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This paper aims at highlighting and interpreting current empirical facets of the Greek educational pathogeny through a sociological approach. Especially, the paper tries to investigate the relationship between education and employment in modern Greece based on the annual statistical report of KANEP/GSEE, choosing both selected facets and sociologically interpreted issues such as public and private expenditure, trends on specialties, outcomes of initial training teacher's profile etc. According to this data, the main political challenge is based on both the decrease of public expenditure and the maintenance of significantly high levels of household expenditure. Additionally, current trends, such as «brain drain» or migration of highly educated people, prove that Greek public universities' learning outcomes remain competitive and effective through the framework of a global labour market, notwithstanding the harsh critique blaming them for «statism» and mismatching with the labour needs.

?he CLIL (Content and Language Integrated Learning) approach has been proposed as an effective approach for students' education in the 21st century. Although it was initially proposed for students of higher education, CLIL has become especially attractive for students even in pre-school education. This paper focuses on the importance of CLIL implementation in fostering intercultural competencies among students who are engaged in CLIL programs. More specifically, this paper covers a theoretical review on CLIL and its development, while special emphasis is placed on the position of CLIL in the priorities of the European Council within the context of promoting multilingualism in Europe. CLIL aligns itself with the European Language Policy of improving language learning in its member states and with the EU Commission's objective of EU citizens' competence in European languages other than learners' mother tongue. The paper ends with references to organizations that promote the implementation of CLIL across Europe, while special emphasis is placed upon CLIL in Greek education.

This paper reports a study of prospective teachers' views about Europe, and European and national identity, in Greece and Portugal. The paper analyses written responses to a closed multiple-choice questionnaire provided by 33 Greek and 35 Portuguese prospective teachers following courses in Ioannina and Braga universities in early 2018. First, students were asked to answer 15 closed questions related to their perceptions of national, European and other identities. More specifically they were asked to choose among different associations of Europe and different levels of how their country is integrated into Europe. Also, they were asked to choose their preferred 'identification with particular identities' (Villaverde Cabral and Machado Pais, 1998) and to articulate their notions of citizenship by commenting on different criteria for the naturalization of immigrants. Finally, they were asked to predict the future of the European Union by answering an open question. Data analysis focused on the 2018 data and on comparisons with existing data sets, collected in Greece and Portugal since 1994, relating to perceptions of national and European identity and to notions of citizenship. The authors expected to find change over time in data on attitudes in the two countries, reflecting the impacts of the recent economic crisis in both Portugal and Greece and the refugee crisis, particularly in Greece. Portuguese participants were found to manifest a more positive perspective on Portuguese-European integration than had been the case in earlier data sets, while at the same time wishing to preserve some specific aspects of national identity. The Greek students were found generally to be consistent with their pro-European viewpoints, but at the same time there seems to have been an increasing distrust of the European Union after the experience of the 2010-18 economic crisis -- indications of which were apparent in some earlier findings.

Surveillance technology is more and more used in educational environments, which results in mass privacy violations of kids and, thus, the processing of huge amount of children's data in the name of safety. Methodology used is doctrinal, since the focus of this research was given in the implementation of the legal doctrine of data protection law in the educational environments. More than that, the cases of Greece and France regarding the use of surveillance technologies in schools are carefully studied in this article. Privacy risks that both children and educators are exposed to are underlined. In these terms, this research paper focuses on the proper implementation of the European data protection framework and the role of Data Protection Authorities as control mechanisms, so that human rights risks from the perspective of privacy and data protection to be revealed, and the purposes of the use of such technologies to be evaluated. This study is limited in the legal examination of the European General Data Protection Regulation, and its implementation in the legal orders of Greece and France, and practice pertaining to the case studies of Greece and France respectively.

The paper aimed to analyze the dynamics of livestock and milk and meat production in the top five EU countries growing sheep and goats: Spain, Romania, Greece, France and Italy. The empirical data from Eurostat and Faostat for the period 2012-2021 were processed using usual methods and procedures like fixed basis and structural indices, trend regression equation, determination coefficient and points method. The comparison between these five countries pointed out the decline of sheep number in four countries, except Romania and the decrease in goats number in Greece and Spain, but an increase in Romania, France and Italy. Ewe milk production increased in three countries, except Spain where it remained relatively constant and Romania where it declined. Goat milk production raised in three countries, except Greece and Romania. Sheep meat output increased in France and Spain, but in the other countries went down, while goat meat output increased only in Spain, the other four states recording a decline. In the year 2021, these five countries all together counted 46.1 million sheep, representing 76.% of the EU sheep livestock, and also they had 9.4 million goats, meaning 82.1% of the EU goats livestock. In 2020, all these countries produced 2.73 million tonnes sheep milk and 1.87 million tonnes goat milk, accounting for 1.7% and respectively 1.16% in the EU milk output. These counties also contributed by 85% to the EU sheep and goat meat production. This reflects the importance of small ruminants in the EU animal livestock and production. These species have to help the EU for greening agriculture, as they could valorize natural resources from the mountains and less favored areas and also could be grown in organic farming system, assuring jobs and income to the local population, food security and at the same time contributing to the biodiversity preservation and production of renewable energy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to engage with issues around Greek national identity and in the light of the above, tries to demonstrate how Greek national identity responds to global pressures and how it is being fractured in an era of economic and humanitarian crisis and uncertainty. The purpose of this critical review of literature is not to simply present the crisis of the Greek national identity but to explore the tensions and the competing relations between national, European, cosmopolitan, religious and racial identities in contemporary Greece at a time of rapid socioeconomic change and in the face of the declining authority and legitimacy of the state. Moreover, the present critical review seeks to look into the reasons why Greek national identity not only persists to its traditionally pro-European character but also becomes more and more ethnocentric and racist. Although we may not be able to formulate straightforward answers to the above issue, looking at the Greek educational context and drawing attention to the crucial links, which exist between the Greek national education and the persisting ethnocentric character of the Greek national identity could probably help us understand and uproot some reasons of the aforementioned phenomenon.

