Search

A wave of company law reform has swept across Europe and has now reached Denmark, where a proposal for a new combined companies act has been put forward and will soon enter the legislative process. In this article, the driving forces behind these reforms are explored. They are: the freedom to choose among the company law regimes of the European Union that follows from the case law of the EC Court of Justice; the demise of the doctrine of protection of capital; and the increasing insignificance of the distinction within company law between public and private limited companies. The main tenets of the Danish reform are: the introduction of a combined companies act to cover both the public and the private limited company; the possibility to choose between the main corporate governance models known in European company law, which, in combination with the possibility to use English at board meetings, the general meeting of shareholders and in public documents and accounts, should cater to the needs of crossborder business and investment; and a relaxation of the capital regime allowing limited companies more freedom in deciding the structure of their share capital and the distribution of control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates different uses of the Journal Impact Factor (JIF) in national journal rankings and discusses the merits of supplementing metrics with expert assessment. Our focus is national journal rankings used as evidence to support decisions about the distribution of institutional funding or career advancement. The seven countries under comparison are China, Denmark, Finland, Italy, Norway, Poland, and Turkey—and the region of Flanders in Belgium. With the exception of Italy, top‐tier journals used in national rankings include those classified at the highest level, or according to tier, or points implemented. A total of 3,565 (75.8%) out of 4,701 unique top‐tier journals were identified as having a JIF, with 55.7% belonging to the first Journal Impact Factor quartile. Journal rankings in China, Flanders, Poland, and Turkey classify journals with a JIF as being top‐tier, but only when they are in the first quartile of the Average Journal Impact Factor Percentile. Journal rankings that result from expert assessment in Denmark, Finland, and Norway regularly classify journals as top‐tier outside the first quartile, particularly in the social sciences and humanities. We conclude that experts, when tasked with metric‐informed journal rankings, take into account quality dimensions that are not covered by JIFs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The number of outlaw bikers is growing globally. Despite this, little research exists on these groups and their alleged violent tendencies. To address this, the current paper uses unique data to examine whether gang violence causes outlaw biker violence. The period examined runs from mid-2008 until early 2012 during which violent clashes occurred between outlaw bikers and street gang members involved in an alleged conflict in Copenhagen, Denmark. A precise description of each individual act of violence would make it possible to identify whether specific acts were carried out in furtherance of the alleged conflict. This would allow one to determine whether outlaw bikers commit violence on behalf of their club. However, such knowledge is unavailable. The paper therefore takes a different approach by examining whether acts of violence committed by the two groups are statistically associated. In other words, it considers whether one or more acts can be described as retaliatory during the observation periods. The sample consists of 640 individuals involved with the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club or with non-biker street gangs–both of which are present in Copenhagen. Statistical models are used to predict 143 violent events committed by 196 outlaw bikers. The results suggest that violence committed by gang members predicts violence committed by outlaw bikers. This indicates that violent acts committed by outlaw bikers are at least partly a form of retaliation carried out on behalf of their club. The paper expands the literature on the kinds of inter-group, micro-level processes that can lead to reciprocal violence by including outlaw bikers in a literature that has previously focused on non-biker street gangs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The Taliban opium ban of 2000–2001 disrupted European heroin supplies. • Effects differed across the seven Nordic and Baltic countries in systematic ways. • Some heroin markets bounced back, although perhaps with less vibrancy. • Other markets substituted to another opioid, either more or less harmful. • Market responses to the 2000–2001 ban may be informative for the new, current ban. The 2000–2001 and the 2022–2023 Taliban opium bans were and could be two of the largest ever disruptions to a major illegal drug market. To help understand potential implications of the current ban for Europe, this paper analyzes how opioid markets in seven Baltic and Nordic countries responded to the earlier ban, using literature review, key informant interviews, and secondary data analysis. The seven nations' markets responded in diverse ways, including rebounding with the same drug (heroin in Norway), substitution to a more potent opioid (fentanyl replacing heroin in Estonia), and substitution to one with lower risk of overdose (buprenorphine replacing heroin in Finland). The responses were not instantaneous, but rather evolved, sometimes over several years. This variety suggests that it can be hard to predict how drug markets will respond to disruptions, but two extreme views can be challenged. It would be naive to imagine that drug markets will not adapt to shocks, but also unduly nihilistic to presume that they will always just bounce back with no lasting effects. Substitution to another way of meeting demand is possible, but that does not always negate fully the benefits of disrupting the original market. Nonetheless, there is historical precedent for a European country's opioid market switching to synthetic opioids when heroin supplies were disrupted. Given how much that switch has increased overdose rates in Canada and the United States, that is a serious concern for Europe at present. A period of reduced opioid supply may be a particularly propitious time to expand treatment services (as Norway did in the early 2000s). