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Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries are struggling with internal and external macroeconomic and social factors in their catching-up strategies to be closer, as economic wealth, to the Western developed European countries. In these ex-communist countries, institutional factors could be seen as critical for success in narrowing the income gap. The paper proposes an analysis of the impact of economic and financial development and globalization on the income gap in 11 Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries (Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovak Republic and Slovenia) for the period of 1996 to 2019, taking into consideration institutional factors. The study analyses the variables: transition coefficient as a proxy for income gap, GDP per capita, KOF Financial Globalisation Index, Financial Development Index and World Bank Institutional Indicators in a panel approach methodology and estimation of FMOLS and DOLS equations. The paper's findings show that all considered factors have a significant contribution to the income gap in the examined period of time. Economic and financial development, as well as institutional quality, is positively associated with the closing income gap, while globalization has a negative influence. It is also revealed the direction of the causality relationship between the considered variables: from economic and financial development, globalization and institutional quality to the income gap. These findings suggest some policy recommendations in support of the continuation of the European integration process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we contribute to the literature on determining the real exchange rate by using models that incorporate structural breaks and nonlinearities. We estimate cointegrated dynamic ordinary least squares regressions and quantile regressions. We find that the estimated coefficients for the EU members from central and eastern Europe are different to those for the other member states. We also find that the models are different before and after the crisis that started in 2008, and this affects the outcome of the long-run equations for the EU15 + Cyprus and Malta. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Acta Universitatis Lodziensis. Folia Oeconomica is the property of Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Lodzkiego and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

In recent years, forced marriage as a manifestation of violence against women has entered the public agenda in European Union countries. This is partly due to higher numbers of migrants from regions where it is a regular practice. This paper aims to show the different ways violence manifests itself in forced marriage, both symbolically and practically - in terms of experiences - based on a qualitative sample of women with a range of migration backgrounds residing in Catalonia. The intersectional gender approach of the analysis enables the interaction to be considered of various factors when it comes to understanding contexts of risk and violence, as well as exit strategies from forced marriage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

INTRODUCTION Under the European Union (EU) Tobacco Products Directive (2014/40/EU) (TPD), manufacturers and importers of tobacco products are required to report information to the European Commission (EC) and Member States (MS) on products intended to be placed on the market. We describe the distribution of notifications to the EU Common Entry Gate (EU-CEG) and identify key fields for improvement on reporting cigarettes or roll-your-own (RYO) tobacco. METHODS A cross-sectional analysis of secondary data reported in the EU-CEG was conducted for tobacco products notified within EU-CEG between June 2016 and October 2019 for 12 EU MS. Analysis of compliance to specific regulations for priority additives that refer to cigarettes and RYO was conducted for 10 EU countries. RESULTS Overall, 39170 tobacco products were notified. This included 16762 (42.8%) notifications of cigars, followed by cigarettes 11242 (28.7 %), waterpipes 3291 (8.4%), cigarillos (n=1783), pipe (n=1715), RYO (n=1635), chewing tobacco (n=1021), novel tobacco products (n=839), herbal products for smoking (n=535), other (n=258), nasal (n=74) and oral tobacco (n=15). In cigarettes and RYO tobacco products, the proportion of ingredients notified in all countries that contained an unknown Chemical Abstract Services (CAS) number was 3.8% and 2.1%, respectively. The proportion of underreporting flagging of priority additives ranged from 15.9% in Malta to 41.3% in Lithuania, the mean proportion of underreporting of the variable 'priority additive' for the 10 countries together was 24.7%. CONCLUSIONS In the EU-CEG data base, for the period of analysis, a significant number of product notifications took place while large variations in the number of types of tobacco products notified across EU countries was noted. The timely monitoring of these data is needed so that products non-compliant within the EU-CEG system are assessed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The study aims to highlight opportunities for educational and non-governmental institutions in European Union member states to undertake initiatives that enhance and certify the digital skills of citizens and workers. Methods: The article is based on an exploratory research approach and presents mixed research methods and techniques. The first part presents a descriptive analysis of digital competencies in EU policy based on a review of literature and EU legislation. This was followed by a qualitative analysis based on data from Eurostat’s online database to diagnose the current level of digital competencies in the EU and trends in this area in recent years. Finally, a case study of an international educational project aimed at contributing to the achievement of the Union’s goals for improving the digital competencies of citizens and workers is presented. Results: The results obtained and their analysis indicate an urgent need to intensify educational efforts to improve digital competence in Europe. The case study can be used to raise and certify