Evaluation of Sustainable Energy Development Progress in EU Member States in the Context of Building Renovation

The main goal of setting energy efficiency priorities is to find ways to reduce energy consumption without harming consumers and the environment. The renovation of buildings can be considered one of the main aspects of energy efficiency in the European Union (EU). In the EU, only 5% of the renovation projects have been able to yield energy-saving at the deep renovation level. No other study has thus far ranked the EU member states according to achieved results in terms of increased usage in renewable sources, a decrease in energy usage and import, and reduction in harmful gas emissions due to energy usage. The main purpose of this article is to perform a comparative analysis of EU economies according to selected indicators related to the usage of renewable resources, energy efficiency, and emissions of harmful gasses as a result of energy usage. The methodological contribution of our study is related to developing a complex and robust research method for investment efficiency assessment allowing the study of three groups of indicators related to the usage of renewable energy sources, energy efficiency, and ecological aspects of energy. It was based on the PROMETHEE II method and allows testing it in other time periods, as well as modifying it for research purposes. The EU member states were categorized by such criteria as energy from renewables and biofuels, final energy consumption from renewables and biofuels, gross electricity generation from renewables and biofuels and import dependency, and usage of renewables and biofuels for heating and cooling. The results of energy per unit of Gross Domestic Product (GDP), Greenhouse gasses (GHG) emissions per million inhabitants (ECO2), energy per capita, the share of CO2 emissions from public electricity, and heat production from total CO2 emissions revealed that Latvia, Sweden, Portugal, Croatia, Austria, Lithuania, Romania, Denmark, and Finland are the nine most advanced countries in the area under consideration. In the group of the most advanced countries, energy consumption from renewables and biofuels is higher than the EU average.

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The integrated assessment of RES cooperation between the EU and its neighbours

International Journal of Energy Sector Management ◽

10.1108/ijesm-01-2015-0004 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 10 (3) ◽

pp. 427-447 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Marijke Welisch ◽

Gustav Resch ◽

André Ortner

Keyword(s):

Renewable Energy ◽

North Africa ◽

Renewable Energy Sources ◽

The European Union ◽

Western Balkans ◽

Member States ◽

Content Type ◽

Eu Member States ◽

Good Resource ◽

The Eu

Purpose The purpose of the paper is to provide estimation results for feasibility of renewable energy source (RES) deployment in Turkey, the Western Balkans and North Africa. From these results, the potential for cooperation in renewables production between the countries and the European Union (EU) is assessed and evaluated, in a mid- (2030) and long-term (up to 2040) perspective. Design/methodology/approach The authors focus on the quantitative assessments undertaken on the extent to which RES cooperation can create mutual benefits, identifying costs and benefits for both sides, but in particular with respect to RES target achievement (2020 and 2030) at EU level. The potentials for RES generation in Turkey, North Africa and the Western Balkans are calculated under different policy pathways, taking into account different levels of economic and non-economic barriers that could occur. Findings Overall, the authors found that increasing RES deployment in the three analysed regions and initiating or intensifying cooperation with EU28 Member States leads to mutual benefits. Concretely, these benefits become apparent in terms of the EU Member States importing renewable energy sources for electricity with a good resource quality and adding on to their targets for RES deployment. At the same time, substantial savings occur for the EU, in turn leading to income and investments in the cooperating regions. Originality/value The assessment underlying this paper is the first of its kind to the authors’ knowledge that opens up the geographical spread in comparison to merely assessing cooperation between Europe and the Middle East and North Africa. Furthermore, the multitude of policy parameters analysed provides detailed and robust insights concerning a broad variety of different possible scenarios.

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Progress in the Implementation of the EU Energy Efficiency Directive through the Lens of the National Annual Reports

Energies ◽

10.3390/en12061107 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 12 (6) ◽

pp. 1107 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Paolo Zangheri ◽

Marina Economidou ◽

Nicola Labanca

Keyword(s):