Despite the fact that historically the university has been the par excellence locus for the discussion of public issues and the formation of citizens, current European Union education policies promote and foster citizenship in secondary education, while the civic dimension of higher education is less prominent. This paper presents the case study of a small peripheral Greek university, which provides for the teaching of citizenship, through a dedicated taught module. According to the analysis a strategy of exposure to current problems, heightened due to the crisis in Greece, has affected students' behaviour and their understanding of the concept of "active citizenship" as promoted by European Union policy. Finally implications are drawn for the prospect of promoting active citizenship through university education.

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to discuss the benefits, barriers and challenges of the transdisciplinary approach to training, and to present findings of a case analysis. Design/methodology/approach: The paper is based on the research findings of an experimental training program for Greek local government managers co-funded by the European Union. Findings: The adoption of the transdisciplinary approach for the effective training of (local government) managers has a number of important advantages, including the connection of training with real problems that organizations face today, as well as the development of transdisciplinary competences necessary for the effective adaptation and activation of managers in the turbulent environment of the new economy. Research limitations/implications: The experimental training program focuses on managers of Greek local government organizations. However, the critical factors that are described are relative to the training needs of most organizations operating in the new globalized economic environment. Practical implications: The design of the transdisciplinary training programs, as well as their implementation and evaluation processes, can be of use to all organizations interested in the strategic training and development of human resources, regardless of their size and sector. Originality/value: There is a great potential for the development of training programs based on the transdisciplinary approach. Fields of immediate application are those where social, economic and ecological elements interact and should be integrated in a sustainable way. (Contains 2 tables and 4 figures.)

With this paper we approach the new policy making paradigm for Europe's higher education policy, set with the Bologna Process, given emphasis to the legitimacy deficit of this political venture and the necessity of a crisis management over the implementation phase within national frames. The implementation of the Bologna's policies, using Greece as a case study, reveals a crisis management reality, originating from an understanding of the Bologna Process as a top dawn initiative by the academic community, and so on society, while also the legitimization basis of this venture is considered flimsy and the role of the European leveled interest groups in question. The conditions of the Bologna's implementation and the crisis management outcome reflect the type of Europeanization occurring on the field of higher education in the Greek case and possibly in other national frames.

In the context of policy change in the EU, lifelong-learning has acquired a growing significance due to its promise to foster both professional development and personal fulfillment and thus contribute to the enhancement of social inclusion, active citizenship, competitiveness, and employability. The need for developing a smart and sustainable economy puts greater emphasis on the efficient management of Human Resources in order to produce quality services and improve governance, especially in public administration. Education and training can play a pivotal role towards this objective, as the development of the public servants' skills and competences through an effective competent-based learning platform will contribute to the enhancement of the organization's operational and administrative capacity. Greece is a member-state in need of intensified policy transfer in general and of further developing learning organizations in particular. Focusing on Greece's State Scholarships Foundation (IKY) as a case study encourages us to explore two distinct but closely related aspects: (a) the role of the Foundation in policy transfer and the transnationalisation of policy and (b) the changes which the Foundation itself is undergoing as a learning organization. The paper suggests that viewing the transformation of public organizations into learning organizations as an instrument for policy reform may be a valuable way forward in the attempt to modernize public administration in Greece's reform-resistant context.

The paper analyzed the trends and relationships in the EU ewes and goats livestock and milk output in the period 2010-2018 based on Eurostat Data using the fixed basis index, descriptive statistics, average yearly growth rate, Bravais- Pearson correlation coefficients, determination coefficient and regression models. The results attested the important contribution given by the two species to the EU milk sector in order to diversify cheese varieties and stimulate consumption and export. While sheep livestock declined in general, and the goats population increased, ewes and goats' milk delivered to dairy industry increased. In the decreasing order, the main EU countries raising sheep are Spain, Romania, Greece, Italy and France, and the main countries growing goats are Greece, Spain, Romania, France, Italy and Netherlands. Raw milk production increased in case of the both species in many countries. Ewe milk is mainly produced in Greece, Spain, Italy and France, while goat milk is especially produced in France, Spain, Netherlands and Greece. The diverse policies, management and marketing and production performance from a country to another pointed out the need to improve farmers skills in resources, livestock and production management, to encourage them to join in associations to benefit of low-price inputs and a direct access to market. The coupled aids financed by the EU are incentives to sustain sheep and goat farming and dairy sector, farmers' income, the valorization of the natural resources, the development of the disadvantaged rural and peri-urban areas, animal health and welfare, environment quality and biodiversity, and the offer of organic dairy products to consumers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Farm Advisory constitutes one of the most important tools to support rural development in the European Union and is also an integral part of Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation System (AKIS). The purpose of this paper is to present the results of the evaluation of the two calls for certification of Farm Advisors in Greece, which were addressed to individuals. The evaluation was based on a questionnaire survey of candidates who participated to the online certification procedure. The analysis is based on descriptive statistics methods and shows that overall most respondents were satisfied with most Modules, although they suggest to provide better links between scientific evidence and practical applications. Although there are serious limitations that do not permit to draw generalized conclusions, the evaluation procedure pointed out specific domains that require improvements and, especially, that a more robust evaluation system is required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper explores the ways in which university-based Teacher Education Departments in Greece have operated to promote changes to their undergraduate curricula. Our research approach views these changes as responses to the policies of the European Union and the Bologna Process for the 'modernisation' of higher education systems across Europe. Data are drawn from qualitative analyses of 18 curricula in two periods of their development, the middle of the 1990s and the late 2000s. The analysis of the study is based on Bernstein's theoretical concepts of classification, framing and meaning orientations, and describes basic types of university curricula regarding content organisation, pedagogical practices of teaching and learning, and knowledge evaluation. The findings reveal that, along with the disciplinary and professional criteria for knowledge recontextualisation, which have traditionally been legitimate in the field of Teacher Education, forms of weakly classified knowledge systematically oriented to problem-solving professional practices and school effectiveness are gradually crystallising and tending to become dominant. We argue that the marked shifts in the pedagogical means of teacher education may run the risk of thinning out teachers' knowledge base and de-professionalising their practices and identities.

