scholarly journals Resources and Rules of the Game: Participation of Civil Society in REDD+ and FLEGT-VPA Processes in Lao PDR

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Irmeli Mustalahti ◽  
Mathias Cramm ◽  
Sabaheta Ramcilovik-Suominen ◽  
Yitagesu Tekle
Keyword(s):  
Civil Society ◽  
Action Plan ◽  
Forest Policy ◽  
Lao Pdr ◽  
Forest Degradation ◽  
Forest Governance ◽  
Illegal Logging ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Rules Of The Game ◽  
The Eu

REDD+ (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation) aims to achieve its purpose by working across multiple sectors and involving multi-level actors in reducing deforestation and forest degradation in tropical countries. By contrast, the European Union (EU) Action Plan on Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT) and its Voluntary Partnership Agreements (VPAs) focus on forestry and functions at bilateral state level. The FLEGT Action Plan specifically aims to tackle illegal logging, legalise timber production and trade improve forest governance in countries exporting tropical timber to the EU. Since illegal logging is just one driver of deforestation and forest degeneration, and legalisation of logging does not necessarily reduce deforestation and forest degradation, the two instruments differ in scale and scope. However, by addressing the causes of deforestation and forest degradation and their underlying governance issues, the EU FLEGT and REDD+ share many functional linkages at higher levels of forest policy and forest governance. The contribution and participation of civil society organisations (CSOs) and other actors is imperative to both processes. Our study is based on a survey of key actors (national and international) in REDD+ and FLEGT VPA processes in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic. Our analysis was guided by the theoretical perspectives of the policy arrangement approach and examination of two specific dimensions of this approach, namely resources and rules of the game. This paper argues that participation of CSOs in both processes is crucial as it facilitates and nurtures the very much needed cooperation between other national and international actors. The paper also argues that participation of CSOs feeds valuable information and knowledge into REDD+ and FLEGT VPA processes, thus contributing to increased legitimacy, justice and transparency.

European experience in transition to circular economy

2020 ◽  
Vol 19 (4) ◽  
pp. 598-617 ◽  
Author(s):  
S.V. Ratner
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Circular Economy ◽  
Raw Materials ◽  
Action Plan ◽  
National Level ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Scientific Methods ◽  
European Experience ◽  
General Scientific ◽  
The Eu

Subject. The article considers the concept of circular economy, which has originated relatively recently in the academic literature, and is now increasingly recognized in many countries at the national level. In the European Union, the transition to circular economy is viewed as an opportunity to improve competitiveness of the European Union, protect businesses from resource shortages and fluctuating prices for raw materials and supplies, and a way to increase employment and innovation. Objectives. The aim of the study is to analyze the incentives developed by the European Commission for moving to circular economy, and to assess their effectiveness on the basis of statistical analysis. Methods. I employ general scientific methods of research. Results. The analysis of the EU Action Plan for the Circular Economy enabled to conclude that the results of the recent research in circular economy barriers, eco-innovation, technology and infrastructure were successfully integrated into the framework of this document. Understanding the root causes holding back the circular economy development and the balanced combination of economic and administrative incentives strengthened the Action Plan, and it contributed to the circular economy development in the EU. Conclusions. The measures to stimulate the development of the circular economy proposed in the European Action Plan can be viewed as a prototype for designing similar strategies in other countries, including Russia. Meanwhile, a more detailed analysis of barriers to the circular economy at the level of individual countries and regions is needed.

scholarly journals Navigating Through the Maze: Practical Constraints in the Implementation of Forest Regulations (FLEGT) in Ghana

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 31
Author(s):  
Gordon Kofi Sarfo-Adu
Keyword(s):  
Value Chain ◽  
Sustainable Forest Management ◽  
Tracking System ◽  
Action Plan ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Implementation Challenges ◽  
Technical Errors ◽  
Public Policy Implementation ◽  
Transnational Actors ◽  
The Eu

