OpenHiGis: A national geographic database for inland waters of Greece based on the INSPIRE Directive Hydrology Theme

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ino Papageorgaki ◽  
Antonis Koukouvinos ◽  
Nikos Mamassis
Keyword(s):  
National Level ◽  
Curve Number ◽  
River Basins ◽  
Inland Waters ◽  
Analysis Tool ◽  
Geographic Data ◽  
Lakes And Reservoirs ◽  
The Web ◽  
The Eu ◽  
Hydrographic Network

<p>The Open Hydrosystem Information Network (OpenHi.net) is an information infrastructure for the collection, management and dissemination of hydrologic information related to inland waters in Greece. The OpenHi.net is under development in the context of HIMIOFoTS, a national infrastructure integrating both marine and inland waters. OpenHi.net is mainly oriented to collect and manage river and lake stage data. Geographic data are essential to link stage data with the upstream basin’s hydrologic characteristics. The OpenHiGis is the GIS component of the OpenHi.net platform. The geographic database design and implementation are based on the Hydrography Theme specified by the INSPIRE Directive. The main goal is to collect, query, analyze, and offer web services relevant to hydrologic - geographic information for hydrographic network, lakes and reservoirs, river basins, drainage basins and station basins at a national level. In this sense, data stored for (a) hydrographic network (geometry, length, segment’s slope, geographical name and stream order), (b) lakes and reservoirs (geometry, area, elevation and geographical name) , and (c) basins (geometry, area, elevation, slope, basin order, main watercourse length and slope, runoff Curve Number.</p><p>The European Digital Elevation Model (Copernicus, EU-DEM version 1.1) with spatial resolution of 25 m, is selected (after examining a few well-known elevation models) for extracting hypsometric information, which is basic for river basin’s response. Other main data sources found and used are the: (a) hydrographic network, lakes and reservoirs from the implementation of EU 2000/60/EC Directive, (b) hydrographic network from EU 2007/60/EC Directive and (c) OpenStreetMap publically available hydrographic network and river networks from various scanned maps at scales approximately 1:50 k.</p><p>The ArcGIS Model Builder environment is used as the main spatial analysis tool. Several models are created to run the geographic processes and perform calculations (create INSPIRE compliant geodatabase, data import from various sources, watercourse extraction from DEM and hydrographic network definition, river basins delineation and geomorphologic attributes calculation, watercourse naming, topology creation and validation). The extraction of a primary (before editing) watercourse line is achieved by using the EU-DEM, applying  an upslope contribution area threshold equal to 10 km<sup>2</sup>, which is proposed by the EU 2000/60/EC Directive. Spatial relationships between features are defined using topological rules. All the modeling procedures and the output datasets are considered to be at a scale 1:50 k.</p><p>The QGIS software is used to perform the final editing by using OSM’s, ESRI’s, Google’s and Bing’s base-maps. Furthermore, QGIS is used to make a connection to the ArcGIS geodatabase and transfer the data to PostGIS (Postgres). Finally, the MapServer software is used for publishing the data to the web. Two services, the Web Map Service (WMS) and the Web Feature Service (WFS), are provided to the user to access, query or download the geographic data through the OpenHi.net platform.</p>

Transboundary delineation, characterisation and monitoring of groundwater bodies in the Dnipro river basin of Ukraine and the Pripyat river basin of Belarus under the European Water Initiative Plus for Eastern Partnership Countries (EUWI+)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Olga Vasniova ◽  
Olga Biarozka ◽  
Nataliia Lyuta ◽  
Iryna Sanina ◽  
Andreas Scheidleder ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
River Basin ◽  
Data Exchange ◽  
National Level ◽  
River Basins ◽  
Eastern Partnership ◽  
European Water ◽  
Sampling Campaign ◽  
Management Plans ◽  
Eastern Partnership Countries ◽  
The Eu

