scholarly journals Identification and Analysis of Structural Fund Support Mitigating the Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic in the EU—A Case Study of Health Unit Funding

Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (16) ◽  
pp. 4976
Author(s):  
Karina Bedrunka ◽  
Łukasz Mach ◽  
Anna Kuczuk ◽  
Anna Bohdan

The research carried out describes the provision of COVID-19 funding in individual EU Member States under the ongoing operational programmes of the EU financial perspective in the period 2014–2020. This was followed by identification of the most important areas of support and the amounts allocated to them for Poland and its sixteen voivodeships under the available EU funds from the 2014–2020 perspective. Types and forms of support for health services from the funds of the Regional Operational Programme for the Opolskie Voivodeship 2014–2020 (ROP WO) were analysed in detail. The obtained results showed that Italy, Spain, and Poland provided the largest values of support under the available operational programmes from 2014–2020 to combat the effects of COVID-19. In Poland, funding was mainly provided by the European Regional Development Fund, with the dominant support allocated to entrepreneurship and health care. In the Opolskie voivodeship, which is the case study, the additional financing in the health area concerns: personal protective equipment, equipment, construction works, oxygen installations, and waste water management. In this article, a literature analysis of the issue was conducted prior to the research process, which included theories of post-2007 crises, including the COVID-19 pandemic. The focus is on the theoretical background and research showing the impact of crises from the point of view of social, economic, and ecological dimensions, i.e., from the point of view of sustainable development. It also presents planned and implemented public intervention to offset the negative effects of COVID-19 in 2020 from structural funds in EU countries, including Poland and its 16 voivodeships.

2021 ◽  
pp. 41-59
Author(s):  
Armenia ANDRONICEANU ◽  
Elvira NICA ◽  
Irina GEORGESCU ◽  
Oana Matilda SABIE

Developments in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) have led to major changes in public administration in all democratic states. The fact that information can be made public and accessible from anywhere, at any time, requires a new approach to the process of computerization of public administration. The objective of the research was to know the influence of ITC integration in the EU state administrations on corruption control in the period 2010 - 2019. We selected four relevant variables, which we integrated in a panel analysis including the 27 EU member states. Using STATA we made an econometric model on panel data and obtained interesting results from a scientific point of view. The results show that the integration of ICTs in the EU public administrations has significantly contribution to reducing corruption These results demonstrate the need to accelerate the digitization of administrations and create an integrated model of government cloud in the European administrative space. In addition, the results of the research highlight the differences between EU states in terms of the impact of ICTs on government efficiency and economic development.


2018 ◽  
Vol 52 ◽  
pp. 139-155
Author(s):  
Anna Mijal

The level of education as a component of competence may play an important role in determining the chances of social and material success, as well as raising the living standards, forming conditions for economic growth. This finds its reflection in the EU strategic documents, which lays the foundations for opening a public debate. It is commonly accepted that the level of education stands behind the heritage and thus, a significant role is played by the parents’ educational lifelines. Population inhabiting rural areas is presented in the subject literature as a community usually more inclined towards ending their education as early as possible and displaying professional passivity. The aim of the article is to identify the scale of the phenomenon concerning professional and educational inactive young people aged 15–34 in Poland and in the EU (the so-called NEET – Not in Education, Employment, or Training), particularly in rural areas, in the context of rural inhabitants’ opinions, concerning the impact of education on their situation and expectations relating to the sphere of their children’s education. For the purpose of the study the non-reactive method of the existing data analysis (desk research) was used. Basing upon the study of the subject literature and analysis of articles provided by experts, information was collected on the essence of the NEET population and its subgroups. Reasons behind the educational and professional inactivity of the youth were identified. Reports published by the Eurostat, Poland’s statistics in form of Diagnoza społeczna 2015 results and reports by the Institute of Educational Studies comprised the source of information. For a relatively long time the possibility of social advancement owing to education remained within the reach of solely the most ambitious individuals who left the country as les miraculés or les héritiers – “heirs” equipped in culture capital, successors to family educational biographies. There appear substantial differences in this sphere between individual EU member states, which can reach several dozen percent. In the comparative analysis, the NEET population inhabiting rural areas of Poland comprised over 16% in 2008, almost 21% in 2013 and over 17% in 2017. The attempt of diagnosing poses a strategic challenge to the rural EU areas as regards the selection of appropriate solutions resulting from the specificity of the motives for belonging to the NEET group.