Energy Efficiency ◽

Energy Consumption ◽

National Level ◽

Lessons Learned ◽

Annual Reports ◽

Successful Implementation ◽

The European Union ◽

Member States ◽

Article 5 ◽

The Eu

Following the adoption of the Energy Efficiency Directive (EED) in 2012, the Member States of the European Union implemented various policies and measures to meet the Directive's requirements, including national energy efficiency targets for 2020. The progress made at national level is tracked through the Annual Reports provided by Member States to the Commission in accordance with the EED Article 24. To provide valuable insights of the actions taken by Member States towards increasing energy efficiency in various sectors of their economies, this paper reviews the assessment of the Annual Reports (AR) submitted since 2013 – the year in which the first reports were due – until the latest Annual Reports of 2018. Notably, the implementation status of key EED provisions such as Article 5 on the exemplary role of public bodies’ buildings and Article 7 on Energy Efficiency Obligation Schemes (EEOS) is discussed, providing a historical view of the progress made from the inception of the various actions until now. The need of more efforts, in particular with the Article 5 implementation, is identified. The national contributions towards the EU 2020 target are also discussed, including an analysis of the latest energy consumption trends and reasons for which energy consumption remained stable or increased, as given by Member States in their reports. Lessons learned from the EED experience so far are drawn that provide valuable input for the successful implementation of the future requirements under the new Energy Union Governance.

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Political aspects of security of the European Union Member States

10.31338/1641-2478pe.3.20.6 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 97-105

Author(s):

Aleksandra Kusztykiewicz-Fedurek

Keyword(s):

European Union ◽

Negative Impact ◽

The European Union ◽

Member States ◽

Eu Member States ◽

Political Security ◽

New Institutions ◽

The Stability ◽

Key Aspects ◽

The Eu

Political security is very often considered through the prism of individual states. In the scholar literature in-depth analyses of this kind of security are rarely encountered in the context of international entities that these countries integrate. The purpose of this article is to draw attention to key aspects of political security in the European Union (EU) Member States. The EU as a supranational organisation, gathering Member States first, ensures the stability of the EU as a whole, and secondly, it ensures that Member States respect common values and principles. Additionally, the EU institutions focus on ensuring the proper functioning of the Eurozone (also called officially “euro area” in EU regulations). Actions that may have a negative impact on the level of the EU’s political security include the boycott of establishing new institutions conducive to the peaceful coexistence and development of states. These threats seem to have a significant impact on the situation in the EU in the face of the proposed (and not accepted by Member States not belonging to the Eurogroup) Eurozone reforms concerning, inter alia, appointment of the Minister of Economy and Finance and the creation of a new institution - the European Monetary Fund.

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Inequalities in the European Union—A Partial Order Analysis of the Main Indicators

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su13116278 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (11) ◽

pp. 6278

Author(s):

Lars Carlsen ◽

Rainer Bruggemann

Keyword(s):

Indicator System ◽

Partial Ordering ◽

Disposable Income ◽

The European Union ◽

Member States ◽

Eu Member States ◽

Per Capita ◽

Educational Aspect ◽

The Eu

The inequality within the 27 European member states has been studied. Six indicators proclaimed by Eurostat to be the main indicators charactere the countries: (i) the relative median at-risk-of-poverty gap, (ii) the income distribution, (iii) the income share of the bottom 40% of the population, (iv) the purchasing power adjusted GDP per capita, (v) the adjusted gross disposable income of households per capita and (vi) the asylum applications by state of procedure. The resulting multi-indicator system was analyzed applying partial ordering methodology, i.e., including all indicators simultaneously without any pretreatment. The degree of inequality was studied for the years 2010, 2015 and 2019. The EU member states were partially ordered and ranked. For all three years Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Austria, and Finland are found to be highly ranked, i.e., having rather low inequality. Bulgaria and Romania are, on the other hand, for all three years ranked low, with the highest degree of inequality. Excluding the asylum indicator, the risk-poverty-gap and the adjusted gross disposable income were found as the most important indicators. If, however, the asylum application is included, this indicator turns out as the most important for the mutual ranking of the countries. A set of additional indicators was studied disclosing the educational aspect as of major importance to achieve equality. Special partial ordering tools were applied to study the role of the single indicators, e.g., in relation to elucidate the incomparability of some countries to all other countries within the union.

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Changes in Energy Consumption in Agriculture in the EU Countries

Energies ◽

10.3390/en14061570 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 14 (6) ◽

pp. 1570

Author(s):

Tomasz Rokicki ◽

Aleksandra Perkowska ◽

Bogdan Klepacki ◽

Piotr Bórawski ◽

Aneta Bełdycka-Bórawska ◽

...

