Suchergebnisse

This paper analyses the determinants of Chinese direct investment (DI) in the European Union (EU). Evidence is based on panel Poisson models drawing on two investment monitors for individual projects. We distinguish between the numbers of greenfield investments (GIs) and mergers and acquisitions (M&As). The findings indicate that market size and trade relationships with China are the primary factors driving Chinese DI in the EU. In contrast, more business-friendly institutions do not foster DI. Chinese enterprises might be risk averse, in other words prefer to choose their activities in regions with less competitive markets. The striking difference between GIs and M&As is related to unit labour costs. Higher costs make the host country less attractive for the establishment of new firms, but do not affect the involvement in existing firms. The sectoral dispersion of Chinese DI in the EU has not changed much since the global financial crisis of 2008. Most relevant shifts have occurred in research and development (R&D), where low-income EU countries have gained in attractiveness.

In this paper we discuss changes in family patterns in the European Union over the past fifty years and the policy implications of these trends. First, we address regional developments in family formation, with respect to childbearing- and partnership patterns, and how these changes affect household structures in different European countries. Thereafter, we turn our attention to socio-economic trends, focusing especially on changes in women's labour force participation. We address the linkages between these trends and the new family patterns, followed by a discussion on policies, mainly at the EU-level. In the brief conclusion we summarize the main policy challenges ahead. Throughout, we rely on data from the Eurostat Database, Eurobarometer, OECD Labour Force Statistics and the OECD Family Database. ; FamiliesAndSocieties

In the current programming period, European Union (EU) regions and member states that want to use European Regional Development Funds (ERDF) are required to develop innovation strategies for smart specialization (RIS3) based on the idea of rational strategic management. In order to explore the relationship between strategic policy design and policy performance, this article maps regional strategies for information and communication technologies (ICT) and their effects in the period 2008–2012. Furthermore, it generates suggestions for relevant case studies. We first conduct a quantitative analysis of the effects of ICT strategies and ERDF expenditure on regional ICT performance in Western European regions. ICT is a relevant priority for many regions, and it reflects EU priorities fostering ICT activities through regional development funds. Second, we propose a framework to categorize EU regions in the context of ICT policy based on the expected distribution of regional ICT performance. Our analysis covers 97 regions in 9 EU member states, out of which 29 have had a dedicated ICT strategy. In line with ideas of rational strategic management, our working hypothesis states that regions with a dedicated strategy should display better performance. However, our findings suggest that having a dedicated ICT strategy has not had a clear effect on performance in terms of Internet and broadband access, while allocating dedicated ERDF and other expenditure to Internet infrastructure has had a positive effect. At first sight, this questions the effectiveness of rational strategic management. Yet, more research is needed to assess the quality of ICT strategies and their fit with broader innovation agendas. It is indeed the degree of embeddedness of ICT in the regional innovation ecosystem that is likely to condition the effect of strategies on performance. To this end, our mapping indicates interesting case studies, and we suggest additional factors to be taken into account in future analyses. New insights into strategy design and performance will also be important to inform the implementation of the new generation of innovation strategies for smart specialization.

Conflicts between European Union (EU) members about enlargement result from its redistributive effects. EU members are more likely to suffer from enlargement if they profit from EU transfers and if they are relatively close to applicant countries in which unemployment is significantly higher than in member countries. Phasing in membership rights serves to compensate the relative losers of enlargement to accomplish EU widening. Using data from all previous enlargement rounds until 2004, we demonstrate that EU members are more likely to demand a discrimination of new members if distributional conflicts arise. The existence of these distributional conflicts in turn increases the odds of EU members and the accession candidates actually agreeing on a phase-in period. [Reprinted by permission of Sage Publications Inc., copyright 2007.]

Exploring local partnership-based initiatives to tackle European-wide problems of poverty and social exclusion, this is a major comparative study based on indepth, cross-national research.

This paper considers the effects on current pensioner incomes of reforms designed to improve the long-term sustainability of public pension systems in the European Union. We use EUROMOD to simulate a set of common illustrative reforms for four countries selected on the basis of their diverse pension systems and patterns of poverty among the elderly: Denmark, Germany, Italy and the UK. The variations in fiscal and distributive effects on the one hand suggest that different paths for reform are necessary in order to achieve common objectives across countries, and on the other provide indications of the appropriate directions for reform in each case.

