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The European Higher Education Area (EHEA) is an international initiative for the harmonisation of higher education (HE) systems in 49 countries. Literature about UK's participation in the EHEA is limited, and the role of EHEA's membership for the UK, particularly after the end of the Brexit transitional period, has not been researched. The originality of the study reported in this paper is in addressing this gap by exploring the perspectives of key UK HE actors on the strategic significance of UK's memberships in the EHEA post-2020 for the UK. The paper draws on the theoretical ideas of rational choice neo-institutionalism, differentiated Europeanisation and internationalisation, and a thematic analysis of 19 official communications of key stakeholders and six in-depth interviews with their representatives. The findings contribute to filling in a significant gap in the literature about Bologna in the UK in making a distinction between its two memberships in the EHEA and the differences and complexities of the roles they play in constructing UK's overarching agenda in HE particularly in the post-Brexit context. The article has also contributed to the literature about Bologna more widely, presenting an investigation into differentiated Europeanisation that has been taking place within one unique post-EU country.

Success management can bring valuable contributions to improve project results and stakeholders' relationships. However, the success management process must be explicitly integrated into project management approaches, guides and methodologies (such as PMBOK, PRINCE2 or PM2), which is not currently happening. The purpose of this position paper is to discuss the need and importance for this integration and to present a first proposal on how this can be operationalized. To support the position, the methodology of the European Union PM2 was used. The result of the integration demonstrates that it is possible to advance management and raise the level of project success. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The debate on European security over the past several years has focused almost exclusively on the question of whether, and to which countries, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) should expand its membership. With the near certainty of NATO Parliaments ratifying the admission to NATO of Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic in 1999, two important policy issues now loom: how enlargement will affect NATO's contribution to European security, and whether further enlargement is a preferable course of action to other alternatives for enhancing security in Europe.This assessment concludes that NATO's central challenges will remain internal. The NATO allies have still not developed a workable consensus on the breadth, either geographically or functionally, of NATO's role in post-Cold War Europe. As discussions over the cost of enlargement and the crisis in Iraq have demonstrated, the burdensharing issue remains a source of resentment on both sides of the Atlantic. The "revolution in military affairs" occurring in U.S. military forces and continued attention to the European Union's economic and monetary union will exacerbate the burdensharing issue. Many of NATO's internal difficulties are inherent in the transition after the Cold War; however, they nonetheless deserve more attention than they currently receive. NATO has succeeded in creating a NATO-centric European security system, and must resolve these disputes for Europe to be secure.Incorporation of Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic into NATO does not change NATO's central purposes, nor does it, on balance, change the alliance's ability to effectively carry out its responsibilities. Although their inclusion will certainly make the accession states feel more secure, and Russia perhaps less so, the net effect of NATO's first tranche of expansion will not appreciably change the European security landscape. NATO's further enlargement in the near term does pose higher risks of greater insecurity, most notably in relations with Russia.