the level of digital competence for different target groups. Conclusions: From the point of view of the priorities set by the European Union, the digital competence of its citizens is unsatisfactory, and large discrepancies between countries in this area have been identified, which requires the implementation of more educational initiatives to develop digital resilience. Project-based learning initiatives generating open and free online tools for certifying existing and acquired digital skills in the EU are recommended. Developing a unified system of EU standards to prove the digital competence of citizens and workers can help on the way to achieving better competitiveness and sustainability of the European market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The objective of the article is to examine the influence of environmental policy stringency on the eco-innovation level, measured by a number of patents, in European Union countries. Research Design & Methods: The research method was quantitative. The study used ordinary least squares (OLS) panel regression analysis based on data covering 18 EU countries (Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, and Sweden) and a period from 2013 to 2020 (144 observations). In estimated models, gross domestic product per capita, material import dependency, and human resources in science and technology served as control variables. The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, the European Innovation Scoreboard, Eurostat, and the World Bank were the data sources. Findings: Higher stringency of technology support and market-based instruments positively influences ecoinnovation-related patents in EU countries whereas more strict non-market-based instruments do not impact the eco-innovation level. Technology support instruments are more effective in stimulating eco-innovation than market-based instruments. Individual technology support instruments differ in their impact on eco-innovation with R&D subsidies being the most important. The stringency of feed-in tariffs and auctions is a significant factor triggering eco-innovation in the case of wind energy technologies, but not in the case of solar ones. Implications & Recommendations: This study suggests that stringent technology support and market-based instruments are effective in stimulating eco-innovation in EU countries considered in the research sample. The environmental policy aimed at fostering eco-innovation should concentrate on increasing R&D subsidies for clean technologies. Further tightening emission standards aiming to enhance eco-innovation level is not recommended. Contribution & Value Added: This study contributes to the literature on the importance of environmental policy stringency in fostering eco-innovation and provides new empirical evidence by examining not only instruments that may have an indirect impact on eco-innovation (i.e. market and non-market ones) but also technology support instruments, which have received less attention in previous studies. The analysis used data on the recently updated and improved OECD environmental policy stringency index. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Acta Universitatis Lodziensis. Folia Luridica is the property of Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Lodzkiego and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Objective: The research aimed to identify practices applied by European companies regarding corporate social responsibility reporting and their relationship with the membership of companies in the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC) international organization. Research Design & Methods: In total, the research sample consisted of 935 companies from 34 European countries. To evaluate the statistical significance of the relationship between the selected variables, we used quantitative methods, including the Pearson chi-square test. Findings: On a large research sample, our research confirmed the impact of membership in the UNGC on non-financial reporting practices, such as: preparing integrated reports, reporting on sustainable development goals (SDGs), using the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) guidelines for multinational enterprises, International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 26000 corporate social responsibility guidelines, and decisions on external assurance of sustainability reporting. Implications & Recommendations: Conducted research has practical implications. Because the UNGC is an important factor in regard to social change towards corporate social responsibility (CSR) reporting practices, it requires further promotion in European Union (EU) member states. New company membership in UNGC can contribute to the development of CSR reporting. Contribution & Value Added: The article contributes to the literature on sustainability reporting because it provides new insights into the CSR reporting practices by public interest entities located in the EU countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the increasing trade tensions between the United States and China, pressures created by Brexit, and the COVID-19 pandemic, most trade scholars have focused on rising protectionism exhibited through defensive strategies such as tariffs and export controls. However, this focus ignores the fundamental shift in international trade goals of the United States and the European Union towards a values-based trade agenda. Instead of merely focusing on free trade based on efficiency and market access, trade regulators on both sides of the Atlantic have independently pursued measures designed to address environmental sustainability and social equity. These policies resonate with their domestic constituencies and allows them to promote their values along global supply chains. These values-based agendas, however, are likely to create new trade conflicts rather than partnerships. This is due in part to the fact that the transatlantic trade relationship remains embedded in international regulatory frameworks predominantly focused on efficiency gains and cutting red tape to ease the flow of products and services. Through two comparative case studies on cosmetics and medical devices, we highlight how the promotion of competitive liberalization in transatlantic trade has not generated the promised harmonization result. Instead, it has created social and environmental inequities. The case studies point out that to incorporate social and environmental equity adjustments for vulnerable and marginalized communities, trade regulators, negotiators, and lawyers alike ought to assess the ex-ante distributive effects in regulatory cooperation and the ex-post enforcement tools of regulation of their valuesbased trade agenda. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Theoretical background: The role of banks in the economy has attracted scientific interest for many centuries now. Generally speaking, the relationship between financial development and economic growth has been widely discussed. Many studies investigated the links between the development of the financial sector and a given country’s social and economic growth using econometric methods such as cross-section, time series, panel data, company-level, industry-level and country level. The banking sector is an integral part of the economy and plays a key role in its development. Purpose of the article: The ownership status of financial institutions is not neutral for themselves or for their clients. The research problem deals with analysing the impact of ownership changes in the banking and insurance sector on the economic and social development of selected countries, especially in Poland, measured with basic macroeconomic indicators. The article attempts to verify the hypothesis that the ownership structure in banking and insurance institutions has, contemporarily, no significant impact on the socio-economic development indicators, provided that these institutions are guided by business- rather than policy-based criteria in their decision-making process. Research methods: Both qualitative and quantitative research was used to empirically verify the hypotheses in question. Qualitative research is based on descriptive analysis while quantitative research will include statistical information systemization method, based on statistical source data analysis, and static dependence methodology, including fixed effects and random effects panel models. Main findings: Literature studies and research show that moderation and pragmatism are needed in the financial sectors of EU countries, including Poland. We need both public (including state-owned) financial institutions (banks and insurers) and those controlled by private capital. It seems that today it would be difficult to accept that the entire financial sector of a given country would be taken over by public institutions – state-owned companies, and the omnipotence of private institutions would also be problematic. The main issue is proportions: instead of the exclusivity of one or the other form of ownership, one has to seek an intelligent balance between them (“this and that” instead of “either-or”). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article proposes a policy project, centered around coordinated collective bargaining at the European Union level, to redistribute income towards low-wage workers in post-crisis Europe. It suggests we allow labor unions in sectors employing low-wage workers to present common wage demands across sectors and EU Member States. It shows that this would make union wage increases less harmful to workers and consumers than under uncoordinated sectoral bargaining, while coming more directly at the expense of managers and investors. The article then describes existing EU legal institutions that—although they do not quite amount to the policy proposed here—constitute useful precedents for it. These institutions are European social dialogue, European Works Councils, and European Framework Agreements bargained for by multinational firms and worker representatives. The article also discusses doctrines of EU competition and internal market law that could potentially be held to prohibit European cross-sectoral collective bargaining coordination. The article lays out arguments in favor of finding such coordination lawful, so that it may form part of the EU’s policy arsenal to address wrenching economic inequalities worsened by the ongoing economic and health crises. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research background: Since 2004, 11 post-communist countries joined the EU. It has helped to strengthen their international competitiveness. This was linked to the implementation of institutional and economic reforms, significant technological changes and improvements in the quality of human capital, as well as fiscal stabilisation policies. These changes affected their situation in the labour market. Purpose of the article: The aim of the study is to assess changes in the situation in the labour market in the EU with particular emphasis on the post-communist countries in the period 2002-2019. Methods: The situation of countries in the European labour market was estimated using the TOPSIS method. A similarity matrix of changes in the composite variable for each country was then constructed using the Dynamic Time Warping method. On its basis, homogeneous clusters of countries were determined using the Ward's method. Findings & value added: Four homogenous clusters of countries were formed. The postcommunist ones belonged to two groups. In one, there were two countries -- Croatia and Slovakia. The rest of the post-communist countries were in a large cluster, which also included Germany, Malta, Finland, Portugal, France and Belgium. Changes of the situation in the postcommunist countries in this group improved very much during the analysed period (this was particularly evident for Czechia, Estonia and Poland). It is interesting to investigate whether the reaction of labour markets to changes in the global economic situation in post-communist countries is similar to that in the old EU countries. The similarity of changes can be measured using the DTW method. There is an empirical research gap in this respect. Therefore, the added value is the use of this method in assessing similarities of changes in the labour market situation in postcommunist countries in comparison to the Western European ones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]