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Spain's gradual integration into the European Union through the development of institutions and economic and structural changes is intrinsic to the construction of a pro-European public opinion in which the media have actively participated. Objectives: This research aims to analyse the topics disseminated by the leading Spanish media to detect how the EU is represented in these themes, determine the main, adjacent and counter-discourses and find out the degree of North/South polarisation. Methodology: By content analysis and critical discourse analysis, this paper studies 543 units from the Spanish media El País, El Confidencial, ABC, El Diario.es, RTVE and Antena 3 from July 2021 to March 2022. Discussion and conclusion: Following the methodological application, the results obtained allow us to conclude that the construction of Europeanisation in the Spanish media is constructed about specific issues, and after an in-depth analysis of the energy issue, we can affirm that media coverage is neutral in general terms. Europeanisation is presented from a role with the greater weight of Spain in the common project than in previous historical stages presented in the introduction to this paper. Likewise, there is a certain unanimity in the Spanish media, both in the thematic selection and in the actors who are given a voice in the information, as well as in the pre-European construction of public opinion, regardless of their editorial line. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Spain, the special tax neutrality regime for exchanges of shares has generated a legal debate on its compatibility with European Union law. This paper analyzes two of these controversial aspects in the field of direct taxation, in particular, regarding the personal scope of the norm and its antiavoidance provisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper analyses the modifications in the Spanish legal regime for fresh start for natural debtors resulting from the implementation of the European Directive on preventive restructuring frameworks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although the European Union has gradually overcome its «federal blindness» (Landes-blindheit), the participation of peripheral territorial authorities has yet to be perfected. This paper shows a comparative study of the bottom-up participation of Lander and autonomous communities in the European Union. While the German legal system encourages and facilitates internal (or indirect) participation, in Spain, the channels of external (or direct) participation essentially prevail. After exposing the existing ways of participation in both States, a critical conclusion is drawn to evaluate the interest and adaptation of the mechanisms and responses of one system in the other. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The exit of the United Kingdom from the European Union, popularly known as Brexit, has a great media coverage in Spain. Thus, this paper analyses the journalistic treatment and the ideological bias that this political event received. To do this, a study of the semantic prosody of the term 'Brexit' in the Spanish press was carried out. The study covers a broad period of time, from the exit referendum in June 2016 to the second extension in October 2019. To achieve the analysis, a corpus for specific purposes was compiled made up of the most widely read newspapers in Spain according to the Estudio General de Medios. Specifically, four generalist newspapers (El País, El Mundo, La Vanguardia and ABC) and three economic newspapers (Expansión, Cinco Días and El Economista). The data obtained showed that Brexit received mostly negative coverage in all newspapers, especially economic newspapers that presented a greater number of negative co-occurrences with the term Brexit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Before writing this paper I asked myself what Professor Martín Mateo would think today of the slogan "Empty Spain" and its environmental connotations. And to reflect on this, two of his books came to mind, "The chicken with the cement eggs" and "The green energy of biomass". And it is on this basis that I have shaped this text, the aim of which is simply to reflect on the formula that we are going to choose to "fill" this Spain that is not yet fallow and in which it is essential to understand that forest areas are the fundamental element of the ecological structure of the European Union and must be integrated into the rest of the sectoral policies. The question I am asking myself and which it is a question of responding to is whether we are being fair to them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study analyses, from the perspective of public economics, the Demographic Supplement for Motherhood (CDM) introduced in the Spanish Social Security System in 2016. This measure is a supplement added to the contributory pension received on retirement, widowhood or disability for women who began to receive a pension and who have had two or more children. It was introduced with two objectives in mind: to reduce the gender gap in pensions and to socially recognise the contribution of motherhood to the pension system. In this paper, a socioeconomic analysis of this measure is carried out. The objectives and issues of this measure are reviewed and its distributional effects are analysed. The main source of information are data provided by the Ministry of Employment and Social Security, in particular the Continuous Sample of Working History (MCVL). This is a new approach, with the focus being on public economics rather than on legal aspects and use of the MCVL data which, for the first time, includes measurements related to the CDM. The main objectives of this study are: 1) to estimate the impact that the CDM has had on the pension system during the first year of application; 2) to analyse the differences in treatment it generates; and, 3) to assess its distributional effects on the gender gap in pensions and on inequality among women. The study finishes with an analysis of other equality policies and puts forward the main conclusions reached and proposals for alternative measures. The results show that the CDM has affected 58.4% of new female pensioners. The women who have benefitted most from this measure are those who receive a widow's pension (50.9%), followed by retirement pension (39.8%) and disability pension (9.2%). Their sociodemographic characteristics show that 53.4% of the supplement is paid to mothers with 2 children, while women not receiving CDM tend to have higher educational levels than those who are in receipt of the supplement. It also shows that self-employed workers tend to have more than one child and, therefore, receive the CDM in a greater proportion (62.5%) than employed workers (57.5%). The estimated cost of this measure amounted to 64 million euros in 2016 (approximately 0.05% of the expenditure on contributory pensions), a figure that will increase considerably as the supplement is extended to future female pensioners. Among the main criticisms highlighted by this study is the difference in treatment this measure generates. It purports to be a measure which acknowledges the value of motherhood yet it discriminates against many mothers by excluding women who were pensioners before 2016 and who are the most affected, historically, by more unfavourable family and work structures. In addition, other categories excluded are mothers with only one child, women who took voluntary retirement, women who receive non-contributory pensions and women who do not receive any pension. Finally, the measure works against the principle of equality between men and women, promulgated by the European Union, because it discriminates against fathers. Another criticism is that the amount of the CDM increases as the pension rises and continues to be paid even when the maximum pension is reached. This means that those women with