scholarly journals EXPANDING THE POSSIBILITIES OF BUILDING MODERNIZATION: CASE STUDY OF LITHUANIA

2014 ◽  
Vol 20 (6) ◽  
pp. 819-828 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vytautas Stankevičius ◽  
Jūratė Karbauskaitė ◽  
Arūnas Burlingis ◽  
Jolanta Šadauskienė ◽  
Romaldas Morkvėnas
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Energy Consumption ◽  
Great Difficulty ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Sustainable Building ◽  
Apartment Buildings ◽  
Heated Floor ◽  
European Union Member States ◽  
The Eu

Energy saving has become one of the foremost priorities in the European Union and a great deal of attention is directed towards the sector of sustainable building. However, the EU members that have an extensive Soviet heritage now face a great difficulty in reducing energy consumption. Since many apartment buildings are in especially poor thermal condition, and the heat supply infrastructure is morally and physically outdated, energy consumption for heating is significant. The modernization (renovation) of such old buildings is impeded not only by legal and technical factors, but also financial and social aspects in regard to the residents. Thus, this paper provides new model of investments and modernization of apartment buildings on the basis of the calculation of energy input per one degree-day of the heated floor area. The presented degree-days calculation method enables the calculation and inter-comparison of data gathered in all European Union member states without taking into account specific climate parameters of each.

scholarly journals Changes in Energy Consumption in Agriculture in the EU Countries

Energies ◽  
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.

‘But the Last Word Is Ours’: The Monopoly of Jurisdiction of the Court of Justice of the European Union in Light of the Investment Court System

2019 ◽  
Vol 30 (4) ◽  
pp. 1187-1220
Author(s):  
Francisco de Abreu Duarte
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
General Framework ◽  
External Action ◽  
The Other ◽  
Court System ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Court Of Justice ◽  
The One ◽  
The Eu

Abstract This article develops the concept of the monopoly of jurisdiction of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) through the analysis of the case study of the Investment Court System (ICS). By providing a general framework over the criteria that have been developed by the Court, the work sheds light on the controversial principle of autonomy of the European Union (EU) and its implications to the EU’s external action. The work intends to be both pragmatic and analytical. On the one hand, the criteria are extracted as operative tools from the jurisprudence of the CJEU and then used in the context of the validity of the ICS. This provides the reader with some definitive standards that can then be applied to future cases whenever a question concerning autonomy arises. On the other hand, the article questions the reasons behind the idea of the monopoly of jurisdiction of the CJEU, advancing a concept of autonomy of the EU as a claim for power and critiquing the legitimacy and coherence of its foundations. Both dimensions will hopefully help to provide some clarity over the meaning of autonomy and the monopoly of jurisdiction, while, at the same time, promoting a larger discussion on its impact on the external action of the EU.

Independence: In or Out of Europe? An Independent Scotland and the European Union

2000 ◽  
Vol 49 (1) ◽  
pp. 15-34 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew Happold
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Law Enforcement ◽  
Union Member ◽  
Nation State ◽  
The European Union ◽  
European Level ◽  
Question Mark ◽  
National Governments ◽  
European Union Member States ◽  
The Eu

There is a question mark over the future of the nation-state in Europe. National monetary policy has been transferred to the European level in most European Union member States. Over the next ten years the EU will have a stronger role in defence and foreign policy, immigration and law enforcement. The very policies that supposedly define the concept of national sovereignty are no longer the exclusive domain of national governments.

scholarly journals Ukraine–EU Dialogue: ‘Homework’ on Reforms and Maintenance of Anti-Russian Sanctions

2019 ◽  
pp. 768-771
Author(s):  
Serhii Braha
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Foreign Policy ◽  
European Integration ◽  
Union Member ◽  
Foreign Affairs ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Fake News ◽  
Kerch Strait ◽  
European Union Member States ◽  
The Eu

