Central Europe migrant rights could hamper UK/EU deal

2015 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
United Kingdom ◽  
Central Europe ◽  
European Council ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Central European ◽  
Prime Ministers ◽  
Reform Agenda ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
Council Presidency

Significance Cameron has revealed details of his EU reform agenda, after weeks of whistle-stop tours, including meetings with all the 'Visegrad Four' (V4 -- Czech, Hungarian, Polish and Slovak) prime ministers. Support from Poland and Slovakia is vital from Cameron's perspective: Poland's Donald Tusk is president of the European Council and Slovakia assumes the six-month Council presidency in July 2016. Impacts The V4 are unlikely to accept all Cameron's proposals and will seek compromises and concessions in key areas, including migrants' benefits. V4 leaders are likely to coordinate an official response to Cameron's EU reform agenda, focusing on demanding more detail on welfare cuts. UK-Central European relations are likely to remain tense in the short term, as V4 leaders are expected to veto demands for treaty change. V4 citizens resident in the United Kingdom are likely to be prominent in the campaign to allow non-UK EU citizens to vote in the referendum.

Hi-tech competition will colour EU-US friendly ties

2016 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
United Kingdom ◽  
State Aid ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Corporate Power ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
The Us ◽  
Us Government ◽  
The Eu

Significance Earlier, on August 30, the Commission said the Irish government's tax arrangements with Apple constituted illegal state aid that required a payment of 13 billion euros (14.4 billion dollars) to the Irish authorities. The cases have given rise to suspicions that the EU authorities are unfairly targeting US companies. Impacts Short-term relations with the US government will deteriorate but -- if the Microsoft experience is any guide -- without lasting damage. The Apple ruling may bolster the Commission's reputation, as concerns over corporate power and inequality resonate with the EU public. Once it is outside the EU, the United Kingdom may have few attractions as a hub for US internet operations.

Radically new UK economic strategy could be undermined

2020 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
United Kingdom ◽  
Public Spending ◽  
Regional Inequality ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Economic Strategy ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Regional Inequalities ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
Economic Divergence ◽  
The Eu

Subject New UK economic direction. Significance The rhetoric of the new government implies a radical break with previous policy both domestically (tackling regional inequality) and internationally (the freedom to diverge from EU rules). In both cases the ambitions are real and there will be major changes, but significant economic and political tensions remain and have yet to be resolved: public spending demands may not be met due to fiscal and political constraints while London's aim for economic divergence will face opposition from business. Impacts The respective red lines of the United Kingdom and EU mean that a thin trade deal, or possibly none at all, is the most likely outcome. Large increases in infrastructure spending are unlikely to alleviate regional inequalities in the short term. Economic divergence from the EU will limit the scope for a close and comprehensive EU-UK security and defence relationship post-Brexit.

Some Cameron demands will meet EU resistance

2015 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
United Kingdom ◽  
Conservative Party ◽  
Special Treatment ◽  
Member States ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Reform Agenda ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
Eu Membership ◽  
The Uk ◽  
The Eu

Significance Cameron is gauging his counterparts' positions before presenting his reform agenda at the June 25-26 EU summit. He seeks the other EU states' support for a package of reforms that will enable him to claim that he has secured a better deal for the United Kingdom in the EU, and thus campaign for an 'in' vote in the EU membership referendum he has promised by end-2017. Cameron is seeking to build backing for some reforms that would apply across the EU, rather than only seek special treatment for the United Kingdom. However, some of the reforms he has mooted are unacceptable to many other EU states. Impacts The greatest impact of the reforms that Cameron secures could be on the scale of the split in the Conservative Party over EU membership. Some of Cameron's reforms could bring important changes across the bloc, as well as set precedents for other member states. The UK renegotiation will generate bargaining between member states that will affect their negotiation of other issues.

