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Simple Summary: 'Culture of Care' within animal research and testing refers to a commitment to improve animal welfare, the quality of the science, staff morale, and openness with the public. An effective Culture of Care should also promote the replacement of animal experiments with humane alternatives, reductions in animal numbers and suffering, and better welfare through the refinement of procedures, housing, husbandry and care (collectively known as the 3Rs). The Culture of Care is recognized as the foundation of humane and responsible science, but the concept should be applied in a meaningful way and not simply used as a 'buzzword'. Recognizing this, some establishments have begun to define and assess their individual Culture of Care. This paper provides some examples of their approaches to surveying staff and external colleagues. It also sets out some suggestions for objective criteria for assessing the Culture of Care, and for indicators that capture progress with each of the 3Rs. The aim is to complement the growing literature on the Culture of Care and highlight some sources of information and inspiration to help establishments tailor their own assessments. Within animal research and testing, the need for an effective Culture of Care is widely recognized and described in terms of an establishment-wide commitment to improving the implementation of the 3Rs, animal welfare, scientific quality, care of the staff, and transparency for all stakeholders, including the public. Ideally, each establishment would determine what the Culture of Care means for them, and be able to assess and potentially benchmark their own culture. Some establishments already do this, using various indicators and formal or informal assessments. This paper provides examples of these approaches to assessing the Culture of Care, including surveys and surrogate measures. Many currently-used criteria and indicators tend to be human-centric and subjective, and we suggest using further objective indicators and animal-centric, 3Rs-based criteria. It is preferable to consider each of the 3Rs separately when assessing culture, and some indicators are suggested to facilitate this. Several documents produced by regulators in the UK and European Union are good sources of objective indicators of a good Culture of Care. This concept paper aims to complement the literature on assessing the Culture of Care, providing ideas and sources of information to help identify relevant and measurable criteria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The British people voted in 2016 to leave the European Union (EU). The UK has a unique history as a leader in animal protection policy. It has a relatively large economy and significant political power on a global basis. Brexit presents both threats and opportunities to animal protection in the United Kingdom (UK), EU, and internationally. This paper assesses the opportunities Brexit presents for animal protection in terms of five criteria. These are first, the political situation; second, regulatory changes; third, economic and trade factors; fourth, institutional considerations; and fifth, EU and international impacts. Brexit provides the opportunity to reform UK farming to promote high animal welfare outside of the EU Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). Brexit means the UK can ban live animal exports and the import and sale of fur products and foie gras outside of the EU. Leaving the EU permits the UK to have stricter requirements for the Pet Travel Scheme (PETS) to control puppy smuggling. Brexit provides an opportunity for the UK Government to reform policy-making for sentient animals. New sentience legislation could establish a fully independent UK Animal Welfare Advisory body and mandate Government to use animal welfare impact assessments on all policy that affects sentient species. Despite such opportunities, the UK Government appears uncommitted to major reforms. The drafting of the Agriculture Bill does not suggest a progressive animal welfare agenda. For live exports, the Government will consult on how to improve welfare, rather than outright prohibition. Similarly, rather than ban the import and sale of fur, the Government will use its influence to improve the welfare of fur-farmed animals outside the UK. Brexit provides some opportunities for animal protection. Pre-Brexit, the Government has not demonstrated the political will and commitment to realise these opportunities. The British people voted in a 2016 referendum to leave the European Union (EU). Brexit presents threats and opportunities to animal protection in the United Kingdom (UK), the EU, and internationally. This paper discusses opportunities for animal protection in terms of five criteria. These are first, political context; second, regulatory changes; third, economic and trade factors; fourth, institutional- and capacity-related factors; and fifth, EU and international considerations. Brexit permits reform of UK agricultural policy outside of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) to reward high welfare as a public good. The Agriculture Bill, however, does not suggest a radical reform agenda for animal welfare. Brexit permits a ban on live exports, but the UK Government is consulting on improving welfare, not prohibition. Brexit provides an opportunity to ban the import and sale of fur, but the UK Government has signalled it will work to improve welfare in fur farming. Brexit permits the UK to prohibit the import and sale of foie gras, but the Government has stated a ban may be challenged at the World Trade Organisation (WTO). Brexit allows more stringent Pet Travel Scheme (PETS) requirements to reduce puppy smuggling. Lucy's Law and stricter enforcement will also mitigate the problem. New sentience legislation provides the opportunity for a fully independent and properly constituted UK Animal Welfare Advisory body conducting animal welfare impact assessments and ethical appraisal. The Government has proposed sentience legislation but there is a major risk it will not be in place before the UK leaves the EU. The Government has expanded the remit of the Farm Animal Welfare Committee, which is not fully independent and is dominated by veterinary members and agricultural interests. Brexit provides some opportunities for animal protection with radical reform of agricultural policy, prohibition of live exports, and banning the import and sale of fur and foie gras. Pre-Brexit, the Government has not demonstrated the political will and commitment to realise these opportunities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the European Union (EU-27) and UK, animal farming generated annually more than 1.4 billion tonnes of manure during the period 2016–2019. Of this, more than 90% is directly re-applied to soils as organic fertiliser. Manure promotes plant growth, provides nutritious food to soil organisms, adds genetic and functional diversity to soils and improves the chemical and physical soil properties. However, it can also cause pollution by introducing toxic elements (i.e., heavy metals, antibiotics, pathogens) and contribute to nutrient losses. Soil organisms play an essential role in manure transformation into the soil and the degradation of any potential toxic constitutes; however, manure management practices often neglect soil biodiversity. In this review, we explored the impact of manure from farmed animals on soil biodiversity by considering factors that determine the effects of manure and vice versa. By evaluating manure's potential to enhance soil biodiversity, but also its environmental risks, we assessed current and future EU policy and legislations with the ultimate aim of providing