Spatial effects of renewable and fossil energy consumption on the ecological footprint for the EU Countries.

This study examines the spillover of pollution among the 26 European Union (EU) countries from 1995 to 2020. In order to quantify pollution spillovers among the countries, we estimated the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) using spatial econometric methods. Our research is unique in that it investigates ecological footprint spillovers for EU countries. This study also considers the direct and indirect effects of renewable and fossil energy consumption and globalization on environmental degradation in EU countries. The empirical results favor the validity of the EKC hypothesis. Our results support the presence of positive and significant ecological footprint spillovers among EU countries. Our spatial estimates also reveal the significant spillover impact of explanatory variables on the ecological footprint. The ecological footprint of the local country is declining owing to the consumption of renewable energy in neighboring countries. Furthermore, the fossil energy consumption of the local and neighboring countries has a positive impact on the ecological footprint. Evidence obtained from our spatial estimates provides useful insights to policymakers in developing appropriate environmental policies to combat climate change.

African swine fever: implications for the Italian pork trade.

In early 2022, the confirmed presence of African swine fever (ASF) circulating in wild boars in mainland Italy and subsequently found in domestic pigs led to several changes regarding the export of pork and pork products to countries outside the European Union (non-EU). The sector suffered the complete and immediate closure of the markets of some countries, often without the measure being communicated in the forms stipulated by international agreements. Indeed, compliance with the current EU regulations does not guarantee the possibility of exporting to non-EU countries. Knowledge of the animal health status requirements of the country (Italy in this case) is essential for food business operators (FBOs) wishing to enter markets outside the EU according to the 'Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures'. In cases where a sanitary protocol and a model of an official certificate with the importing country exist, the market is officially accessible according to the agreed sanitary requirements. Where no agreement exists, requirements are detailed in the 'import permit' issued to individual FBOs or may be known by directly accessing national regulations through the client/importer. Therefore, the purpose of this work is to briefly outline the conditions imposed by the main non-EU countries for pork products, especially in light of the new epidemiological situation created by the spread of the ASF into a country previously free of the disease.

The link between EU identification and responses to a war between non-EU countries over time.

The European Union (EU) is portrayed as a "normative power" that promotes democracy. How does identifying with the EU identity predict citizens' responses to a war between two non-EU countries, where one (Ukraine) appears as the victim (i.e., a nation suffering significant harm as a result of military aggression by another country) and the other (Russia) as the aggressor (i.e., a nation initiating military aggression against another country)? This study tested two contrasting, yet not mutually exclusive hypotheses. Based on the underlying idea that Ukraine is perceived to share similar (European) values while Russia is perceived to deviate from these values, the "humanitarian influence of the EU identity hypothesis" hypothesized that identification with the EU identity predicts increased support for the victim group (Ukraine) and condemnation of the aggressor group over time. Based on the "protective effect of EU identity hypothesis," however, a reverse temporal order was also hypothesized. We conducted a two two-wave study among Greek participants. Our findings provided full support for the first hypothesis and partial support for the second hypothesis. Identification with EU identity predicts increasingly stronger opposition to an intergroup conflict between non-EU countries.

New insights on immigration, fiscal policy and unemployment rate in EU countries - A quantile regression approach.

Free movement of production factors in the enlarged EU has led to immigration flows from East to West and from South to North with a significant impact on EU labor markets. Fiscal federalism also determined large immigration flows into EU area and affected unemployment rate in the EU countries. The aim of this paper is to investigate the impact of factors such as number of immigrants, tax on profits, social contributions, economic growth and population growth on unemployment rates in EU area using a panel quantile regression and an PMG-ARDL approach as robustness test during 1991-2020. The results show a positive association between population growth and unemployment rate, whereas the remaining exogenous factors are negatively associated with unemployment rate. Still, social contributions are statistically significant only for upper quantiles. The overall impact of social contribution on unemployment rate is positive as per PMG-ARDL estimations. We have also demonstrated that the immigrant flows impact on unemployment rate is very weak. The factors that are exerting the most significance influence on unemployment rate, are economic and population growth, followed by tax on profits. Findings support policy recommendation in EU area in terms of fiscal policy.

Evolving waste management: The impact of environmental technology, taxes, and carbon emissions on incineration in EU countries.