<p>The EU-funded program European Water Initiative Plus for Eastern Partnership Countries (EUWI+), which is the biggest commitment of the EU to the water sector in the EaP countries, helps Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine to bring their legislation closer to EU policy in the field of water management, with a main focus on the management of trans-boundary river basins. It supports the development and implementation of pilot river basin management plans, building on the improved policy framework and ensuring a strong participation of local stakeholders.</p><p>Project funding is provided by the European Commission (DG NEAR), the EU support program for improved cooperation in the eastern EU neighborhood region and the EU Water Initiative Plus (EUWI+). On a national level, financial support comes from the Austrian Development Agency, the Austrian Federal Ministry for Sustainability and Tourism as well as from the French Office International de l’Eau. Up to 2020, management plans for selected river basins and transboundary rivers will be implemented under the leadership of a European project consortium headed by the Environment Agency Austria.</p><p>One important first step is the delineation of groundwater bodies according to the principles of the EU Water Framework Directive and the harmonization of transboundary groundwater bodies between Belarus and Ukraine. Groundwater experts of the Ukrainian Geological Prospecting Institute and the Belarus Unitary Enterprise “Research And Production Centre For Geology” identified and characterized the transboundary groundwater bodies which are crossing country boarders in the Dnipro river basin in Ukrainian and the Pripyat river basin in Belarus. Furthermore, a corridor which is supposed to be in transboundary groundwater interaction was identified. All methodological work was bilaterally agreed.</p><p>The experts of both countries made an inventory of existing groundwater monitoring sites and a proposal of monitoring sites which should be subject to transboundary monitoring and bilateral data exchange. In addition, a joint transboundary groundwater survey including the joint selection of monitoring parameters, a common sampling campaign and a joint interpretation of the monitoring results is planned for the period until August 2020.</p><p>A statement of the quantitative and chemical status and the risk of not achieving good status in future, as a conclusion of all collected information and monitoring data will be given.</p><p>The already available results of the joint investigations are presented.</p>

Modernisation of Higher Education – Willful Action or Wishful Thinking? The Case of Bulgaria

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 3-17
Author(s):  
Elena Blagoeva
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Economic Crisis ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
National Level ◽  
Sustainable Growth ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Case Study Methodology ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Eu

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.

European experience in transition to circular economy

2020 ◽  
Vol 19 (4) ◽  
pp. 598-617 ◽  
Author(s):  
S.V. Ratner
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Circular Economy ◽  
Raw Materials ◽  
Action Plan ◽  
National Level ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Scientific Methods ◽  
European Experience ◽  
General Scientific ◽  
The Eu

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.

scholarly journals The legal street: a scarcity approach to urban open space in mobility transitions

2021 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Brett J. M. Petzer ◽  
Anna J. Wieczorek ◽  
Geert P. J. Verbong
Keyword(s):  
Urban Space ◽  
Open Space ◽  
National Level ◽  
Urban Mobility ◽  
New Approach ◽  
Urban Open Space ◽  
Space Allocation ◽  
Zero Sum ◽  
Lock In ◽  
The Eu

AbstractAn urban mobility transition requires a transition in space allocation, since most mobility modes are dependent on urban open space for circulation and the storage of vehicles. Despite increasing attention to space and spatiality in transitions research, the finite, physical aspects of urban space, and the means by which it is allocated, have not been adequately acknowledged as an influence on mobility transitions. A conceptual framework is introduced to support comparison between cities in terms of the processes by which open space is (re-)distributed between car and bicycle circulatory and regulatory space. This framework distinguishes between regulatory allocation mechanisms and the appropriation practices of actors. Application to cases in Amsterdam, Brussels and Birmingham reveal unique relationships created by the zero-sum nature of urban open space between the dominant automobility mode and subordinate cycling mode. These relationships open up a new approach to forms of lock-in that work in favour of particular mobility modes within the relatively obdurate urban built environment. Empirically, allocation mechanisms that routinise the production of car space at national level within the EU are shown to be far more prevalent than those for bicycle space, highlighting the constraints faced by radical city-level policies aimed at space reallocation.

Adapting the European System of Financial Supervision (ESFS) to the EEA Two-Pillar Structure – A Workable Solution?