recommendations that can enable a more sustainable management of farm manures. This review explored the relationship between manure and soil biodiversity by considering 407 published papers and relevant legislative provisions. In addition, we evaluated whether benefits and risks on soil biodiversity are considered in manure management. Thereafter, we analysed the current legislation in the European Union relevant to manure, an important driver for its treatment, application and storage. This review found that coupling manure management with soil biodiversity can mitigate present and future environmental risks. Our analyses showed that manure quality is more important to soil biodiversity than manure quantity and therefore, agricultural practices that protect and promote soil biodiversity with the application of appropriate, high-quality manure or biostimulant preparations based on manure, could accelerate the move towards more sustainable food production systems. Soil biodiversity needs to be appropriately factored in when assessing manure amendments to provide better guidelines on the use of manure and to reduce costs and environmental risks. However, radical changes in current philosophies and practices are needed so that soil biodiversity can be enhanced by manure management. Manure quality in the EU requires greater attention, calling for more targeted policies. Our proposed approach could be applied by European Union Member States to include soil protection measures in national legislation, and at the EU level, can enable the implementation of strategic goals. [Display omitted] • More than 1.4 billion t y−1 of manure are generated in the EU and UK and re-applied to soils with potential harmful effects. • Current European regulations on manure disposal are scattered across different legislations and ignore soil biodiversity. • This review of 407 documents revealed that manure quality is more important to soil biodiversity than manure quantity. • To promote soil biodiversity by manure amendments, a radical transformation in the way agriculture is conducted is needed. • This approach could reinforce EU MS' commitment to protect soils and improve future agricultural policies at the EU level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Assigning credit and blame in systems of multilevel government, such as federal states, requires information. This paper examines how voters respond to information about policy outcomes when attributing responsibility to multiple levels of government in a European context. Using an experimental design, we show that the responsibility attributions of British voters are affected by perceptual biases, notably their feelings about the government and the European Union (EU). But interestingly, we also find that voters, regardless of their predispositions, are only responsive to information they receive from their national government, whereas they ignore information provided by EU officials. These findings have implications not only for our understanding of attribution in systems of multiple levels of government, but also for how voters use information selectively depending on the credibility of the source. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Governments are seeking to reduce levels of expenditure. In the reform of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) it will be important to deliver the environmental objectives of agricultural policy more cost-effectively. This paper reviews the different agri-environmental mechanisms and their relative scale and performance. Likely reductions in the Single Farm Payment (SFP) imply a need to shift resources from payments for the reduction of intensity towards payments to prevent abandonment. More cost-effective policies may be achieved by shifting funds from the SFP into more targeted mechanisms, changing standards currently achieved by cross-compliance into regulations, and increasing targeting and competitive allocation mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Abstract: The biofuels industry in both the UK and the EU as a whole has expanded significantly in recent years in response to various EU biofuel policy initiatives. Further expansion of biofuel demand will increase the impact of the biofuels sector on agricultural markets. This paper examines the impact that increasing levels of first generation biofuel demand to 10% of total transport fuel use in the UK and other EU Member States would have on agricultural markets within the EU and specifically the UK using a partial equilibrium modelling system. Increasing overall biodiesel demand raises demand for vegetable oil and oilseed and in turn their prices. The increased grain demand in response to the increased bioethanol demand is mostly sourced from changes in EU net trade. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the welfare participation of immigrant groups in the UK, which has experienced a large growth in its immigrant flows and population levels in recent years, especially following EU enlargement in 2004. The analysis particularly focuses on the types of benefits that immigrants tend to claim, as well as examining differences by area of origin. It also examines the factors that determine social assistance benefit claims, including an investigation of the impact of education, ethnicity and years since migration. Design/methodology/approach – A series of probit regression models are estimated using data from the UK Labour Force Survey collected between 2004 and 2009. Findings – Social welfare claims vary considerably by immigrant group as well as by the type of benefit claimed in the UK. There are also differences by immigrant group in the factors determining social assistance claims. Research limitations/implications – It is very difficult to generalise on the issue of welfare participation by immigrants in the UK. This is important, given policy changes towards migrants from non-EU countries and in relation to welfare reforms. Originality/value – The limited previous work in this area for the UK has tended to analyse all benefit claims made by immigrants as a whole, whereas this analysis splits immigrants into different groups and focuses on the types of benefits that are claimed. This has important implications, particularly given the recent increase in immigration to the UK. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The European Union's 2004 expansion was accompanied by worries in several western states about potential large-scale immigration by workers from new member states. In France, for example, the 'Polish plumber' featured as a symbol of cheap labour in the 2005 constitutional referendum. The accession treaty allowed existing member states to restrict the entry of workers from new member states for up to seven years; only the United Kingdom, Ireland and Sweden allowed immediate unrestricted entry of workers from new member states. Many workers, particularly Poles, did move, and a cursory examination of this migration could lead one to judge it a success. Ireland and Britain benefited from an influx of workers during a boom economic period and the Poles earned wages beyond what they would have earned at home. A closer examination illustrates the difficulties and discrimination faced by the Polish community in Ireland and Britain. This article documents how the skills of Polish migrants have been under-valued and how it was assumed that when the economy soured, they would leave. As many have stayed, they face further discrimination. The paper relies on both primary interviews and secondary sources to examine the treatment and future of Europe's largest recent internal migration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ambitious carbon reduction targets are driving a new era of carbon control reflecting the UK, the EU and international commitment to mitigating the predicted impacts of global warming and climate change. Observed as a transition away from the more holistic goals of sustainable development (While et al., 2001), the ‘low carbon’ (LC) agenda is increasingly recognised as problematic in so far as it is pro-technological and promethean, marginalising the importance of social, political, economic and wider environmental issues. With specific implications for housing and householders, the paper explores how the current preoccupation with ‘LC’ presents some potential pitfalls in relation to advancing sustainable housing. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This article examines the regulation of directors' remuneration in EU, UK and Belgian law. The author argues that there are two categorises of norms for the regulatory framework of directors' remuneration: one is market-based, market efficiency norms of agency costs; the other is socio-legal norms. The paper argues that agency costs – a responsive mode of governance – alone cannot adequately address the problems of directors' remuneration. On the other hand, socio-legal norms – which are value and ethics-focused – can better construct a paradigm capable of addressing a broader issue of directors' remuneration in the EU context. Agency costs-based regulation has been used by the EU whereas socio-legal matters have been left to Member States. The article shows how socio-legal norms could form the underlying basis of the regulatory regime by examining the laws in the UK and Belgium. It is concluded that the European Court of Justice will need to carry out the role of negative integration by harmonising these social values in developing EU company law. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Abstract: This paper reviews the development of multi-purpose geochemical mapping and the progress of research in applied environmental geochemistry and health at Imperial College over the past 40years. With funding from the research councils, UK government, EU, industry and NGOs, research has provided the basis for postgraduate training in areas ranging from the applications of geochemistry to plant, agricultural livestock and wildlife nutrition, to evaluating contamination from metalliferous mining and smelting, understanding the chemical nature of the urban environment and relationships between geochemistry and human health and disease. Examples include (1) the influence of Mo in marine black shales on the Cu nutrition of grazing cattle and sheep, (2) the importance of soil ingestion on trace element intake and metabolism and metal exposure in farm livestock, (3) the impacts of soil contamination from historical metalliferous mining and smelting on agriculture and human exposure to metals, including potential health problems from Cd at Shipham and from As in SW England, (4) the growth of urban geochemistry and the importance of Pb in the urban environment, (5) the health impacts due to Hg losses from the informal sector Au mining in Brazil, and (6) health issues relating to F- excess and Se deficiency in China. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Wind power, especially offshore, is considered one of the most promising sources of ‘clean’ energy towards meeting the EU and UK targets for 2020 and 2050. Deployment of wind turbines in constantly increasing water depths has raised the issue of the appropriate selection of the most suitable support structures’ options. Based on experience and technology from the offshore oil and gas industry, several different configurations have been proposed for different operational conditions. This paper presents a methodology for the systematic assessment of the selection of the most preferable, among the different configurations, support structures for offshore wind turbines, taking into consideration several attributes through the widely used multi-criteria decision making method TOPSIS (Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution) for the benchmarking of those candidate options. An application comparing a monopile, a tripod and a jacket, for a reference 5.5 MW wind turbine and a reference depth of 40 m, considering multiple engineering, economical and environmental attributes, will illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed methodology. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Industry recognizes that the shift in European Union (EU) subsidies towards green power and the need to cut carbon emissions drives the need for innovative and energy efficient saving solutions. One such approach which is now attracting the attention of industry is Combined Heat and Power (CHP). In this paper, the authors set out proposed CHP opportunities for a model specific to the UK market. We utilise linear programming to develop our model. The main advantage of the model is its easy-to-use functionalities which serve as a way potential CHP users may assess its viability. The development of the model forms part of research work sponsored by Red Engineering Design, a specialist mechanical and electrical systems and design firm based in Oxford, United Kingdom. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the most important working lines of EU Social Law is the building of common ways of dealing with the workers' representation within the undertaking. Directive 2002/14/EC was a decisive step, being a global text that regulated the issue as its main question, and not in a fractionated way as before. Its impact, nonetheless, has been very different. This paper wants to make a comparison of its influence in several Laws: French (missing), British (decisive) and Italian (very small). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Currently, a wide range of strategies is implemented in different countries to increase the share of electricity from renewable energy sources (RES-E). A still controversial discussion is whether quantity-driven (like Tradable Green Certificates (TGCs) based on quotas) or price-driven (like feed-in-tariffs (FIT)) instruments lead to preferable solutions for society. The core objective of this paper is to compare the perspectives of quota-based certificate trading systems for an efficient and effective increase of RES-E with FIT. The major results of this analysis are: (i) The success stories of growth in RES-E in EU member states in recent years has been triggered by FIT implemented in a technology-specific manner at modest costs for European citizens; (ii) At present, TGC systems in most countries applied show a low effectiveness with respect to RES-E deployment of less mature technologies such as solar PV (with improving tendencies in e.g. the UK or Italy with respect to certain technologies); (iii) Compared to short term trading in TGC markets the intrinsic stability of FIT systems appears to be a key element for success; (iv) Hence, currently a well-designed (dynamic) FIT system provides a certain deployment of RES-E in the shortest time and at lowest costs for society. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background: Following the expansion of the European Union, there has been a large influx of Central and East European (CEE) migrants to the UK. CEE men who have sex with men (MSM) represent a small minority within this population that are none-the-less important to capture in sexual health research among the CEE migrant community. This paper examines the feasibility of recruiting CEE MSM for a survey of sexual behaviour in London using respondent driven sampling (RDS), via gay websites and in GUM clinics. Methods: We sought CEE MSM to start RDS chain referral among GUM clinic attendees, our personal contacts and at gay events and venues in central London. We recruited CEE MSM (n = 485) via two popular websites for gay men in Britain (March-May 2009) and at two central London GUM clinics (n = 51) (July 2008-March 2009). Results: We found seventeen men who knew other CEE MSM in London and agreed to recruit contacts into the study. These men recruited only three men into the study, none of whom recruited any further respondents, and RDS was abandoned after 7 months (July 2008-January 2009). Half of the men that we approached to participate in RDS did not know any other CEE MSM in London. Men who agreed to recruit contacts for RDS were rather more likely to have been in the UK for more than one year (94.1% vs 70.0%, p = 0.052). Men recruited through gay websites and from GUM clinics were similar. Conclusions: The Internet was the most successful method for collecting data on sexual risk behaviour among CEE MSM in London. CEE MSM in London were not well networked. RDS may also have failed because they did not fully understand the procedure and/or the financial incentive was not sufficient motivation to take part. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper constitutes a detailed analysis and critique of the British asylum system from 1997 until the present day. It covers all the clearly defined areas of go vernment policy, including funding, detention, deportation, human rights, European Union obligations, and asylum welfare. It also addresses the role of the judiciary and cites many of the landmark legal cases that have had a major impact on the sector. In providing a comprehensive overview of asylum and immigration that spans the entire period of the Labour government and the firstfew months of the new Coalition's tenure, the author aims to show that an often illiberal UK asylum policy is largely governed by principles of deterrent and political expediency. Only an enlightened House of Lords, now the Supreme Court, has served as a bulwark for justice and mitigated the effect of draconian government policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we critically review recent developments in policies, practices and philosophies pertaining to the mediation between science and the public within the EU and the UK, focusing in particular on the current paradigm of Public Understanding of Science and Technology (PEST) which seeks to depart from the science information-transmission associated with previous paradigms, and enact a deliberative democracy model. We first outline the features of the current crisis in democracy and discuss deliberative democracy as a response to this crisis. We then map out and critically review the broad outlines of recent policy developments in public-science mediation in the EU and UK contexts, focusing on the shift towards the deliberative-democratic model. We conclude with some critical thoughts on the complex interrelationships between democracy, equality, science and informal pedagogies in public-science mediations. We argue that science and democracy operate within distinct value-spheres that are not necessarily consonant with each other. We also problematize the now common dismissal of information-transmission of science as inimical to democratic engagement, and argue for a reassessment of the role and importance of informal science learning for the 'lay' public, provided within the framework of a deliberative democracy that is not reducible to consensus building or the mere expression of opinions rooted in social and cultural givens. This, we argue, can be delivered by a model of PEST that is creative and experimental, with both educational and democratic functions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper draws on a larger research project that investigates the networks and institutions shaping cultural policy across national, international and supranational contexts. Taking Britain as its touchstone, it identifies and maps some of the operational relations between culture, governance and nation shaping the development and orientation of contemporary cultural policy. It thus highlights key formal and informal domestic relationships and contexts within which Britain's local, regional and national cultural policy initiatives are situated. The British context - in which England figures strongly for historical, political and demographic reasons, and so draws a corresponding resistance across other constituents of nation - is shown to be both internally differentiated along various lines, and also embedded in the larger sphere of the European Union that redraws the boundaries of cultural policy and governance. In tracing the contours and interrogating the constitutive elements of Britain's domains of cultural policy, we seek to provide a foundation for understanding the intersections and influences that exist between fields of cultural governance, and their interdependence and fluidity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Lead is highly toxic to animals. Humans eating game killed using lead ammunition generally avoid swallowing shot or bullets and dietary lead exposure from this source has been considered low. Recent evidence illustrates that lead bullets fragment on impact, leaving small lead particles widely distributed in game tissues. Our paper asks whether lead gunshot pellets also fragment upon impact, and whether lead derived from spent gunshot and bullets in the tissues of game animals could pose a threat to human health. Methodology/Principal Findings: Wild-shot gamebirds (6 species) obtained in the UK were X-rayed to determine the number of shot and shot fragments present, and cooked using typical methods. Shot were then removed to simulate realistic practice before consumption, and lead concentrations determined. Data from the Veterinary Medicines Directorate Statutory Surveillance Programme documenting lead levels in raw tissues of wild gamebirds and deer, without shot being removed, are also presented. Gamebirds containing ≥5 shot had high tissue lead concentrations, but some with fewer or no shot also had high lead concentrations, confirming X-ray results indicating that small lead fragments remain in the flesh of birds even when the shot exits the body. A high proportion of samples from both surveys had lead concentrations exceeding the European Union Maximum Level of 100 ppb w.w. (0.1 mg kg-1 w.w.) for meat from bovine animals, sheep, pigs and poultry (no level is set for game meat), some by several orders of magnitude. High, but feasible, levels of consumption of some species could result in the current FAO/WHO Provisional Weekly Tolerable Intake of lead being exceeded. Conclusions/Significance: The potential health hazard from lead ingested in the meat of game animals may be larger than previous risk assessments indicated, especially for vulnerable groups, such as children, and those consuming large amounts of game. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drug safety profile is an important theme throughout the world. Recently, it has gained importance in the field of veterinary medicines. In Brazil, Ministry of Agriculture Law SDA 152/2008 submitted to the public consultation the draft of a National Program of Veterinary Pharmacovigilance. Taking into consideration the health risk to exposed human beings, the objectives of this paper are: characterization of veterinary pharmacovigilance and its usefulness for the Public Health, the description of established veterinary pharmacovigilance programs from the United States of America, the European Union and the United Kingdom, and the analysis of the Brazilian Program of veterinary pharmacovigilance draft. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

