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This paper aimed at evaluating the level of sustainability in agriculture in 28 member states of the European Union. The surveys were carried out based on a synthetic technique for order preference by similarity to an ideal solution (TOPSIS)-based measure. This method synthesizes factors of various nature and assigns them a synthetic aggregate measure. The analysis made it possible to develop a ranking of EU member states according to a differentiated level of measures and assign them to one of four groups characterized by different levels of sustainability in agriculture. The group of member states representing the highest level of sustainability in agriculture included two countries from Central and Eastern Europe, i.e., Slovakia and the Czech Republic. The group of countries with a greater than average level of sustainability comprised 14 member states of the European Union, including seven countries admitted to the community after 2004. The group with a low level of sustainability consisted of eight EU member states, six of them from the group of old EU member states, i.e., Ireland, Portugal, Greece, Italy, Denmark and the United Kingdom, and two new members, i.e., Romania and Slovenia. On the other hand, the lowest level of sustainability was characteristic of two &ldquo ; old EU&rdquo ; member states, i.e., The Netherlands and Belgium, and two &ldquo ; new EU&rdquo ; member states, i.e., Cyprus and Malta. The differentiated synthetic measure values showed disparities in the level of sustainability in agriculture among the member states of the European Union. They are a result of the varied level of development of this sector, production intensity and the resulting environmental impact.

This paper discusses the role and significance of a body in Performance Art. Considering that Art reflects social, cultural and sometimes political realities, we identify types of messages that an artwork using advanced technological might transmit to us, spectators or artists. This paper focuses on the Cyborg Theatre, whereby the technology is its inherent element without which the performance could not happen. Such a technological performance cannot occur without a body. We refer here to a cyborg body as a human organism extended with mechanical parts, which integrate non organic components in order to gain meaning within the artwork. By focusing on such a theatrical performance, we observe a relationship developing between the performer and the spectator. This is an unusual interaction, which deserves our attention. We claim that both the performer and the spectator take part in a social event that does not only represent societal realities, but also indicates future ones.

This paper focuses on the role of the body in the Contemporary Performance Art. Considering that there are many cases in which Art reproduces social, cultural and sometimes political realities, we identify types of messages that an artwork using advanced technological might transmit to us, spectators or artists. Our focus point is the Cyborg Theatre, a form of performance in which the use of advanced technological means is an inherent element without which the performance could not happen. Such a technological performance cannot occur without a body. At this point we are talking about a cyborg body as a human organism extended with mechanical parts, which integrates non organic components in order to gain meaning within the artwork. By concentrating on such a performance, we witness a relationship between the performer and the spectator, an unfamiliar communication, which deserves our attention. We claim that both the performer and the spectator take part in a social event that does not only represents societal realities, but also indicates future ones.

Purpose: This paper aims to evaluate the competitiveness of agriculture in new member states of the European Union. Design/Methodology/Approach: The competitiveness of agriculture was evaluated based on characteristics describing relations between production factors, their productivity, and the significance of agriculture in international trade. The survey was carried out for 2007 and 2017 using selected cluster analysis methods and principal component analysis (PCA). Findings: In both analyzed years, two groups of countries having similar characteristics describing the competitiveness of agriculture were identified. A clear difference was observed between new and old EU member states in terms of the agricultural sector's competitiveness. The first group characterized by better values adopted for the analysis of variables in 2007 was countries of the so-called "old Union," consisting of 15 member states (excluding Portugal and Greece), and in 2017 this group did not include Austria. An additional value of the survey was that it identified the characteristics that had the largest share in explaining the variability of the analyzed phenomenon, creating grounds for formulating recommendations concerning measures in the European Union's agricultural policy. Practical Implications: Considering the diagnosed factors that, to the largest extent, determined the classification of the countries to a specific group according to the level of agricultural competitiveness, it is possible to formulate recommendations regarding measures undertaken under CAP. They should be oriented at boosting the dynamics of structural changes in the agriculture of new member states. Originality/Value: This paper focuses on a wide range of variables. Groups of countries most similar in terms of agricultural competitiveness were identified, and the characteristics of countries that had the largest influence on the above-mentioned classification were compared and defined. ; peer-reviewed