Land Take and Value Capture: Towards More Efficient Land Use

The paper aims to explore the possibilities to enhance the efficiency of land use, considering the evolution of land take (LT), and proposes the use of public value capture (PVC) instruments in selected differently experienced countries. This answers two fundamental questions. How is the concept of LT positioned in relation to the environmental policy of Europe? Which PVC instruments could stimulate more efficient land use? The aim of this article is to identify which tools can guide the transformations of the urban environment by promoting more efficient land use. These tools have been identified in the mechanisms for capturing value as they can pursue the goal of a more attractive net LT. For these reasons, the article initially analyzes the spread of the problem of land consumption, at a European level, showing how this phenomenon is very diversified not only between individual states, but also within each nation. In addition, the knowledge system to define the main initiatives and actions aimed at orienting urban development in the direction of reducing land consumption is highlighted. Subsequently, the theoretical framework concerning the issues relating to the capture of public value in urban planning operations is illustrated. The case studies representing the various European contexts are then introduced, and for each case the dynamics of urban development were analyzed. It has been done in relation to the evolution of the regulatory apparatus of territorial governance and its transformations. On the basis of this analysis, indicators have been defined. Their goal is to allow comparing the results that emerged from the case study analysis, which would otherwise have been inconsistent. In this way, it is possible to demonstrate how land use is more efficient in countries where PVC tools are used systemically and how these tools make it easier to guide urban transformations in line with the principles of sustainable development.

Best practices in the field of specific risk evaluation of pyrotechnic entertainment articles subject to legal and illegal market surveillance

The field of pyrotechnic articles is very popular and developed, and as a result, the influx of pyrotechnic articles on the market is abundant. However, it should be noted that in addition to compliant products, which meet the applicable essential safety requirements covered by Directive no. 2013/29 / EU, there are also products on the market that can present a significant level of danger when used, handled, transported or stored. Market surveillance authorities frequently find non-compliant products such as pyrotechnic articles offered to the public, some on the legal market, others traded illegally. The establishment of presumptive risks related to pyrotechnic articles can be achieved by applying documented and accredited procedures at national and European level by specialized laboratories, one of these being found within INSEMEX. Technical-scientific expertise activity aims to verify the level of security for products considered suspicious. We have an international collaboration with European authorities, and at the national level, requests for products such as pyrotechnic articles are sent for expertise by the police, the prosecutor’s office or the courts. It was found that most products considered “suspicious” had serious deficiencies that could lead to major risks, and those traded illegally lead to considerable economic losses.

On Humanizing Work in the Digital Age

The chapter addresses the problem of humanization of labour in the digital age. With technological advancement worldwide, notwithstanding economic and political differences among individual states, digitalisation has invariably put its mark on human relationships. And it is about to transform both individual and social relations also in the labour law. Тhe purpose of the present study is to examine the acts and documents at European level and offer an up-to-date analysis on applicable aspects of introducing AI in the labour process, its role in facilitating employees work alongside potential threats and negatives. Based on said analysis, the authors offer their views on the challenges to be faced and outline ongoing trends in the doctrine, the European community and legislation, to put in place a regulatory framework towards humanization of work in the digital age.

Considerations regarding the choice of cable glands for electrical equipment used in potentially explosive atmospheres

The evaluation of explosion-proof electrical equipment for certification is particularly important given the risk of explosion and must be minimized. This in order to ensure the safety of life, health of workers, to prevent damage to goods and the environment when they meet the essential security requirements at European level. Directive 2014/34 / EU states that equipment used in explosive atmospheres must be designed to operate without endangering the environment for which it is intended. This paper presents a comparison between the different types of cable glands for electrical apparatus by comparing some common characteristics that are important for maintaining the integrity of explosion protection. Consequently, this paper intends to be the precursor of a practical guide for the selection and implementation of different types of protection on the apparatus intended for use in areas with hazard of explosive atmospheres, both for designers and manufactures. This state of fact is negatively more emphatic because, lately, the groups of standards from this field in the world, Europe and Romania have a peculiar dynamic caused especially by the homogenisation and generalisation process opened and maintained by IEC.

Comparative study of Global, European and Italian Standards on Hydrogen Refueling Stations

The purpose of this paper is to give a strategic overview of the existing standards governing the construction and operation of hydrogen refueling stations. A succinct and comprehensive study of hydrogen refueling station standards globally, in Europe, and in Italy is conducted and discussed in light of the new European Hydrogen Strategy and Roadmap. Among the numerous topics examined, a particular emphasis is placed on the standards in force for on-site hydrogen production via water electrolysis, hydrogen storage, both liquid and gaseous, and refueling protocols for light-duty and heavy-duty vehicles, on an international level through the provision of ISO, IEC, and SAE standards; on a European level through the examination of the CEN/CENELEC database; and on an Italian national level through the analysis of the UNI database.

