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This paper focuses on the tension between two political rationalities coordinating Danish higher education (HE) -- a nativist politics of belonging and that of status competition and its technologies of university rankings, citation indexes, and performance management, explored historically drawing on Gramscian conjunctural analysis. The paper argues that Danish academics were invited into a performative culture of world-class research, university rankings and citation indexes, and the dominance of English as the valued scientific language. Simultaneously a political consensus has developed around restricting international student access to Danish HE and reducing English-medium education in a context of hostility towards migrants generally. Consequently, Danish HE has been constituted as a nationalist public good with neoliberal characteristics.

This paper contributes to the theoretical debate over a global upsurge in higher education (HE) regionalisms which pursue different region-building processes and create policy spaces beyond national boundaries. Focusing on the Nordic countries, the paper studies parallel processes of intra-Nordic and European HE and research cooperation. Although individual Nordic countries opt for different kinds of relationships with the European Union (EU), they have participated in the Europeanisation process of HE and research while intensifying their Nordic regional identity. Drawing on spatial logics in European integration and HE regionalism theories, the concept of 'Nordic added value' (NAV) and three Nordic flagship programmes, this paper addresses two questions: What are the links and outcomes of parallel regionalising processes of the EU-Nordic and intra-Nordic cooperation in HE and research? How has 'Nordic added value' been utilised to strengthen Nordic HE regionalism? The paper argues that spatial logics provide new and holistic understandings of rationales for region-building processes, whereas NAV, being a floating signifier, generates regionalising ideas and functions as a distinctive mechanism of Nordic HE regionalism. Both spatial logics and NAV render opportunities for Nordic regional imaginaries, identity-building and Nordic-EU mutual policy learning.

Along with China's economic growth, the notable rise of its universities and innovation system has inspired growing interest in how the higher education institutions (HEIs) of the European Union (EU) cooperate with Chinese HEIs. Beginning with a review of China-EU higher education relations, this paper presents a case study of a Sino-Danish collaborative programme in which cooperation and programme quality were limited by both partners' different aims over time, and their alternate quality assurance systems. We suggest a proper collaborative level and discipline should be developed before the establishment of cooperation by taking relevant policies, merits and disadvantages of both partners, into consideration. This paper also points out that limits in collaboration can be alleviated, if a number of elements can be used effectively, such as China's significant EU knowledge diaspora. Given this and other listed factors, including favorable policies introduced by the Chinese government, there are substantial prospects for extending China-EU collaborative relations and exchanges.

A Danish Green Paper published in July 2010 provides an in-depth analysis of current EU law on insider dealing against the background of the case law of the Court of Justice of the European Union, and provides some very useful examples that illustrate the extent of the ban on insider dealing and thereby also when trading may be considered lawful. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores linguistic landscapes and the enactment of public visibility and presence of non-majority linguistic groups in EU member states. Non-majority linguistic groups gain power, visibility and presence through the introduction of bilingual or multilingual signposts on roads, streets, squares, and public buildings in towns and cities where a given linguistic group represents a significant population share. The article offers a comparative analysis of language policies of EU member states regarding enactment of official bilingual or multilingual signs in public space. Twenty EU member states have signed the "European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages," while 17 members have ratified it. In addition, the Charter of Fundamental Rights, an integral party of the Lisbon Treaty, stipulates that language diversity is one of the fundamental values respected by the EU. Hence, this comparative research assesses various practices employed by member states in relation to the proclaimed values of multilingualism. Consequently, the paper depicts and compares different language policies that produce linguistic landscapes in EU member states. Finally, it tries to determine whether there is a convergence towards a common EU policy on bilingual and multilingual signs in public space.