Amid the urgent global imperatives concerning climate change and resource preservation, our research delves into the critical domains of waste management and environmental sustainability within the European Union (EU), collecting data from 1990 to 2022. The Method of Moments Quantile Regression (MMQR) results reveal a resounding commitment among EU member states to diminish their reliance on incineration, which is evident through adopting green technologies and environmentally conscious taxation policies, aligning with the European Union's sustainability objectives. However, this transition presents the intricate task of harmonizing industrial emissions management with efficient waste disposal. Tailoring waste management strategies to accommodate diverse consumption patterns and unique circumstances within individual member states becomes imperative. Cointegrating regressions highlighted the long-run relationship among the selected variables, while Feasible Generalized Least Squares (FGLS) and Panel-Corrected Standard Errors (PCSE) estimates roughly confirmed MMQR results. ML analyses, conducted through two ensemble methods (Gradient Boosting, GB, and Extreme Gradient Boosting, XGBoost) shed light on the relative importance of the predictors: in particular, environmental taxation, consumption-based emissions, and production-based emissions greatly contribute to determining the variation of combustible renewables and waste. This study recommends that EU countries establish monitoring mechanisms to advance waste management and environmental sustainability through green technology adoption, enhance environmental taxation policies, and accelerate the renewable energy transition.

Mapping sustainability: A comparative analysis proposal across EU countries and regions.

This paper addresses the need to understand the structure of sustainability change in the face of the unpredictability of modern civilization. The aim of the paper is to examine the structure of sustainability change in relation to smaller spatial units such as the regions of the European Union and to compare these results with those achieved at the country level. For this purpose, the sustainable development indicators available in the Eurostat database were analyzed. Studies published to date have tended to focus on the performance of national economies or selected regions. In this article, the available data on regions are also analyzed. The study aims to compare the level of sustainable development achieved at the level of EU countries and regions located within them. Methodologically, the study uses advanced methods of comparative analysis, and the synthesis of the data enables the construction of a synthetic measure using taxonomic methods, facilitating the classification of EU countries and regions into clusters. The results highlight significant divergences in sustainability achievements between EU countries and regions. The study reveals the importance of studying sustainable development in smaller geographical cross-sections. The results highlight the need to expand access to data at the regional level (sustainability indicators) to facilitate more comprehensive analyses and inform targeted policy interventions. Looking to the future, the study recommends further research into the inter-linkages between sustainability and other critical areas in EU regions, such as innovation and competitiveness.

Eco-innovations, green growth, and environmental taxes in EU countries: a panel quantile regression approach.

The purpose of this study is to examine how environmental taxation, green growth, and eco-innovations contribute to a more sustainable environment. This study examines the influence of green growth, environmental taxes, and eco-innovations on carbon dioxide emissions in 26 environmentally responsive European Union (EU) countries from 2000 to 2020. The analysis was conducted using the second-generation panel unit root test, cross-sectional dependence, panel cointegration, and panel quantile regression. Theoretical and empirical research has demonstrated that both linear and non-linear green growth strategies are effective in reducing CO2 emissions. There is evidence that CO2 emissions can be reduced through the implementation of environmental taxes, eco-innovations, the use of renewable energy sources, and enhanced energy efficiency. In contrast, economic growth has a positive effect on carbon emissions, and its square term verifies the environmental Kuznets curve. Nevertheless, our research findings provide empirical support for the hypothesis that sustainable development contributes to the maintenance of stringent environmental standards. For the sampled countries, the study's findings have significant policy implications. These results encourage governments to prioritize green growth over traditional economic growth and to encourage eco-innovations in renewable energy technology.

Which is more important, foreign direct investment inflow or outflow, on the pollution of European Union countries? Evidence from Panel Fourier symmetric and asymmetric causality.

Uncertainty remains regarding the impact of foreign direct investments on countries' environmental policies and pollution levels. Therefore, this study examines the relationship between foreign direct investment inflows, outflows, and carbon dioxide emissions for EU (European Union) member states. Accordingly, the data for the period 1993-2019 were subjected to the Panel Fourier symmetric and asymmetric causality tests for 21 EU countries. According to the Panel Fourier symmetric causality test results, the effect of foreign investment outflows on carbon dioxide emissions is more dominant in general. While there is a bidirectional relationship between these variables in the Austrian and Slovak Republics, there is a unidirectional relationship between foreign investment outflows to carbon dioxide emissions in Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Ireland, and Portugal. On the other hand, one-way causality was found from foreign investment inflows to carbon dioxide emissions in Belgium, Cyprus, France, Ireland, and Romania and from carbon dioxide emissions to foreign investment inflows in Finland, Greece, and Sweden. According to the Panel Fourier asymmetric causality test results, causality between variables is statistically significant in many countries. This shows that the asymmetric relationship is essential for the variables.

