This paper discusses the role of medium towns as crucial anchors in achieving the policy goal of Territorial Cohesion. It highlights the need to counterbalance market trends to favour the continuous channelling of investment and people into larger metropolitan areas by way of proactive measures focused on attracting investment into medium towns, and as an alternative to dispersing public and private investment in lagging territories. Iberian and Nordic cases are examined in order to illustrate the possibilities and challenges of using 'Territorial Cohesion Cities' as development hubs in lagging regions, in order to achieve Territorial Cohesion at a national level.
This paper debates the evolution and importance of the urban dimension of EU policies and in particular EU Cohesion Policy in the past three decades. It discusses the growing relevance for supporting a Urban Agenda for the EU, and the gradual adoption and implementation of Integrated Sustainable Urban Development Strategies (ISUDS), by pointing out their advantages vis-à-vis mainstream sectoral-focused policy strategies. In this light, the article proposes an evaluation framework to assess and compare ISUDS across Europe. Based on the Portuguese case-study this analysis argues that despite their limited impacts, EU financed urban programmes (URBAN, POLIS, ISUDS) contributed positively to promoting a policy integrated approach, and enhanced urban physical and social environment of deprived urban neighbourhoods. More concretely, the initial results from the recent implementation of the 103 Integrated Sustainable Urban Development Strategies reveal a gradual adoption by the urban and local authorities of more holistic and integrated urban development policy approaches to increasing policy effectiveness and efficiency. ; info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersion
There is political interest in Sweden's proximity to Norway, which is reflected in the regional policy focusing on developing business needs. As such, proximity at the regional level is simply expected to generate economic growth. The authors propose a holistic approach to spatial planning in a Swedish–Norwegian border region in place of the simplistic economic perspective. The aim of the article is to highlight the importance of adopting a bottom-up cross-border planning perspective that is based on the perceptions of the border region residents by showing that the proximity of Norway is important to communities in Värmland Province, on the border with Norway, in a different way from how regional authorities and policymakers perceive it. The authors used a qualitative method in their study. They found that residents were more interested in the individual, social, and cultural opportunities of the border, while authorities stressed traditional growth strategies. In conclusion, the authors recommend that policymakers should implement a bottom-up cross-border planning strategy (CBPS) in Värmland that includes the residents' perspective, as a reinforcement of place-based policy approaches. ; info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion
Sustainable development is a key feature of national, European Union and global development strategies. The main research goal is to provide evidence on how impactful public policies on environmental sustainability in Portugal are at the regional level, in various policy areas. In this context, this paper analyses the main impacts of the Portuguese Operational Programme for Sustainability and Efficient Use of Resources (PO SEUR 2014–20). The research uses a territorial impact assessment (TIA) methodology (TARGET_TIA) to assess these impacts in five analytic dimensions (economy with low emissions, adaptation to climate change, risk prevention and management, environmental protection and resource efficiency) in the five mainland Portuguese NUTS 2. It concludes that, in overall terms, PO SEUR produced low to moderate positive impacts in all NUTS II and analysed dimensions, but it was particularly positive in measures fostering adaptation to climate change, and less impactful in measures supporting an economy with low emissions and resource efficiency in Portugal. Despite data limitations, the research provided adequate evidence that key public policies supporting environmental sustainability in Portugal are largely ineffective and inefficient in view of their policy goals and allocated funding. To turn this scenario around, the process of project selection needs to undergo significant improvements to better adjust the regional needs on environmental sustainability-related issues to the available funding. Moreover, on a policy strategic level, there needs to be support for a prosperous, modern, competitive and climate-neutral economy in Portugal via concrete actions exploring environmental capital and a green economy in urban areas. ; info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion
Urban planning offers various design possibilities to solve fundamental challenges faced in urban areas. These include the need to physically renew old industrial and harbour riverside areas into liveable, inclusive and sustainable living spaces. This paper investigates the way urban planning policies have helped to renew the waterfront areas in the Lisbon metropolis in the past decades. For this purpose, the contribution of the European Union (EU) and national urban development plans over the past decades are analysed. The results demonstrate an intense renewal of the waterfront areas in the Lisbon metropolitan area (LMA), particularly in Lisbon over the past three decades into leisure, ecologic and touristic areas, vis-à-vis the previous industrial and harbour vocation ; info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion
O Programa Nacional de Alimentação Escolar (PNAE) é um dos programas mais relevantes do Governo, em razão do expressivo volume de recursos destinados e da quantidade de beneficiários. Até o ano 2015 foram repassados, aproximadamente, R$ 5,7 bilhões ao Programa. Muitos municípios brasileiros e principalmente os do Estado de São Paulo estão sob investigação do esquema de corrupção conhecido como "máfia da merenda". Dois dos quatro municípios que foram analisados neste estudo estão sendo alvo da investigação. Esses indícios apontam para a necessidade de um melhor controle e fiscalização do Programa. O objetivo geral com o estudo foi discutir se existem aspectos do processo de accountability que devem ser incorporados na prestação de contas do PNAE para que esta seja capaz de viabilizar uma comunicação eficaz com a sociedade. Para tanto, procedeu-se o levantamento de dados referentes à prestação de contas e à fiscalização dos demonstrativos e execução do Programa de quatro municípios da região metropolitana de São Paulo, entre os anos 2011 e 2015, no site do Fundo Nacional de Desenvolvimento da Educação (FNDE) e por meio do Sistema Eletrônico de Informação ao Cidadão (e-SIC). Foi feito o mapeamento das perguntas respondidas on-line para compor os pareceres e recálculo das informações contidas nos demonstrativos. Os resultados obtidos evidenciam que o processo de prestação de contas precisa ser aperfeiçoado, considerando que os pareceres emitidos pelos Conselhos apresentam estruturas simplificadas, que não geram informações validadas, completas, comparáveis e úteis para fortalecer o processo de accountability.Palavras-chave: Prestação de contas. Accountability. Gestão pública. Educação. PNAE.