Purpose: The paper aims to present project No. 2020-1-SK01-KA226-VET- 094266 BEQUEL and partial results of the benchmarking questionnaire. Methodology/Approach: The starting point for the project solution was an analysis of the current state of ensuring the quality of e-learning in vocational training and education in the partner countries of the project (Slovakia, Greece, Spain, and Italy) and an overview of laws and regulations valid at the European level and in the world. A benchmarking survey was conducted to determine the level of e-learning quality assurance in these countries compared to good practices in the European Union. The Benchmarking Badge published monthly on the www.bequal.info portal tracks changes over time. Findings: The average standard for the four involved countries after the pandemic was the level for VET (Vocational Education and Training) providers: (1) strategy and policy for e-learning 71.6%, (2) support for trainers and trainees for e-learning 70.4, (3) infrastructure support for e-learning 74.9%, (4) program/course design and development and approval for e-learning provision 75.8%, and (5) e-learning training program evaluation procedures 67.9%. Research Limitation/Implication: On the one hand, the project was limited by the measures of the Covid-19 pandemic, during which face-to-face meetings and training were not allowed. Still, on the other hand, the VET providers recognised their weaknesses, strengths, and readiness for complete online education. Originality/Value of paper: Examples of good practice and video presentations inspire improving the quality of e-learning in VET. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current paper presents the first effort to organize a comprehensive review of the Invasive Alien Species (IAS) of Greece. For this purpose, a database was developed with fields of information on the taxonomy, origin, ecology and pathways of introduction of terrestrial, freshwater and marine species. Our database includes a) taxa in the Union's list that are present in Greece, b) taxa already present in Greece and considered to be invasive, and c) taxa highly likely to enter Greece in the next 10 years and become invasive. The Database served as the starting point for the compilation of the National List of Alien Invasive Species (HELLAS-ALIENS) in compliance with the EU Regulation 1143/2014. Overall, the HELLAS-ALIENS comprises 126 species, i.e. 32 terrestrial and freshwater plant species, 14 terrestrial invertebrates, 28 terrestrial vertebrates, 30 freshwater fishes and invertebrates and 22 marine species. Terrestrial invertebrates, birds and mammals are mainly of Asiatic origin. Most of the terrestrial plants have their native geographical distribution in the Americas (North and South). Most of the freshwater invertebrates and fishes are of North American origin, while the majority of the marine species are of Indo-Pacific origin. The first records of IAS concern terrestrial plant species, and date back to the 19th century, while those in freshwater and marine ecosystems seem to have been systematically recorded some decades later. Regarding the pathways of introduction, most of the taxa arrived in Greece or are expected to arrive through escape from confinement and unaided. The majority of the terrestrial, freshwater and marine species have been evaluated as of High-risk for the indigenous biodiversity and only 3% of the species listed have been evaluated of Low-risk. Our results provide an important baseline for management and action plans, as required by the priorities set by the European Union through the Biodiversity Strategy for 2030. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper deals with the creation, in realistic terms, of an offshore wind farm between the Greek islands of Karpathos and Kassos in the Dodecanese complex. In this context, the terms and conditions for the possible existence of an offshore wind park in Greece are analyzed; the technical components of such a project are described; the offshore wind farm, which was designed by the authors, is presented in detail; and the location selected for its installation is assessed. Moreover, the benefits for the islands of Karpathos and Kassos and for the Greek State, as well as financial data adapted to this specific offshore wind farm and SWOT analysis for the two phases of the project, are presented. The authors conclude that an investment in this project would be viable in economic terms and feasible, despite it being a small-scale project. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Implementation of environmental policies, is one of the European Commission's key priorities, as confirmed by its proposal for the 7th Environment Action Programme and the Roadmap to a resource-efficient Europe. Subsequently, the European Union revised its waste legislation to address these challenges more adequately. As a result, the EU's Waste Framework Directive and Landfill Directive set binding targets for recycling municipal waste and diverting biodegradable municipal waste from landfills. This paper deals with the monitoring of municipal waste management operations in Greece, in terms of technical content and ability to reach the targets of the initiatives. In addition, a more detailed report on waste indicators published by Eurostat will be based on an Exploratory Data Analysis and on a Univariate time-series prediction model. Finally, the overall aim of this study is to gain maximum insight into the data and understand its underlying structure through graphical representation, to achieve the most accurate forecast for the landfilling operation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines Greek protests against economic adjustment programs during the sovereign debt crisis by both the social and labor movements from a perspective of civil resistance theory. While the movements were influential enough to shape the political landscape of the country, by toppling the governing party and helping a previously small party to be elected, they underestimated to what degree economic policy- and decision-making are shielded from democratic pressures and how forcefully its beneficiaries can assert their interests by economic means, for instance via the leverage of debt. Thus a 'people power' strategy to effectively challenge economic policies must be based on an analysis of pressure points and leverage affecting this economic regime. After a brief description of the economic reforms that were protested, some central theoretical concepts of civil resistance are briefly presented, which are then applied to two examples of resistance, concluding with strategic considerations for research, analysis and action. