Suchergebnisse

In the economic and political restructuring of Eastern Europe, a new agricultural structure is taking shape, based upon private ownership, genuine cooperatives, and a market economy. Agricultural trade policy in six Eastern European nations will be characterized by the aim of self‐sufficiency, but privatized and centered around market methods, improvement in agricultural systems will occur slowly, and over the long term may achieve self‐sufficiency and greater exports. Meanwhile, Eastern European agriculture will provide investment and market opportunities for countries of the developed world.

As part of the process of economic & political restructuring, a new agricultural structure is taking shape in Eastern Europe, based on private ownership, genuine cooperatives, & a market economy. The agricultural trade policy of six Eastern European nations -- Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Poland, Hungary, East Germany, & Romania -- will be characterized by the aim of self-sufficiency, but privatized & centured around market methods. Improvement in agricultural systems will occur slowly, & over the long term may achieve self-sufficiency & greater exports. Meanwhile, Eastern European agriculture will provide investment & market opportunities for countries of the developed world. 5 Tables, 7 References. Adapted from the source document.

Discusses land reform efforts; tenure and utilization, farm ownership, size, and financing, decollectivization and privatization, and buying and selling land for commercial farming; policy issues.

The current discussion regarding the reform of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) is challenging due to the varying needs and interests of the old and new member states (NMS) of the European Union (EU). The NMS still display tremendous disparities in most structural and socio-economic indicators compared to the EU15 average, implying that further sectoral restructuring is needed. The Structural Change in Agriculture and Rural Livelihoods (SCARLED) project, which ran from 2007 until 2010, offers rich empirical insights with a specific focus on these processes in the NMS. This policy brief summarises the project's main policyrelevant results. SCARLED offers three key lessons for CAP reform. First, it claims that the current, uniform CAP only partially addresses the needs of NMS. Second, the region's agriculture still requires support to enhance competitiveness, albeit for a limited time. Third, the issue of small, subsistence-based farms in the region needs to be recognised. However, approaches aiming at poverty alleviation in such subsistence-based households, but also in landless rural households, need to look beyond the agricultural sector. The wider rural economy and improving education, as well as rural-urban linkages, need to be included in any povertyrelated policy approach, be it at the national or the EU level.

Purpose
– This paper aims to consider the case study of Ireland with regards to the implementation of a formal parliamentary technology assessment (PTA) capability. With emphasis on innovation and knowledge-based economies, society faces a proliferation of technological challenges with far-reaching unpredictable impacts. Elected representatives need unbiased scientific knowledge to underpin evidence-based policy-oriented decision-making. PTA is directed at policy-oriented decision-making processes within the parliament. It identifies the role played by existing agencies and the gaps that remain to be filled in the current landscape. It explores the feasibility of potential future institutional arrangements in a country without a recognised formal PTA agency.


Design/methodology/approach
– An embedded case study approach was utilised based on three main sources of evidence: relevant published documents pertaining to science and technology governance; interviews with key decision-makers; and illustrative case of "hydraulic fracturing" demonstrating key issues stemming from the lack of a formal PTA structure.


Findings
– The case revealed the interplay between key actors in the area of science, technology and innovation in Ireland. It demonstrated the need for improved citizen engagement. The analysis revealed that formal technology assessment channels should be established to provide a voice for civil society to engage in policy-making. Given the requirements and constraints, a feasible way to implement PTA seems to be the "parliamentary office" model which would seem to be a good fit in the context of Ireland's current situation.


Originality/value
– The paper presents how PTA may be realised in a country without a formal PTA agency using a parliamentary office model to provide a channel for citizen engagement in science, technology and innovation (STI) policy-making.