scholarly journals The Importance of Higher Education in the EU Countries in Achieving the Objectives of the Circular Economy in the Energy Sector

Energies ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (17) ◽  
pp. 4407
Author(s):  
Tomasz Rokicki ◽  
Aleksandra Perkowska ◽  
Bogdan Klepacki ◽  
Hubert Szczepaniuk ◽  
Edyta Karolina Szczepaniuk ◽  
...  

The main purpose of the article was to identify and present the current situation and changes in higher education in the field of electricity and energy studies in the European Union countries. The specific objectives include determining the degree of concentration of education in the fields of electricity and energy in the EU countries, showing the directions of their changes, types of dominant education in this field, establishing the correlation between education in the fields of electricity and energy and the parameters assessing the achievement of circular economy assumptions in the energy sector. All Member States of the European Union were deliberately selected for research. The research period covered the years 2013–2018. The source of the materials is a literature review on the subject and Eurostat data. For the analysis and presentation of materials, methods such as descriptive, tabular, graphical, dynamics indicators with a constant basis, Gini concentration coefficient, concentration analysis using the Lorenz curve, coefficient of variation, Pearson’s linear correlation coefficient were used. A high concentration of education in the fields of electricity and energy was found in several EU countries, the largest in countries with the highest energy consumption, i.e., in France and Poland. Changes in the level of concentration practically did not take place, only in the case of master’s studies, there was an increase in concentration. However, the EU countries did not differ significantly in terms of the structure of the number of students studying electricity and energy.

2019 ◽  
pp. 294-305
Author(s):  
Kateryna Binytska

The article deals with the issue of the development of university education in the EU countries. The article presents statistical data on the number of students at each of the higher education levels of the European Union. The factors influencing the process of university education development have been discussed: European and national. It is generalized that the current tendencies of the development of higher education in the countries of the European Union are: the mass character of population obtaining higher education; increasing accessibility of higher education for citizens; internationalization. The general tendencies of organization of the educational process in universities of the European Union countries include: the use of higher education levels (bachelor and master); the use of credit-transfer system of training; the education quality control (developing common criteria for evaluating the quality of teaching and providing educational services); the expansion of academic mobility (creation of integrated educational programs and programs for conducting scientific researches); from teaching – to self-study; from skills – to competences and learning outcomes; orientation to achievement of goals and attention to the evaluation of achievements; dialogue between structures; from linearity – to dynamic thinking; providing the employment of graduates. It is noted that current trends in the development of higher education and specific activities of universities of the EU countries are increasingly affecting the socio-political and economic development of European countries. The objectives of the educational policy of the EU countries include: improving the provision of educational services, facilitating the employment of graduates and strengthening interaction with various sectors of the domestic and world economy, strengthening international cooperation activities, mobility of students and teaching staff, internationalization of higher education, which are crucial factors for advancement of our country in the global competition on the world market of goods and services. Taking into account the considered tendencies of the development of university education in the EU countries, recommendations have been offered to the domestic universities to improve their activity.


2021 ◽  
Vol 114 ◽  
pp. 01012
Author(s):  
Konstantin G. Gomonov

This article reveals the importance of implementing eco-innovation for the circular economy and sustainable development. The author provides different approaches to measuring the level of development of eco-innovation in the countries of the European Union. The two main indices for measuring eco-innovation are revealed in more detail. Described the pillars of each of the indices. Clustering of EU countries was carried out using the k-means method and groups of countries were identified by the level of implementation of eco-innovation. The clear leaders are Denmark, Sweden. Bulgaria, Cyprus, Poland are catching-up countries.


