level, both in terms of progress towards the development by international bodies such as the European Union and the Council of Europe of FOI norms for their Member States and with respect to the opening up of access to documents of the international institutions themselves. There is, however, considerable variation in the content and scope of the various FOI measures introduced. The aim of this paper is to assess the scope and operation of two contrasting examples of recently introduced or proposed FOI measures, namely the Irish FOI Act and the proposed Regulation on Access to Documents of the European Institutions. The overall theme of the paper is that strong FOI measures are needed to combat the tendency toward secrecy in public administration in Europe but that even where access measures are relatively strong in their formulation, their effectiveness can be limited through under-funding or more direct interference with the operation of the access scheme.

scholarly journals Correlation between prevalence of tobacco smoking and risk and severity of COVID-19 at the national level in the European Union: an ecological study

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adrián González-Marrón ◽  
Jose M Martínez-Sánchez
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Tobacco Smoking ◽  
Attack Rate ◽  
National Level ◽  
Significant Negative Correlation ◽  
P Value ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Member States ◽  
Angiotensin Converting Enzyme 2 ◽  
High Level

AbstractThe Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) protein is the receptor for different coronaviruses, including Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the causative agent of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Previous studies suggested the hypothesis that nicotine could downregulate the expression of the ACE2. Due to the high level of nicotine intake, the objective of this preliminary study was to assess, at the ecological level, the correlation between tobacco smoking and the attack rate and severity of COVID-19 in the European Union (EU). We have found that there is a statistically significant negative correlation between the age-standardized prevalence of tobacco smoking and the attack rate of COVID-19 in member states of the EU [Spearman’s correlation coefficient = −0.476 (95% confidence interval −0.117, −0.725) (p-value = 0.012)], meaning that in member states with a higher age-standardized prevalence of tobacco smoking the attack rate of COVID-19 has been so far lower. Further research is needed to understand the possible effect of nicotine exposure in the expression of the ACE2 protein.

scholarly journals The Role of Spatio-Temporal Information to Govern the COVID-19 Pandemic: A European Perspective

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 166
Author(s):  
Hartmut Müller ◽  
Marije Louwsma
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Spatial Distribution ◽  
Spatial Information ◽  
National Level ◽  
Temporal Information ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Member States ◽  
Heavy Burden ◽  
Spatio Temporal

The Covid-19 pandemic put a heavy burden on member states in the European Union. To govern the pandemic, having access to reliable geo-information is key for monitoring the spatial distribution of the outbreak over time. This study aims to analyze the role of spatio-temporal information in governing the pandemic in the European Union and its member states. The European Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics (NUTS) system and selected national dashboards from member states were assessed to analyze which spatio-temporal information was used, how the information was visualized and whether this changed over the course of the pandemic. Initially, member states focused on their own jurisdiction by creating national dashboards to monitor the pandemic. Information between member states was not aligned. Producing reliable data and timeliness reporting was problematic, just like selecting indictors to monitor the spatial distribution and intensity of the outbreak. Over the course of the pandemic, with more knowledge about the virus and its characteristics, interventions of member states to govern the outbreak were better aligned at the European level. However, further integration and alignment of public health data, statistical data and spatio-temporal data could provide even better information for governments and actors involved in managing the outbreak, both at national and supra-national level. The Infrastructure for Spatial Information in Europe (INSPIRE) initiative and the NUTS system provide a framework to guide future integration and extension of existing systems.

scholarly journals The Rule of Law Framework in the European Union: Its Rationale, Origins, Role and International Ramifications

2021 ◽  
pp. 305-331
Author(s):  
Artur Nowak-Far
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Human Rights ◽  
Rule Of Law ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Member States ◽  
The Rule Of Law ◽  
Eu Member States ◽  
International Legal Order ◽  
High Level ◽  
The Eu