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Being transdisciplinary, the work associates an economic and a moral purpose. Economically, the paper analyzes the following indicators specific to the tobacco market in the European Union, such as: areas cultivated with tobacco; total tobacco production; average production per hectare of tobacco; the number of tobacco growers; tobacco consumption per person (for people over 15 years old); the price of tobacco in the main cultivating countries; the value of gross production for the unprocessed tobacco; quantitative imports and exports. This analysis is focused on the period 2011-2017. The results show that in 2017, Italy, Poland, Spain and Greece were the main tobacco growers in the European Union. Bulgaria recorded the largest number of tobacco growers in 2014, and the highest price reached was reached in Greece, Germany, in 2016, ranking third among the world's leading registered tobacco importers. To the economic analysis we associate information about the current and potential uses of the Nicotiana tabacum plant as well as a reflexive moral mark on the impact that smokers (contagious victims) have especially on members of age groups where discernment is not formed (children, pubescent, adolescents) - obtained on the basis of documentation, analysis, synthesis, reflection on the afferent material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper addresses the issue of integrated care services as a current challenge for primary health care in Europe. It is focused on an operational definition of integrated care and documents its relevance to the recent declaration of the World Health Organization regarding primary health care. The paper also reports on experiences gained and lessons learned in Greece, a country where initial attempts towards integration of public health into primary care are currently unfolding. Additionally, it discusses the limited involvement of patients, families, and communities in health care, as well as relative absence of advocacy and care coordination at a policy level. The need for training stakeholders to define and promote integrated care is highlighted as an essential component of translating new concepts into concrete health care actions. Finally, when discussing development and implementation of a well-coordinated and integrated primary health care system, the paper provides ideas for further consideration. The present report is anticipated to open the dialogue between health care professionals, stakeholders, policy makers, and the public towards the integration of health services in contemporary Europe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agricultural land extent and change information is needed to assess food security, the effectiveness of land use policy, and both environmental and societal impacts. This information is especially valuable in biodiversity hotspots such as the Mediterranean region, where agricultural land expansion can result in detrimental effects such as soil erosion and the loss of native species. There has also been a growing concern that changing agricultural extent in fire-prone regions of the Mediterranean may increase fire risk due to accumulation of fuel in abandoned areas. In this study, we assessed the extent and change of agricultural land in Southern Greece from 1986 to 2020 using a combined European Land Use/Cover Area frame Survey (LUCAS) and Landsat time series approach. The LUCAS data and Landsat spectral-temporal metrics were used to train a random forest classifier, which was used to classify arable land and permanent agriculture (e.g., olive orchards, vineyards) at annual time steps. A post-processing step was taken to reduce spurious landcover class transitions using transition likelihoods and annual class membership likelihoods. A validation dataset consisting of 2666 samples, identified via a stratified random sampling approach and high-resolution imagery and time series analysis, were used to evaluate stable and change strata accuracies. Overall accuracies were greater than 70% and strata-specific accuracies were highly variable between stable and change strata. The results show that southern Greece has experienced a recent gain in arable land (~12,000 ha from ~2009–2020) and a much larger gain in permanent agriculture (>115,000 ha from ~1993–2020). Arable land loss mainly occurred from 1987 to ~2002 when extent decreased by 15,000 ha, of which 66% was abandoned. The semi-automated approach described in this paper provides a promising approach for monitoring agricultural land change and enabling assessments of agriculture policy effectiveness and environmental impacts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Investment in biology-based technological innovations is a key requirement for the development of modern agriculture/forestry. The expansion of innovative biological technologies includes changes in crops/cultivations, such as the transition from intensive monocultures to multiple crops of lower agrochemical inputs with the integration of woody trees/shrubs or animals, represented by Agroforestry. This innovative biological technology is further promoted at the European Union (EU) level by powerful institutions such as the Green Deal and the new CAP, mainly by tools such as ecoschemes and agri-environmental and climate measures (AECMs). The use of integrated regional spatiotemporal models, such as CLUE-S, to predict land use changes in the framework of Agroforestry is rather restricted. This paper examines Agroforestry as a vehicle that can contribute to achieving the rural development of the region of Thessaly, Greece. It sets a time horizon for reviewing the changes that are expected in the most important units of land uses of the rural landscape of the municipality of Mouzaki, western Thessaly plain, in the year 2040, which serves as model land for the region of Thessaly. It examines these changes with the effect of three (3) socio-economic scenarios: (a) a linear operating scenario (business as usual, BAU), (b) an ecological land protection (ELP) scenario, and (c) a rapid economic development (RED) scenario. These scenarios were introduced in the non-spatial module of the CLUE-S spatiotemporal model, while in the spatial module sixteen (16) characteristic landscape parameters were introduced as independent variables. The most important land use units, including traditional silvoarable and silvopastoral woodland systems, were the dependent variables. The simulations of the changes of the land use units showed that under the RED scenario, in the year 2040 the extent of the silvoarable systems is expected to increase significantly (57%) compared to the reference year of 2020, while the rest of the land use units under the other scenarios are mainly regulated by depopulation/abandonment of the rural areas and the processes of natural succession. The fact that the extent of silvoarable systems is increasing, in combination with the favorable institutional environment created by European rural policies, gives impetus to regional rural development through investments in the agricultural sector and mainly in Agroforestry systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The issue of intercultural and citizenship learning has concerned scholars for a long time while subjects such as history, geography, civic and citizenship have been shaping young peoples' identity. Under migration pressures and the European Union's integration these subjects have been often challenged and transformed. In the case of Greece, subject's textbook topics on immigration and diversity have been promoting more ethnocentrism and eurocentrism. This paper presents those findings, and in so doing it explores the ways in which the Greek state's and the EU's intercultural education policy have impacted the specific school subject. It focuses on the Greek nation's identity formation, while discussing the country's response to the EU's calls for common policies in the area of intercultural and citizenship education. The last section of this essay provides new insights into the educators' tools to implement less ethnocentric and more inclusive curriculums and programs by