Search results for "Economic policy"
showing 10 items of 150 documents
From industrial consensus to environmental regulation: the coming of the Finnish industrial waste-water policy
1998
Abstract The development of the Finnish industrial waste-water policy is examined in the context of the national industrial development and the rise of the environmental movement. It is stated that up until the beginning of the eighties, a broad consensus about the principles of the waste-water policy prevailed among decision makers and authorities. It was a consensus uniform with the interests of the forest industry, the most powerful part of the national economy. Unfortunately, the forest industry was a bad source of pollution of the inland waters since the fifties. However, the long lasted hegemonic consensus started to break down in the late seventies and early eighties by an awakening …
The European Quality Framework for Traineeships - What Can the EU Learn from Spain?
2014
For many years, traineeships have been used as an excuse for “hiring” cheap labour. This usual problem has been exacerbated by the economic crisis. The regulation approved by the European Council, on a Quality framework for traineeships, has great similarities with the regulation enforced in Spain a long time ago. This regulation has not achieved the expected results in this country, so it will be difficult for it to obtain them in its spreading throughout Europe. Thus, this study compares and analyses the failures of this type of regulation, in order to ensure quality traineeships for young people, and offers solutions to those failures through an alternative regulation, simplified and mor…
Repercussions of Economic and Social Factors on Pension Systems
2013
Abstract Economic and social developments in recent years have left serious marks on pension systems. As forecasts for the following period are bleak, the need for uniting the efforts of public authorities with those of the business environment, research institutes and the academic community in order to identify viable solutions for both the present and the future, becomes increasingly obvious. Together they can identify remedies and contribute to the popularization of a problem whose consequences, once known, can be counteracted. The paper drafted, by studying the literature, confronts a number of common issues faced by pension systems in the current period and emphasizes the possibility o…
Is fiscal fatigue a threat to consolidation programmes?
2015
Building on a narrative approach to identify episodes of fiscal consolidation, data for a group of 17 industrial countries over the period 1978-2009 and continuous-time duration models, we find evidence suggesting that the likelihood of a fiscal consolidation ending increases over time, but only for programs that last less than six years. Additionally, fiscal consolidations tend to last longer in non-European than in European countries. Our results emphasize that chronic fiscal imbalances might lead to a vicious austerity cycle, while discipline in the behaviour of fiscal authorities is a means of achieving credible and shorter adjustment measures. Therefore, fiscal fatigue is likely to com…
The Analysis of the Relationship between the Level of the Public Expenditure for Investments and de Degree of Development of the Society in Romania
2013
Abstract Public expenditure for development have a decisive role in Romania in the economic recovery of the country, in a first step, but at the same time taking into account the EU's objectives. Romania during 2000-2010 had the largest public investment expenditures across European countries as a share of GDP, and in 2011 was ranked second after Poland. But while the share of GDP allocated to public investment in Romania is above the average of EU countries, in the economy these expenditures have been seen too little. Looking at Lisbon Index score, which tracks the performance of member countries to achieve the objectives of the current Lisbon strategy, one can notice that Romania is on th…
Local Government in the Baltic States: Similar but Different
2006
Abstract The administrative–territorial structure of local government in the three Baltic countries is very different. In Lithuania, administrative–territorial reorganisation was achieved quickly using command methods, by removing local governments at the municipal level, leaving local governments at county level with average population over 60,000, among the largest in Europe. In Estonia, local government exists in town and rural municipalities, but many are very small. There are administrative structures at county level, but these are part of local state administration, without elections. In Latvia, there are two levels of elected local government, but the municipalities at the lower leve…
The Spanish Turn against Renewable Energy Development
2018
[EN] In this study, we focus on the case of Spanish energy policy and its implications for sustainable energy development. In recent years, Spanish legislation has changed dramatically in its approach to sustainable energy sources. This change is despite EU and international efforts to increase energy efficiency, and to accelerate the transition to renewable energy sources (RES) in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Based on the socio-technical transitions literature, this paper assesses the role of the new legislation in this altered scenario, and analyzes the evolution of energy production in Spain in the EU context. The results are triangulated with two expert assessments. We find…
Unwanted effects of European Union environmental policy to promote a post-carbon industry. The case of energy in the European ceramic tile sector
2016
Global warming combined with low carbon transition plans is threatening the future of high energy consumption industry sectors in the European Union (EU). The need to respond to environmental challenges is demonstrated by support for international level energy policies and legal requirements, such as the Kyoto Protocol which the EU supports, and increased EU-level environmental legislation and energy policies. The effect of these initiatives is gradually transforming industrial activities in the EU. However, since not all countries have adopted these policies, evaluation of their net effect needs to take account also of side-effects such as delocalization of industry activity and the legal …
A Fourfold Justification of Common Industrial Policy
2021
Most industries need wider regions to flourish. Conversely, most regions need some industries to grow; few can live on agriculture or services alone. However, the interplay of industries and regions is not yet sufficiently developed in African economic practice. This chapter develops a fourfold technical argument for common industrial policy (CIP) in African RECs. Part of the argument is that African RECs already engage in such joint policies, but under different names and not in the required sequence. The opportunity for a regional union to act as a lock-in mechanism for such structural policies is also discussed. Up until now, advanced economy RECs have viewed CIP as a third-rank policy a…
Moral Governance: Politicians, Ownership, and Control
2009
We investigate upon the influences exerted by politicians on the Board and on ownership structure, as an application of political power to corporations. We characterize moral governance as the joint result of these efforts on managerial turnover and ownership turnover. We comment upon two Italian clinical cases of private, listed firms in which politicians enter the scene when a major event occurs (i.e., reorganization, merger, and acquisition activity). Our model could serve as a guideline and checklist for insiders to interact with politicians. We suggest this could be of interest in countries where there is a common level ground – such as in Europe – but with different cultures on the ro…