More about Diamonds

2019 ◽  
pp. 115-119
Author(s):  
Vladimir Shubin
Keyword(s):  
United Kingdom ◽  
South African ◽  
Personal Experience ◽  
African Studies ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Soviet State ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
De Beers

The article is a rejoinder to the work of Yury S. Skubko, previously published in the Journal of the Institute for African Studies, on Moscow’s relations with De Beers. It is based not only on the available literature but also on the author’s personal experience. The author shows that under the monopoly of this South African company in the field of diamond sales, Soviet organizations, even in the conditions of a South African boycott, were forced to deal with its subordinate structures and the attempts to sideline them were in vain. In particular the article analyses the attitude to a controversial agreement signed by the Soviet state-owned “Glavalmalmazzoloto” and De Beers Centenary in 1990, when, like in many other cases in the “Gorbachev’s era” Moscow’s principle stand was eroded for short-term results even personal gains. The author comes to the conclusion that the responsibility for Moscow’s dealings with De Beers must be borne not by our country, but above all by the United Kingdom, which allowed De Beers have the headquarters of its Central Selling Organisation (CСO) in London.

scholarly journals A Free-Market Environmentalist Transition toward Renewable Energy: The Cases of Germany, Denmark, and the United Kingdom

Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (15) ◽  
pp. 4659
Author(s):  
William Hongsong Wang ◽  
Vicente Moreno-Casas ◽  
Jesús Huerta de Soto
Keyword(s):  
United Kingdom ◽  
Renewable Energy ◽  
Private Property ◽  
Free Market ◽  
State Intervention ◽  
Tax Rate ◽  
Reform Agenda ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
Market Environmentalism ◽  
The Uk

Renewable energy (RE) is one of the most popular public policy orientations worldwide. Compared to some other countries and continents, Europe has gained an early awareness of energy and environmental problems in general. At the theoretical level, free-market environmentalism indicates that based on the principle of private property rights, with fewer state interventionist and regulation policies, entrepreneurs, as the driving force of the market economy, can provide better services to meet the necessity of offering RE to protect the environment more effectively. Previous studies have revealed that Germany, Denmark, and the United Kingdom have made some progress in using the market to develop RE. However, this research did not analyze the three countries’ RE conditions from the perspective of free-market environmentalism. Based on our review of the principles of free-market environmentalism, this paper originally provides an empirical study of how Germany, Denmark, and the United Kingdom have partly conducted free-market-oriented policies to successfully achieve their policy goal of RE since the 1990s on a practical level. In particular, compared with Germany and Denmark, the UK has maintained a relatively low energy tax rate and opted for more pro-market measures since the Hayekian-Thatcherism free-market reform of 1979. The paper also discovers that Fredrich A. Hayek’s theories have strongly impacted its energy liberalization reform agenda since then. Low taxes on the energy industry and electricity have alleviated the burden on the electricity enterprises and consumers in the UK. Moreover, the empirical results above show that the energy enterprises play essential roles in providing better and more affordable RE for household and industrial users in the three sampled countries. Based on the above results, the paper also warns that state intervention policies such as taxation, state subsidies, and industrial access restrictions can impede these three countries’ RE targets. Additionally, our research provides reform agendas and policy suggestions to policymakers on the importance of implementing free-market environmentalism to provide more efficient RE in the post-COVID-19 era.

Consumers' preferences for intrinsic and extrinsic product attributes of plant-based eggs: an exploratory study in the United Kingdom and Italy

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Agnese Rondoni ◽  
Elena Millan ◽  
Daniele Asioli
Keyword(s):  
United Kingdom ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Product Attributes ◽  
Product Failure ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
Analysis Of Results ◽  
Method Of Production ◽  
Practical Implications