A wave of company law reform has swept across Europe and has now reached Denmark, where a proposal for a new combined companies act has been put forward and will soon enter the legislative process. In this article, the driving forces behind these reforms are explored. They are: the freedom to choose among the company law regimes of the European Union that follows from the case law of the EC Court of Justice; the demise of the doctrine of protection of capital; and the increasing insignificance of the distinction within company law between public and private limited companies. The main tenets of the Danish reform are: the introduction of a combined companies act to cover both the public and the private limited company; the possibility to choose between the main corporate governance models known in European company law, which, in combination with the possibility to use English at board meetings, the general meeting of shareholders and in public documents and accounts, should cater to the needs of crossborder business and investment; and a relaxation of the capital regime allowing limited companies more freedom in deciding the structure of their share capital and the distribution of control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Discusses the Copenhagen, Denmark summit on European Union (EU) enlargement held on December 12-13, 2002, which declined to give Turkey a firm date for accession negotiations. EU's agreement on a document setting out terms in which Turkey could begin negotiating its membership of the EU; Cautious welcome given by the EU to Turkey's program of social and economic reforms.

The paper presents the case of international higher education in Denmark from 1999 to recent political moves to limit international student recruitment. Building on concepts adopted from theories on nationalism, the authors trace the origins of an anti-internationalisation discourse to the 2000s. An analysis of documents produced by universities, politicians and national media reveals continuity in two key areas. First, the language debate of 2007-9 draws attention to the growing use of English in HE. Second, a welfare nationalist discourse can be traced back to a 2013 EJC verdict, which confirmed EU citizens' rights to Danish student grants.

Education is the main vehicle for empowering adults, and can contribute to community wellbeing. However, regarding mature adults (MAs) (over 45 years old), age has been identified in various studies as a significant barrier to accessing educational activities. This paper focuses on MAs' motivations to learn through an exploratory survey undertaken in six European countries. A K-means cluster analysis based on 16 variables has been run on n = 846 valid cases. Four clusters describing distinctive behaviours and attitudes of MAs towards learning activities were identified. The study confirms that MAs' motivations to learn are very diverse, overcoming some of the so-called "myths of global aging," such as the homogeneity of MAs or the correlation between age and a decline in motivation to learn. Furthermore, analysing the main motivations of MA learners can be useful for adapting education to cater to their specific needs, boosting a more inclusive education, and promoting MAs' empowerment.

Crash fault tolerance describes the capability of a distributed system to maintain its proper function despite the occurrence of crashes or failures in one or more of its components. When a distributed system possesses crash fault tolerance, it can be further fortified to achieve Byzantine fault tolerance. Byzantine fault tolerance empowers a distributed system to establish consensus among participants, even when faced with faulty or malicious behavior. Consensus plays a critical role in various tasks, including determining the accurate value of a shared variable, electing a leader, or validating the integrity of a business transaction. Compared to crash fault tolerance, Byzantine fault tolerance instills greater trust because it enables consensus even in the presence of malicious entities. This paper focuses on the performance evaluation of two blockchain solutions that exhibit Byzantine fault tolerance, in contrast to a blockchain solution that demonstrates crash fault tolerance. Specifically, the paper investigates the additional performance requirements associated with the enhanced trust resulting from Byzantine fault tolerance in e-business trading on both national and transnational scales. We analyze the resources needed to operate a business-to-business/business-to-government (B2B/B2G) compliance framework in two distinct geographic scenarios. The first examines the national scale, using Denmark as an example, which is the eleventh largest European country by GDP. The second scenario considers the scale of the European Union (EU) with its 27 member states (plus the United Kingdom). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to identify the major determinants of the structural differences in gender equality for EU countries, using tools from partial order theory on a system of 6 indicators, pertaining to the Sustainable Development Goal 5 "Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls". The paper analyzes the gender equality partial orders, among EU countries, for years 2006, 2010 and 2017. Performing a sensitivity analysis, the pay gap indicator was disclosed as the most relevant source of differences across European nations, for each of the three years considered. Subsequently the paper focuses on the temporal evolution of gender equality in three specific countries, i.e., Denmark, Germany and the Czech Republic, studying which elementary dimensions has the strongest impact on its dynamics. Interestingly it turns out that, in different countries, different indicators play the major role (related to women's political representation, for Denmark and Germany, and to care giving, for Czech Republic). These sensitivity analyses are performed using posetic tools, to avoid the possible information loss of an aggregative procedures, involving the computation of composite indicators. This constitutes a major methodological contribution of the paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A competence management system (CMS) was devised to assist the registration of competencies in the textile and clothing sector, starting in the four EU countries of Portugal, Slovenia, the UK and Denmark, further leading to the European network. This paper presents the design and development framework assisting international multicultural environments at the system, organisational and individual levels. Education and training providers are facing demands of the industry and labour markets internationally. The CMS is assisting the transparency, recognition, mobility and partnership between education and training providers, the industry and stakeholders at the international level. For individual users, CMS has proven to be very effective in providing the overall status of competence profile and professional development needs. At the organisational level of employers, the identified functions include the improved overall knowledge management, and a more efficient competence needs assessment and transparent exchange within the larger environment and labour market. As regards the system level, the competence framework at the national level, and the transparency and recognition at the international level, had proven to be efficient at application in the labour market. (Contains 5 figures.)