The effects of trade, renewable energy, and financial development on consumption-based carbon emissions (comparative policy analysis for the G20 and European Union countries).

Recently, there has been a lot of focus on global trade and consumption-based carbon (CCO2) emissions. More research, however, has examined how financial development (FD) and international trade in renewable energy affect CO2 emissions. Furthermore, there are no distinct trends in the research about how globalization affects environmental quality. Our research analyzes and empirically investigates the relationship between CCO2 emissions and renewable energy, FD, and trade. A large panel of data from 41 G20 and European Union (EU) countries is assembled for empirical analysis from 1990 to 2019. The practical outcomes of panel quantile regression and feasible generalized least square (FGLS) approaches display that renewable energy and FD positively relate to CCO2 emissions; furthermore, trade to GDP hurts CCO2 emissions; market classification has been taken as a control variable which shows that the developed countries released more carbon than non-developed countries. These results suggest that the financial sector focuses more on supporting companies that use ecologically friendly techniques and pushing them to use other energy well-organized technologies in their production processes. As a result, CCO2 emissions will be reduced, preventing environmental damage at the non-renewable energy plant.

The transition journey of EU vs. NON-EU countries for waste management.

This study aims to identify macroeconomic indicators that can be used as predictors of waste management on the European continent. The study was conducted taking in account the intensification of urbanizations, the increase of standard of leaving that fuels to consumerism phenomenon, and imposed challenges for waste management. The research focuses on the interval from 2010 to 2020 for 37 European countries grouped according to EU15/EU28/non-EU and EU/non-EU members. As macroeconomic indicators, human development index (HDI), GDP/capita. GNI/capita, general government expenditure with environment protection, people at risk of poverty or social exclusion, population by educational attainment level, sex, and age (%)-less than primary, primary and lower secondary education (levels 0-2) were used. A multilinear regression model with collinearity diagnosis was applied to find out the direction and intensity of the contribution of independent variables and to hierarchy the predictors of waste management.. For multiple comparison between and inside of each grouping of countries, statistical inference methods were used: one-way ANOVA with Bonferroni post hoc test multiple comparisons and independent samples Kruskal-Wallis test with Dunn's post hoc test. The main conclusions of the study are that EU15 countries have the highest average values for most indicators of waste management, comparative with EU28 and with non-EU countries, followed by a group of EU28 countries. For indicators of recycling rate of packaging waste by type of packaging-metallic and recycling rate of e-waste, the non-EU countries have the highest values of mean compared with the EU15 and EU28 groups of countries. This can be explained by the high level of development of the some non-euro area countries (Iceland, Norway, Switzerland, Liechtenstein) that have intense concerns about waste recycling and have the necessary financial strength to carry out complex environmental protection programs.

Environment, education, and economy nexus: evidence from selected EU countries.

Among the most fundamental problems today are environmental problems. As people earn higher incomes as a result of getting a good education, their sensitivity to environmental problems increases. As the income level of both the consumers who have received quality education and the producers who make conscious production increases, their demand for environmental quality and their sensitivity to environmental problems will also increase so it is thought that educational expenditures and policies can affect the number and cost of environmental problems. On the other hand, economic activities comprehensively consume natural resources and impact the ecological quality adversely. Therefore, GDP and the educational expenditures variables are used in the model. The aim of this study is to analyze the relationship between environment, education, and economy during the period of 1998-2017 from selected EU countries (Austria, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, and Slovakia). As a result of the panel data analysis, according to the Durbin-Hausman cointegration test result, a long-run relationship between the variables was determined at the level of 1%. According to the results of the Dumitrescu-Hurlin causality test, a unidirectional causality relationship from educational expenditures to ecological footprint at the level of 5%, a unidirectional causality relationship from ecological footprint to renewable energy at the level of 1%, and a bidirectional causality relationship at the level of 1% between ecological footprint and GDP were determined. According to the results of Granger causality test based on the VEC model, a unidirectional causality relationship from ecological footprint to educational expenditures at the level of 5%, and bidirectional causality relationship between ecological footprint and renewable energy (from ecological footprint to renewable energy at the level of 10%; from renewable energy to ecological footprint at the level of 1%) were determined. Based on the findings, it can be concluded that economic and educational policy makers should be aware that they have important consequences on environment.

The role of financialization in stimulating environmental innovation implementation in the European region.