2012 ◽  
Vol 18 (4) ◽  
pp. 461-470
Author(s):  
Anne Mette Ødegård ◽  
Øyvind Berge ◽  
Kristin Alsos

The temporary work agency sector in Norway is diverse and growing. Since the EU enlargements of 2004 and 2007, it has also experienced a large influx of workers from the new EU Member States, especially in construction. This has led to more informal and undeclared business activities in the hiring industry. In this article we show some of the consequences of this development. We also discuss the impact of various national regulations in this sector and whether new EU regulation, namely the EU Directive on temporary agency work, might improve the situation.


2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 3-17
Author(s):  
Elena Blagoeva

The impact of the last global economic crisis (2008) on the European economy put a strain on higher education (HE), yet it also pushed the sector towards intensive reforms and improvements. This paper focuses on the “Strategy for the Development of Higher Education in the Republic of Bulgaria 2014-2020”. With a case study methodology, we explore the strategic endeavours of the Bulgarian government to comply with the European directions and to secure sustainable growth for the HE sector. Our research question is ‘How capable is the Bulgarian HE Strategy to overcome the economic and systemic restraints of Bulgarian higher education?’. Because the development of strategies for HE within the EU is highly contextual, a single qualitative case study was chosen as the research approach. HE institutions are not ivory towers, but subjects to a variety of external and internal forces. Within the EU, this is obviated by the fact that Universities obtain their funds from institutions such as governments, students and their families, donors, as well as EU-level programmes. Therefore, to explore how these pressures interact to affect strategic action on national level, the case method is well suited as it enabled us to study the phenomena thoroughly and deeply. The paper suggests the actions proposed within the Strategy have the potential to overcome the delay, the regional isolation and the negative impact of the economic crisis on the country. Nevertheless, the key elements on which the success or failure of this Strategy hinges are the control mechanisms and the approach to implementation. Shortcomings in these two aspects of strategic actions in HE seem to mark the difference between gaining long-term benefits and merely saving face in front of international institutions.


Author(s):  
Vanda Almeida ◽  
Salvador Barrios ◽  
Michael Christl ◽  
Silvia De Poli ◽  
Alberto Tumino ◽  
...  

AbstractThis analysis makes use of economic forecasts for 2020 issued by the European Commission in Autumn 2019 and Spring 2020, and of a counterfactual under a no-policy change assumption, to analyse the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on EU households´ income. Additionally, our analysis assesses the cushioning effect of discretionary fiscal policy measures taken by the EU Member States. We find that the COVID-19 pandemic is likely to affect significantly households’ disposable income in the EU, with lower income households being more severely hit. However, our results show that due to policy intervention, the impact of the crisis is expected to be similar to the one experienced during the 2008–2009 financial crisis. In detail, our results indicate that discretionary fiscal policy measures will play a significant cushioning role, reducing the size of the income loss (from −9.3% to −4.3% for the average equivalised disposable income), its regressivity and mitigating the poverty impact of the pandemic. We conclude that policy interventions are therefore instrumental in cushioning against the impact of the crisis on inequality and poverty.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Meagan Lacy ◽  
Alexandra Hamlett