PurposePlant-based eggs have recently been developed to provide consumers with a healthier, animal-friendlier and more sustainable alternative to conventional eggs. The purpose of this paper is to investigate intrinsic and extrinsic attribute preferences for three prototypes of plant-based egg, namely the liquid, powder and egg-shaped.Design/methodology/approachNine focus groups in the United Kingdom and nine in Italy were conducted, with a total of 180 participants. A thematic analysis of results was conducted.FindingsIn terms of intrinsic product attributes, consumers' preferences for colour, shape, taste, ingredients, nutrients, method of production and shelf-life for plant-based eggs were revealed. Regarding the extrinsic attributes, preferences for price, packaging, country of origin and product naming emerged. Similarities and differences between consumers from the two countries are also discussed. Differences in preferences also emerged between vegan and non-vegan consumers.Research limitations/implicationsThis study adds to the existing knowledge on consumers' preferences for new plant-based food alternatives and identifies future quantitative approaches based on qualitative findings.Practical implicationsResults from this study can assist plant-based egg manufacturers in improving their products in line with consumers' expectations, which may help reducing risk of product failure.Originality/valueThis study is the first to investigate consumers' preferences, expectations and needs for new food products like plant-based eggs and provides information that can be practically applied by manufacturers, as well as suggestions for future research.

scholarly journals Qualitative Evaluation of Web-Based Digital Intervention to Prevent and Reduce Excessive Alcohol Use and Harm Among Young People Aged 14-15 Years: A “Think-Aloud” Study

10.2196/19749 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. e19749
Author(s):  
Laura Elizabeth Tinner ◽  
Eileen Kaner ◽  
Claire Garnett ◽  
Siobhan Mitchell ◽  
Matthew Hickman ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United Kingdom ◽  
Alcohol Use ◽  
Young People ◽  
Think Aloud ◽  
Youth Workers ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Web Based ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
Social Pressures ◽  
Excessive Alcohol

Background In the United Kingdom, despite some downward trends in alcohol use among young people, over one-fifth of young people reported excessive alcohol use in the past month, which is associated with short- and long-term harm to health. Digital interventions to reduce alcohol use, such as websites, among young people present an appealing and cost-effective mode of intervention that can be integrated into the education system. However, relatively few school-based digital alcohol-focused interventions have been developed and evaluated for young people in the United Kingdom. Objective This study aims to develop a novel web-based intervention, Rethink Alcohol, to prevent and reduce excessive alcohol use and related harm among young people aged between 14 and 15 years, and explore the views of young people, teachers, and youth workers in relation to the content, design, and usability of the intervention. Methods Intervention development followed the person-based approach, using theories of social norms and social influence. Qualitative “Think-Aloud” interviews, either one-to-one or paired, were conducted while participants perused and worked through the web-based intervention, talking aloud. Participants included 20 young people (12 female, 8 male), 5 youth workers (4 female, 1 male), 3 teachers (2 male, 1 female), and 1 (male) clinical professional, recruited via youth groups and professional networks. Interviews were audio recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed thematically. Results The prototype web-based intervention included normative feedback, information, a quiz, interactive activities, and scenarios. On a rating scale of impressions from poor (1) to excellent (5), participants gave an average score of 3.6/5. A total of 5 themes were identified: content, credibility of the website, making the website easy to understand, design and navigation, and suitability for the audience. These themes reflected views that the content was interesting, credible, informative, and embodied a neutral and nonjudgmental tone, but stronger messaging was needed regarding social pressures and short-term risks regarding safety and risk behavior alongside clarity around pathways of risk; credibility and trustworthiness of information were critical features, determined in part, by the professionalism of design and referencing of sources of information provided; and messages should be succinct and come to life through design and interactive features. Conclusions Together, the data illustrated the importance and challenge of communicating nuanced alcohol-focused public health messages to young people in concise, clear, nonjudgmental, and appealing ways. Young people report interest in clear, credible, neutral, and interactive messages regarding social pressures and short-term risks of alcohol use via a web-based intervention. There is scope for optimization and feasibility testing of the Rethink Alcohol intervention.

scholarly journals Enrichment of Clinically Relevant Organisms in Spontaneous Preterm-Delivered Placentas and Reagent Contamination across All Clinical Groups in a Large Pregnancy Cohort in the United Kingdom