Small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) play an important role in creating a dynamic and successful European economy. Time-poor managers in these organisations generally have fewer opportunities for training and development than their counterparts in larger organisations. As a result, different requirements are placed on training. The aim of this study was to test the principles of action learning in a virtual environment. The action-learning programme was based on virtual working but did also involve face-to-face workshops, thus providing a blended approach. The project was designed to be "evaluation-led", with evaluation progressing alongside the project from design to finalisation. The focus of this paper is on how the evaluation-led approach unfolded. To this end, we start by explaining our research approach, we then move on to an analysis of the project to conclude with a discussion of the findings and of the lessons learnt. We conclude by highlighting some further research needs. (Contains 1 table and 5 notes.)

Copyright of Journal of Applied Ecology is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

• 25 tonnes of small combustible waste were sampled in Denmark. • More than half of the small combustible waste was recyclable material fractions. • Recycling these recyclable fractions would increase national recycling rate by 12%. • These recyclable fractions would contribute to saving 27 kg CO 2 -eq/capita/year. Europe is currently adapting its waste management strategies towards the increased recycling of waste materials, motivated by ambitious recycling targets. This requires correctly sorting and recovering of all relevant waste flows. In Denmark, a considerable share of residential household waste is collected at recycling centres, 16% of which is sent to energy recovery in the form of "small combustible waste". Although essential in order to enhance the management of household waste, very little information exists on its composition. In this study, 25 tonnes of small combustible waste were sampled from eight Danish recycling centres and classified according to material fraction, application and physical properties. On this basis, the potential contribution to the overall recycling rate was evaluated together with estimation of the potential environmental savings associated with recycling of these fractions. Less than half of the sampled waste comprised combustible materials, whereas recyclable fractions accounted for 47–64%, mainly including textiles, plastics and paper waste. Assuming this composition applicable to the national level, recycling these waste materials collected as small combustibles increased national recycling rates for households by 12%, calculated as waste received at recycling processes. Moreover, the potential climate change savings associated with recycling of Danish household waste increased by 30% compared to the current level. Plastics, textiles and paper were the main contributors to this increase, suggesting that improved sorting practices for these materials should be prioritised. The study demonstrates that detailed compositional data for waste materials has paramount importance when estimating recycling potentials and quantifying the associated environmental benefits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper compares national sustainability support schemes and sustainability requirements in four countries that import solid biomass for heat and power generation: Belgium, Denmark, the UK, and the Netherlands. The paper also reviews voluntary certification schemes for solid biomass that may be used to demonstrate sustainability compliance. In the absence of mandatory EU criteria for solid biomass, different national support schemes and sustainability requirements may present barriers to trade. This paper identifies some possibilities for harmonization and provides suggestions for policymakers for the improvement and alignment of national sustainability requirements. Ultimately the paper suggests establishing a harmonized certification scheme in the short term based on legislative requirements in the four countries and in voluntary initiatives. The proposed harmonized certification scheme may also reduce both implementation costs and complexity for biomass suppliers and generators. In the long term, the paper recommends binding criteria on sustainability requirements for solid biomass at EU level. © 2017 The Authors. Biofuels, Bioproducts and Biorefining published by Society of Chemical Industry and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of European Review of