The article deals with the cooperation between Ukraine and the European Union and the coverage of events by Uriadovyi Kurier. It is noted that in 2019, European integration remains one of the priorities of Ukraine’s foreign policy. As a result, journalists pay considerable attention to various visits, summits, and meetings devoted to the issues of European integration of Ukraine. It is stated that in order to provide objective and timely coverage of these events, Uriadovyi Kurier sent its permanent correspondent to Brussels. The author emphasizes the relevance of such an important problem as Russian disinformation, especially during the 2019 elections in Ukraine and the European Union. It is noted that unlike in the European Union Member States, the spread of fake news and propaganda are part and parcel of the official state policy in Russia. The article substantiates the idea that the expansion of the European Union anti-Russian sanctions occurred after the attack on Ukrainian ships in the Kerch Strait, which took place in November 2018. Uriadovyi Kurier paid attention to this issue by writing about the working visits of then Minister for Foreign Affairs Pavlo Klimkin to informal meetings ‘Ukraine + Friends of Ukraine in the EU’ in Brussels. It is noted that the second meeting of the Brussels UkraineLab was one of the most extensive and notable events related to European integration. Equally is the fact of support for Ukrainian reforms and European integration of Ukraine in the European Parliament. Summing up, the author notes that European integration remains relevant for the new Ukrainian Government. Therefore, Uriadovyi Kurier will continue to monitor and inform its readers about all developments in this area. Keywords: Ukraine, European Union, Russia, sanctions, European integration, Uriadovyi Kurier.

scholarly journals Evironmental Tax. Are Vehicle Registers in the EU Prepared?

2017 ◽  
Vol 65 (1) ◽  
pp. 273-282
Author(s):  
Petr David ◽  
Vojtěch Schiller
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Union Member ◽  
Motor Vehicles ◽  
Environmental Tax ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Foreseeable Future ◽  
Negative Externalities ◽  
European Union Member States ◽  
Research Show ◽  
The Eu

The market system is unavailable to reflect negative externalities, caused by road motor traffic, in the realized prices. For that purpose, it would be appropriate to implement a general environmental road tax in the European Union member states. The question is whether the national registers of vehicles are prepared for such a change. Whether this is the case at present, may be found out by means of analyses of the available national registers. The next step is synthetic: the data must be subsequently completed on the basis of the knowledge of needs of currently existing systems of road motor vehicles taxation. In the end, the identified results may be supplemented with the known data published by international institutions. The results of the research show that the present systems of road motor vehicles taxation are utterly different and distortive. Only 12 countries of the European Union have registers which were clearly identified as prepared for the application of the environmental tax. Registers of the remaining countries do not contain one or more data that are necessary for the implementation of the environmental tax. For this reason we may assume that regardless of other determinants, environmental road tax shall not be introduced throughout the European Union in the foreseeable future.

scholarly journals The formation of interstate and cross-border scientific-educational and innovative spaces between Ukraine and the European Union member states in the digital economy

2019 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 48-60 ◽  
Author(s):  
Viacheslav Lyashenko ◽  
Iryna Pidorycheva
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Union Member ◽  
Economic Benefits ◽  
High Tech ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Member States ◽  
Association Agreement ◽  
Cross Border ◽  
European Union Member States ◽  
The Eu

By signing the Association Agreement between the EU and Ukraine, Ukraine has demonstrated its intention and willingness to integrate into the system of formal institutions of the EU, to adopt the EU rules, norms, and practices, which will enable Ukraine to achieve significant economic benefits. One of those benefits is the opportunity to build a true scientific-educational and innovative partnership with the EU Member States within the European Research Area. This study considers opportunities and perspectives of creating an interstate and cross-border scientific-educational and innovative spaces between Ukraine as an associated country and the European Union Member States taking into account key priorities of the ERA and rapidly growing impact of digital technologies. Particular attention has been given to the establishment of a common Polish-Ukrainian scientific-educational space which could be complemented by the entrepreneurial component. The article has identified opportunities, existing prerequisites, directions, and priorities for building Polish-Ukrainian spaces. It has also defined the challenges of formation the European interstate and cross-border scientific-educational and innovative spaces as a whole. It has been suggested to develop hereinafter an interstate and cross-border high-tech clusters based on the interstate and cross-border scientific-educational and innovative spaces. The scheme and the main steps of formation a cross-border cluster of nano- and biotechnologies are proposed.

scholarly journals From the Stereotypification of the Non-European Other to the Prototypification of the European Self: A Case Study of Turkey’s Membership to the European Union from the French Perspective.