THE RIGHT OF REMOTE WORKERS TO BE OFFLINE – SOME COMPARATIVE LEGAL REMARKS

The aim of this study is to define the origins and scope of the right to be offline from a European perspective, both with regard to legal regulations and specific sources of labor law in selected European countries and the resolution of the European Parliament adopted on January 21, 2021, calling on the European Commission to regulate the right to disconnect in a separate directive. These considerations are enriched by the analysis of European-level surveys on working conditions of workers using information and communication technologies (ICT) both before and during the pandemic, with particular emphasis on the impact of digital tools on the life and health of remote workers. The analysis of the results of the presented research both from the perspective of technological development and the situation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, allows to identify significant threats to the safety of remote workers, primarily in the psychosocial sphere, which in turn may lead to the conclusion that it is necessary to regulate the right to be offline at European level.

15. European parties:

The party system of the European Parliament (EP) has been dominated by the two main European party families: centre-right conservatives and Christian democrats, on the one hand, and centre-left social democrats on the other, which controlled the majority of the seats until the 2019 elections. In the early 1950s, members of the European Parliament (MEPs) decided to form party-political groups, instead of national blocs, to counterbalance the dominance of national interests in the Council. Over the decades, the shape of the EP party system has become more stable, and traditional levels of group cohesion and coalition formation have not really been affected by the rise of populism and the increasing politicization of European integration. National parties remain influential within party groups, not least through their control of candidate selection. Outside of the Parliament, Europarties—parties operating at the European level—influence both the broader development of integration and the choice of the Commission president.

ENERGY EFFICIENT EQUIPMENT FOR MODERNIZATION OF THE GAS BOILERS POWER 0.1-30 MW

The possibility of modernization of boilers TVH-8M, TVH-8 and NYYSTU-5, operated in Ukraine, with the increasing of their technical and economic indicators to the modern European level is shown. Projects of modernization of boilers have been developed, which consist in redesign of heating surfaces in convective shafts of existing boilers without increasing their overall dimensions with using convective part of pipes diameter 32 x 3 mm and replacement of burner devices by developed new type MPIG-3. It is shown that the results of industrial implementations achieved efficiency of boilers type TVH-8M (TVH-8) 94-96% in the operating range of their load and obtained the calculated efficiency for boilers NYYSTU-5 92-94%. It is experimentally proven that when installing special calibrated nozzle, instead of drilled holes in the collectors of gas burners, it is possible to keep the nozzle geometry (natural gas burner consumption depending on pressure) unchanged throughout the service life. The technical possibility of combustion of biogas and mixtures of natural gas and hydrogen in the slot bottom diffusion burners of the MPIG-3 type, when replacing only the nozzle apparatus is shown. Bibl. 17, Fig. 6, Table 1.

Legal problems of digitalization of ecological accounting data

The article raises the question of the need to introduce into legal circulation the term «environmental accounting», which has existed in economics since the 70s of the twentieth century, and in environmental law - under the name «state accounting in the field of environment». As for domestic legislation, there is no unifying for many types of cadasters, registers, registers, reports, etc. information of ecological nature name. It is established that in the system of domestic legislation the legal regulation, within the outlined subject, is subject to cadasters of natural resources, the account of objects harmful to environment, the account of substances harmful to environment, and also factors of harmful influence on environment (chemical, physical, biological). Unfortunately, many of these credentials are closed, incomplete, or non-existent. At the same time, at the international and European level, these processes are developing rapidly and today there is a need to expand such data by including in the relevant accounting resources information and issued permits for the use of natural resources, payment of environmental fees, fines, environmentally friendly products, etc. Based on this, a proposal is made on the need to systematize domestic legislation on environmental accounting, by developing and adopting a special legal act that would meet international and European requirements in this area. There is also a proposal on the need to transform the provisions of Articles 23 and 24 of the Law of Ukraine «On Environmental Protection» by merging them and expanding the content, including all types of environmental accounting. It was found that Ukraine has already begun the process of adapting legislation on this issue, in particular, by setting requirements for digitization of all environmental data, i.e. the creation of a single environmental electronic platform, which today is only in its infancy. Keywords: ecological accounting, cadasters, registers, registers, digitalization, systematization of legislation