Suchergebnisse

Since formation of European Union (EU) it has had great changes and developed both by expanding and creating close mutual cooperation among the involved countries. New member states have joined the first six founder states, and now EU unifies 27 states. Greater changes have affected the set objectives and activity spheres: from the war industry – coal and steel sector – over-national control institutions the aim of which is to ensure stable peace in Europe, nowadays EU has become a union that comprise more than twenty common policy and activity spheres. The integration process of Europe has been continued by setting new objectives, meeting new challenges and looking for better solutions. EU budgetary funds provide support for wide scope of activities. This support regarding its scope may be changeable – starting from the whole covering of expanses and finishing with financial support of only some percents. The range of potential recipients of financial aid is also wide. Not only member states but also candidate states, separate municipalities, public organizations, private enterprises, universities and even separate individuals can be among them.In many with structural funds related documents it is highlighted, that the aim of EU structural funds is to eliminate the regional and social inequalities among EU member states and to improve economical and social cohesion throughout all Europe. Certainly these funds is a great benefit for EU peripheral countries like Ireland, Baltic states, and they can substantially promote development of these countries. Though one has to remember that a substantial financing also creates a risk and that inadequate use of these funds can stimulate regional inequality, social outcast, environmental degradation and corruption.Ireland is one of economically most developed, industrial, trade – oriented states, that until now has managed to use means of EU structural funds most successfully. The received finances from EU support funds have considerably favoured state's economical growth.During ...

Sovereign wealth funds (SWFs) are increasingly powerful actors in the international political system and world economy. The current discourse often focuses on SWFs as political versus market actors. In this exploratory article, however, it is shown that SWFs may be both. They may be employed as a means to increase a state's relative economic power, even when their individual investments are generally made on the basis of economic, market-driven, logic. After a brief overview of SWFs, and literature review of the issues that attend them, I examine the traditional neorealist understanding of internal balancing and argue that there is evidence to support the claim that SWFs can be employed as tools of this state strategy. Four methods, and two cases (Singapore and China), of internal balancing through SWFs are then examined. I find that some SWFs are used for internal balancing purposes in the conventional sense, but that the phenomena may be better captured by the newer concept of non-military internal balancing (in which a state's relative economic power is enhanced without damage to the overall relationship they currently maintain with the target state). Adapted from the source document.

The Framework Programmes (FPs) funded by the European Commission support transnational research collaborations in order to make the European Research Area more competitive. Some have raised concerns that the FPs compromise the cohesion policies of the European Commission aimed at reducing income disparities between European regions. We investigate whether existing scientific collaborations between European Union (EU) subnational regions—as captured by co-authored publications—are conducive for acquiring FP funding, and whether FP funding, in turn, stimulates subsequent co-publication activity between pairs of EU regions. Our results indicate that previous co-publication activity only has a minor effect on being funded. We also find that the effect of funding on co-publication activity is especially significant for regional pairs that did not intensively co-publish before participation. The results suggest that the returns to FP funding are highest when involving scientifically lagging regions. In this respect, the current FP policy is in line with cohesion policy.

The main purpose of the paper is the analysis of enterprises from Opolskie Voivodship in the context of their acquisition of European Union funds for knowledge transfer. First, the range of knowledge transfer in regional development is emphasized. Afterwards, an analysis is made of Opolskie Voivodship enterprises in the range of the major Operational Programme Innovative Economy priorities connected with knowledge transfer. Particular attention is paid to such priorities as: R&TD activities lead by research centers; technology transfer and improvement of the network of cooperation between SMEs, SMEs and other enterprises, universities and post-secondary schools, regional authorities, research centers and technology and research parks; support for R&TD development (especially in SMEs); and investment in enterprises connected especially with research and innovation. The study uses data from KSI SIMIK concerning the Operational Programme Innovative Economy.