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (5) ◽  
pp. 557-591
Author(s):  
Andri Fannar Bergþórsson
Keyword(s):  
Financial Crisis ◽  
Global Financial Crisis ◽  
National Level ◽  
Financial Supervision ◽  
Member States ◽  
Eu Member States ◽  
European System ◽  
Pillar Structure ◽  
The Global Financial Crisis ◽  
The Eu

In response to the global financial crisis, the European System of Financial Supervision (ESFS) was created in 2010. Supranational bodies were established for different financial sectors to act as supervisors of sorts for national-level supervisors in EU Member States. This article focuses on how the system was adapted to three EFTA States that are not part of the EU but form the internal market along with EU Member States through the EEA Agreement – Iceland, Norway and Lichtenstein (EEA EFTA States). The aim is to clarify how ESFS has been incorporated into the EEA agreement and to discuss whether this a workable solution for the EEA EFTA States that have not transferred their sovereignty by name in the same manner as the EU Member States. One issue is whether the adaptation has gone beyond the limits of the two-pillar structure, as all initiative and work stem from the EU supranational bodies and not the EFTA pillar.

scholarly journals Representation of Slovak Research Information (A Case Study)

Information ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 137
Author(s):  
Danica Zendulková ◽  
Boris Rysuľa ◽  
Andrea Putalová
Keyword(s):  
Social Sciences ◽  
National Level ◽  
Research Data ◽  
Research Information ◽  
Social Sciences And Humanities ◽  
Central Register ◽  
The World ◽  
Mutual Relations ◽  
Analytical Tools ◽  
The Eu

In the light of the increasing importance of the societal impact of research, this article attempts to address the question as to how social sciences and humanities (SSH) research outputs from 2019 are represented in Slovak research portfolios in comparison with those of the EU-28 and the world. The data used for the analysis originate from the R&D SK CRIS and bibliographic Central Register of Publication Activities (CREPČ) national databases, and WoS Core Collection/InCites. The research data were appropriate for the analysis at the time they were structured, on the national level; of high quality and consistency; and covering as many components as possible and in mutual relations. The data resources should enable the research outputs to be assigned to research categories. The analysis prompts the conclusion that social sciences and humanities research outputs in Slovakia in 2019 are appropriately represented and in general show an increasing trend. This can be documented by the proportion represented by the SSH research projects and other entities involved in the overall Slovak research outputs, and even the higher ratio of SSH research publications in comparison with the EU-28 and the world. Recommendations of a technical character include research data management, data quality, and the integration of individual systems and available analytical tools.

scholarly journals Why does the European Right accommodate backsliding states? An analysis of 24 European People’s Party votes (2011–2019)

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 169-187
Author(s):  
Lise Esther Herman ◽  
Julian Hoerner ◽  
Joseph Lacey
Keyword(s):  
National Level ◽  
Eastern European ◽  
People's Party ◽  
Number Of Factors ◽  
European People’S Party ◽  
Democratic Principles ◽  
National Governments ◽  
Fundamental Values ◽  
Over Time ◽  
The Eu

AbstractOver the last decade, the EU’s fundamental values have been under threat at the national level, in particular among several Central and Eastern European states that joined the EU since 2004. During this time, the European People’s Party (EPP) has been criticized for its unwillingness to vote for measures that would sanction the Hungarian Fidesz government, one of its members, in breach of key democratic principles since 2010. In this paper, we seek to understand how cohesive the EPP group has been on fundamental values-related votes, how the position of EPP MEPs on these issues has evolved over time, and what explains intra-EPP disagreement on whether to accommodate fundamental values violators within the EU. To address these questions, we analyse the votes of EPP MEPs across 24 resolutions on the protection of EU fundamental values between 2011 and 2019. Our findings reveal below-average EPP cohesion on these votes, and a sharp increase in the tendency of EPP MEPs to support these resolutions over time. A number of factors explain the disagreements we find. While the EPP’s desire to maintain Fidesz within its ranks is central, this explanation does not offer a comprehensive account of the group’s accommodative behaviour. In particular, we find that ideological factors as well as the strategic interests of national governments at the EU level are central to understanding the positions of EPP MEPs, as well as the evolution of these positions over time. These results further our understanding of the nature of the obstacles to EU sanctions in fundamental values abuse cases, and the role of partisanship in fuelling EU inaction especially.

