scholarly journals Marketing Farmers’ Varieties in Europe: Encouraging Pathways with Missing Links for the Recognition and Support of Farmer Seed Systems

Agronomy ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (11) ◽  
pp. 2159
Author(s):  
Fulya Batur ◽  
Riccardo Bocci ◽  
Béla Bartha
Keyword(s):  
Rural Communities ◽  
Certified Seed ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Seed Systems ◽  
Economic Stability ◽  
Social Actors ◽  
Practical Implications ◽  
Diverse Plant ◽  
Selection Of ◽  
The Eu

Farmer seed systems come in many shades: Conserving, producing, and using diverse plant material for different motives and purposes, whether the conservation or selection of locally adapted plant varieties and populations, or the safeguard of social bonds to secure economic stability and integration into rural communities. In Europe, strict seed marketing rules, by viewing any exchange of seeds as commercial exploitation, have first outlawed these farmer seed systems and the varieties conserved and developed in these systems, before carving out limited space for them as derogations to the main regime that remains based on mandatory variety registration and certified seed production. Examining these spaces in the legislation of the European Union (‘EU’) and Switzerland, along with their practical implications on the ground, the article shows the conceptual shortcomings of the EU legislation to fully address all the characteristics of farmer seed systems, especially to recognize farmers’ innovation. It exposes the need to carefully define, assess and adjust the underlying objectives of the future EU legislative effort to register farmers’ varieties or allow for their exchange, to fully represent and address the complex socio-economic values and diversity of farmer seed systems. The success of these endeavors will lie in the truthful representation, but also the engagement of farmers and social actors that not only conserve, but also dynamically manage agrobiodiversity.

scholarly journals Operationalizing smart specialization in a Portuguese follower region

2020 ◽  
pp. 14-14
Author(s):  
Alexandre Almeida ◽  
Óscar Afonso ◽  
Mario Silva
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Dynamic Vision ◽  
Smart Specialization ◽  
Operational Issues ◽  
Selection Of ◽  
The Eu

The inability of the European Union (EU) to grow has raised questions regarding the effectiveness of competitiveness and growth policies. To increase efficacy, the EU has determined that regions must undergo an exercise in smart specialization and devise a strategy for the same. However, particularly in follower regions facing severe locked-in problems and structural bottlenecks, the application of smart specialization may require adjustments and a more dynamic vision, especially with regard to the follower regions. Furthermore, many operational issues arise in the programming and policy-devising stages. This article aims to contribute to this debate by proposing a framework to guide the selection of priorities and by applying the proposed framework to the Portuguese North region.

Targeting the Digital Agenda for Europe: a new approach for estimating ICT R&D expenditures

Info ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 45-61 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juraj Stančík
Keyword(s):  
Information And Communication Technologies ◽  
Communication Technologies ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Public And Private ◽  
New Approach ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Labour Costs ◽  
Information And Communication ◽  
Practical Implications ◽  
The Eu

Purpose – The main goal of this paper is to create a methodology for estimating public research and development (R&D) expenditures on Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in the European Union (EU). The study further applies this methodology on business expenditures on R&D (BERD) data across all sectors and estimate ICT BERD within each of them. Then the study assesses the evolution of these expenditures in the context of the Digital Agenda for Europe (DAE) and its specific target to double them by 2020. Design/methodology/approach – The study assumes that the share of public ICT R&D expenditures in total public R&D expenditures is similar to the share of ICT R&D labour costs. The study bases its estimation on government budget appropriations or outlays on R&D (GBAORD). Findings – EU public ICT R&D expenditures grew steadily over the period 2004-2010 and in 2010 reached 5.9 billion. The study also estimates that the total EU ICT BERD in 2010 amounted to 15.8 billion. Regarding the DAE target about ICT R&D expenditures, the study shows that, in both public and private, the EU drops behind. Research limitations/implications – The study estimates that substantial ICT BERD can be found also in non-ICT sectors. Practical implications – The methodology allows for monitoring one of the DAE targets. Originality/value – The methodology currently represents the only way for measuring public ICT R&D expenditures in the EU.

MIFID2 – the impact on non-EU fIRMS

2017 ◽  
Vol 18 (3) ◽  
pp. 67-71
Author(s):  
Simon Crown ◽  
Steven F. Gatti ◽  
Matthias Feldman ◽  
Paul Landless
Keyword(s):  
Financial Instruments ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Private Banks ◽  
Commodity Derivatives ◽  
The Impact ◽  
European Markets ◽  
Practical Implications ◽  
Relevant Interaction ◽  
The Eu

Purpose An update for firms located outside the European Union of the possible extra-territorial impact of certain provisions in the recast Markets in Financial Instruments Directive and Markets in Financial Instruments Regulation (together referred to as “MiFID2”). Design/methodology/approach The focus is on the issues that are most likely to have an impact on non-EU firms, including buy/sell side financial institutions and private banks. Findings That the impact of MiFID2 will be felt far beyond the EU, particularly in relation to product governance, inducements and dealing commission, trading obligations, position limits for commodity derivatives and the new regime for accessing EU markets. Practical implications Non-EU firms need to assess their interaction with EU clients, counterparties and markets to identify the likely impact of MiFID2. Relevant interaction could include: manufacturing and distribution of financial instruments; the provision of investment research and dealing services to EU clients and trading in instruments which are admitted to trading on EU markets. Originality/value This article will be of interest to “third-country” firms, located outside the EU, but with a European connection, either in terms of European counterparties, investors or accessing European markets.