Keyword(s):

European Union ◽

Renewable Energy ◽

Energy Consumption ◽

Correlation Coefficient ◽

Renewable Energy Sources ◽

Energy Sources ◽

The European Union ◽

Eu Countries ◽

Research Hypothesis ◽

The Eu

The paper’s main purpose was to identify and present the current situation and changes in energy consumption in agriculture in the European Union (EU) countries. The specific objectives were the determination of the degree of concentration of energy consumption in agriculture in the EU countries, showing the directions of their changes, types of energy used, and changes in this respect, establishing the correlation between energy consumption and changes in the economic and agricultural situation in the EU countries. All member states of the European Union were deliberately selected for research on 31 December 2018 (28 countries). The research period covered the years 2005–2018. The sources of materials were the literature on the subject, and data from Eurostat. Descriptive, tabular, and graphical methods were used to analyze and present materials, dynamics indicators with a stable base, Gini concentration coefficient, concentration analysis using the Lorenz curve, coefficient of variation, Kendall’s tau correlation coefficient, and Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient. A high concentration of energy consumption in agriculture was found in several EU countries, the largest in countries with the largest agricultural sector, i.e., France and Poland. There were practically no changes in the concentration level. Only in the case of renewable energy, a gradual decrease in concentration was visible. More and more countries developed technologies that allow the use of this type of energy. However, the EU countries differed in terms of the structure of the energy sources used. The majority of the basis was liquid fuels, while stable and gaseous fuels were abandoned in favor of electricity and renewable sources—according to which, in the EU countries, the research hypothesis was confirmed: a gradual diversification of energy sources used in agriculture, with a systematic increase in the importance of renewable energy sources. The second research hypothesis was also confirmed, according to which the increase in the consumption of renewable energy in agriculture is closely related to the economy’s parameters. The use of renewable energy is necessary and results from concern for the natural environment. Therefore, economic factors may have a smaller impact.

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Review of the Construction Labour Demand and Shortages in the EU

Buildings ◽

10.3390/buildings11010017 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

pp. 17

Author(s):

Belinda Brucker Juricic ◽

Mario Galic ◽

Sasa Marenjak

Keyword(s):

Free Movement ◽

Construction Sector ◽

The European Union ◽

Total Employment ◽

Member States ◽

Skill Levels ◽

Eu Member States ◽

Free Movement Of Workers ◽

European Union Member States ◽

The Eu

This paper reviews the recent literature on skill and labour shortages in the labour market with special emphasis on the construction sector in the European Union Member States, foreseeing the Construction 4.0 era. The free movement of people is one of the rights of all citizens of the EU which also includes the free movement of workers. Labour shortages in the EU are expected to increase in the future due to a declining population and an ageing workforce. In order to recognize and forecast labour shortages, EU Member states use a variety of instruments but they do not answer as to whether it is possible to use migrant labour to appease those shortages. There are several systems used to classify labour shortages in the EU Member states. Most of the countries classify labour shortages in relation to different sectors or occupation groups as well as by skill levels, but in some Member States, classification is made according to the type of employment. Instruments used to measure labour shortages significantly differ from country to country. Several criteria are used for creating lists of shortage occupations and most of the criteria include demand side and supply side criteria. A majority of the Member States are facing labour and skill shortages in various sectors and the construction sector is not an exception. As total employment in the construction sector decreased, so did the share of employed migrants. Labour shortages in the construction sector can be eased by the availability of a labour supply willing to accept unqualified and low-paying jobs. The construction sector seeks low-, medium-, and high-skilled individuals and is most likely the sector where most of the incoming migrants will be working, which has an impact on the development and implementation dynamic of Construction 4.0.

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Practice of the member states of the European Union in the field of anti-corruption regulation

Journal of Financial Crime ◽

10.1108/jfc-03-2021-0050 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽

Author(s):

Dmytro S. Melnyk ◽

Oleg A. Parfylo ◽

Oleksii V. Butenko ◽

Olena V. Tykhonova ◽

Volodymyr O. Zarosylo

Keyword(s):

European Union ◽

System Analysis ◽

The European Union ◽

Analysis Method ◽

Member States ◽

Content Type ◽

Eu Member States ◽

Legal Method ◽

Content Analysis Method ◽

The Eu

Purpose The experience of most European Union (EU) Member States has demonstrated effective anti-corruption practices, making the EU one of the leaders in this field, which can be used as an example to learn from in the field of anti-corruption. The purpose of this study is to analyze and identify the main features of anti-corruption legislation and strategies to prevent corruption at the national and supranational levels of the EU. Design/methodology/approach The following methods were used in the work: discourse and content analysis, method of system analysis, method of induction and deduction, historical-legal method, formal-legal method, comparative-legal method and others. Using the historical and legal method, the evolution of the formation of anti-corruption regulation at the supranational level was revealed. The comparative law method helped to compare the practices of the Member States of the EU in the field of anti-corruption regulation. The formal-legal method is used for generalization, classification and systematization of research results, as well as for the correct presentation of these results. Findings The main results, prospects for further research and the value of the material. The paper offers a critical review of key EU legal instruments on corruption, from the first initiatives taken in the mid-1990s to recent years. Originality/value In addition, the article analyzes the relevant anti-corruption legislation in the EU member states that are in the top 10 countries with the lowest level of corruption, namely: Denmark, Finland, Sweden, the Netherlands, Germany and Luxembourg.