AbstractAt present, the European rule of law enforcement framework under Article 7 TEU (RLF) is vulnerable to unguaranteed, discretionary influences of the Member States. This vulnerability arises from its procedural format which requires high thresholds in decision-making with the effect that this procedure is prone to be terminated by the EU Member States likely to be scrutinized under it, if only they collude. Yet, the Framework may prove effective to correct serious breaches against human rights (in the context of ineffective rule of law standards). The European Commission is bound to pursue the RLF effectiveness for the sake of achieving relative uniformity of application of EU law (at large), and making the European Union a credible actor and co-creator of international legal order. The RLF is an important tool for the maintenance of relative stability of human rights and the rule of law in the EU despite natural divergence propensity resulting from the procedural autonomy of the EU Member States. By achieving this stability, the EU achieves significant political weight in international dialogue concerning human rights and the rule of law and preserves a high level of its global credibility in this context. Thus, RLF increases the EU’s effectiveness in promoting the European model of their identification and enforcement.

The Proposed EU-regulation on Clinical Trials on Medicinal Products: An Unethical Proposal?

2013 ◽  
Vol 20 (4) ◽  
pp. 347-362 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jilles Heringa ◽  
Joseph Dute
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Trials ◽  
Human Subjects ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Medicinal Products ◽  
Member States ◽  
Legal Documents ◽  
Human Use ◽  
Proposed Regulation ◽  
High Level ◽  
Force Member

Abstract The Commission has proposed a regulation ‘on clinical trials on medicinal products for human use’ to introduce one regulatory framework for clinical trials in the European Union. This regulation should replace the current clinical trials directive (2001/20/EC). In this article we describe and critically review the main provisions of the proposed regulation. We assess the consequences for a sound authorisation procedure of clinical trials and the level of protection for human subjects. We note that the proposed regulation is inconsistent with applicable international legal documents, such as the Biomedicine Convention and the Declaration of Helsinki. We conclude that the proposed regulation does not ensure a “high level of human health protection” — required by its legal basis in the TFEU — because it may force Member States concerned to accept a reporting Member States’ approval of — in their estimation — an unethical clinical trial.

Poland and the European Union

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ireneusz Paweł Karolewski ◽  
Maciej Wilga
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Eastern Bloc ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Member States ◽  
Association Agreement ◽  
Eu Foreign Policy ◽  
Membership Application ◽  
Eu Membership ◽  
Council Presidency ◽  
The Eu

Multifaceted in its character, the relationship between Poland and the European Union is now more than a quarter of a century old. After the breakdown of the Eastern bloc, Poland signed the Association Agreement with the then European Communities in December 1991, which led up to an EU membership application three years later. Not yet a member, the country had some impact on the Union in the Nice Treaty negotiations (2000–2001), as well as on the European Constitutional Convention proceedings (2001–2003). After a successful EU membership referendum in 2003, reflecting a great deal of societal support, Poland, along with nine other newcomers, became a fully-fledged member of the EU. Once within the bloc, Warsaw was at pains to develop a more coherent EU policy, as it often changed its positions between more collaborative approaches and veto threats, but also absolving a successful rotating EU Council presidency in 2011. The country collaborated with other member states in Central and Eastern Europe—in the Visegrád framework and with the older member states—through the Weimar Triangle, for example, however with sometimes mixed results. Poland has prioritized a number of issues in the EU such as the energy sector, security and defense, and the Eastern partnership, the latter focusing on the EU Eastern neighbors, including Ukraine and Belarus. In particular, during the Ukraine-Russia conflict of 2014–2015, Poland was one of most active actors in the EU foreign policy. However, since 2015 Poland has become a subject of controversy within the EU, regarding the rule of law standards that were criticized by the European Commission and Warsaw’s rejection of a relocation scheme in the EU refugee and migrant policy.

scholarly journals Regional Convergence in the European Union, new Member States and Croatia

2013 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 9-21 ◽  
Author(s):  
Davor Mikulić ◽  
Željko Lovrinčević ◽  
Andrea Galić Nagyszombaty
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
National Level ◽  
Growth Patterns ◽  
Regional Convergence ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Potential Growth ◽  
Member States ◽  
New Member States ◽  
Factors Influencing ◽  
Wide Range