scholarly journals DEVELOPMENTAL STAGES OF THE EDUCATIONAL STRATEGY OF THE EUROPEAN UNION

1970 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Olena I. Lokshyna
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Developmental Stages ◽  
Strategy Development ◽  
Educational Strategy ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Economic Stability ◽  
The Eu

The article is dedicated to the analysis of the evolution of the educational strategy of EU in the process of its development aimed at the economic stability and security in the region. The author distinguishes key stages of the EU strategy development in the educational area and its present-day concept underlying the importance of correspondence to the requirements of economy and society.

Assessment of the European monitoring frameworks for circular economy: the case of Croatia

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jadranka Švarc ◽  
Marina Dabić ◽  
Jasminka Lažnjak
Keyword(s):  
Circular Economy ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Policy Recommendations ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Local Conditions ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Eu Member States ◽  
Measurement Tools ◽  
Practical Implications ◽  
Selection Of

PurposeThe main purpose of this research is to analyse the efficiency of the main European monitoring frameworks to estimate the transition of the countries within the European Union (EU) towards circular economy (CE) using the example of Croatia.Design/methodology/approachAssessment methods with reliable data and appropriate indicators are essential when it comes to measuring transition and progress towards CE. The methodology employed in this research is a systematic and critical analysis of the seven European measurement frameworks employed to assess Croatia's progress towards CE.FindingsThe analysis revealed how EU's monitoring frameworks have developed over time and how useful they are in evaluating country's progress towards CE. The measurement tools and indicators proved, in the case of Croatia, insufficient for clarifying and understanding its progress towards CE. Selection of indicators within monitoring frameworks is arbitrary while their interpretation is highly contextual, dependent on policy targets and local conditions. These results can be extrapolated to other EU member states.Practical implicationsPolicy recommendations for more efficient CE transitions are provided.Originality/valueThis research sheds light on the CE development in Croatia – an understudied European country in this context – and discusses the country's goals towards sustainability. The limited success of developed CE indicators is discussed.

scholarly journals The European Union and UN Millennium Development Goals in Nigeria: A Study of the Micro Projects Programmes (MPPs) in the Niger Delta Region

2016 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 459
Author(s):  
Nnamdi O. Nwaodu ◽  
Stephen Adi Odey ◽  
Ngozi Stella Emma-Egbumokei
Keyword(s):  
Rural Communities ◽  
International Development ◽  
Niger Delta ◽  
Poverty Reduction ◽  
Developing Economies ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Ex Post ◽  
Development Agencies ◽  
The Third World ◽  
The Eu

The present Cotonou Accord was signed by the EU, 77, African Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries towards halving poverty as prescribed by the UN Declaration by 2015. The EU's interventionin the rural communities of the oil producing states of Nigeria (Niger Delta) clearly shows her commitment towards the above stated global drive for the eradication of poverty especially in the Third World. Bringing about the establishment of the Micro ProjectProgrammes (MPP3, MPP6 and MPP9) for the nine states of the region between 1999 and 2012 and expended over €210 million on the programmes. Four years after theimplementation of the programmes, arising questions include: to what extent did the EU-MPPs achieve the set goals of poverty reduction in the region? And how sustainable are the achievements of the programmes? Using ex post facto research design, it was found out that amidst numerous challenges the MPPs actually reduced the level of poverty in the region through the provision of over 20,000 micro projects to more than 4000 rural communities in the nine states it covered. It therefore recommended that similar programmes be initiated by all other international development agencies as to speed up the reduction of poverty in the UN targeted areas though behind the originally target period of 2015. The study contends that an effective administrative institutional framework of the EU- MPPs should serve as model to other development agencies not only in Nigeria but across the developing economies of the world.

An ethnonational perspective on territorial politics in the EU: east-west comparisons from a pilot study

2014 ◽  
Vol 42 (3) ◽  
pp. 449-468 ◽  
Author(s):  
Boyka M. Stefanova
Keyword(s):  
European Integration ◽  
The European Union ◽  
South Central ◽  
Material Interests ◽  
Territorial Politics ◽  
The Uk ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Regional Interests ◽  
Selection Of ◽  
The Eu

This paper examines the relationship between European integration and ethnonational demands with the example of selected regions in the European Union (EU). It follows the theoretical premises of new regionalism and explores the ways in which ethnonational groups use the opportunities and resources of European governance to express their identities, material interests, and political demands. Methodologically, it conducts a plausibility probe of the potential effects of European integration on ethnonationalism by testing for regional differences in identities, interests, and political attitudes. The case studies are drawn from the UK (Wales and Scotland), Belgium (Flanders), Austria (Carinthia and Burgenland), Romania (Northwest and Center regions), and Bulgaria (South-Central and South-Eastern regions) as a representative selection of regional interests in the EU. The paper finds that European integration affects ethnonational groups by reinforcing identity construction in the direction of inclusiveness and diversity. Although regional actors are more supportive of the EU than the European publics in general, they also seek access to representation in the authority structures of the state. Based on these findings, the paper concludes that European integration facilitates a growing public acceptance of its resources, in parallel with persisting allegiances to the nation-state, the community, and ethnoregional distinctiveness.