Adapting environmental conservation legislation for an enlarged European Union: experience from the Habitats Directive

2013 ◽  
Vol 40 (2) ◽  
pp. 97-107 ◽  
Author(s):  
DOUGLAS EVANS ◽  
ANDRÁS DEMETER ◽  
PETER GAJDOŠ ◽  
ĽUBOŠ HALADA
Keyword(s):  
Native Species ◽  
Biological Diversity ◽  
National Level ◽  
Environmental Conservation ◽  
Habitats Directive ◽  
Scientific Support ◽  
Union Experience ◽  
Biodiversity Governance ◽  
The Eu ◽  
Initial Base

SUMMARYThe European Union's (EU's) Habitats Directive includes annexes listing the habitats and species requiring protection. As new countries join the EU these lists need to be amended to remain pertinent. In 2004 and 2007, 12 countries, mostly in central Europe, joined the EU and were asked to propose native species or habitats that required protection; this formed an initial base for negotiations with the European Commission in consultation with the existing member states and with scientific support from the European Topic Centre on Biological Diversity. The 12 countries made 831 proposals, resulting in the addition of 191 species and 33 habitats, and geographical exemptions for eight species. Although the Directive provided definitions, these needed to be supplemented with additional criteria to permit assessments of the proposals. The process involved many actors at both European and national level. This illustrates the development of biodiversity governance and provides potential lessons for future activities, including the need for scientific guidance and the importance of involving all relevant actors.

The EU as an “enforcement patchwork”: the impact of national enforcement for compliance with EU water law in Spain and Britain

2013 ◽  
Vol 34 (2) ◽  
pp. 331-353 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mónica García Quesada
Keyword(s):  
Waste Water Treatment ◽  
National Level ◽  
State Level ◽  
Detailed Examination ◽  
Deterrent Effect ◽  
Eu Law ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
The Uk ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Eu

AbstractFailures of compliance with European Union (EU) directives have revealed the EU as a political system capable of enacting laws in a wide range of different policy areas, but facing difficulties to ensure their actual implementation. Although the EU relies on national enforcement agencies to ensure compliance with the EU legislation, there is scarce analysis of the differential deterrent effect of national enforcement in EU law compliance. This article examines the enforcement of an EU water directive, the Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive, in Spain and the UK. It focuses on the existing national sanctions for disciplining actors in charge of complying with EU requirements, and on the actual use of punitive sanctions. The analysis shows that a more comprehensive and active disciplinary regime at the national level contributes to explain a higher degree of compliance with EU law. The article calls for a detailed examination of the national administrative and criminal sanction system for a more comprehensive understanding of the incentives and disincentives to comply with EU law at the national state level.

Europeanisation and Foreign and Security Policy – Undermining or Rescuing the Nation State?

Politics ◽  
2005 ◽  
Vol 25 (3) ◽  
pp. 175-190 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claudia Major
Keyword(s):  
Security Policy ◽  
Political System ◽  
National Level ◽  
Nation States ◽  
Constitutive Process ◽  
Foreign And Security Policy ◽  
Policy Fields ◽  
Intergovernmental Policy ◽  
The Eu

The article aims to explore the utility of Europeanisation as a concept to grasp the interactions between national and European levels. The article illustrates how the EU impacts on the national level of policy, polity and the politics of Member States and assesses how the role of nation states within the European political system has changed as a result. First, the existing definitions of Europeanisation are critically assessed, contextualised and delimited. Initially developed for communitised policy areas in the first pillar, Europeanisation is defined as an interactive, ongoing and mutually constitutive process of ‘Europeanising’ and ‘Europeanised’ countries, linking national and European levels. Defining Europeanisation as ‘domestic change’, the article then discusses mechanisms, objects and forms, as well as the criteria and conditions of change. The article subsequently seeks to clarify the validity of the Europeanisation concept in capturing the increasing interwovenness of national and European spheres in intergovernmental policy fields situated in the second pillar of the EU, that is, foreign and security policy. Inherent methodological challenges, mainly due to the deficient delimitation of Europeanisation and the intergovernmental character of this policy field are discussed as well as the particularities of its applicability in this unique policy area.

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