'Multiculturalism', 'globalisation' and 'the European Union' have become the magic words that define our contemporary lives. It is no wonder that, for quite some time now, writers have tried to exploit the newly found pro-European Union theme of cultural diversity sans frontières, in an attempt to catch up with their times. Therefore, my paper will focus on the analysis of the British society as it appears in Rose Tremain's latest novel, "The Road Home" (2007). This wonderful depiction of nowadays Britain presents the reader with all ingredients favoured by contemporary tastes: describing the migrant experience of Easterners going West in search of work, a touch of human understanding and a sense of belonging, as well as an attempt at redefining one's values and identity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The European Union project Eureka Logchain Footprint is an ongoing project to identify road and rail vehicles by means of their environmental footprint as characterised by dynamic load, noise, ground borne vibrations and gaseous emissions induced by the vehicle. Part of the project involves the installation of road and rail footprint monitoring stations throughout Europe. This paper presents results of the road stations in Switzerland and the UK. Individual vehicle data from weigh-in-motion and noise are compared. The results indicate that a significant number of vehicles surpass the limits set in both countries. It was shown that the UK sites are generating higher noise levels than their Swiss counterparts; in part due to the much coarser aggregate embedded in the running course of the pavement employed in the UK. Such data can be used to create an incentive for vehicle types with a low footprint and a penalty for vehicles with a large footprint. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This paper examines the complex and ambiguous relationship between Charter 88, its philosophy of democratic constitutionalism and the Europeanisation of the UK. On the one hand, increased European linkages have proved helpful to the achievement of many of the Charter's domestic goals. Nevertheless, the modalities of European political integration sit in a relationship of tension with the Charter's democratic constitutionalist philosophy. As an organisation, Charter/Unlock Democracy has shown only a limited awareness of this tension and, in particular, has failed to appreciate the considerable difficulties of creating a genuine demos at the European level. This article argues that democratic constitutionalism would best be served a more modest and focused EU which respects popular sovereignty and matches its competences to those legitimately managed by transnational governance mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The article examines Great Britain within the context of the European Union (EU) and argues that future continuation within the international body will create political challenges within the nation. It is attested that the unity of the country’s Conservative party depends upon the Prime Minister opposing any further progress toward European integration. At the same time, the paper alleges that the Labour party and the Liberal Democrats both support further European integration, particularly the strengthening of the European Parliament. Options relevant to these varying political doctrines are presented.

In a statement the Council of the European Union has recommended that member states should introduce clandestine remote searches of computers as a standard investigation method to combat cybercrime. At present, there is little analysis of the consequences such a development will have in the UK. The use of remote forensic software tools by law enforcement agencies has been, however, controversially discussed elsewhere and most notably in Germany where the Federal Constitutional Court had the opportunity to analyse the issue. This paper describes the use of this investigation method in Germany and analyses the reaction of the German and some other legal systems to give a first indication of the likely issues that its use in the UK will raise. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The interrelation between church and state in the UK is informed to a considerable degree by the anomalous status of the Church of England as the established church for a major part (though not by any means all) of its territory. This paper examines the historical inheritance of establishment and evaluates the manner in which this informs the dynamic between the secular and spiritual authorities. It considers the place of religion within the European Union (EU) as viewed by its institutions and by individual faith communities. While there is discernible evidence of respect being afforded to the sacred within the organs of EU governance in terms of the recognition of Christian roots of Western Europe and dialogue with religious representatives, this is neither systematic nor universal. The Church of England in particular is yet to find its voice in the corridors of influence in Brussels, and it is ventured that the anachronism of establishment may be part of the reason for this. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Waste legislation in the United Kingdom (UK) implements European Union (EU) Directives and Regulations. However, the term used to refer to hazardous waste generated in household or municipal situations, household hazardous waste (HHW), does not occur in UK, or EU, legislation. The EU''s Hazardous Waste Directive and European Waste Catalogue are the principal legislation influencing HHW, although the waste categories described are difficult to interpret. Other legislation also have impacts on HHW definition and disposal, some of which will alter current HHW disposal practices, leading to a variety of potential consequences. This paper discusses the issues affecting the management of HHW in the UK, including the apparent absence of a HHW-specific regulatory structure. Policy and regulatory measures that influence HHW management before disposal and after disposal are considered, with particular emphasis placed on disposal to landfill. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background: Since May 2004, ten Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries have joined the European Union, leading to a large influx of CEE migrants to the United Kingdom (UK). The SALLEE project (sexual attitudes and lifestyles of London's Eastern Europeans) set out to establish an understanding of the sexual lifestyles and reproductive health risks of CEE migrants. CEE nationals make up a small minority of the population resident in the UK with no sampling frame from which to select a probability sample. There is also difficulty estimating the socio-demographic and geographical distribution of the population. In addition, measuring self-reported sexual behaviour which is generally found to be problematic, may be compounded among people from a range of different cultural and linguistic backgrounds. This paper will describe the methods adopted by the SALLEE project to address these challenges. Methods: The research was undertaken using quantitative and qualitative methods: a cross-sectional survey of CEE migrants based on three convenience samples (recruited from community venues, sexual health clinics and from the Internet) and semi-structured in-depth interviews with a purposively selected sample of CEE migrants. A detailed social mapping exercise of the CEE community was conducted prior to commencement of the survey to identify places where CEE migrants could be recruited. A total of 3,005 respondents took part in the cross-sectional survey, including 2,276 respondents in the community sample, 357 in the clinic sample and 372 in the Internet sample. 