The European Union Forest Law Enforcement on Governance and Trade (EU-FLEGT) Action Plan seeks to promote widespread sustainable forest management and relies largely on transnational actors and international law in its operationalization. The EU FLEGT sets out EU custom regulation through Voluntary Partnership Agreements (VPAs) which is a bilateral agreement between the EU and wood exporting countries with instruments aimed at promoting sustainable practices within the forest resources value chain. Ghana became a signatory to the FLEGT VPA since 2007, as part of the process, it is required to use technology to track timber logging from source to point of export. Issues of networks and inter-agency collaboration and dealing with human elements remain crucial in ensuring effective operationalization. Adopting a qualitative case study design as well as theories and concepts from the public policy implementation literature, this study examines the implementation vagaries of the FLEGT VPA in Ghana. Although the VPA is a laudable idea of using Information Technology (IT) in effectively tracking timber to its original source to ascertain legality or otherwise of the timber, the needed IT infrastructure and resources have not matched up with the goal. Additionally, the VPA implementation is expensive and has come with additional cost to the implementers, The study further observes that the increasing ‘red flags’ that are raised on the Ghana Wood Tracking System is a blend of technical errors emanating from negligence or capacity challenges and human manipulation. This calls for regular consultations and workshops with relevant stakeholders in order to assess which skills are deficient and a need to beef up through on-the-job training. The domestic market and trading activities tend to fuel demand for illegal timber hence a constraint to the full realization of the VPA objective. The study makes policy suggestions on how to address these implementation challenges.

Recent Developments of Corporate Governance in the European Union and their Impact on the German Legal System

2004 ◽  
Vol 5 (10) ◽  
pp. 1275-1294
Author(s):  
Athanasios Kouloridas ◽  
Jens von Lackum
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Governance ◽  
Action Plan ◽  
Company Law ◽  
Public Consultation ◽  
Public Confidence ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Legal Form ◽  
Recent Developments ◽  
Set Up ◽  
The Eu

The collapses of several US-businesses like those of Enron and Worldcom and a number of scandals in the EU – in the recent past that of Parmalat – have strongly affected public confidence in the operation and governance of large entities trading their shares in organized capital markets. The European Commission reacted by issuing the Action Plan on Modernizing Company Law and Enhancing Corporate Governance in the EU on 21 May 2003. The Action Plan contains measures which the Commission wants to implement over the short term (until 2005), medium term (until 2008) and long term (until 2010). The key issues set up in the Action Plan concern corporate governance, capital maintenance, recapitalization as well as decreasing capital, groups of companies, international corporate restructuring and the introduction of a new legal form of incorporation. The fact that the big rating agencies have begun to rate the corporate governance performances of major companies, can well be seen as a further indicator that good corporate governance has an important concern for managers, shareholders and for policy makers. As part of the Action Plan, the Commission has recently launched consultations on board responsibilities and improving financial and corporate governance information, on directors’ remuneration and on the role of (independent) non-executive or supervisory directors. In the light of these recent consultations and the results of the public consultation on the Action Plan, this Article offers an overview and assessment of the corporate governance measures planned at Community level.

POLISH AND RUSSIAN BORDER ON THE ROAD TO SCHENGEN

2011 ◽  
Vol 161 (3) ◽  
pp. 97-122
Author(s):  
Halina ŁACH
Keyword(s):  
Central Europe ◽  
Action Plan ◽  
Migration Policy ◽  
Buffer Zone ◽  
The Other ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Illegal Migration ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
On The Road ◽  
The Eu

After the collapse of communism, the countries of Central Europe, including Poland, be-came a “buffer zone” for the European Union. This was not the result of a deliberate policy by the EU; Poland and the other countries in Central Europe wanted to begin cooperation with the EU as soon as possible, hoping to become its members.Future membership in the Union required Poland to adopt and implement the regulations of the Schengen legal order, which included control on its external borders, a common visa regime, combating cross-border crime, migration policy, infrastructure for border protection, as well as cooperation of border, customs and police services. Adopting the EU standards formed the basis for drawing up and implementing strategic governmental projects: The Action Plan for the Implementation of the Schengen Legal Heritage in Poland as well as the Strategy for the Integrated Border Management.Membership in the EU entailed a wide range of legal, institutional and infrastructural adjustments along the Polish and Russian border, as Poland came to be responsible for the safety of each specific section of the external border. In order to meet the Schengen regulations on the Polish and Russian border, the authorities of the Province of Warmia and Mazury began implementing projects and plans for managing the national border with respect to modernising its infrastructure and construction of border crossings. On the other hand, The Warmia and Mazury Division of the Border Guard took action in border protection consisting in adjusting border protection standards to the border crime threats, illegal migration as well as the intro-duction of regulations to allow for free transfer of persons and objects across the border.

scholarly journals Indian Elites and the EU as a Normative Power

2013 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
pp. 105-126 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rajendra K. Jain ◽  
Shreya Pandey
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Civil Society ◽  
Shared Values ◽  
Political Elites ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Eurozone Crisis ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Normative Power ◽  
Normative Identity ◽  
The Eu

AbstractDrawing on thirty face-to-face interviews with Indian business, civil society, media and political elites during the period from September 2011 to April 2012, this article seeks to examine the perceptions of Indian elites of the European Union as a normative power. It discusses the evolution of the concept of normative power and the evolution of the EU’s normative identity. It clearly outlines the expansion of the varied roles played by the EU in the course of assuming responsibilities in the capacity of civilian, ethical and normative power of Europe both within its borders and abroad. The article seeks to highlight the diverse external perceptions about the normative power of EU by focusing upon the elite opinion from India. The article captures the changing mood of the elites about the effectiveness of the normative power of the EU with the intensification of the eurozone crisis. It argues that the normative disconnect in worldviews, mindsets and practical agendas between India and the European Union has made it difficult to transform shared values into coordinated policies.

scholarly journals A MODEL OF USING IPA FUNDS FOR PROJECT REALIZATION IN PRE-ACCESSION COUNTRIES: THE CASE OF SERBIA

Ekonomika ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 89 (2) ◽  
pp. 28-43
Author(s):  
Mirjana Kranjac ◽  
Rado Maksimović ◽  
Uroš Sikimić
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Civil Society ◽  
Foreign Aid ◽  
Questionnaire Survey ◽  
Transition Process ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Accession Countries ◽  
Project Phases ◽  
Project Realization ◽  
The Eu

During the process of enlargement, the European Union established a mechanism to develop institutions and to support transition process in the EU, through financial help, for potential candidates and candidate countries. This foreign aid is operating throughout different EU funds. The instrument for the pre-accession assistance (IPA) has replaced all other financial funds for the budget period 2007–2013. The aim of this article is to give suggestions for a more efficient use of IPA funds. The article presents a case of Serbia by showing the empirical results from a questionnaire survey of 108 organizations evaluating a range of issues. A model of IPA funds’ use has been created. Risk points have been determined and divided into three groups: informing of potential beneficiaries, their education, and assistance in the realization of all project phases. Improvement could be achieved through the implementation of a new idea for setting up “project centres” which would support the process. Thus, civil society would be involved into the monitoring system.

scholarly journals Evaluation of Economic Impacts of Biodiesel Production in Slovakia

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 75-77
Author(s):  
Zuzana Bajusová ◽  
Jana Ladvenicová ◽  
Tatiana Bullová ◽  
Ľubomír Gurčík
Keyword(s):  
Renewable Resources ◽  
Rapeseed Oil ◽  
Slovak Republic ◽  
Action Plan ◽  
Biodiesel Production ◽  
Biofuel Production ◽  
Agricultural Crops ◽  
The European Union ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
The Eu