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The engagement of young people has been a neglected area in youth justice and drug policy and practice. This paper explores the concept of 'engagement' in relation to drug interventions in custodial and community settings in different European countries. Interviews were undertaken with young people (aged 14–25 years) in contact with the criminal justice system who use illegal drugs and with practitioners involved in the delivery of interventions for our target group in Denmark, Italy, Poland, and the UK. The key techniques to engage young people were described in similar terms across the countries. These included forming relationships based on trust, honesty, and empathy, setting goals collaboratively, and employing practitioners with lived experience and understanding. The objectives and activities on offer are often constrained by criminal justice contexts. Despite the differences between the countries in terms of criminal justice systems and the structure of drug interventions, there were remarkable similarities in the ways young people and practitioners described effective engagement. Strong emphasis on operational engagement to ensure positive relationships between young people and practitioners was important in the design and delivery of interventions. Practitioners working in criminal justice contexts need to have flexibility and autonomy to work creatively to find ways to engage, connect, and inspire young people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on research undertaken as part of the EU funded EPPIC project, this paper aims to update and elaborate on the relationship between drug use and offending behaviours by exploring variations within a cross-national sample of drug-experienced young people in touch with criminal justice systems. Adopting a trajectory-based approach, interviews were undertaken with 198 young people aged 15–25 in six European countries (Austria, Denmark, Germany, Italy, Poland, and UK). Data were analysed by applying the Bennett and Holloway categorization of the drugs-crime link, with a focus on the concept of social exclusion as developed by Seddon. Three main types of mechanisms (economic, pharmaceutical, and lifestyles) are used to interpret the data, showing how the relationship between drugs and offending can vary according to type of substances and over time. Furthermore, it can be associated with very different degrees of social exclusion and needs. The results suggest that while economic inequalities still play key roles in explaining drug use and offending, both behaviours can originate from a state of relative deprivation, resulting from the contradictions inherent in 'bulimic societies' that raise aspirations and desires while providing young people scarce opportunities for self-realisation and social recognition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 1999, a cooperative tripartite cancer research and training agreement was signed between Ireland (IE), Northern Ireland (NI) and the United States (US) National Cancer Institute, giving rise to the All-Ireland Cancer Consortium (AICC). We wished to consider if AICC increased the amount/impact of cancer research on the island of Ireland and what effect this enhanced research activity had on cancer services and cancer outcomes. As comparator, we chose the city regions of Copenhagen and Lund & Malmö, whose physical connection was greatly improved following construction of bridges between Denmark and Sweden around the time AICC was established. We analysed cancer research outputs from all four geographical regions in the Web of Science (1988–2017), with a particular focus on citations and journal impact factors. We evaluated disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) as an indicator of change in health status. Research outputs increased in all four regions, but more in IE/NI than in the Scandinavian cities, while collaboration between IE and NI and both the US and the Rest of Europe increased even more substantially. Citation scores also showed a greater improvement for IE and NI. Journal citation impact factors indicated that IE/NI papers were increasingly being published in more highly cited journals. Research-enabled cancer service provision improved on the island of Ireland, with concomitant increases in cancer survival. The AICC collaborative agreement delivered significant additionality on the island of Ireland, promoting transnational cooperation, enhancing cancer research activity, and underpinning improved cancer services and better cancer outcomes. • The All-Ireland Cancer Consortium led to: ○ Increased research outputs on the island of Ireland. ○ Enhanced collaboration. ○ Improved citations and enhanced impact. ○ Improved cancer services and increased cancer survival. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Wind-driven rain (WDR) quantification experimentally on 2 case buildings. • Effect of WDR on hygrothermal conditions in internally insulated masonry studied. • Numerical simulations to determine WDR effect on hygrothermal performance. • WDR models were found to overestimate WDR deposition. • Direct influence of WDR events on RH behind insulation was not detected. An inevitable measure when energy retrofitting historic buildings in Europe, is the reduction of building envelope heat loss. On preservation-worthy facades where external insulation is not an option, installation of internal insulation is gaining pace. The historic buildings in Denmark are often constructed with solid masonry facades and wooden decks. The internal insulation may, however, entail potential hygrothermal risks in walls and embedded wood. Measures such as vapour barriers and capillary active insulation materials are continuously evolving and the subject of much current research. The hygrothermal conditions are of great importance for the durability of the building constructions, and for the health and wellbeing of occupants. Wind-driven rain (WDR) is a central factor contributing to water penetration and moisture loads of the exterior walls. Numerous studies have shown that WDR loads influence the moisture conditions in masonry walls and embedded wooden beams, and can even affect interior relative humidity. In the present paper WDR loads on existing façades in a cold temperate climate were determined by measurements and compared to a semi-empirical