This paper empirically examines the influences of financial development on environmental innovation implementation. Our research is based on four measures designed to assess the effectiveness of environmental innovations in 24 European countries, including the percentage of enterprises implementing environmental innovation investment (% of surveyed firms); the percentage of enterprises implementing environmental innovation activities (e.g., implementation of resource efficiency actions, sustainable products, or ISO 14001 certificates) measured, a number of enterprises having new ISO 14001 registration and a number of environmental innovation-related patents. Based on our analysis and estimates, we reveal that the better quality of the financial system improved the environmental innovation performance in the European region during the 2011-2019 period. To shed light on the link between financialization and environmental innovations, we dig deeper into financial markets and financial institutions' depth, access, and efficiency. Our results highlight financial institutions and financial markets' depth and efficiency in enhancing EI activities. However, EI-related patents do not show any significant improvements under the changes in the financial system.

Regional convergence analysis of sustainable innovation efficiency in European Union countries.

Sustainable innovation strategies have been taken very seriously by the European Union (EU), which aims to reduce energy consumption and environmental pollutants emissions. For the sake of testing the sustainable performance of EU countries empirically, this research evaluates the sustainable innovation efficiency (SIE) of EU countries through a DEA-SBM model and analyzes the convergence trends of the EU regions by convergence analysis. The results show that the EU has attached great importance to sustainable innovation efficiency, indicating that the EU makes a concerted effort in technological innovation, energy saving, and environmental protection. Significant differences exist in SIE among EU regions, even though the southern region has the highest efficiency. In addition, there are distinct convergence trends in regional sustainable innovation efficiency. Control variables have significant impacts on the convergence of SIE in the EU regions. Furthermore, policymakers are also provided with useful decision support for regional sustainable innovation, energy conservation, and emission reduction policies.

Revisiting renewable energy and economic growth-Does trade openness a matter?

A significant obstacle to the scaling of renewable energy is the concern that increased consumption of renewable energy could have a negative impact on economic growth, due to the higher cost of renewable energy compared to fossil energy. To examine how exactly renewable energy consumption impacts economic growth, this study uses a non-linear panel threshold model with trade openness, financial development, and per capita income as threshold variables, to analyze the long-term non-linear relationship between renewable energy consumption and economic growth in 28 European Union countries from 2007 to 2017. The results show that (i) renewable energy consumption has significant threshold effect on economic growth. First, the effect of renewable energy consumption on economic growth is positive and significant if and only if it surpasses a certain threshold of trade openness. Second, a moderate financial development interval makes the consumption of renewable energy have a positive effect on economic growth, and if it is too low or too high, it will have a negative effect. Third, as for income level, the promoting effect of renewable energy consumption on economic growth is showing a "stepwise growth" feature, which means, when the income level surpasses its threshold value, the positive effect is strengthened. (ii) The results of the fixed-effects model show that, overall, renewable energy consumption promotes economic growth. (iii) The changes in the number of countries in different threshold intervals indicate that the positive impact of renewable energy consumption on economic growth in the EU is increasing.

Potential Barriers of Patient Involvement in Health Technology Assessment in Central and Eastern European Countries.

Patients' perspectives are important to identify preferences, estimate values and appreciate unmet medical needs in the process of research and development and subsequent assessment of new health technologies. Patient and public involvement in health technology assessment (HTA) is essential in understanding and assessing wider implications of coverage and reimbursement decisions for patients, their relatives, caregivers, and the general population. There are two approaches to incorporating the patients' voice in HTA, preferably used in a mix. In the first one, patients, caregivers and/or their representatives directly participate at discussions in different stages of the HTA process, often at the same table with other stakeholders. Secondly, patient involvement activities can be supported by evidence on patient value and experience collected directly from patients, caregivers and/or their representatives often by patient groups Patient involvement practices, however, are limited in Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries without clear methodology or regulatory mechanisms to guide patient involvement in the HTA process. This poses the question of transferability of practices used in other countries, and might call for the development of new CEE-specific guidelines and methods. In this study we aim to map potential barriers of patient involvement in HTA in countries of the CEE region.

Efficiency Assessment of Hazardous Waste Disposal in EU Countries: A Three-Stage Super-Efficiency Data Envelopment Analysis Model.

Hazardous waste pollutes the air, soil, and water and adversely affects human health if not disposed of safely. Analysis of the efficiency of hazardous waste disposal is essential to sustainable development. This paper uses the three-stage super-efficiency Data Envelopment Analysis model to measure the efficiency of 28 EU countries from 2004 to 2016. To ensure the reliability of the results, the article utilizes a one-way ANOVA statistical test to verify whether DEA results vary significantly across various EU countries. This article discusses "how inputs and outputs can be adjusted to eliminate inefficiencies" to suggest a targeted improvement. The third stage supper efficiency DEA results shows that the efficiency varies significantly across different EU countries. The main reasons for the low efficiency are high generated hazardous waste, management expenditure, greenhouse gas emissions, and inadequate waste disposal volume. Targeted proposals from three aspects are given for policymakers in EU countries: Build a resource recycling system to reduce hazardous waste. Establish a sound fee management system to reduce expenses. Optimization of disposal technology to improve incineration efficiency.