2018 ◽  
Vol 84 (14) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lydia J. Leon ◽  
Ronan Doyle ◽  
Ernest Diez-Benavente ◽  
Taane G. Clark ◽  
Nigel Klein ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United Kingdom ◽  
Preterm Birth ◽  
Preterm Births ◽  
Convincing Evidence ◽  
Rrna Gene ◽  
Spontaneous Preterm Birth ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Pregnancy Cohort ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
Adverse Pregnancy

ABSTRACT In this study, differences in the placental microbiota from term and preterm deliveries in a large pregnancy cohort in the United Kingdom were studied by using 16S-targeted amplicon sequencing. The impacts of contamination from DNA extraction, PCR reagents, and the delivery itself were also examined. A total of 400 placental samples from 256 singleton pregnancies were analyzed, and differences between spontaneous preterm-, nonspontaneous preterm-, and term-delivered placentas were investigated. DNA from recently delivered placentas was extracted, and screening for bacterial DNA was carried out by using targeted sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene on the Illumina MiSeq platform. Sequenced reads were analyzed for the presence of contaminating operational taxonomic units (OTUs) identified via sequencing of negative extraction and PCR-blank samples. Differential abundances and between-sample (beta) diversity metrics were then compared. A large proportion of the reads sequenced from the extracted placental samples mapped to OTUs that were also found for negative extractions. Striking differences in the compositions of samples were also observed, according to whether the placenta was delivered abdominally or vaginally, providing strong circumstantial evidence for delivery contamination as an important contributor to observed microbial profiles. When OTU- and genus-level abundances were compared between the groups of interest, a number of organisms were enriched in the spontaneous preterm-delivery cohort, including organisms that have been associated previously with adverse pregnancy outcomes, specifically Mycoplasma spp. and Ureaplasma spp. However, analyses of the overall community structure did not reveal convincing evidence for the existence of a reproducible “preterm placental microbiome.” IMPORTANCE Preterm birth is associated with both psychological and physical disabilities and is the leading cause of infant morbidity and mortality worldwide. Infection is known to be an important cause of spontaneous preterm birth, and recent research has implicated variation in the “placental microbiome” in the risk of preterm birth. Consistent with data from previous studies, the abundances of certain clinically relevant species differed between spontaneous preterm- and nonspontaneous preterm- or term-delivered placentas. These results support the view that a proportion of spontaneous preterm births have an intrauterine-infection component. However, an additional observation from this study was that a substantial proportion of sequenced reads were contaminating reads rather than DNA from endogenous, clinically relevant species. This observation warrants caution in the interpretation of sequencing outputs from low-biomass samples such as the placenta.

London will deepen engagement with South-east Asia

2021 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
United Kingdom ◽  
East Asia ◽  
South East Asia ◽  
Aircraft Carrier ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
Defence Cooperation

Significance The United Kingdom eyes a strategic tilt to the Indo-Pacific, with South-east Asia a key focus because of its economic dynamism and the convening power of ASEAN. The aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth will deploy to the Indo-Pacific for six months later this year. Impacts The United Kingdom’s view of China as a systemic challenger makes a trade pact between the two countries unlikely. UK efforts to conclude a trade deal with India will be frustrated by Delhi’s protectionist approach. London will pursue closer defence cooperation with Tokyo.

Europe’s strategic focus on the Indo-Pacific will grow

2021 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
United Kingdom ◽  
Arms Sales ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Eu Countries ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
Strategic Focus ◽  
Middle Powers

Significance All three countries are united by the objective to mitigate US-China rivalry by promoting multilateralism and engagement among middle powers, while at the same time using these to contain China’s behaviour and ambitions in the region. Impacts Engaging with like-minded middle powers in the Indo-Pacific will help Europe distance itself from Washington’s tougher policy on China. The Indo-Pacific vision will result in deepening defence partnerships with India, plus Australia and Japan, such as through arms sales. The Indo-Pacific will be an area of potential future collaboration and cooperation between the United Kingdom and EU countries.

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