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An Assessment of Carousel Value-Added Tax Fraud in The European Carbon Market

Review of Law & Economics ◽

10.1515/rle-2014-0023 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 13 (2) ◽

Author(s):

Maria Berrittella ◽

Filippo Alessandro Cimino

Keyword(s):

Computable General Equilibrium ◽

Emission Trading ◽

Value Added ◽

Carbon Market ◽

Eu Ets ◽

The European Union ◽

Value Added Tax ◽

Member States ◽

Eu Member States ◽

The Eu

AbstractThe literature on the European Union Emission Trading System (EU ETS) is by now very rich. Much is known about the efficiency, the effectiveness, and the environmental and distributional impacts of the EU ETS. Less, however, is known about the carousel value-added-tax (VAT) fraud phenomena in the European carbon market. This article evaluates the welfare effects of carousel VAT fraud in the EU ETS using a computable general equilibrium (CGE) analysis. According to our findings, if VAT fraud occurs in the EU ETS, the effects on welfare for the EU Member States are negative, with welfare loss significantly higher than the VAT fraud value. This article also discusses the reverse charge mechanism that EU Member States could adopt to reduce the VAT fraud phenomena in the European carbon market.

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National Food Safety Systems in the European Union: A Comparative Survey

International Journal of Food Studies ◽

10.7455/ijfs.v2i1.136 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 2 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Andreas Hadjigeorgiou ◽

Elpidoforos S. Soteriades ◽

Anastasios Philalithis ◽

Anna Psaroulaki ◽

Yiannis Tselentis ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Risk Assessment ◽

European Union ◽

Food Safety ◽

The European Union ◽

Member States ◽

Eu Member States ◽

Comparative Survey ◽

Safety Systems ◽

Central Level ◽

The Eu

This paper is a comparative survey of the National Food Safety Systems (NFSS) of the European Union (EU) Member-States (MS) and the Central EU level. The main organizational structures of the NFSS, their legal frameworks, their responsibilities, their experiences, and challenges relating to food safety are discussed. Growing concerns about food safety have led the EU itself, its MS and non-EU countries, which are EU trade-partners, to review and modify their food safety systems. Our study suggests that the EU and 22 out of 27 Member States (MS) have reorganized their NFSS by establishing a single food safety authority or a similar organization on the national or central level. In addition, the study analyzes different approaches towards the establishment of such agencies. Areas where marked differences in approaches were seen included the division of responsibilities for risk assessment (RA), risk management (RM), and risk communication (RC). We found that in 12 Member States, all three areas of activity (RA, RM, and RC) are kept together, whereas in 10 Member States, risk management is functionally or institutionally separate from risk assessment and risk communication. No single ideal model for others to follow for the organization of a food safety authority was observed; however, revised NFSS, either in EU member states or at the EU central level, may be more effective from the previous arrangements, because they provide central supervision, give priority to food control programs, and maintain comprehensive risk analysis as part of their activities.

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European Green Deal as a matter of security

IOP Conference Series Earth and Environmental Science ◽

10.1088/1755-1315/900/1/012035 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 900 (1) ◽

pp. 012035

Author(s):

P Polko

Keyword(s):

European Union ◽

Energy Transport ◽

The European Union ◽

Member States ◽

Policy Initiatives ◽

Eu Member States ◽

Particular Solutions ◽

The Eu

Abstract The European Green Deal (EGD) is a set of policy initiatives by the European Union with the overarching and ambitious aim of making Europe climate neutral in 2050. Being world’s first ‘climate-neutral bloc’ and fulfilling other goals extending to many different sectors, including construction, biodiversity, energy, transport, food and others has also an impact on different sectors of security. The implementation of the tasks set out in the EGD requires taking into account the necessity of sustainability in reaching the goals, including not violating sectoral security in the EU Member States. Nexus approach might be useful in the processes of finding and implementation of particular solutions.

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