model. Simultaneously, the hygrothermal conditions within internally insulated walls with exposed brick and embedded wooden beams were monitored. Furthermore, numerical simulations were implemented for clarification of WDR impact. Hygrothermal simulations and previous studies, inevitably show that high WDR loads result in higher moisture content behind the interior insulation. Results from the field measurements of WDR however, cannot directly be referred to the moisture content measured in walls behind interior insulation or beam ends. However, fluctuations in external air humidity proved to be influential on condiditons in the construction. Implementation of a semi-empirical model for calculations of WDR agreed with previous studies in predictions being too conservative when compared to measured WDR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Poland is a country with one of the lowest fertility rates in Europe. Many researchers have attempted to explain the reasons for this state of affairs. In the literature, the situation on the labour market is considered to be one of the determinants of low fertility -- difficulty in finding work, job insecurity, and the high expectations of employers vis-a-vis employees. Young people often postpone their decision to become parents in order to receive a better education, find a job, and establish their position on the labour market. Studies on the impact of economic activity on reproductive behaviours have produced ambiguous results, depending on the country. Differentiation is related to the situation on the labour market (employment, wages), institutional support, and the division of roles within the family. In countries with high wages (e.g. Denmark), the unemployment of one parent does not have to limit fertility. In countries with relatively low-wages, the effects of unemployment may contribute to the postponement of parenthood (e.g. Spain). The aim of this paper is to examine the impact of the economic activity of both partners on the chance of having a first child in Poland. The analysis covers the socio-economic characteristics of both partners, such as place of residence, type of relationship, type of household, woman's age, partner's education level, and religiosity. The following hypotheses are tested: (1) the employment of both partners increases the chance of having a first child; and (2) the unemployment of one of the partners decreases the chance of having a first child. To verify these hypotheses, the random effect logit model was used. The data originate from the Social Diagnosis 2003-2013. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Framing has previously been studied in the field of pandemic preparedness and global health governance and influenza pandemics have usually been framed in terms of security and evidence-based medicine on a global scale. This paper is based on the pandemic preparedness plans, published after 2009, from eight European countries. We study how pandemic preparedness is framed and how pandemic influenza in general is narrated in the plans. All plans contain references to ‘uncertainty’, ‘pandemic phases’, ‘risk management’, ‘vulnerability’ and ‘surveillance’. These themes were all framed differently in the studied plans. The preparedness plans in the member states diverge in ways that will challenge the ambition of the European Union to make the pandemic preparedness plans interoperable and to co-ordinate the member states during future pandemics. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper delves into the different styles and roles that planning adopts in contemporary waterfront redevelopment. Traditionally, waterfront redevelopment practices have consisted of an array of plan-led and market-driven planning styles upon which the derelict areas of post-industrial cities have been transformed. Typical examples from North America and Europe generally tend to focus on the successes that these processes have generated in connection with large-scale and emblematic projects. However, less attention has been devoted to the efforts of a more recent generation of cities undergoing waterfront redevelopment, which often features different planning rationalities, forms of governance, and competing interests. While the precise character of this newer generation does not yet seem defined, the rise of planning practices that combine previous planning styles has been key in allowing these cities achieve their redevelopment aims. In adding to this emerging generation, this paper examines the nature of waterfront redevelopment processes in Aalborg, Denmark, wherein hybrid planning styles characterized bysituation-dependent and relational planning processes have increasingly substituted former practices. The paper concludes that planning adopts different roles depending on the determinants that qualify each redevelopment case, and that hybrid planning may be subjected to public interestdilemmas given its capacity to adapt to certain political and socioeconomic patterns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The literature on Western European parliaments has long pointed to an increase in non-legislative activities, including questions to the minister and interpellations; however, it has struggled to explain this development. This paper argues that the explanation ought to be sought in the increased importance of issue competition among political parties in Western Europe. Political parties are increasingly competing over which issues should dominate politics. In issue competition, non-legislative activities are attractive for opposition parties, because governments must respond to the issues the opposition wants to focus on. The paper thus argues that the key to understanding the development of activities in Western European parliaments is to bring parties and theories of party competition into the study of these activities. The argument is tested and supported by showing that the growth in non-legislative activities in Western Europe is universal as well as by demonstrating how the content of questions to the minister in Denmark reveals a clear issue competition pattern. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to define the meaning of corporate social responsibility (CSR) in the context of the European framework and examine three different European countries. The main elements which encompass the meaning of CSR focus on activities with social and environmental sensitiveness, on a voluntary basis. The paper analyses the dimensions of CSR and presents its benefits. Furthermore, the paper provides a brief description of the recent CSR activities in the European Union, and attempts a comparative analysis of CSR activities and their respective impacts on three European countries: Greece; Denmark; and Hungary. Finally, the paper concludes that the effective implementation of CSR strategy cannot follow strict rules and should be adjusted to the culture, needs and particularities of each country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To examine the relationship between the numbers of people walking or bicycling and the frequency of collisions between motorists and walkers or bicyclists. The common wisdom holds that the number of collisions varies directly with the amount of walking and bicycling. However, three published analyses of collision rates at specific intersections found a non-linear relationship, such that collisions rates declined with increases in the numbers of people walking or bicycling. Data This paper uses five additional data sets (three population level and two time series) to compare the amount of walking or bicycling and the injuries incurring in collisions with motor vehicles. Results The likelihood that a given person walking or bicycling will be struck by a motorist varies inversely with the amount of walking or bicycling. This pattern is consistent across communities of varying size, from specific intersections to cities and countries, and across time periods. Discussion This result is unexpected. Since it is unlikely that the people walking and bicycling become more cautious if their numbers are larger, it indicates that the behavior of motorists controls the likelihood of collisions with people walking and bicycling. It appears that motorists adjust their behavior in the presence of people walking and bicycling. There is an urgent need for further exploration of the human factors controlling motorist behavior in the presence of people walking and bicycling. Conclusion A motorist is less likely to collide with a person walking and bicycling if more people walk or bicycle. Policies that increase the numbers of people walking and bicycling appear to be an effective route to improving the safety of people walking and bicycling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Career decisions are amongst the most important we make. Unsurprisingly, much published research exists on this particular aspect of career behaviour. However, the overwhelming majority of studies have been carried out on young people making initial career decisions. This paper extends our understanding by examining how mid-career adults in three European countries (Denmark, France and Italy) actually make career decisions. Characteristic patterns of behaviour recur when individuals approach points of transition or of crisis; each of these transitioning styles is illustrated by an iconic case. Emergent findings support the growing body of evidence that challenges the dominant policy and practice orthodoxy, which places rationality at the centre of the process, by recognising the importance of emotion and context. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

More than 25% of the master's degrees in Denmark are taught using English as a medium of instruction (EMI), but not all university lecturers feel they have the appropriate academic English proficiency to meet the standard required. Based on interviews conducted at the Copenhagen Business School (CBS), this article sheds light on the challenges faced by a selection of these lecturers. The interviews formed part of the project Students' Perceptions of the English of Academics, which examines the use of EMI at CBS. Audio recordings were made of 33 lecturers. Questionnaires were distributed to almost 1800 students on a range of issues, including the lecturer's English proficiency. The lecturers themselves also completed a questionnaire. Subsequently, 17 of them were interviewed, five of whom belonged to the group with the weakest skills. Inspired by a categorisation used by Marschan-Piekkari, Welch, and Welch for their recommendations for managing English as a corporate language, the literature review in the present paper discusses university language management under the headings of staff selection, training and development, international assignments and performance appraisal. The insights gained from the interviews address issues such as attitudes to EMI policy, experience with EMI teaching, student evaluations and support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New media technologies and migration networks create a new situation for the Muslim population in Europe. During the past decade Muslims, usually descendants of migrants, have increasingly taken part in media debates in Danish national and interactive media. They blog on the Internet, write in newspapers and partake in televised panel debates. A significant share of these media activists are women and their reflections on clothing and appearance constitute the major part of my argument in this paper. I discuss the clothing style of eight women who identify as Muslim and who have attracted attention in different forms of media; written and visual mass media or individualised interactive media. Beginning with the concept of sartorial strategies, I argue that by entering the Danish media these women challenge what it means to be equal and available for social contact in a Danish public realm. Some do so by considering how to avoid being ascribed negative stereotypes in everyday interaction and by media audiences, and others by choosing a distinct Islamic style of clothing, consequently their visibility as Muslim women is contested. In other words for some, subtle ways of communicating the new presence of active Muslim women in the media is the response, whereas others communicate this presence more distinctly. These strategies constitute a form of conscious impression management, revealing that Muslim women enter the Danish media with caution. Thus, wearing Islamic fashion is a form of micro-politics, a level of politics usually ignored in discussions of Islam in Europe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article lists the authors of papers to be presented in the 4th European Public Health Conference inlcuding M. Aadahl, F. Baarveld, and E. Cabeza.