Contract Law is the property of De Gruyter and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Intellectual Property / Dusevne Vlastnictvo is the property of Industrial Property Office of the Slovak Republic and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The European Small Claims Procedure was introduced by EU Regulation 861/2007 and applies between all Member States of the European Union except Denmark. This procedure can be used for claims up to the value of €5000 and is a written procedure, unless an oral hearing is considered necessary by the court. The European Small Claims Procedure is an alternative to national procedures. A judgment for this procedure is recognised and enforceable in another EU country and cannot be opposed (unless there are inconsistences with an existing judgment in the other EU country between the same parties). The purpose of the European Small Claims Procedure is to harmonize national litigation. Precisely because of this the subject of analysis of this paper are the basic features of the European Small Claims Procedure, benefits that this procedure offers and the Amendment of Regulation 861/2007 with Regulation 2015/2421. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The number of outlaw bikers is growing globally. Despite this, little research exists on these groups and their alleged violent tendencies. To address this, the current paper uses unique data to examine whether gang violence causes outlaw biker violence. The period examined runs from mid-2008 until early 2012 during which violent clashes occurred between outlaw bikers and street gang members involved in an alleged conflict in Copenhagen, Denmark. A precise description of each individual act of violence would make it possible to identify whether specific acts were carried out in furtherance of the alleged conflict. This would allow one to determine whether outlaw bikers commit violence on behalf of their club. However, such knowledge is unavailable. The paper therefore takes a different approach by examining whether acts of violence committed by the two groups are statistically associated. In other words, it considers whether one or more acts can be described as retaliatory during the observation periods. The sample consists of 640 individuals involved with the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club or with non-biker street gangs–both of which are present in Copenhagen. Statistical models are used to predict 143 violent events committed by 196 outlaw bikers. The results suggest that violence committed by gang members predicts violence committed by outlaw bikers. This indicates that violent acts committed by outlaw bikers are at least partly a form of retaliation carried out on behalf of their club. The paper expands the literature on the kinds of inter-group, micro-level processes that can lead to reciprocal violence by including outlaw bikers in a literature that has previously focused on non-biker street gangs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The universal right to education for people with disabilities has been highlighted by the Universal Declaration on Human Rights and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. In this paper, we mapped policies addressing the right to education and special education needs of autistic children in Denmark, Sweden, and Finland ., Methods: A policy path analysis was carried out using a scoping review as an underlying framework for data gathering. Policy mapping was performed independently by both lead authors to increase reliability., Results and Discussion: The values of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities have been closely translated into the respective education systems of the countries under study, offering special education needs services and support in mainstream education with the aim of including as many children into mainstream education as possible. Even though the education systems are comparable, the approaches between the countries under study are slightly different. Denmark and Sweden have passed several policies specifically geared towards special education needs, while Finland incorporates this more in general education policy., Conclusion: All countries under study have incorporated the values of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in their respective education systems while emphasising the need to include as many children in the mainstream system as possible., Competing Interests: Competing interestsThere are no competing interests between the collaborating authors in this study., (© The Author(s). 2019.)