Abstract The increasing consumption of energy, as well as exhaustibility of fossil resources, initiate the necessity of finding renewable resources. Especially biofuels represent the important role in terms of renewable resources, development of which is often question under debate in many countries. By increasing of blending mandate in the European Union (EU), the SR after joining the EU forced to implement the changes in its action plan for renewable energy in transport and set benchmarks share of methyl ester of rapeseed oil in diesel fuel. The aim of the paper is to evaluate the economic impact of biodiesel production in the Slovak republic. At the same time, biofuel production has an impact on the price of conventional fuels. The relationship between biofuel production and prices of agricultural crops as well as conventional fuels we examined through regression and correlation analysis, which showed that between production of biodiesel and the prices indicated exists certain dependency.

scholarly journals EUROPEAN COMMON AVIATION AREA: AVIATION LIBERALISATION AND UKRAINE’S ACCESSION PROCESS

2021 ◽  
Vol 1 ◽  
pp. 149-163
Author(s):  
Kateryna Vodolaskova
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Market Access ◽  
Action Plan ◽  
Civil Aviation ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Strategic Development ◽  
Association Agreement ◽  
Priority Task ◽  
Traffic Organization ◽  
The Eu

The signing of the Common Aviation Area (CAA) Agreement between Ukraine and the European Union (EU) is one of the priority task on the agenda in Ukraine. The implementation of the CAA Agreement is envisaged in the Association Agreement (2014) between the EU and Ukraine, the Action Plan of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine (CMU) and the Strategic Development Plan of the aviation transport. Despite of the officially announced readiness of the Ukrainian side, the signing of the CAA Agreement has been postponed since 2013. Investigation of the external and internal problems for the integration of Ukraine into the CAA creates the topicality of this paper and leads to the purpose of the article. Purpose of the article is comprehensive study of the legal basis and background of ECAA, analyzing the neighborhood policies and hence, the determination of the main directions of incorporation of the EU civil aviation requirements and standards regarding market access, air traffic organization, flight safety, the environment and other issues in Ukraine’s legislation. The article is based on usage of the general and special-legal scientific methods of cognition, as well as formal legal and dialectical approaches. Legal basement of this work, in particular, consists of: a) the Association Agreement between Ukraine and the EU of 2014; b) National Program of Adaptation of the Legislation of Ukraine to the Legislation of the European Union (adopted by the Law of Ukraine on November 04, 2018, № 2581-VIII); c) the Strategic Plan for the Development of Air Transport (adopted by the Ministry of Infrastructure of Ukraine on December 21, 2015, Decree № 546) and d) the Action Plan to Prepare for the Introduction of a CAA of Ukraine with the EU and its Member States (adopted by the CMU on February 8, 2017, Order № 88-o) and other regulations. Results of the paper include the conceptual theoretic investigation to reveal external and internal problems on the way to the Ukraine’s integration into the CAA of the EU, practical recommendations for the process of approximation of Ukraine's legislation to the EU’s standards, and contribute to the liberalization of regulation of international air services.

scholarly journals The European Union’s instruments on fighting illegal logging – selected legal issues

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (4) ◽  
pp. 53-68
Author(s):  
Adriana Kalicka-Mikołajczyk
Keyword(s):  
Poverty Reduction ◽  
Sustainable Forest Management ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Forest Degradation ◽  
Legal Order ◽  
Legal Issues ◽  
Illegal Logging ◽  
Economic Growth And Development ◽  
Legal Character ◽  
The Eu

Illegal logging is a significant problem of major international community concern because it has a devastating impact on some of the world’s most valuable remaining forests and contributes to tropical deforestation and forest degradation. Furthermore, it threatens biodiversity and undermines sustainable forest management, having a negative impact on poverty reduction, sustainable and inclusive economic growth and development. The article presents instruments adopted by the EU in order to combat illegal timber logging. The author describes their material scope and legal character, dividing them into two groups: internal and international legally binding instruments and soft law instruments, in order to answer the question about their legal character and position in the EU legal order and in national orders of the Member States.

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