higher pensions benefit more from the supplement, which is contrary to measures applied in other countries. One suggestion to improve the equality of this measure is that the supplement should have an upper limit. Furthermore, its effect on reducing inequality has been insignificant. As a measure of equality between men and women, the CDM has reduced the gender gap between new pensioners (2.2%) but its effect on the whole system is very poor (0.22%). The pension gap between men and women in Spain is still very wide at a rate of 29.3% and much more work needs to be done to reduce this gap. Finally, a pension system that gives women greater rights for raising children can reinforce traditional roles, discouraging mothers from entering the formal labour market and fathers from taking a break from their professional careers. This is why these measures are being questioned by the Court of Justice of the European Union in terms of equal treatment between mothers and fathers. The CDM does not address the causes of the problem of gender discrimination. It does not address discrimination in employment nor does it offer the support required in the workplace for reconciling maternity and paternity leave. It is ineffective as a stimulus to change labour behaviour of women because its effect is in the long term and it is an outdated measure that can be counterproductive. In light of these problems, the priority for the government would be to establish authentic equality policies which create opportunities for both men and women to develop their full potential. 1) labour market policies that eliminate gender differences (access to employment, wages and job promotion at work), improving the flexibility and the rationale of the working day, and 2) reconciliation policies related to family and work life, aimed at all workers, that recognise fathers and mothers as having co-responsibility for childcare. The following measures are proposed to reduce the gender gap in pensions: a) Replace the current CDM with an additional contribution period per child or a fixed amount supplement, in recognition of the period of time dedicated to bringing up children. If contribution years were added for accessing the pension, the number of women with contributory pensions would increase. To avoid the same negative aspects already highlighted, it should be implemented in a way that covers all kind of pensions and gives greater support to mothers of children with disabilities. b) Improve non-contributory (universal) pensions, which are those of lesser value. This measure would increase the number of women with pensions in their own right, thereby reducing the coverage gap and the pension gap of the total population (including non-pensioners). This extension is vital to stop the pension system being a welfare system (low coverage) and being outdated and out of touch (excessively linked to family relationships). Our further studies will be centred on these proposals with data provided by the MCVL in future years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The European Union wants to know if its funds for territorial planning are being invested correctly. This is confirmed by the European 2020 Strategy, which requires monitoring and evaluation of EU policies and the Territorial Agenda of the European Union 2020 (which proposes the application of impact evaluations of plans that affect territories). But before monitoring and evaluating territorial plans, it is necessary to discuss the best methodology and model to apply. To begin the search for a methodology and a model to be applied in Spain, this paper proposes some of the preliminary questions that should be considered. The methodology is based on the selection of some of the main questions proposed by certain specialists, as well as legal, administrative and professional works. These questions are considered from the point of view of the life cycle of public policies (formation of the agenda, formulation, implementation, effects, evaluation and feedback) while following a comprehensive and adapted model for territorial plans. Thus, the result is the proposal of a specific questionnaire for the monitoring and evaluation of supramunicipal territorial plans in Spain. The questionnaire has been subjected to a critical process to verify its viability, consisting in its application to three territorial plans of different entities (regional/provincial, sub-regional, and supralocal), as well as time of evaluation (ex post, in itinere and ex ante), and type of plan (general, partial and sectorial). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The importance of Big Data and algorithms today is undeniable. The increasing use of this technology has raised new discussions regarding the adequacy of current regulations on intellectual property. This paper intends to clarify what these shortcomings are, if any, by analyzing these debates in light of the legislation in force in Spain and the European Union. It is concluded that such insufficiency is not as broad as it is usually thought, and the particular cases (unstructured Big Data and algorithms) in which there are ambiguities or voids are specified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we intend to identify a professional speciality of Pedagogy that responds to a socio-labour demand, which is based on a little known research tradition, but well-founded. However, this field of interest has not an explicit implementation in the current university study plans. With this aim, we try to find out, through a descriptive-exploratory analysis, the origins of Labour Pedagogy. We also want to know how we can conceptualize Labour Pedagogy, why we consider it so important discipline, both from an academic and a professional perspective, where it is possible to fit it inside the current study plans of pedagogy, mainly in Spain, but also in the European countries close to us, and how we can guide our students academically so that they can develop a professional career inside this area. After the analysis, we have discovered the need to make Labour Pedagogy visible by increasing subjects in the curricula and research in this line, as well as more national and international meetings which may favour the exchange of experiences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper makes a critical examination of the most recent developments in Spanish practice relating to the control of irregular immigration. It analyses the commitments being made in the framework of the European integration process and their implications for the control of external borders as well as the agreements concluded by Spain - treaties and non-binding agreements (memorandums of understanding, etc.) - aimed at controlling flows of people. In this context, the article also gives attention to Spain's international obligations on human rights taking its impact on the issue and the most recent internal developments into account - both in legislative changes approved and those being enacted as administrative practice. In light of the foregoing, a critical assessment of these developments and events (e.g. "hot returns") is submitted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

European education policy is based on the principle of subsidiarity on common goals for the year 2020 among the member countries of the European Union. This article explores the educational context in Spain and the method used to achieve the European objectives. Currently we are living in a system of political decentralization and have experienced important legislative changes in recent years. Consequently, through a documentary analysis of the reports and papers produced by the Ministry of Education, the proposals for the Educational and Social Covenant of 2010 and Territorial Cooperation Programs, we identified the commitments that the Spanish government has undertaken to work in conjunction with the European objectives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]