PurposeIn most higher education institutions, information literacy (IL) instruction is usually considered the purview of librarians, not disciplinary faculty. However, a small but growing body of research indicates that students learn the research process best when these skills are taught in the context of a course or a discipline. For this reason, teaching faculty should share ownership of IL instruction — but how? In this case study, community college librarians explain how they successfully trained faculty to integrate IL into their English Composition courses and teach IL independently.Design/methodology/approachUsing a multimethods approach, the investigators draw on faculty interviews, student surveys, and content analysis of student essays to evaluate the impact of faculty-led IL instruction on student learning after one semester.FindingsFaculty reported that their instruction of IL was improved, and students work better as a result of their collaboration with the librarians. Compared to previous semesters, faculty perceived gains in terms of students’ ability to synthesize and cite evidence in their writing. Student survey results indicate perceived gains in their IL skills, but an assessment of their written work reveals a discrepancy between this perception and the actual application of these skills.Research limitations/implicationsBecause there is no control group, no conclusions can be drawn as to whether faculty-led IL instruction is as effective as librarian-led IL instruction or whether students’ academic performance improves due to faculty teaching IL. However, the purpose of this study is primarily descriptive. It addresses how other libraries may create a culture of shared ownership of IL instruction on their campuses.Practical implicationsThis study offers an alternative model to library instruction and suggests ways instruction librarians can prioritize their outreach and instructional efforts to maximize impact on student learning.Originality/valueWhile much has been written about how librarians can improve IL instruction, few studies mention the role of faculty. This case study starts the conversation.


2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 237 ◽  
Author(s):  
Radka MacGregor Pelikánová

The commitment of the European Union (EU) to Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is projected into EU law about annual reporting by businesses. Since EU member states further develop this framework by their own domestic laws, annual reporting with CSR information is not unified and only partially mandatory in the EU. Do all European businesses report CSR information and what public declaration to society do they provide with it? The two main purposes of this paper are to identify the parameters of this annual reporting duty and to study the CSR information provided by the 10 largest Czech companies in their annual statements for 2013–2017. Based on legislative research and a teleological interpretation, the current EU legislative framework with Czech particularities is presented and, via a case study exploring 50 annual reports, the data about the type, extent and depth of CSR is dynamically and comparatively assessed. It appears that, at the minimum, large Czech businesses satisfy their legal duty and e-report on CSR to a similar extent, but in a dramatically different quality. Employee matters and adherence to international standards are used as a public declaration to society more than the data on environmental protection, while social matters and research and development (R&D) are played down.


2017 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 10-12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristine Sørensen ◽  
Helmut Brand

Abstract A decade ago the European health literacy field was in its infancy. A comparable study among EU Member States was made to explore if health literacy was as much as a concern in Europe as elsewhere in the world. This article analyses the impact of the European Health Literacy project (2009–2012). Based on the outcomes new avenues for health literacy in Europe are proposed. In spite of progress there is still a strong call for actions to make health literacy a priority in the EU.


2017 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 167 ◽  
Author(s):  
Radka MacGregor Pelikánová

Research background: The Post-Lisbon EU aims at smart, sustainable, and inclusive growth on the single internal market, as indicated by the Europe 2020. The interplay of the competition and consumer protection on such a market is subject to harmonization. The Unfair Commercial Practices Directive has been made in order to achieve a full harmonization in this respect in 2007. However, EU member states share different social, political, legal and economic traditions and their approaches to unfair competition, in particular if committed via parasitic commercial practices, are dramatically diverse. In such a context, is it feasible, effective and efficient to install a full harmonization?Purpose of the article: The primary purpose of this article is to describe and assess ap-proaches to unfair competition, in particular if committed via parasitic commercial practices, by the EU law and EU member states law. The secondary purpose is to study and evaluate possibilities for the feasible, effective and efficient harmonization, or their lack. Methods: The cross-disciplinary and multi-jurisdictional nature of this article, and its dual purposes, implies the use of Meta-Analysis, of the critical comparison of laws and the impact of their application, to the holistic perception of historical and national contexts, and to case studies. The primary and secondary sources are explored and the yield knowledge and data are confronted with the status quo. The dominating qualitative research and data are complemented by the quantitative research and data.Findings & Value added: The EU opted for an ambitious challenge to install via the Unfair Commercial Practices Directive a full harmonization of the regime against unfair commercial practices, including parasitic ones. The exploration pursuant to the duo of purposes suggests that the challenge is perhaps too ambitious and that the EU underestimated the dramatic diversity of approaches to unfair commercial practices, especially parasitic ones.


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