Author(s):  
Tomasz Rokicki

The main purpose of the paper was to present foreign trade in lamb meat concerning exchanges between the countries of the European Union. In a targeted manner, all EU member states were selected for research as of 31/12/2018 (28 countries). The research period concerned the years 2005-2018. The sources of materials were literature and Eurostat data. For analysis and presentation of materials, descriptive, tabular and graphical methods, dynamics indicators based on a constant and variable basis, the Gini concentration coefficient, Lorenz curve concentration analysis and Pearson’s linear correlation coefficient were applied. The export of lamb meat in relation to other EU countries accounted for over 90% of total export of this type of meat. In the case of imports, it was just over 50%. There were countries only selling to other EU countries and those with buyers from outside the EU. The situation was similar in import. The concentration of lamb meat export and import decreased, faster for imports. There were also positive average relationships between foreign trade in lamb meat in relations with other EU countries and basic economic parameters.


2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 287-308
Author(s):  
Iwona Szczepaniak

Research background: Globalisation and economic integration are the reasons for which the competitiveness of economic entities is analysed more and more often in the context of their relations with the international market. One of the ways to assess the competitiveness of the Polish food sector is an analysis of comparative (relative) advantages in the export of this sector’s products. Purpose of the article: The objective of this paper is to assess comparative advantages in Polish export of food products to the European Union against a background of selected groups of non-food products. Methods: The study used the B. Balassa’s revealed comparative advantage (RCA) index. The study is preceded by a brief review of foreign trade results. The source of data was the WITS-Comtrade commercial database. The analysis was carried out at the level of the HS sections (in commodity terms). The research period covered the years 2003–2015. Findings & Value added: In the years 2003–2015, export of food increased nearly six times and its import — more than 4.5 times. The major partners of Poland as regards trade in food were the EU countries. The food sector was one of few sectors of the economy with the positive trade balance. Polish export to the EU was characterised by a diversified level of comparative advantages. From among 20 HS sections, in 2015 Poland had comparative advantages in export to the EU countries for products from 10 sections (2 food and 8 non-food). Those products accounted for 11% and 70% of Polish export to the EU, respectively. The development of Polish foreign trade in food products during the Polish membership in the EU as well as fairly high comparative advantages in the export of these products to the EU indicate the competitiveness and significant importance of the Polish food sector for the national economy.


2021 ◽  
Vol 33 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ewa Mazur-Wierzbicka

Abstract Background Circular economy (CE) is a development priority of the European Union and it is part of the EU industrial strategy. The transition to a more circular economy is an essential contribution to the EU’s efforts to develop a sustainable, low carbon, resource-efficient and competitive economy. The author focuses her CE-related reflections and research in this paper on the macro-level (research subjects: 28 EU countries), the level which is least represented in scholarly publications addressing CE (as follows from the analysis of literature in the Scopus database). This study aims to fill this gap partially. The aim of this paper is to identify and group the EU-28 countries according to their advancement towards circular economy. CE indicators proposed by the European Commission were used for the analysis. Given the research subjects and after an analysis of the literature they were concluded to be the most adequate. The theoretical part was based on an analysis of the literature, whereas the empirical work used the principal components analysis, hierarchical and k-means clustering and a grade correspondence-cluster analysis. Results On the basis of the research, the existence of a “two-speed Europe” was identified in terms of EU countries’ advancement towards CE. Leading countries, those most advanced in pursuing operation according to CE principles, include Germany, Belgium, Spain, France, Italy, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. The second pole accommodates EU countries in which transformation towards CE is happening at the slowest pace. This group includes mainly countries of the Central and Eastern Europe and the countries of the south of Europe. Conclusions Differentiated levels of advancement of individual countries towards CE result inter alia from the adoption by some of the latter of different development strategies for their economies’ transitioning to circular economy (according to recommendations of EU ministers at the Environment Council in June 2016) and also from the differences occurring in social and economic development (it is mostly noticeable between the EU-15 and the EU-13 countries). Unfortunately, as can be concluded from the effects obtained so far, only a few of the adopted development strategies may be considered effective in meeting the challenges of circular economy according to the European Union’s standards.