Climate change research is currently a topic of great interest for economic researchers. In particular, environmental input–output analysis increasingly plays an important role in measuring the economic and environmental effects of sustainable development policies in Europe. Other approaches also exist, such as econometric modelling, in which impacts are quantified on statistical grounds and with certain desirable properties (efficient estimates, confidence intervals, hypothesis testing, etc.) that are not found in the input–output approach. Consequently, this paper merges the two approaches to address the calculation of unbiased and consistent carbon dioxide emission multipliers for Denmark and their respective confidence intervals. The use of the supply and use system instead of the symmetric input–output table also presents the opportunity to avoid the common problems associated with the construction of technical coefficients (technology assumptions, negatives, etc.). Moreover, a new policy-relevant application of these multipliers is introduced: the quantification of the performance of the carbon dioxide emission reductions carried out by industries via external trading. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Since 1955, the professor's privilege had allowed Danish professors to retain intellectual property rights (IPRs) over the results of their research. This changed in 2000, when Denmark, the first of several countries to do so, abolished the professor's privilege and granted IPRs over research results to universities. In this paper we show that in the first years following the abolition, a considerable amount of patenting activity has moved out of professors' hands into those of their universities. We also show that the bulk of academic patenting consists of inventions owned by business companies, and this holds true both before and after the abolition of the privilege. In this respect, the Danish case confirms the European pattern as described in the recent literature and provides useful suggestions on the likely effects of re-distribution of IPRs between universities and their faculties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper examines some of the ways in which the problematic of activation is put into play in the European Employment Strategy (EES) and Danish employment policies. The limitations of causal analysis and convergence approaches are discussed and a different analytical framework based on the concept of normalization is proposed. It is argued that while various forms of activation were present in Denmark well before the launching of the EES in 1997/1998, the latter has contributed to the normalization of the Danish employment policies by sustaining activation as the key element of such policies and by disregarding political interventions based on alternative problematizations of labour and well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Government coalitions should be minimal winning. However, it is an empirical fact that oversized coalitions exist. Several theories have been offered to explain this phenomenon, but they are seldom put to a systematic empirical test. When empirical tests are performed, they are typically based on data on national government formations in post-war Europe. Since these are the data that gave rise to the theories in the first place, there is a risk of post hoc hypothesis reformulation. The purpose of this paper is to test explanations of oversized coalitions systematically in a new empirical setting and thus avoid this circularity problem. We focus on local governments in Denmark and have collected data by a survey sent to almost 3,000 local councillors. We draw hypotheses from three broad theoretical perspectives on oversized coalitions and test them in a logit regression analysis. The analysis shows that oversized coalitions cannot be explained by traditional coalition theories. Our results question the minimalist behavioural logic inherent in most coalition theories and suggest that parties may be motivated by norms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Annual Congress of the European Association of Nuclear Medicine took place in Copenhagen on October 13–17, 2007. The event is the major scientific and professional effort in the field of nuclear medicine in Europe. The most important developments in the fields of instrumentation, radionuclide production, radiochemistry, radiotherapy, as well as the clinical imaging fields of neurology, cardiology, oncology, and general sciences were reported. This paper emphasizes the major findings and trends at this important gathering. This review is, however, only a brief summary of the large amount of data discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To describe and compare fruit and vegetable intakes of mothers of 11-year-old children across Europe. Methods: Cross-sectional surveys were carried out in 9 European countries in October/November 2003. Self-administered questionnaires assessing fruit and vegetable consumption were used for data collection. The current paper presents dietary intake data obtained by a precoded 24-hour recall and a food frequency questionnaire. Results: The consumption levels of fruit and vegetables (without fruit juice) were in line with World Health Organization recommendations of ≥400 g/day for only 27% of all participating mothers. Based on both instruments, the Pro Children results showed comparatively high average fruit intake levels in Portugal, Denmark and Sweden (211, 203 and 194 g/day) and the lowest intake in Iceland (97 g/day). High vegetable intake levels were found in Portugal and Belgium (169 and 150 g/day), the lowest in Spain (88 g/day). A south-north gradient could not be observed in the Pro Children study. Conclusion: Fruit and vegetable intakes are low in mothers of 11-year-olds across Europe. Especially vegetable consumption can be regarded as marginal in most of the studied European countries. A high percentage of mothers indicated to eat fruit and vegetables less than once a day. The results have shown that national and international interventions are necessary to promote fruit and especially vegetable consumption in the European population of mothers. Copyright © 2005 S. Karger AG, Basel [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]