Featured Application: The proposed method can be applied to a specific building renovation project for evaluating and selecting energy efficiency and renewable energy production measures, with the aim of reaching the NZEB standard. Reaching environmental targets set by the European Union (EU) requires a constant renovation of the existing building stock to nearly Zero Energy Buildings (NZEB) in a cost-optimal manner. Studies show that the renovation rate of the existing building stock is more than two times less than what is necessary to reach the targets. Furthermore, the majority of performed renovations across the EU reach just a small amount of energy savings, whereas NZEB renovations are rarely achieved. This paper proposes a methodology for the evaluation of renovation measures, aiming to provide decision support related to the selection of what to renovate and to what extent. The proposed method is rooted in the well-established cost-optimal methodology, yet it suggests a pre-step to package evaluation. This is done by means of a simplified cost-effective parameter (CEP), linking cost, lifetime, and energy savings. The methodology is demonstrated using a case study building in Denmark. The results show that the CEP provides good grounds for the compilation of single actions to packages. Further developments could focus on the sensitivity of the model inputs and integration of additional evaluation parameters to cost, such as environmental, architectural, comfort, risk, etc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Study Question: Is there a difference in testicular function in early adulthood between men born with cryptorchidism and men born with normally descended testes?Summary Answer: In men from the general population, a history of cryptorchidism was associated with lower total testis volume and impaired semen quality as well as altered serum levels of reproductive hormones.What Is Known Already: The association between cryptorchidism and testicular function is well documented in studies based on sub-fertile or infertile men recruited from a clinical setting. However, the association has not previously been investigated in men from the general population, who were unselected regarding fertility status.Study Design, Size, Duration: This is a cross-sectional population-based study of 6376 young Danish men examined from 1996 to 2017.Participants/materials, Setting, Methods: This study is based on young men from the greater Copenhagen area, Denmark (median age of 19 years) who were unselected regarding fertility status and semen quality. The young men delivered a semen sample, had a blood sample drawn and underwent a physical examination including assessment of testis volume. Participants completed a questionnaire regarding cryptorchidism at birth, current lifestyle and their mother's pregnancy, after consulting their mother. The differences in markers of testicular function, including testis volume, semen parameters and reproductive hormones between men with and without a history of cryptorchidism were investigated with multiple linear regression analyses.Main Results and the Role Of Chance: The participation rate was 24% for the entire study period. Overall, a history of cryptorchidism was associated with reduced testicular function. In the adjusted models, a history of cryptorchidism was associated with a 3.5 ml lower total testis volume, determined by orchidometer (P < 0.001), 28% lower sperm concentration (95% CI: -37 to -20) and 26% lower inhibin B/FSH ratio (95% CI: -50 to -22) compared to men without a history of cryptorchidism, suggesting a reduced spermatogenetic capacity. Men with a history of cryptorchidism also had a slightly reduced Leydig cell function expressed as a 6% lower testosterone/LH ratio (95% CI: -12 to -0.7). The significant effect sizes and different markers of testicular function pointing in the same direction across the different models based on a large sample size support that the results are not chance findings.Limitations, Reasons For Caution: Information on cryptorchidism at birth and treatment modus was obtained by retrospective self-report, and each participant only delivered one semen sample.Wider Implications Of the Findings: The results suggest that men with a history of cryptorchidism could be at increased risk of experiencing fertility problems. However, among these men there is a wide variation in semen quality and further research is needed in order to identify the subgroup of boys born with cryptorchidism who are at the greatest risk of impaired semen quality when reaching adulthood.Study Funding/competing Interest(s): The study received financial support from the Research fund of Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen University Hospital; the European Union (Contract numbers BMH4-CT96-0314, QLK4-CT-1999-01422, QLK4-CT-2002-00603. FP7/2007-2013, DEER Grant agreement no. 212844); the Danish Ministry of Health; the Danish Environmental Protection Agency; A.P. Møller and wife Chastine McKinney Møllers Foundation; and Svend Andersens Foundation. None of the founders had any role in the study design, collection, analysis or interpretation of data, writing of the paper or publication decisions. The authors have nothing to declare.Trial Registration Number: N/A. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The degree of taxation has steadily increased in the EU member countries, largely reflecting an expansion of the public sector. Many countries in the European Union have adopted measures to reduce the level of taxation, but the tax burden in the Member States of the European Union is high. The mix of fiscal policies is very different from one country to another, and this is because fiscal policy is an element of national sovereignty. In the paper, using statistical data at the level of the European Union, the degree of taxation will be highlighted, comparative studies will be carried out and conclusions about the fiscal burden registered in each Member State of the European Union will be highlighted. These calculations will be made using a series of indicators from the literature. The general objection of the paper is that in the Member States of the European Union the level of taxation varies according to the degree of development of each Member State and varies according to the fiscal policy promoted within each country. The structure analysis of the tax system adopted by each member state of the European Union in the paper highlighted the fact that at the level of the developed countries the tax systems are focused on direct taxes and the less developed countries apply tax systems focused on indirect taxes and contributions large social. For example, in the year 2016, with regard to tax revenue structure, in Denmark the share of direct taxes in GDP was 30.2%, indirect taxes in GDP was 16.5% and the share of compulsory social contributions in GDP was 0.1%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background, aim, and scope The management of municipal solid waste and the associated environmental impacts are subject of growing attention in industrialized countries. European Union has recently strongly emphasized the role of LCA in its waste and resource strategies. The development of sustainable solid waste management systems applying a life cycle perspective requires readily understandable tools for modeling the life cycle impacts of waste management systems. The aim of the paper is to demonstrate the structure, functionalities, and LCA modeling capabilities of the PC-based life cycle-oriented waste management model EASEWASTE, developed at the Technical University of Denmark specifically to meet the needs of the waste system developer with the objective to evaluate the environmental performance of the various elements of existing or proposed solid waste management systems. Materials and methods The EASEWASTE model supports a full life cycle assessment of any user-defined residential, bulky, or garden waste management system. The model focuses on the major components of the waste and reviews each component in terms of the available waste management options, including biogasification and composting, thermal treatment, use on land, material sorting and recycling, bottom and fly ash handling, material and energy utilization, and landfilling. In order to allow the use of the model in an early stage where local data may be limited, default data sets are provided for waste composition and quantities as well as for the waste technologies mentioned above. The model calculates environmental impacts and resource consumptions and allows the user to trace all impacts to their source in a waste treatment processes or in a specific waste material fraction. In addition to the traditional impact indicators, EASEWASTE incorporates impact categories on stored ecotoxicity, specifically developed for representation of the long-term impacts of persistent pollutants in landfilled waste. The model reports data at any stage of the LCA and supports identification of most sensitive parameters as well as overall sensitivity analysis and material balances for all substances passing through the system. Results and discussion The structure of the model is presented, and its functionalities are demonstrated on a hypothetical case study based on waste data from a large Danish municipality.… [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to define the meaning of corporate social responsibility (CSR) in the context of the European framework and examine three different European countries. The main elements which encompass the meaning of CSR focus on activities with social and environmental sensitiveness, on a voluntary basis. The paper analyses the dimensions of CSR and presents its benefits. Furthermore, the paper provides a brief description of the recent CSR activities in the European Union, and attempts a comparative analysis of CSR activities and their respective impacts on three European countries: Greece; Denmark; and Hungary. Finally, the paper concludes that the effective implementation of CSR strategy cannot follow strict rules and should be adjusted to the culture, needs and particularities of each country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to discuss the public-private linkage within the Danish research and technological development (RTD) and innovation system, seen from the point of view of the private sector. The relationship between public and private research is an issue of growing interest to management and public policy. Design/methodology/approach - Based on interviews with business managers, the article identifies obstacles that enterprises experience when cooperating with public research institutions and highlights conditions that influence the relationship. Findings - The paper points to ways to strengthen linkages and provides information on how to further stimulate public-private interaction and thus make better use of resources through synergy. Originality/value - The analysis in the paper offers an insight that can serve as a reference for researchers, managers and policymakers in countries with conditions similar to those of the Danish. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper examines the Europeanization process and the impact of the European Union (EU) on national healthcare policies, using the example of Denmark. The analysis reveals that although health policy formally falls within the competence of member states, the impact of the EU is becoming increasingly conspicuous and has contributed to a gradual restructuring of healthcare boundaries as well as of some of its organizing principles. Furthermore, the process and impact have a de-structuring effect on the more traditional governance tools used in relation to healthcare. The paper concludes that the EU has a significant impact and that we may be witnessing the formation of a new institutional legacy that represents the initiation of a Europeanized healthcare model: a model emerging around a new set of stakeholders, principles and structures, which includes the market, principles of free movement, patient choice and patient rights institutionalized and safeguarded by the EU. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Renewable energy (RE) is one of the most popular public policy orientations worldwide. Compared to some other countries and continents, Europe has gained an early awareness of energy and environmental problems in general. At the theoretical level, free-market environmentalism indicates that based on the principle of private property rights, with fewer state interventionist and regulation policies, entrepreneurs, as the driving force of the market economy, can provide better services to meet the necessity of offering RE to protect the environment more effectively. Previous studies have revealed that Germany, Denmark, and the United Kingdom have made some progress in using the market to develop RE. However, this research did not analyze the three countries' RE conditions from the perspective of free-market environmentalism. Based on our review of the principles of free-market environmentalism, this paper originally provides an empirical study of how Germany, Denmark, and the United Kingdom have partly conducted free-market-oriented policies to successfully achieve their policy goal of RE since the 1990s on a practical level. In particular, compared with Germany and Denmark, the UK has maintained a relatively low energy tax rate and opted for more pro-market measures since the Hayekian-Thatcherism free-market reform of 1979. The paper also discovers that Fredrich A. Hayek's theories have strongly impacted its energy liberalization reform agenda since then. Low taxes on the energy industry and electricity have alleviated the burden on the electricity enterprises and consumers in the UK. Moreover, the empirical results above show that the energy enterprises play essential roles in providing better and more affordable RE for household and industrial users in the three sampled countries. Based on the above results, the paper also warns that state intervention policies such as taxation, state subsidies, and industrial access restrictions can impede these three countries' RE targets. Additionally, our research provides reform agendas and policy suggestions to policymakers on the importance of implementing free-market environmentalism to provide more efficient RE in the post-COVID-19 era. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Yearbook of the Faculty of Political Sciences / Godisnjak Fakultet Politickih Nauka Beograd is the property of University of Belgrade, Faculty of Political Sciences and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Do countries with high corporate social responsibility (CSR) performance support more stringent supranational regulation? Following this logic, existing scholarship claims that Nordic countries push for tougher regulations to sharpen their competitive advantage. On the basis of an examination of the negotiations over the EU Directive 2014/95/EU, a corporate transparency law that requires firms to report on their social, environmental, and human rights impacts, this paper argues that strong CSR performance does not necessarily entail strong support for regulation. Nordic companies perform well when it comes to sustainability, but except for Denmark, Nordic governments' support for the Directive was lukewarm. To explain why, I examine the dynamics between CSR leaders, business associations, and party politics. I find that business associations are key for explaining this outcome. While some Nordic CSR leaders provided support, business associations, in which SMEs with lower CSR performance comprise the bulk of the members, were forceful opponents of regulation, unless domestic regulations are in place, in which case these associations support supranational regulations to level the playing field. I also stress the importance of partisan politics and extend the analysis to mandatory human rights due diligence. In sum, Nordic countries are much more heterogeneous than what the literature often suggests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydropower structures are typically made of materials that are available in most parts of the world, such as steel, concrete, and—to a lesser extent—copper, and do not use critical materials. The weight of hydropower structures is an important input data, as it is used to perform Life Cycle Assessments and to estimate the cost and the economic value of materials, both during the design and in case of dismantling or retrofitting. The weight of material is