Assessment of the Development of Poverty in EU Countries.

The aim of the article is to assess of development of poverty in EU countries in 2010 and 2019. The study used the model method of the linear ordering of objects-TOPSIS, considering the distance of each object from both the pattern and the non-pattern development. The originality of the work consists in the use of primary data obtained from the Eurostat database and the winsorized data that were created on the basis of outliers. The indicators characterizing the first goal of sustainable development-"No poverty" were used. The results of the research indicate that the inhabitants of western Europe and Scandinavia are less affected by poverty than the population of eastern and southern Europe. The division of countries according to the scale of poverty is reflected in the level of GDP per capita.

Provision of antenatal care in Europe-A scientific study commissioned by European Board and College of Obstetrics and Gynaecology (EBCOG).

Differences in the way health care delivery across countries may have important impacts on health outcomes and can result in inequalities. A questionnaire survey of members of national societies through EBCOG and EAPM was carried out in 2021. A total of 53 responses were received from 26 countries. Most countries reported that routine antenatal care is primarily delivered by medical staff, involving obstetric specialists or family doctors mostly in government-run facilities. Women from minority groups are able to access antenatal care easily in most countries. Less than 10% of women did not attend antenatal care throughout the pregnancy. Most booking for antenatal care takes place in the first trimester and the number of visits range from 6 to 10 depending on parity. Most countries provide routine ultrasound with 2-3 reported scans performed by specifically trained health care professionals. Facilities for prenatal screening/diagnosis of malformations in both low- and high-risk cases varied across Europe. While antenatal care is relatively standardized throughout Europe, important differences still exist in care delivery and accessibility to care. Antenatal preventive strategies appear to be variably available throughout Europe.

Health Care Expenditure in the European Union Countries: New Insights about the Convergence Process.

This paper assesses the convergence process in the health care expenditure for selected European Union (EU) countries over the past 50 years. As a novel contribution, we use bound unit root tests and, for robustness purposes, a series of tests for strict stationarity to provide new insights about the convergence process. We make a comparison between public and private health expenditure per capita and as a percentage of the gross domestic product (GDP), with a focus on six EU countries with different health care systems in place. When we consider the health expenditure per capita, we report mixed findings. We show that the spread from the group average is stationary in the cases of Finland and Portugal when the overall and public expenditure is considered. In terms of private expenditure, the convergence process is noticed only for Austria. For all other countries included in our sample, we document a non-stationary process, indicating a lack of convergence. This result is robust to the different tests we use. However, when we assess the convergence in terms of the health-expenditure-to-GDP ratio, the convergence process is recorded for Austria only. The robustness check we performed using strict stationarity tests partially confirmed the mixed results we obtained. Therefore, our findings highlight the heterogeneity of the EU health care systems and the need for identification of common solutions to the EU health care systems' problems in order to enhance their convergence processes.

Effectiveness of renewable energy incentives on sustainability: evidence from dynamic panel data analysis for the EU countries and Turkey.

We aim at analyzing the influence of incentive policies on renewable energy deployment in European Union countries and Turkey over the 2000-2018 period. Applying both panel fixed effect and the dynamic panel estimation methods, we compared the results of these two different techniques. Moreover, we included "net metering" that has not been analyzed before, in our policy toolkit, that includes a large number of incentives. Our data cover longer time series than the previous studies in the literature, and it provides new results of different renewable energy policies and drivers for analyzed countries. Empirical findings show that while grants, Research and Development, tax, certification, and policy support have positive and statistically significant impacts on the renewable energy capacity, direct investments, loan, and net metering instruments have no stimulating effect on the renewable energy deployment. These results indicate the deterrent impact of regulations and direct investments on capacity of electricity generated from renewable energy. Moreover, our estimation results reveal that fossil energy consumption, nuclear energy, and GDP are important drivers of renewable energy deployment while net import (energy security) and CO2 emissions are not. Our study highlights the importance of research and development activities, tax incentives, and efficient policy design in transition to green economy in the countries analyzed. Following the detailed discussion of the results, possible policy implications are presented at the end of the study.