2007 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ariane Bogain ◽  
Florence Potot
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
The Other ◽  
European Identity ◽  
The European Union ◽  
The Press ◽  
Collective Psyche ◽  
Opinion Polls ◽  
Insight Into ◽  
The Eu

In an era of increased globalisation, the need for a sense of belonging and an identity is becoming more pressing. The way nations form images of others and, conversely, conscious or unconscious images of themselves is becoming increasingly important as these images impact on public opinion and on political and decision-making discourse. With the development of supranationalism in Europe, the age-old notion of European identity has come more and more to the fore. Conflicting interpretations and a general disinclination to consider the matter leave the notion of European identity as polysemic as ever. Furthermore, the expansion of the EU has contributed to blurring this notion, so much so that in the collective psyche, it has become closely linked to the membership of the European Union and it is proving sometimes difficult to dissociate one from the other. In this context, the debate surrounding Turkey’s membership of the EU gives an insight into prototypical and stereotypical representations of Europe. As the controversy has been particularly salient in France, the aim of this study is to explore the European self-conceptions and images of the other through the example of France’s opposition to Turkey’s membership of the EU. For this purpose, opinion polls and the Press will be used as forms of narrative in order to highlight these representations and how they have evolved in time. The first part of the study will concentrate on the arguments put forward to justify the opposition to Turkey joining the EU. The second part will then evaluate how the image of the other contributes to the prototypical representation French citizens have of Europe.

scholarly journals Raising compulsory automobile insurance minimum amounts: a case study from the United States

2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (2019/4) ◽  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
European Union ◽  
Union Member ◽  
The United States ◽  
Automobile Insurance ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Automobile Accidents ◽  
Member States ◽  
European Union Member States

This article discusses a decision both European Union Member States and states in the United States must make: whether to raise their compulsory automobile insurance minimum amounts. The authors review a case study from the United States, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and conclude a proposed increase in the compulsory minimum amounts should pass the legislator. The purpose of compulsory automobile insurance is to compensate victims of automobile accidents. Due to inflation, the minimum amounts in Pennsylvania no longer compensate adequately. Moreover, the data do not support the contention that an increase in the minimum amounts will cause large increases in premiums and uninsured rates. The authors conclude that compulsory minimum amounts should be periodically reviewed, as they are in the European Union, and that arguments about large increases in premiums and uninsured rates should be subjected to a careful review based on data.

scholarly journals The EU and national sovereignty: the encounter of two concepts of sovereignty. Change or continuity?

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Aistė Deimantaitė
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Union Member ◽  
European Countries ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Verbal Expression ◽  
Political Actors ◽  
The Public ◽  
Strategic Narratives ◽  
European Union Member States ◽  
The Eu

The article aims to examine and critically evaluate the idea of sovereignty and the nuances of its verbal expression through the concept of strategic narratives, to reveal different models of sovereignty within the context of European Union Member States (mainly France, Hungary/Poland) and the European Union (EU) since 2017. The article seeks to answer the following questions: What idea of sovereignty has been projected to the public in selected European countries and the EU by their political actors since 2017? What model, functional limits and narratives do actors forge?

The (Rebuttable) Presumption of the European Union Member States as ‘Safe Countries’ under the Dublin Regulation

2012 ◽  
pp. 240-255
Author(s):  
Cristina Contartese
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Member State ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Member States ◽  
Eu Member States ◽  
European Court ◽  
Dublin Regulation ◽  
Effective Remedy ◽  
European Union Member States ◽  
The Eu

The purpose of this chapter is to analyze a particular aspect of the so-called Dublin Regulation, whose aim is to determine the European Union (EU) Member State responsible for examining an asylum application, that is, the presumption that the EU Member States are “safe countries.” Although the notion of “safe country” is on the base of the Dublin Regulation functioning mechanism, as it implies that any EU Member States can transfer an asylum seeker to any other EU country which is responsible, the authors contend that the safety of an EU Member State can be given as presumed for the purpose of asylum seekers. The analysis of the present work starts, firstly, with the examination of the notion of “safe country” under the Dublin Regulation. In the second part, relying on the European Court of Human Rights’ (ECHR) case-law, it will be discussed to what extent the Court of Strasbourg clarifies the notion of “safe countries” and the test it applies to it. Finally, the Commission’s proposal for a recasting of the Dublin Regulation will be analysed with the aim of foresee possible future developments of the EU law mechanisms to rebut such a presumption as applied to the EU Member States. It will emerge that in order to assess the safety of an EU Member State, attention has to be given to the prohibition of both direct and indirect refoulement as well as to the effective remedy at the EU Member State’s domestic level.

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