The geotechnical, chemical, and mineralogical properties of green liquor dregs (GLDs) generated as byproducts from five paper mills were investigated to assess their buffering and heavy metal immobilization capacities and their roles as water and oxygen barriers. One type of GLD was further studied to test the effects of the retrieval process and the storage, drying, and hydration of GLD. The high water retention capacity of the GLDs is valuable for limiting O2 diffusion. Laboratory results showed that the GLDs had hydraulic conductivities of 3.7 × 10−9–4.6 × 10−8 m/s and varied regularly in plasticity. The chemical and mineralogical compositions of the GLDs varied greatly, reflecting the raw material used to produce paper and the process used to retrieve GLDs. Although they had high total heavy metal contents, none of the leached elements from the GLDs (L/S 10 cm3/kg) exceeded the European Union's limits for landfills of non-hazardous waste. The GLDs exhibited high buffering capacities. In a supplementary test, the buffering capacities varied (0.0041–0.0114 M H+/g GLD) over 72 d after acid was added to the GLD. Changing the filtration process did not greatly affect the GLDs' properties but mainly affected the hydraulic conductivity, total heavy metal contents and sulfur content. Analyzing the storage of GLDs is necessary in the mining industry because remediation measures require large amounts of material over short periods. The buffering capacity of the dried GLD decreased slightly. The effect of dewatering caused by the mixing of 2% Na-lignosulfate with GLD (w/w) was low. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The Plant Health Panel reviewed the paper by Guarnaccia et al. () and compared their findings with previous predictions on the establishment of Phyllosticta citricarpa. Four species of Phyllosticta were found by Guarnaccia et al. () in Europe. P. citricarpa and P. capitalensis are well‐defined species, with P. citricarpa recorded for the first time in Europe, confirming predictions by Magarey et al. () and EFSA (2008, 2014, 2016) that P. citricarpa can establish in some European citrus‐growing regions. Two new species P. paracitricarpa and P. paracapitalensis were also described, with P. paracitricarpa (found only in Greece) shown to be pathogenic on sweet orange fruits. Genotyping of the P. citricarpa isolates suggests at least two independent introductions, with the population in Portugal being different from that present in Malta and Italy. P. citricarpa and P. paracitricarpa were isolated only from leaf litter in backyards. However, since P. citricarpa does not infect or colonise dead leaves, the pathogen must have infected the above living leaves in citrus trees nearby. Guarnaccia et al. () considered introduction to be a consequence of P. citricarpa having long been present or of illegal movement of planting material. In the Panel's view, the fruit pathway would be an equally or more likely origin. The authors did not report how surveys for citrus black spot (CBS) disease were carried out, therefore their claim that there was no CBS disease even where the pathogen was present is not supported by the results presented. From previous simulations, the locations where Guarnaccia et al. () found P. citricarpa or P. paracitricarpa were conducive for P. citricarpa establishment, with number of simulated infection events by pycnidiospores comparable to sites of CBS occurrence outside Europe. Preliminary surveys by National Plant Protection Organisations (NPPOs) have not confirmed so far the findings by Guarnaccia et al. () but monitoring is still ongoing.

The paper is realised in order to demonstrate the EU multilevel integration's hypothesis across the Danube EU Member States. The analysis is focused on four important economic indicators (GDP, unemployment, inflation and government gross debt) and covers 2012-2021. The analysis follows three steps: comparative analysis, regression analysis and forecasting analysis, as well. The Danube Member States were grouped on three integration levels, according to the French President's opinion. The paper succeeds in demonstrating that the Member States grouping on different integration levels is not a scientific approach. It is only a political decision able to support the leadership of the greater Member States' economies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drawing upon contemporary research, this paper examines whether there is a relationship of STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) bachelor and master graduates to the gender pay gap (GPG) in the 27 EU Member states in 2013-2020 using a novel cross-sectional data set based on the 2013 International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED). International panel data were analysed with the dynamic modelling fixed effects method and compared with the results received from the cross-sectional analysis executed with the help of Bayesian model averaging methods. Our findings suggest that STEM education plays a significant role in forming the GPG. We can see a negative, robust and statistically significant effect of bachelor- and master-level female STEM graduates on the GPG and a positive statistically significant effect of bachelor- and master-level male STEM graduates on the GPG. The permanently lower women-to-men ratio in STEM education and those employed in high-end sectors of science and technology can be one of the drivers of the persistent GPG in developed countries.

Mortgage Regulation 'Regulating Household Leverage,' by Anthony A. DeFusco, Stephanie Johnson, and John Mondragon. October 2017. SSRN #3046564. The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010 mandated [...]