Abstract Over the past two decades, the issue of regional convergence in the European Union has been the subject of a wide range of empirical research. This paper aims to provide more information on the differences in regional growth patterns of new member states (NMS), as well as Croatia, in addition to the factors influencing regional disparities within each country. This research provides an analysis of regional convergence in the period 2001-2008 at the NUTS II and NUTS III level. The most widely used model for testing convergence hypotheses is beta-convergence analysis. Other factors commonly included in the econometric modelling of convergence are demographic variables, labour market conditions, industrial structure, institutional factors and overall government policy. The main hypothesis is that the process of regional convergence in NMS and Croatia is not strong enough to dominate over other factors, influencing regional potential growth (mainly industry structure and quality of human capital). Absolute β-convergence can be found at the national level for EU countries. Convergence also can be found for NMS regions, but the pace of convergence on the regional level is lower in comparison to the national level and the estimated β-convergence parameter is less significant.

‘Biodiversity damage’ liability in the Environmental Liability Directive – its definition and delimitation from more stringent EU, international and national norms

elni Review ◽  
2008 ◽  
pp. 19-24
Author(s):  
Volker Mauerhofer
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
National Level ◽  
Environmental Damage ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Member States ◽  
Eu Member States ◽  
Environmental Liability ◽  
Legal Provisions ◽  
Early Beginning ◽  
National Norms

The Environmental Liability Directive (‘ELD’) of the European Union entered into force on 30th April 2004 and had to be implemented by 30th April 2007. It had been already from the early beginning up to today subject to multiple considerations by many scholars and is implemented quite differently in the different EU Member States. The ELD contains provisions concerning the liability for ‘environmental damage’, which is further defined inter alia as a specific damage of certain species and habitats (‘biodiversity damage’). Besides the ELD there are already other legal provisions on the European as well as on the international and national level covering several aspects of these liability issues more stringently. Hence the question arises as to how the new provisions of the ELD delimit from these similar but other EU, international and national norms.

Competitiveness and Economic Growth in the European Union

2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (8) ◽  
pp. 2408
Author(s):  
Natália ZAGORŠEKOVÁ ◽  
Michaela ČIEFOVÁ ◽  
Andrea ČAMBALÍKOVÁ
Keyword(s):  
Economic Growth ◽  
European Union ◽  
Union Member ◽  
National Level ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Member States ◽  
Global Competitiveness ◽  
Global Competitiveness Index ◽  
The Impact ◽  
European Union Member States

The paper focuses on competitiveness at the national level and on the impact of competitiveness on economic growth. We look at the relationship between competitiveness and economic growth based on the data from the European Union member states. The competitiveness of the economies is measured by the Global Competitiveness Index, which is published by the World Economic Forum. The European Union member states show significant differences in competitiveness. In the sample examined, the positive relationship between the level of competitiveness and economic growth was not confirmed.

scholarly journals Contemporary economic relations between China and European Union

2014 ◽  
Vol 66 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 35-50
Author(s):  
Nikola Jokanovic
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Global Economy ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Member States ◽  
Economic Relations ◽  
Trade Relations ◽  
Eu Member States ◽  
Chinese Investment ◽  
High Level ◽  
The Eu

This paper will discuss the economic relations between the European Union and the People?s Republic of China. The introductory part will make an insight into the position of China in the contemporary global economy. The following part of the paper will analyze China-EU trade relations. The topics included will be a general overview of these relations since their establishing in 1975 as well as the European Union?s attitude towards the Chinese WTO membership. The Sino-EU partnership and competition will also be described and it will be followed by an overview of the Sino-EU High Level Economic and Trade Dialogue (HED). The concluding topics in this part of the paper will include Sino-EU trade flows, perceived obstacles to trade and investment as well as recent trade disputes between two trading partners. The third part of the paper will deal with Sino-EU investment flows (with an emphasis on Chinese investments in EU member states). After the introductory remarks concerning the EU investments originating from China, the paper will shed light on particular EU member states which are preferred for Chinese investment as well as the industries in which Chinese companies are willing to invest. The concluding part of this paper will offer possible development of relations between the EU and China in the near future.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document