exploring an extracurricular, online peer mentoring program that was initiated and implemented in Australia to foster intercultural awareness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Health expenditure data are known to be afflicted by restricted range, zero values, skewness and kurtosis. Several methods for modelling such data have been suggested in the literature to cope with these problems. This paper compares the performance of several alternative estimators, including two-part models and generalised linear models. The dependent variable is household expenditure on health care in Greece, a country where out-of-pocket health expenditure is higher than anywhere else in the European Union, whether as a proportion of GDP, as a share of all health spending, or in per capita terms. To facilitate comparison of model performance, household health expenditure is examined in two different specifications: expenditure on all health care (where zero values are rare) and expenditure on hospital services alone (where zero values are common). In the case of expenditure on all health care, three of the estimators performed almost equally well in terms of three alternative model performance indicators: a modified two-part model with non-linear least squares in the second part, a constant-variance generalised linear model and a variance-proportional-to-mean generalised linear model. In the case of expenditure on hospital services, the constant-variance generalised linear model out-performed the rest. The findings suggest that no estimator is best under all circumstances, while most alternative estimators are likely to produce relatively similar results. The paper concludes by discussing implications for further research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The deployment of Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) is a strategic decision for the European Union (EU). Through the integration of ITS in their transportation national strategy, the EU Member States can move decisively towards the achievement of the targets that have been set for a cleaner, safer and more efficient transport system. Moreover, the adoption of systems and services, that have been developed in other countries, and their induction in the national ITS frameworks can facilitate the interoperable and coordinated deployment of ITS and ensure the effort for the targets' achievement. This paper examines the possibilities of transferring in Greece the knowledge gained by three systems which have been developed in other three South East Europe (SEE) countries and defines guidelines for their future deployment in Greece. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The Erasmus Intensive Programme (IP) is a short term programme of study lasting from 10 continuous days to a maximum of six weeks of subject related work by bringing together students and staff from higher education institutions of at least three EU countries. Aim: The purpose of this paper is to describe the content of a sequence of three IPs on older people’s care and describe their relevance in contemporary nursing education. Method: This discussion paper uses reflective analysis via presentation of the key features of the three IPs i.e.: Aims, Objectives, Target groups, Main activities, Learning Outcomes and Outputs followed by a short reflective commentary on each IP by the lead participant. Results: Students and staff involved have demonstrated enthusiasm for the three EIPs ability to foster new curricula approaches and innovative educational skills such as open exchanges of views, cross cultural exchange of ideas, in a truly multinational classroom environment. Conclusions: IPs benefited students and staff involved by broadening their horizons concerning health care for the elderly. Also, students learned from cross-cultural stimulation and non-conventional ways of problem solving and subsequently gained new perspectives on their chosen professions. Similarly, tutors benefited from unique insights into different ways of teaching and motivation techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Greece, as well as other developed countries, is facing the growing problem of road traffic noise. It stands for a severe problem in the urban areas of the country, including the city of Larissa. The root cause is the huge increase in traffic volume and the lack of adequate urban infrastructure planning. Estimation of the level of road traffic noise is usually conducted using acoustic meters. It is widely accepted that most of the cities' population is exposed to high noise levels due to controversial traffic capacity. Moreover, high noise levels are strongly related to phycological and neurological diseases. Thus, it is of utmost importance, the road noise levels to be lower than dictated by relevant specification limits. To develop better noise-environment policies, relative research should focus on the measurement of in-situ noise levels, so as appropriate for each case corrective measures to be taken. The present paper examines the noise levels of a center road of the 5th Greek city, in terms of population, compared to worldwide adopted noise specification limits. The clear aim stands for finding the percentage of road noise that exceeds commonly accepted threshold values, namely limit values of European Union and World Health Organization. The results of this research strongly indicate that measured noise values override upper limit values in a certain extent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to discuss the benefits, barriers and challenges of the transdisciplinary approach to training, and to present findings of a case analysis. Design/methodology/approach – The paper is based on the research findings of an experimental training program for Greek local government managers co-funded by the European Union. Findings – The adoption of the transdisciplinary approach for the effective training of (local government) managers has a number of important advantages, including the connection of training with real problems that organizations face today, as well as the development of transdisciplinary competences necessary for the effective adaptation and activation of managers in the turbulent environment of the new economy. Research limitations/implications – The experimental training program focuses on managers of Greek local government organizations. However, the critical factors that are described are relative to the training needs of most organizations operating in the new globalized economic environment. Practical implications – The design of the transdisciplinary training programs, as well as their implementation and evaluation processes, can be of use to all organizations interested in the strategic training and development of human resources, regardless of their size and sector. Originality/value – There is a great potential for the development of training programs based on the transdisciplinary approach. Fields of immediate application are those where social, economic and ecological elements interact and should be integrated in a sustainable way. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global competition and the rise of structural unemployment during the 1980s and 1990s increased the demand for flexibility at labor markets. Since the early1990s, Greece following the directives of the European Union, gradually adopted reforms to ease the use of flexible forms of employment. This paper maps the recent evolution of flexible employment in Greece and makes an innovative empirical analysis of the employers' opinion about the impact of flexible working on their businesses during the crisis. The analysis is based upon a questionnaire through which the problem is investigated with the help of the statistical software R. To compare the sub-samples and in order to test any potential differences between them, we applied the 2 (chi square) analysis. We used a sample of almost 1000 respondents, drawn from the Greek SME sector, during the period October - December 2018. The results of our research seem to confirm the related findings of earlier studies. Our descriptive analysis shows that the impact of flexible working forms on entrepreneurship in Greece is ambiguous. In particular, it is concluded that flexible working forms has not contributed to human resource management. On the contrary, it seems that flexible working can reduce labor and insurance costs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Theory stated that a country should adhere to a monetary area if that country has about the same development level as member states. Otherwise, less developed countries will bear more pronouncedly the effects of asymmetric shocks that may occur in an integration zone. The reality exceeded far and away what the famous economist proved, the case of Greece being the example that put us forward how well we must be prepared for joining the EMU, the European Union itself roughening the financial rules for potential candidates. This paper aims to carry out an analysis of divergences and convergences in the Monetary European Union based on research on the various theories available in the literature and on the current situations of EMU members and non-member countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The European Union faces the pressing challenge of decarbonising the buildings sector to meet its climate neutrality goal by 2050. Buildings are significant contributors to greenhouse gas emissions, primarily through energy consumption for heating and cooling. This study uses the advanced PRIMES-BuiMo model to develop state-of-the-art innovative pathways and strategies to decarbonise the EU buildings sector, providing insights into energy consumption patterns, renovation rates and equipment replacement dynamics in the EU and in two representative Member States, Sweden and Greece. The model-based analysis shows that the EU's transition towards climate neutrality requires significant investment in energy efficiency of buildings combined with decarbonisation of the fuel mix, mostly through the uptake of electric heat pumps replacing the use of fossil fuels. The Use Case also demonstrates that targeted policy interventions considering the national context and specificities are required to ensure an efficient and sustainable transition to zero-emission buildings. The analysis of transformational strategies in Greece and Sweden provides an improved understanding of the role of country-specific characteristics on policy effectiveness so as to inform more targeted and contextually appropriate approaches to decarbonise the buildings sector across the EU. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In alignment with the European Union's legislation, Greece submitted its final 10-year National Energy and Climate Plan (NECP) in December 2019, setting more ambitious energy and climate targets than those originally proposed in the draft version of the document. Apart from higher penetration of renewable energy sources (RES), the final NECP projects also zero carbon use in power generation till 2030. Although decarbonization has long been regarded beneficial for economies that base their energy production on coal, as it is the case with Greece, the macroeconomic and societal ramifications of faster transitions to carbon-free economies remain highly unexplored. Under this context, in this paper, we soft-link energy models, namely Times-Greece and Primes, with a macroeconomic model, namely Global Trade Analysis Project (GTAP), to measure the effects of the final and draft NECPs on the Greek economy and evaluate the impact of higher decarbonization speeds. We find that the faster transition scenario displays both economic and societal merits, increasing Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and household income by about 1% and 7%, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The expansion of urban ecosystems and climate change, both outcomes of massive lifestyle changes, contribute to a series of side effects such as environmental deterioration, spread of diseases, increased greenhouse gas emissions and introduction of invasive species. In the case of the Athens metropolitan area, an invasive mosquito species—the Asian tiger mosquito (Aedes albopictus)–has spread widely in the last decade. This spread is favoured within urban environments and is also affected by changing climatic trends. The Asian tiger mosquito is accompanied by risks of mosquito-borne diseases, greater nuisance levels, and increased expenses incurring for its confrontation. The main aims of this paper are (i) to estimate the various costs associated with their control of this invasive species, as well as its health and nuisance impacts, (ii) to evaluate the level of citizens’ well-being from averting these impacts and (iii) to record citizens’ and experts’ perceptions regarding alternative control measures. Evidence shows that experts tend to place a high value on mosquito control when associated with serious health risks, while citizens are more sensitive and concerned about the environmental impacts of control methods. The synthesis of results produced by the current study could act as a preliminary guide for the estimation of societal welfare from the confrontation of similar problems in the context of a complex ecosystem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the first part of the paper the author gives an overview of the terminology, definition and theory of hybrid warfare, a concept simultaneously disputed in the academic community and firmly established among the decision-making elites of NATO and the EU. The second part is dedicated to a specific aspect or tool of hybrid warfare – coercive engineered migrations. Through a binary comparison of different cases with a similar outcome on the EU’s external border – Greece-Turkey in 2020 and Poland-Belarus in 2021 – the author determines the internal and external requirements for a successful defense against migrations weaponized by a hostile neighboring state. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Energy policy affects the functioning of the economic and financial systems of countries worldwide. This paper provides a theoretical overview of the economy–energy nexus and discusses the particular cases of the energy policy dynamics amid the sustainability goals. This paper integrates multiple perspectives on the energy–economy nexus, with a particular focus on the energy trilemma, 4As of energy security and PESTEL approach. This allows the development of a comprehensive framework for the analysis of energy security and the sustainability interaction. A review of manifestations of the different dimensions of energy security and sustainability is carried out to identify the most topical facets of the issue. Then, the cases of the selected European Union countries (Ireland, Greece, Denmark and Lithuania) are presented to highlight the effects and features of the recent energy policy changes there. Indeed, these countries apply a PSO levy mechanism on electricity tariffs and are diverse in their geopolitical situation, economic development, geographical situation and energy dependency level. The analysis of the situations of such different countries applying the PSO levy mechanism makes it possible to perform a broader and more in-depth assessment and comparison of electricity tariff regulations. Thus, the developed theoretical model is applied to identify the major outcomes of the energy policy regimes (with a focus on tariff regulation) in the selected countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The European Union is committed to a 55% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, as outlined in the Green Deal and Climate Law initiatives. In response to geopolitical events, the RePowerEU initiative aims to enhance energy self-sufficiency, reduce reliance on Russian natural gas, and promote hydrogen utilization. Hydrogen valleys, localized ecosystems integrating various hydrogen supply chain elements, play a key role in this transition, particularly benefiting isolated regions like islands. This manuscript focuses on optimizing a Centralized Green Hydrogen Production Facility (CGHPF) on the island of Crete. A mixed-integer linear programming framework is proposed to optimize the CGHPF, considering factors such as land area, wind and solar potential, costs, and efficiency. Additionally, an in-depth sensitivity analysis is conducted to explore the impact of key factors on the economic feasibility of hydrogen investments. The findings suggest that hydrogen can be sold in Crete at prices as low as 3.5 EUR/kg. Specifically, it was found in the base scenario that, selling hydrogen at 3.5 EUR/kg, the net profit of the investment could be as high as EUR 6.19 million, while the capacity of the solar and wind installation supplying the grid hydrogen facility would be 23.51 MW and 52.97 MW, respectively. It is noted that the high profitability is justified by the extraordinary renewable potential of Crete. Finally, based on our study, a policy recommendation to allow a maximum of 20% direct penetration of renewable sources of green hydrogen facilities into the grid is suggested to encourage and accelerate green hydrogen expansion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the past few years, hydrogen use has come to be considered as an alternative energy carrier in a future decarbonized world. Many developed nations are undergoing a shift towards low-carbon energy sources, driven by the excessive reliance on fossil fuels and the detrimental effects of climate change. This study aims to investigate the potential for hydrogen deployment in the Greek energy market during the next few decades. In this context, green hydrogen's potential application in the Greek market is being assessed, employing an integrated techno-economic model grounded in worldwide trends and localized expenses. The forthcoming years will see an analysis of both the challenges and opportunities surrounding the integration and implementation of hydrogen in new and existing processes within Greece. Many alternative ways to produce hydrogen in Greece are investigated, contemplating different production paths. We evaluate how fluctuations in hydrogen, oil, and carbon prices affect the economics of green hydrogen adoption in oil refining, as is detailed in the draft of the European Union delegated act published in May 2022. The Levelized Cost of Hydrogen (LCOH) for different scenarios is calculated for the time frame up until 2050. A sensitivity analysis reveals that investment costs, electricity prices, electrolyzer efficiency, and carbon taxes significantly influence the LCOH, ultimately impacting the economic competitiveness of hydrogen production. These findings underscore the importance of aligning public–private partnership agendas in hydrogen production to create optimal conditions for investment attraction and development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent treatment of accommodation and arrival infrastructures for asylum seekers and refugees has fuelled international research on refugee reception policies in urban environments and on the consequences of related initiatives of the European Union and international organizations such as the UNHCR. Using Athens as a case study, this article provides empirical evidence to revive the theoretical treatment of the importance of arrival and accommodation infrastructures in urban areas in transition. We collected and compiled data from four sources: the 2011 population census, the 2018 ESTIA accommodation program and the UNHCR Site Management Support (SMS) Reports of Temporary Accommodation Sites and Reception and Identification Centres (RICs), and a primary survey of services for asylum seekers and refugees. After the geocoding of data, we calculate indices for key dimensions of the segregation of accommodated asylum seekers and foreign nationals. We discuss the findings, seeking to highlight how the location and the composition of accommodation infrastructures has been influenced by a wider process of urban change and adaptations to global forces, leading not only to the transformation of inner-city zones but also suburban and peri-urban areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The electronic Freight Transport Information (eFTI) regulation is critical in modernizing freight transport (FT) within the European Union by establishing a framework for the electronic exchange of information. Despite its importance, there is a notable gap in the literature regarding the practical implementation challenges, especially from an empirical perspective. Methods: To address this gap, our study utilized a grounded theory approach, conducting interviews with a diverse group of logistics experts from Greece. The selection of experts was strategic to ensure a comprehensive range of knowledge and expertise, including insights at the policy level as well as practical experiences. Results: Our findings highlight several significant challenges in the implementation of eFTI, including the digital skill gap among the workforce, issues with system interoperability, and diverse capacities and resources of companies of different sizes. Economic factors, regulatory frameworks and the necessity for targeted training and leadership support were also identified as crucial for the digital transition. Conclusions: The study shows that uniform eFTI implementation may not work for all organizations, highlighting the necessity for customized strategies that address specific challenges in the FT chain. Our research deepens the understanding of these issues, providing actionable insights for successful eFTI adoption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Antimony is widely acknowledged as a critical raw material of worldwide significance, based on its recognition by many countries. According to current projections, there is an anticipated increase in the demand for antimony in the forthcoming years. An issue of significant concern within the supply chain, which poses a substantial obstacle to sustainable development, is the global unequal allocation of abundant antimony resources. Most nations exhibited a high degree of dependence on a few countries for their net imports of antimony, resulting in a notable disruption