40 in-depth qualitative interviews were undertaken with a range of individuals, as determined by the interview quota matrix. Discussion: The SALLEE project has benefited from using quantitative research to provide generalisable data on a range of variables and qualitative research to add in-depth understanding and interpretation. The social mapping exercise successfully located a large number of CEE migrants for the community sample and is recommended for other migrant populations, especially when little or no official data are available for this purpose. The project has collected timely data that will help us to understand the sexual lifestyles, reproductive health risks and health service needs of CEE communities in the UK. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Poland's accession to the European Union in May 2004 brought many new possibilities and opportunities for Polish migrants to Britain. However, the focus on individual migrants has underestimated the complex roles of families in migration strategies and decision-making. Based on a qualitative study of recent Polish migrants in London, this paper explores the varied dynamics of family relationships, including caring, support and obligation. We examine how families may be reconfigured in different ways through migration. Transnational networks and splits within families are also discussed. We conclude that, in exploring family migration, it is necessary to go beyond a household perspective to appreciate the diversity of transnational and inter-generational relationships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developments in biotechnology present difficult social and ethical challenges that need to be resolved by regulators among others. One crucial problem for regulators of new technologies is to ensure that regulation is both clear and sufficiently flexible to respond to new developments. This is particularly difficult to achieve in contentious fields such as medical biotechnology. In the European Union there is a divergence in the solutions to this problem which has lead to different regulatory frameworks for medical biotechnology. This paper compares and contrasts the British and Dutch regulatory frameworks for the selection of embryos by preimplantation genetic diagnosis as an example of the regulation of medical biotechnology. Some of the outcomes of the regulatory choices and possible reasons behind the divergent frameworks are discussed, such as the ethical outlooks and political systems in these countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper is to determine the effect of different carbon tax rates on the power generation composition of Britain. This was accomplished via a regional, geospatial model, accounting for regional loads, transmission losses and generators of Britain's current energy infrastructure. This regional model is also compared to a pure dispatch, nationally aggregated model which considers only costs on the generator side inclusive of the carbon tax, thus allowing the effect of including geospatial conditions to be identified. The effect of this tax (in both the geospatial and nationally aggregated cases) is a transition from coal to combined cycle gas turbine (CCGT) generated power to fulfil demand unmet by nuclear or renewable sources. The more sophisticated regional model, however, differs from the nationally aggregated case by having a significantly larger window of carbon tax rates over which this coal to CCGT transition occurs. Due regional differences in demand and installed capacity technology types it is determined that more than 50% of this transition occurs prior to CCGT becoming more economical than coal from a pure dispatch (nationally aggregated) perspective. Primarily due to CCGT generators typically being closer to larger southern loads than northern coal, transmission losses and the economic disincentive of a carbon tax combine in encouraging this transition. The transition window, therefore, is not only broadened by the consideration of geospatial effects, but furthermore, this broadening significantly and disproportionately occurs by decreasing the lower bound of this transition window. These findings validate the significance of utilising a geospatial model, particularly of regional resolution. They further identify the deployment of current energy infrastructure in Britain under differing carbon tax regimes and by extension, the transition window (found to be from coal to CCGT) an increasing carbon tax rate would create. These results bear not only significance in understanding the UK's currently incrementing (top-up) carbon tax rate, but also shed light on future policies due to the UK's leaving of the EU's Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS), with immediate plans to continue with a domestic carbon tax and trading scheme. Thus, these results hold importance in the understanding the effect of carbon taxation on existing infrastructure, energy modelling and national policy in the UK. [Display omitted] • OPF modelling performed at national and regional levels. • Effect of different carbon tax rates on generator composition determined. • Transmission losses accelerate coal to gas transition due to generator placement. • Differences in regional generator compositions and loads found to be significant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper the driving factors of carbon dioxide emissions from electricity generation in the European Union are examined for the years 2000–2018, separated into three time periods using decomposition analysis, and particularly LMDI-I. Seven driving factors are examined, namely the economic activity effect, the population effect, the electricity intensity effect, the electricity trade effect, the energy intensity effect, the generation structure effect, and the emissions factor effect. The results showed that the main driving factor leading to increased carbon dioxide emissions is the economic activity effect counterbalanced mainly by the contribution of the generation structure effect. Moreover, a decoupling analysis between economic growth and carbon dioxide emissions was carried out aiming to identify the state of each country for each period. In the third examined period (2013–2018) most countries in the EU-27 are in a state of strong decoupling. • Decomposition analysis of CO2 emissions from the power sector in the EU and the UK. • A decoupling analysis between GDP and CO 2 emissions. • Overall reduction in CO 2 emissions from power generation in the period 2000–2018. • Economic activity effect is the main driving factor for CO2 emissions. • Most countries progressed into a state of strong decoupling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Broad international comparisons of paid parental leave often leave New Zealand's policies looking less than adequate. This paper compares current policies in New Zealand and the United Kingdom. The extent to which either country has been able to implement maternity and parental leave policies has been comparatively limited, but the UK's relationship with the European Union has led to more comprehensive policies than those found in New Zealand. New Zealand will not be forced to comply with a regional or international standard, and it is unclear if there is sufficient momentum for change without such compulsion. However, the UK experience has demonstrated that these types of policies are certainly feasible within the context of the "liberal" welfare state. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Views about hedge fund activities are divided. As they are now commonly highly leveraged, concerns have been consistently raised of late by the media and some jurisdictions in advanced economies that their largely unregulated activities may pose serious systemic risk to the financial system and not hurt only the more affluent investors associated with them. Additionally, as public pension funds have begun to invest in various hedge funds, further concerns are now raised that the average workers' interests may also be indirectly affected. With the increasing participation of hedge funds into various mergers and acquisitions activities in both the US and the EU (European Union) where a number of significant retrenchments have occurred as a consequence, labour unions are also drawn further into the controversies surrounding its activities. This paper discusses various regulatory issues associated with hedge fund activities particularly in continental EU and the UK and the justifications if any for further actions by financial regulators in these jurisdictions.International Journal of Disclosure and Governance (2007) 4, 221–235. doi:10.1057/palgrave.jdg.2050063 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The production and consumption of halal meat products, i.e. deriving from Islamic ritual slaughter, have grown steadily over the last 15 years. Today the global halal market is estimated at US $150 billion per year. In this paper I describe the main steps in the integration of 'Muslim ritual slaughter' into the national legislation of Western European countries, and present an analysis of the economic and political issues involved. Once the subject of dispute between animal welfare organisations and religious groups, the arguments surrounding slaughter ritual have, more recently, particularly in the aftermath of the BSE crisis, evolved to become an issue of consumer rights. To illustrate this evolution, I examine two specific cases: Switzerland, as a European country, and the UK as a member-state of the European Union. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The concept of the United Kingdom acting as a bridge between Europe and the United States has been a key element in British foreign policy for six decades. Under the second Blair Premiership it reached both its apogee and its nadir. This paper analyses these developments focusing both on the transatlantic and European ends. Particular attention is paid to the failure of the Blair government either to establish a secure place for Britain as a co-leader or to make the British people more comfortable in their European skins. This failure occurred at a period when the EU is characterised by leadership transition and confusion. New leaderships will emerge in the EU over the next two years but it seems unlikely that Britain, characterised by a continuing disconnect between a Euro-sceptic public discourse and deep involvement at a governmental level will develop a European policy narrative that is regarded as convincing at either the EU or domestic level. This weakness is compounded by a failure to develop new thinking about the rise of new powers such as China and India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Events relating to the European Union are typically conceived of as being a ‘second-order’ phenomenon in domestic politics; ‘European’ referenda, elections, etc. are first and foremost a function of domestic/national issues. However, in the case of anti-EU groups it is apparent that they are formed primarily as a result of European events. This paper provides a comprehensive taxonomy of proximate factors in such groups’ mobilization, using the otherwise contrasting examples of France and the UK. Consideration is taken of non-party groups, intra-party factions and parties, in order to ensure a complete overview. In both countries, almost all groups either form or become anti-EU in nature in proximate response to European events. The reasons for this are discussed and explained, as are the limitations of this view of the EU as first-order politics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Demands for increased levels of protection for species and ecosystems are being translated into new modes of spatial governance at national, regional, and local scales. As part of this, new ways of analysing and representing ecological systems are leading to qualitatively different treatment of the (time) spaces of nature conservation. In this paper we explore what happens when the land-use demands of new paradigms of nature conservation collide with preestablished modes of spatial regulation, taking as our focus the implementation of the European Union Habitats Directive in estuary spaces in the United Kingdom. We provide evidence of the ways in which ecological regulation is reshaping political-economic landscapes and offer insights into the direction of ‘postmodern’ nature conservation practice, including the extent to which theoretical notions of hybrid and nonequilibrium systems have become absorbed into conflicts around ecological regulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper examines the development of innovation in human tissue technologies as a form of regenerative medicine, firstly by applying ‘pollution ideas’ to contemporary trends in its risk regulation and to the processes of regulatory policy formation, and secondly by analysing the classificatory processes deployed in regulatory policy. The analysis draws upon data from fieldwork and documentary materials with a focus on the UK and EU (2002–05) and explores four arenas: governance and regulatory policy; commercialisation and the market; ‘evidentiality’ manifest in evidence-based policy; and publics’ and technology users’ values and ethics. The analysis suggests that there is a trend toward ‘purification’ across these arenas, both material and socio-political. A common process of partitioning is found in stakeholders’ attempts to define a clear terrain, which the field of tissue-engineered technology might occupy. We conclude that pollution ideas and partitioning processes are useful in understanding regulatory ordering and innovation in the emerging technological zone of human tissue engineering. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In this paper we applied the psychometric paradigm to validate s questionnaire that assesses the risk perception characteristics of flooding and water nuisance. The state-trait anxiety inventory was used as a bench mark to determine whether perceptions are related to anxiety characteristics. A focus group was used to further validate the questionnaire. Factor analyses of 49 questionnaires identified eight flooding factors (explained variance 74%) and three water nuisance factors (explained variance 62%). Internal consistencies of the obtained scales were moderate to high. Like in the perception of external safety risks, ‘dread’ seems to be the most important concept binding different characteristics. Although dread towards both flooding and water nuisance is rather low, it seems more present in the latter case. Furthermore, the extent of dread for water nuisance seems related to someone's state anxiety. In both cases awareness of ‘increasing risks’ is clearly present, and we find the characteristics ‘(no) dread’, ‘(un)controllable situation’ and ‘does not affect me’ to be related. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyzes the opposition to immigration, comparing the European Union as a whole and Portugal, United Kingdom, France and Germany. The first hypvothesis that was examined posits that the perception of economic, security and cultural threats are significant predictors of the orientation towards immigration. The second hypothesis states that racial prejudice is an important predictor of threat perception. Results show that, globally, attitudes towards immigration in EU are more close to openness than they are to closure. As predicted, cultural, economic and security threats are significantly associated with the opposition to immigration. These results are stable across compared countries. Moreover results show that in the EU as a whole political conservatism and racial prejudice are the main predictors of the perception of threat in the economic, security and cultural domains. These same results were obtained in France, Germany and United Kingdom. Except in the case of security threat, also in Portugal prejudice is an important predictor of threat perception. These results are discussed in the context of the immigration integration policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses the relationships between the migratory policies of the EU countries with more experience of immigration and their national political cultures. It focuses on France, Germany and the United Kingdom. It then looks at Italy, a relatively new country of immigration, which, with 3,000,000 legal immigrants, has become the fourth country of immigration in Europe and the first in the Mediterranean basin. In its final part it highlights the incipient process of 'communitarisation' of the immigration policies of EU countries in the last decade. This process, which has already entailed a significant convergence of their migratory policies, is expected to continue after the recent enlargement of the European Union. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Woodward, K. N. Veterinary pharmacovigilance. Part 2. Veterinary pharmacovigilance in practice– the operation of a spontaneous reporting scheme in a European Union country– the UK, and schemes in other countries.J. vet. Pharmacol. Therap.28, 149–170.Veterinary pharmacovigilance, as it operates in the European Union (EU), covers a very broad remit, including adverse effects in treated animals, exposed humans and the environment, and in addition, it extends to cover the violation of maximum residue limits. The mainstay of veterinary pharmacovigilance is the spontaneous reporting scheme working along side other systems such as those reporting on residues surveillance. One of the most well established schemes in the EU is that operating in the UK and this paper examines the evolution of that scheme and some of its findings, data from other countries, and information available from the literature. It also tentatively examines the ways that pharmacovigilance can be used for regulatory purposes, and the contribution from pharmacoepidemiology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Local review of research by ethics committees in the UK has long been held to be an important right of the local research ethics committee and, even with the introduction of the European Clinical Trials Directive, the governance arrangements for research ethics committees continue to allow for local review of multicentre studies. There is no requirement for local review in either the European Union directive or in the guidelines on good clinical practice, and there is little evidence of it anywhere else in Europe. The idea that there can be "local", as opposed to "central" ethical issues in research is an interesting one, which raises important issues about the nature of research ethics and ethical review. The aim of this paper is to argue that there are no such things as local issues in research ethics, and suggest that those questions currently addressed as local issues properly belong within the research governance framework. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper looks at the history, consequences and current situation with respect to marketing a generic omeprazole product in the EU. In 1997, Astra (now AstraZeneca) took the disruptive strategy of limiting or avoiding generics competition, by withdrawing their capsule reference product and replacing it with a tablet product prior to generics registration being approved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New legislation directly affecting the nuclear arena is on the immediate horizon at both European Union (EU) and UK levels. This paper looks ahead to the new legislation by examining the supremacy and effect of the more wideranging legislation coming from the EU, and considers the new EU framework Directive on nuclear safety, which had a 1 January 2004 implementation deadline but which is now expected during 2004. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper considers several options for addressing cumulative effects in strategic planning, one of which is through strategic environmental assessment (SEA). The adoption of the EU Directive on the assessment of effects of certain plans and programmes on the environment and its future incorporation into UK law by 2004 will have implications for the consideration of cumulative effects in strategic planning. An interview survey of 28 government regulators, experts, practitioners and planners revealed current understanding of cumulative effects, what cumulative effects issues could be addressed at the various planning levels and how they may be addressed through SEA. The findings helped inform the development of a framework for integrating cumulative effects assessment into the SEA and plan-making process. The proposed framework identifies key steps and activities in the SEA process to address cumulative effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the question of how Gibraltar's contemporary identity is evolving as its inhabitants manipulate their status as citizens of a contested territory of the European Union. The people of Gibraltar exploit the connotations of 'being European' as part of their ongoing battle to resist Spanish and British efforts to negotiate a bilateral solution to the question of Gibraltar's future political status. Gibraltarians refer to the example of other member state dependencies as they attempt to 'decolonise' their territory and 'modernise' its relations with Britain. The article considers local, ­British and Spanish variants of 'decolonisation.' While Gibraltar's self-definition as the exemplary European has achieved some recognition, its partial exclusion from the EU causes friction while allowing it to navigate rather uncertainly between possible further autonomy and integration with the UK. Only the former is acceptable to Madrid, and that only within the Spanish state. The European Union has so far been unable to provide a framework within which the dispute may find a solution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Europeanization, differentiated from European integration as the impact of European policies on national policies, practices, and politics, has had differing effects on EU member states, depending upon a number of independent variables. These include the constraints imposed by EU decisions in any given policy area, that is, whether the decisions demand that countries follow highly specified rules of implementation, less specified rules, suggested rules, or no rules at all. But adjustment also depends upon certain mediating factors, including countries' vulnerability to global as well as European economic pressures, their political institutional capacity to respond as necessary, the 'fit' of European policies with national policy legacies and preferences, and the discourses that influence policy preferences by changing perceptions of economic vulnerabilities and policies and thereby enhance capacity. Only by putting the decision constraints together with the mediating factors can we adequately explain countries' differential policy outcomes, whether inertia, absorption, or transformation. To illustrate, this paper considers three countries, France, Britain, and Germany, across a representative range of economic policy areas, including monetary policy, financial services, telecommunications, electricity, transport, and mutual recognition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]