of interest also for policy-making purposes and for strategic development planning, for example to estimate impacts on resources. In this study, available literature equations are, for the first time, applied at a regional scale (the European Union) to estimate the weight of the hydropower fleet's electro-mechanical (steel-made) equipment. The total weight of the electro-mechanical equipment (runner, distributor, generator, draft tube and casing) amounts to 877 ktons. The average ratio of weight to installed power is R = 5.7 ton/MW and it is lower in mountainous countries (R = 4–6 in alpine areas, R = 30 in Denmark), where hydropower plants exploit high heads and low discharges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores externalization schemes regarding asylum claims that have been proposed by Denmark and the United Kingdom in relation to Rwanda. Some of the details, issues and impediments that exist regarding implementing such schemes are examined here. It shall be seen that despite the fact that the countries in question are two independent states, their relationships to certain supranational and international structures means that there may potentially be complications and obstacles in their attempts to implement policies relating to border security and asylum which they believe are in their national interest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Two recent transmission chains of PRRSV-2-associated cases were documented in this study using field epidemiological and molecular genetic tools. The investigation highlighted the risks associated with the free movement of livestock in the European Union. To minimize this risk of re-infection of PRRS-free herds with PRRSV through animal imports, it is recommended that pigs are transported directly from the exporting holdings without the involvement of transit stations. Alternatively, the transit stations could be converted so that pigs in transit avoid contact with each other, thus preventing exposure to PRRSV infection. This study reports on the molecular epidemiology of Ingelvac-PRRS-MLV-associated cases in Hungary for the period 2020–2021. Field epidemiology investigations led the experts to conclude that imported pigs, which were shipped through transit stations in Denmark, introduced the vaccine virus. The movement of fatteners and the neglect of disease control measures contributed to the spread of the virus to PRRS-free pig holdings in the vicinity. Deep sequencing was performed to genetically characterize the genes coding for the virion antigens (i.e., ORF2 through ORF7). The study isolates exhibited a range of 0.1 to 1.8% nucleotide sequence divergence from the Ingelvac PRRS MLV and identified numerous polymorphic sites (up to 57 sites) along the amplified 3.2 kilo base pair genomic region. Our findings confirm that some PRRSV-2 vaccine strains can accumulate very high number of point mutations within a short period in immunologically naive pig herds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The historical links with imperial Denmark still have an impact on Iceland’s foreign policy and its approach to Europe in particular. This article examines the triangular relationship between Iceland, its former colonizers (Norway and Denmark) and the European Union (EU). Iceland’s political identity was carved out in the course of its independence struggle from Denmark (1830–1944), based on a fundamental belief in its formal sovereignty, which still dictates Icelandic foreign relations to a great extent. In order to uphold the standard of being considered a modern Nordic welfare state, however, Iceland has an economic need to participate in the EU’s internal market, resulting in the European Economic Area agreement. Iceland’s postimperial sovereignty games are mostly played within these boundaries. To understand its position within the European project, this paper analyses how, until the economic ‘Crash of 2008’, the national identity emerging out of the colonial experience has limited Iceland’s relationship with the EU. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In Europe, there seems to be widespread, morally based scepticism about the use of GMOs in food production. In response to this scepticism, the revised EU directive 2001/18/EC on the deliberate release into the environment of genetically modified organisms stresses the importance of respecting ethical principles recognized in the Member States. However, the directive fails to reflect the critical role of value judgements in scientific risk assessment and any subsequent approval procedure. In this paper we argue that it is important to make all ethically relevant assumptions involved in the approval procedure transparent and thus available for public scrutiny. Mapping the value judgements that are made in an environmental risk assessment and approval procedure, we describe the political liberal nature of the EU legislation. We then look more closely at the prescriptions for environmental risk assessment and approval of GMOs outlined in the directive. An environmental risk assessment views the world through a "risk window" that only makes visible that which has been predefined as a relevant risk. The importance of the value judgements that define the risk window consists in limiting the information the risk assessment can provide. In the penultimate section of the paper, the significance of the risk window is demonstrated through a case study of the approval of glyphosate resistant fodder beets (Beta vulgaris L. ssp. vulgaris) in Denmark.