and raising concerns regarding the supply chain. In most countries, antimony exploration and exploitation have been paused for a long period due to financial constraints associated with operations and environmental concerns. Nowadays, identifying additional antimony reserves, particularly in countries that heavily rely on new technologies and use significant amounts of antimony, is imperative and presents a pressing endeavor. Greece is recognized as one of the European Union member states with identified antimony deposits and a historical record of antimony exploitation. A thorough description, examination, and re-assessment of all existing data on the deposits and occurrences of antimony in Greece is presented. Most of Greece's antimony deposits are related to hydrothermal processes, controlled by specific tectonic structures, and associated with Cenozoic magmatism. They are classified either as simple Sb-deposits, where the primary ore is a stibnite mineral, or complex polymetallic deposits with varying contents that include antimony minerals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - The purpose of this study is to empirically examine different types of service firms, featuring strategy orientations and the performance of different emphases. Design/methodology/approach - To answer the questions the paper raises, data of 80 Greek firms of the services sector are analysed with the help of factor analysis, cluster analysis and analysis of variance. Findings - The findings reveal three types of firms pursuing different strategy orientations for dealing with competition (i.e. the hybridists: 44 firms, the confused strategists: 25 firms and the non-strategists: 11 firms). Furthermore, they suggest that performance is dependent on these strategy types. Research limitations/implications - The study provides new evidence outside the manufacturing industry and the US context, which dominates the literature. Nonetheless, further empirical research will help to generalise the findings within the services sector in Greece and/or comparable national contexts, especially within the European Union. Practical implications - The empirical results highlight the discussion of pure vs hybrid forms of competitive advantage pursued by service firms operating at home. A message of the utmost importance for practitioners is that the hybrid form of competitive advantage, which places high emphasis on low cost, is the prevailing and the best-performing strategic choice. Originality/value - The study focuses on strategy types of firms to offer a view on the basis of competitive advantage within the services sector of a dynamic European Union member state. By excluding the well-known pure and stuck-in-the-middle alternatives, the evidence highlights the lack of a strategy and combined choices of strategic orientations, which differ in terms of performance. It appears that the dominant argument of strategic purity is not applicable to all firms in all countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Geographical Information Systems (GISs) in architecture were initially limited to regional and urban development applications. Over recent years its potential has been recognized and its use has evolved to address urban planning and architectural heritage management subjects. Nevertheless, evidence shows that its use in architecture teaching is scarce and uneven. Directive 2007/2/EC, establishing the infrastructure for spatial information in the European Community (EU), is, in this way, an opportunity to develop a greater knowledge and application of GIS in the framework of higher education. In architecture, this can be achieved by problem solving based on real case scenarios, which can benefit from GIS-based techniques and analysis capabilities. In this paper, the authors aim to present a review of the use of GIS in teaching and research in architecture to assess its level in different European programmes. Experiences from three European universities (University of Seville, Spain, University of Beira Interior, Portugal, and Technical University of Crete, Greece), which are among the few in their respective countries that promote the inclusion of GIS in architectural education, particularly in the fields of urban and regional planning and architectural heritage, are compared and framed within the European scenario. The paper concludes with a reflection on the three universities' practice compared to the leading European architecture programmes listed in the main international university rankings. Main trends of future evolution on the use of GIS in architecture teaching are also presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On July 5, 2015, Greek voters were asked whether to approve or reject the terms of an austerity program offered by the European Union (EU) to resolve an ongoing financial crisis. With a turnout rate of 62.5% overall, 61.3% of Greeks voted 'no.' While a majority of voters in every district opposed the bailout's terms, the margin against the proposed austerity measures ranged from 51.2% in Lakonias to 73.8% in Chanion. This paper presents empirical evidence on the determinants of the 'no' vote across Greece's 56 electoral districts. Our analysis is grounded in public choice theories of why large numbers of people turn out to vote in mass elections. In addition to controlling for standard 'instrumental' vote motives, we ask whether political party labels, which serve as summary measures of partisan positioning, and party platforms, which express partisan preferences on ballot questions, are salient in determining electoral outcomes. Holding constant the unemployment rate and average voter age (at the regional level) and the fraction of young people casting ballots for the first time on July 5, 2015 (at the district level), we find that the percentage of 'no' votes was reduced significantly by voter support for Greece's leading pro-austerity party (New Democracy) in the previous nationwide election held in January 2015. In contrast, voter support in January for the anti-austerity party (Syriza), led by sitting Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, had no measurable impact on July's referendum results. This finding offers support for both instrumental and expressive theories of voting and bolsters the claim that political parties can shape electoral outcomes on questions decided by an institution of direct democracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Through the decision of the European Union to extend the borders of influence and, implicitly, through the accession to western values of the states previously under Soviet authority, the process of regionalization at European level and integration of the mechanisms of the economic and financial markets has gained momentum. This study analyzes the evolution of the compositional indicators of financial integration at the level of the Euro from 1995 until 2018, highlighting their behavior in the key moments of the history of the European Union and the degree of integration of the markets emerging from within the European Union. Using the KOF globalization index, it analyzes the level of integration of Greece, the Czech Republic, Poland, Romania and Hungary, making a parallel of the evolution of these markets since the reference year1990, as an arbitrary moment of the decision to westernize the economies of these states. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]