scholarly journals USING THE TFP INDEX TO MEASURE CHANGES IN AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTIVITY IN THE EU // PRIMENA TFP INDEKSA U MERENJU PROMENA POLJOPRIVREDNE PRODUKTIVNOSTI U EU

2017 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Maja Đokić ◽  
Verica Jovanović ◽  
Ivana Vujanić
Keyword(s):  
Agricultural Sector ◽  
Agricultural Productivity ◽  
Sustainable Growth ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Factor Productivity ◽  
Modern Agriculture ◽  
Europe 2020 ◽  
Selection Of ◽  
The Eu ◽  
Scientific Achievements

In its development paper Europe 2020, the European Commission defined the ambitious goal of raising the level of resource efficiency. As a means of achieving this goal in the agricultural sector, the demand for increased productivity was replaced by the naturally based development of agriculture, which should be based on scientific foundation. The main results of this change should be higher outputs obtained with less investment. The aim of this paper is to determine whether this requirement is met. In this context, and in this paper, an analysis of the trends in agricultural productivity in the countries of the European Union in the period 2005-2015 was carried out by using the model of total factor productivity. The selection of the TFP index for measuring agricultural productivity in the paper proved to be correct since it enabled us to determine which of the several observed input factors had the greatest impact on the observed productivity trends. A general conclusion derived from the obtained results is that the overall productivity of agriculture in the EU has slowed growth in recent years and has started to lag behind leading global competitors. This indicates that, observed by the standards of modern agriculture, the modest growth of productivity in agriculture, is based on unsustainable principles, primarily in the intensive reduction of employees in agriculture, rather than on the application of scientific achievements. In the circumstances of limited natural resources, these achievements are the only possible source of sustainable growth.

The good, the bad, and the ambitious: democracy and autocracy promoters competing in Belarus

2015 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 195-224 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katsiaryna Yakouchyk
Keyword(s):  
Policy Recommendations ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Case Study Method ◽  
Economic Stability ◽  
Political Liberalization ◽  
Strategic Assets ◽  
Ruling Elites ◽  
State Enterprises ◽  
The Eu

How do China, Russia, and the European Union (EU) facilitate or hinder political liberalization in Belarus? In this paper, using the qualitative case study method, I primarily highlight the competition that the EU faces with the Russian active autocracy promotion in Belarus. The EU provides aid only in exchange for promise of democratic and economic reforms, which might be very costly and danger the persistence of ruling elites. Russia, at the same time, offers economic and diplomatic support to Belarus, which is, however, conditioned by privatization of the Belarusian strategic assets in favor of Russian stakeholders. I also claim that China, with growing international ambitions, passively supports autocracy in Belarus, by providing financial aid without interfering with internal political affairs. For Belarus, whose leadership still enjoys legitimation by a large part of the population due to the economic stability, losing major state enterprises might weaken sovereignty. Thus, diversification of economic partners is of crucial importance for Belarus. I argue that Belarusian ruling elites may have found an escape away from democratic and autocratic pushes from the EU and Russia, respectively, by increasing linkages with China. To promote effectively democracy in its neighborhood, the EU ought to reconsider interactions with external non-democratic actors. The paper concludes by providing some policy recommendations for the EU.

Budget allocation design in the EU pre-commercial procurement for innovation

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 88-96
Author(s):  
Nicola Dimitri
Keyword(s):  
Budget Allocation ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Social Implication ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Innovative Solutions ◽  
Probability Of Success ◽  
To Receive ◽  
Practical Implications ◽  
The Eu ◽  
Three Phases

Purpose Pre-commercial procurement (PCP), introduced by the European Commission in 2007, is the most important purchasing procedure available to the European Union public sector to solicit innovative solutions from the business sector. As such solutions are not yet in the market, they first require research and development (R&D) activities. PCP is concerned with procuring R&D services only, and typically consists of three phases. This paper aims to discuss how the budget available to the contracting authority (CA) may be optimally allocated along such three phases. Design/methodology/approach The paper is mostly theoretical and the CA is assumed to maximise the overall probability of success in the PCP, that is the probability of receiving at least one successful proposal at the end of the procedure. Findings The main finding of the paper suggests that, for a CA, the optimal budget allocation across the three phases of the PCP depends on how likely it is to receive successful proposals in various stages of the procedure, as well as on the rewards paid to the invited companies. Practical implications In this paper, the author proposes a methodology for the optimal budget allocation of a CA and discusses how the approach could be practically implemented, pointing out its potential difficulties. Social implications The main social implication of the findings is represented by the best use of the available budget, hence taxpayers’ money. Originality/value To the best of the author’s knowledge, no existing paper has discussed the optimal budget allocation in a PCP as in this work.

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