2018 ◽  
Vol 18(33) (3) ◽  
pp. 144-155
Author(s):  
Dominika Jakubowska ◽  
Tomasz Wierzejski

The purpose of the work was to assess the concentration of regional and traditional food production in the European Union (EU) with particular emphasis on Poland. The analysis was made on the basis of data from the European DOOR databases, E-BACCHUS, E-SPIRIT DRINKS and IJHARS data. Various categories of regional and traditional products registered in Poland and other EU countries were described and analyzed using the Herfindahhl-Hirschman concentration index. The results obtained showed that the concentration of regional and traditional food production in the EU is high, and the majority of registered geographical indications originate from the Mediterranean, which accounts for almost three quarters of all EU registrations. Poland has a small share in the analyzed market. In regional terms, Poland has a relatively high concentration of production. A clearly higher value was demonstrated for the concentration of producers of these products.


2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 287-308
Author(s):  
Iwona Szczepaniak

Research background: Globalisation and economic integration are the reasons for which the competitiveness of economic entities is analysed more and more often in the context of their relations with the international market. One of the ways to assess the competitiveness of the Polish food sector is an analysis of comparative (relative) advantages in the export of this sector’s products. Purpose of the article: The objective of this paper is to assess comparative advantages in Polish export of food products to the European Union against a background of selected groups of non-food products. Methods: The study used the B. Balassa’s revealed comparative advantage (RCA) index. The study is preceded by a brief review of foreign trade results. The source of data was the WITS-Comtrade commercial database. The analysis was carried out at the level of the HS sections (in commodity terms). The research period covered the years 2003–2015. Findings & Value added: In the years 2003–2015, export of food increased nearly six times and its import — more than 4.5 times. The major partners of Poland as regards trade in food were the EU countries. The food sector was one of few sectors of the economy with the positive trade balance. Polish export to the EU was characterised by a diversified level of comparative advantages. From among 20 HS sections, in 2015 Poland had comparative advantages in export to the EU countries for products from 10 sections (2 food and 8 non-food). Those products accounted for 11% and 70% of Polish export to the EU, respectively. The development of Polish foreign trade in food products during the Polish membership in the EU as well as fairly high comparative advantages in the export of these products to the EU indicate the competitiveness and significant importance of the Polish food sector for the national economy.


2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (3) ◽  
pp. 332-344
Author(s):  
Maxim Polyakov ◽  
Igor Khanin ◽  
Vladimir Bilozubenko ◽  
Maxim Korneyev ◽  
Gennadij Shevchenko

The increased final consumption exacerbates the problem of the scarcity of natural resources and leads to environmental pollution. The concept of circular economy, which implies the formation of closed-loop chains of production and consumption with maximum regeneration and recycling of materials, is considered as an alternative to the firmly established “linear economy” (take-make-dispose). As a part of sustainable development strategy, the European Union adopted a general policy on the transition to a circular economy. However, for objective reasons, such transition is quite uneven at the level of member countries, which adversely affects the total progress. Therefore, the need arises to assess the positions of individual countries and identify major reasons for the uneven transition to support the countries that are lagging.The goal of the study is to identify the factors of uneven progress of the EU countries towards a circular economy. For that reason, a set of empirical data (20 indicators) has been compiled; cluster, classification, and parametric analyses have been conducted. As a result, three clusters of the EU countries have been obtained and six indicators, included into combinations that make all clusters different, have been identified. These indicators can be interpreted as the key factors contributing to the uneven progress of the EU countries towards a circular economy. The difference in harmonic means by clusters allowed quantitatively estimating a “circular gap”. It is of practical value for the EU policy aimed at bridging the gaps between member countries during the transition to a circular economy.


2020 ◽  
Vol 19 (4) ◽  
pp. 598-617 ◽  
Author(s):  
S.V. Ratner

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.


2020 ◽  
pp. 92-97
Author(s):  
A. V. Kuznetsov

The article examines the norms of international law and the legislation of the EU countries. The list of main provisions of constitutional and legal restrictions in the European Union countries is presented. The application of the norms is described Human rights conventions. The principle of implementing legal acts in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic is considered. A comparative analysis of legal restrictive measures in the States of the European Union is carried out.


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