Early this year the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission proclaimed that everyone should be able to determine their digital legacy, and decide what happens with their personal accounts and information that concerns them after their death, a declaration that paves the way for post mortem protection of personal data at the EU level. The paper discusses the digital legacy in view of the respect owed to the dead and assesses the challenges that may arise from consecrating a right to digital legacy for businesses that process personal data of deceased persons. The article argues that the effectiveness of the right to decide what happens with personal data after death is - at least from a civil law perspective - an expression of the respect due to the dead as to their memory. It also contends that a future regulation should cover the situation when the deceased persons did not determine what happens with their data. Furthermore, the paper highlights the importance of technical and organisational measures to be implemented by all businesses that sooner or later are going to process information that concerns the living after their death. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: 1–2% of global carbon emissions arise in paper production, but the EU plans a 60% cut by 2050. Known process improvements give a 30% cut, but demand may double by 2050: can paper be re-used without recycling by print removal? Three techniques have been developed: abrasion operating in an adhesive wear regime; longer wavelength lasers can ablate toner-print; a solvent can effectively dissolve toner. Energy analysis shows that print removal requires around 10% of the energy required for a new sheet and if this method supplies 80% of future demand, the 2050 carbon target could be achieved. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Purpose: The aim of this paper is to report how Swedish upper secondary schools involved in a European Union-financed collaborative project intertwined aspects of subject integration and international collaboration with the use of ICT. Design/methodology/approach: The methodology used is a case study in which aspects of subject integration and international collaborative ambitions are intertwined with the use of ICT. Data consist of interviews with participants, texts concerning the project, the participating school, and the Swedish upper secondary schools system. Findings: Teachers and students have worked towards the objectives in the project and in the national curricula, and the case shows how difficult and how many barriers there are to overcome. Even though the curricula seem difficult to coordinate, students appear to have learnt more about the European perspective, as well as about themselves, through the approach. The teacher describes student motivation as high--authenticity and real people to collaborate with support the students' experience of a holistic education, which applies to real life. The teacher tried to change the role towards providing students with structure and advice, monitoring their progress, and assessing their accomplishments, but reported to be struggling with the teacher role. Originality/value: The paper demonstrates originality and value by providing important insight into the use of ICT in upper secondary schools for the purpose of collaboration and at the same time working towards joint curricular themes.

Guaranteed Minimum Income (GMI) is currently the principal mechanism for fighting poverty and achieving social inclusion among a plethora of social policies in the European Union (EU). In GMI, education and vocational training hold a major role in fighting social exclusion and promoting social cohesion. The first part of the paper discusses the characteristics and limitations of the GMI scheme. The second part of the paper discusses an alternative model for income support, intended to achieve a fairer and more cohesive society, the Universal Basic Income (UBI). We close by highlighting the potential of UBI schemes on reconfiguring that UBI schemes have on reconfiguring education, with an emphasis on adult education. On its own, UBI cannot challenge the neoliberal hegemony. However, UBI can become a means for shifting attention to alternative conceptualisations of social inclusion based on the creation of adult education for critical and participatory citizenship.

Currently, recycling and re-use of materials is extremely important due to the diminishing of natural resources. The objective of the European Union’s circular economy strategy is to increase recycling and the use of industrial waste materials and side streams as secondary raw materials. In this study, a chemical precipitation method to simultaneously remove ammonium nitrogen and phosphate from the liquid phase of anaerobic digestate using calcined paper mill sludge was studied. Papermill sludge is a waste material that forms in the paper-making process. In addition, commercial calcium oxide (CaO) was used as a reference precipitant. The suitability of the formed precipitate’s composition for recycled fertilizer use was also considered. The study results indicated that calcined paper mill sludge was as effective precipitant as commercial CaO in the removal of ammonium nitrogen and phosphate from the synthetic wastewater. In addition, the results indicated that calcined paper mill sludge removed efficiently phosphate from the liquid phase of anaerobic digestate, which led to the formation of hydroxyapatite, Ca5(PO4 )3 (OH). In this research we have shown, that calcined paper mill sludge can be used to produce recycled, slow-release, solid fertilizer. Another possible reaction, such as adsorption was also considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]