Enteroviruses (EVs) cause severe outbreaks of respiratory and neurological disease as illustrated by EV-D68 and EV-A71 outbreaks, respectively. We have mapped European laboratory capacity for identification and characterisation of non-polio EVs to improve preparedness to respond to (re)-emerging EVs linked to severe disease. An online questionnaire on non-polio EV surveillance and laboratory detection was submitted to all 30 European Union (EU)/European Economic Area (EEA) countries. Twenty-nine countries responded; 26 conducted laboratory-based non-polio EV surveillance, and 24 included neurological infections in their surveillance. Eleven countries have established specific surveillance for EV-D68 via sentinel influenza surveillance (n = 7), typing EV-positive respiratory samples (n = 10) and/or acute flaccid paralysis surveillance (n = 5). Of 26 countries performing non-polio EV characterisation/typing, 10 further characterised culture-positive EV isolates, whereas the remainder typed PCR-positive but culture-negative samples. Although 19 countries have introduced sequence-based EV typing, seven still rely entirely on virus isolation. Based on 2015 data, six countries typed over 300 specimens mostly by sequencing, whereas 11 countries characterised under 50 EV-positive samples. EV surveillance activity varied between EU/EEA countries, and did not always specifically target patients with neurological and/or respiratory infections. Introduction of sequence-based typing methods is needed throughout the EU/EEA to enhance laboratory capacity for the detection of EVs.

When developing anti-poverty policies, policymakers need accurate data on the prevalence of poverty. In this paper, we focus on subjective poverty, a concept which has been largely neglected in the literature, though it remains a conceptually appealing way to define poverty. The primary goal of this study is to re-examine the concept of subjective poverty measurement and to estimate trends in subjective income poverty rates in the European Union. Our estimations are based on a Minimum Income Question using data from a representative survey, EU-SILC. We find robust empirical evidence of decreasing trends in subjective poverty in 16 of 28 EU countries. We conjecture that trends in subjective poverty may reflect changes in societies which are not captured by official poverty indicators, and our results thus enrich the existing data on general poverty trends in the EU. ; Lors de l'élaboration des politiques de lutte contre la pauvreté, les décideurs ont besoin de données précises sur la prévalence de la pauvreté. Dans cet article, nous nous concentrons sur la pauvreté subjective, un concept qui a été largement négligé dans la littérature, bien qu'intéressant pour définir la pauvreté. L'objectif principal de cette étude est de réexaminer le concept de mesure subjective de la pauvreté et d'estimer les tendances des taux de pauvreté monétaire subjective dans l'Union européenne. Nos estimations sont basées sur une question relative au revenu minimum en utilisant les données d'une enquête représentative, EU-SILC. Nous trouvons des preuves empiriques solides que la pauvreté subjective a tendance à baisser dans 16 des 28 pays de l'UE. Nous supposons que les tendances de la pauvreté subjective peuvent refléter des changements sociétaux qui ne sont pas pris en compte par les indicateurs officiels sur la pauvreté. Ainsi, nos résultats viennent enrichir les données existantes sur les tendances générales de la pauvreté dans l'UE.

"The United Nations and the European Union" published on by Oxford University Press.

The last decades were characterized by large increases in world trade, not only in absolute terms, but also in relation to world GDP. This was in large parts caused by increasing exchanges of parts and components between countries as a consequence of international fragmentation of production. Apparently, greater competition especially from the Newly Industrializing and Post-Communist Economies prompted firms in 'high-wage' countries to exploit international factor price differences in order to increase their international competitiveness. However, theory predicts that, beside factor price differences, vertical disintegration of production should be driven by a multitude of additional factors. Against this background, the present paper reveals empirical evidence on parts and components trade as an indicator for international fragmentation of production in the European Union. On the basis of a panel data approach, the main explanatory factors for international fragmentation of production are determined. The results show that, although their influence can not be neglected, factor price differences are only one out of many causes for shifting production to or sourcing components from foreign countries. ; Die zurückliegenden Jahrzehnte waren weltweit durch eine erhebliche Ausweitung der internationalen Handelsströme, nicht nur absolut, sondern auch in Relation zum Welt-BIP, gekennzeichnet. Dies ist zu einem Großteil auf den zunehmenden bilateralen Handel mit Vor- und Zwischenprodukten als Folge der internationalen Fragmentierung der Produktion zurückzuführen. Offensichtlich hat der im Laufe der Zeit zunehmende internationale Wettbewerbsdruck, insbesondere seitens der südostasiatischen und der mittel- und osteuropäischen Länder, die Unternehmen in Hochlohnländern veranlasst, internationale Unterschiede in den Faktorpreisen, vor allem in den Arbeitskosten, zur Steigerung ihrer preislichen Wettbewerbsfähigkeit auszunutzen. Allerdings wird die Verlagerung von Teilelementen der Wertschöpfungsketten ins Ausland aus theoretischer Sicht, neben Faktorpreisunterschieden, von einer Vielzahl weiterer Faktoren bestimmt. Vor diesem Hintergrund veranschaulicht der vorliegende Artikel auf der Basis bilateraler Daten zum Außenhandel mit Vor- und Zwischenprodukten das Ausmaß der internationalen Fragmentierung der Produktion in der Europäischen Union. Zudem werden im Rahmen einer Paneldaten-Analyse die wesentlichen erklärenden Größen der vertikalen Aufspaltung von Wertschöpfungsketten bestimmt. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass internationale Unterschiede in den Arbeitskosten zwar ein wesentlicher, aber dennoch nur ein erklärender Faktor unter vielen sind.