The European transnational cooperation process, implemented via the ongoing 15 EU INTERREG- B programmes, is integrated in the second objective of EU Cohesion Policy: European Territorial Cooperation. Aiming to promote better cooperation and regional development processes within the European Union by a joint approach to tackle common issues, the EU transnational cooperation programmes are key to tackling transnational development bottlenecks and to better exploring transnational territorial capitals. Currently, there are ongoing discussions within the European Commission to delimit the new EU Cohesion Policy post-2020 INTERREG-B programmes. In this context, this article summarises the main conclusions of four invited speakers of an international conference which took place on 21 June 2019 at the Instituto Universitário de Lisboa. The conference aimed to present some of the key contributions towards territorial development of the EU of EU Cohesion Policy and, in particular, of three INTERREG-B programmes: North West Europe (NWE), South West Europe (SUDOE), and the Atlantic Area. ; info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion
Objetivo: Analisar a função urinária e sexual em homens transexuais. Materiais e Métodos: Estudo transversal, descritivo, com abordagem quantitativa e com coleta de dados primários, realizada com 14 homens transexuais usuários do ambulatório LGBTQIA+, localizado na Faculdade de Enfermagem da Universidade do Estado do Rio Grande do Norte (FAEN/UERN), na cidade de Mossoró/RN. Para a coleta de dados, foram utilizados os questionários sociodemográfico e de situação de saúde, International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire – Short Form (ICIQ-SF), Índice de Função Sexual Feminina (IFSF) e o questionário de desconforto no assoalho pélvico – PFDI-SF-20. Resultados: Foi possível identificar o perfil sociodemográfico e de situação de saúde, cuja idade variou entre 21 e 35 anos, 100% eram solteiros, 64,3% possuem ensino médio completo, 57,1% consideram-se heterossexuais, 78,6% possuem vínculo empregatício. Em relação à situação de saúde, 100% não possuíam doenças crônicas, 57,2% não faziam uso de medicamentos, 64,3% não fumam, 78,6% consomem bebidas alcoólicas, 50% relatam praticar atividade física, 92,8% usam faixa, sendo que 76,9% afirmaram sentir dor durante a utilização de faixa e 50,0% dizem ter dores nos seios e coluna. Foi constatado que 14,3% dos entrevistados possuem incontinência urinária, 100% possuem vida sexual ativa; 14,3% possuem dor na relação sexual e 64,3% apresentam desconfortos pélvicos, sendo que 66,6% consideram leve e 22,2% consideram moderado. Foi observado que todos os participantes possuem boa função sexual, porém, em todos eles, a média mais baixa em relação à pontuação de domínio foi referente à lubrificação (3,68) e ao orgasmo (3,90). Conclusão: Os dados apontam a necessidade de estudos que avaliem as condições dos músculos do assoalho pélvico nessa população, pois tanto as condições voltadas para a função urinária como para a função sexual não são totalmente elucidadas na população transexual que, assim como outras populações, carece de atenção à saúde.
The objective of the present study was to evaluate the chemical composition of elephant grass silages supplemented with different levels dried cashew bagasse (DCB). Our experiment used a randomized design replicated four times, each replicate consisting of the following five treatments: 100% elephant grass; 95% elephant grass + 5% DCB; 90% elephant grass + 10% DCB; 85% elephant grass + 15% DCB; and 80% elephant grass + 20% DCB. The elephant grass was cut manually to a residual height of 5 cm at 80 days of age, and cashew bagasse was obtained from the processing of cashew stalks used in fruit pulp manufacturing in Mossoró/RN. Plastic buckets were used as experimental silos, and 90 days after ensiling the experimental silos were opened and the contents analyzed. The addition of dried cashew bagasse to silage linearly increased the levels of dried matter and crude protein by 0.59% and 0.13%, respectively, for each 1% addition (P < 0.05). The neutral detergent fiber and acid detergent content of the silages was reduced by 0.22% and 0.09%, respectively, for each 1% addition of the bagasse. The total carbohydrate content was not influenced by the bagasse addition (P > 0.05), and averaged 82.29%. The levels of non-fiber carbohydrate showed linear growth (P < 0.05) as the dehydrated cashew bagasse was added, and pH and ammoniacal nitrogen levels were reduced. The addition of the dehydrated bagasse to elephant grass silage improves its chemical composition, and it can be effectively added up to the level of 20%.
Cross-border regions are the laboratories of European integration. Daily interactions across European borders let citizens experience the benefits of the European Union (EU) internal market. Still, many border barriers continue to prevent individuals and organisations from exploiting the full-potential of European border regions and the benefits of a more integrated European territory. Amongst these barriers are the absence or inappropriate supply of cross-border public transport services. In this context, this paper presents potential policy tools to increase border permeability related to cross-border public transport as well as practical results from a few case-studies implemented across Europe. ; info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion
