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The year 2024 marks 20 years since Poland joined the European Union. In this paper, the authors review the economic literature analysing the longterm economic effects of Poland’s membership in the EU. Their study is based on international and Polish literature referring mainly to partial and general equilibrium analyses. They show both the sectoral effects, as related to different EU policies, as well as the overall consequences of membership for the level of welfare of Polish society. The authors first discuss the trade effects in the context of the removal of barriers to the movement of goods within the Single European Market. Next, the consequences of the inflow of funds from the EU budget which finance the country’s structural funds and the Common Agricultural Policy, which are of particular importance to the Polish economy are discussed. A review of the consequences of the inflow of foreign direct investment from EU countries to Poland and the effects of labour migration within the EU is then conducted. A review of the related welfare consequences by aggregating the effects of individual policies and making an overall assessment based on a synthetic control method is then summarised. The authors then refer to their estimations showing that, thanks to EU accession, Poland’s GDP per capita 15 years after accession was higher by almost 55% compared to the counterfactual scenario of non-accession. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the solutions to achieve the goal of net-zero emissions by 2050 is to try to reduce the carbon emission by using the carbon tax or carbon credit (carbon right). This paper examines the impact of carbon taxes and carbon credit costs on the cement industry, focusing on ESG indicators and corporate profits. Utilizing Activity-Based Costing and the Theory of Constraints, a production decision model is developed and analyzed using mathematical programming. The paper categorizes carbon tax models into continuous and discontinuous progressive tax rates, taking into account potential government policies like emission tax exemptions and carbon trading. It finds that reducing emission caps is more effective than increasing carbon tax rates in curbing emissions. These insights can assist governments in policy formulation and provide a reference framework for establishing carbon tax systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Farm to Fork Strategy, which is the center of the green ambitions of the EU, presents indicators for organic farming development and sets ambitious targets. However, most EU Members lag behind, which is raising various questions about implementing the developed strategies and plans. The study aims to observe trends and changes in organic farming with a particular focus on Bulgaria and outline prospects post-2023. The analysis shows an increase in the share of organic UAA in almost all Member-States. In Bulgaria, there are variations, and the share is decreasing in 2021 compared to 2020. The EU emphasizes the importance of organic farming for the food system. Organic farms are eligible for support from several measures for 2023-2027 as a part of national strategic plans under the CAP. On the other hand, implementing the measures has to be efficient and well-targeted to achieve the EU's ambitions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, we introduce a new dataset to complement the existing evidence on economic inequalities in Poland's rural areas. This important dataset uses annual information on the beneficiaries of income support, which is paid to farmers within the European Common Agricultural Policy and covers the period 2014–2021. The data can be used to analyse the changing distribution of this support at municipality level using conventional inequality measures. Since part of the support is granted per eligible hectare, our data can also serve as a good approximation of land use distribution, and thus allow researchers to scrutinise the changes in the distribution of an important component of the wealth of many people living in rural areas. The paper presents selected findings on the distribution of income support granted to land users in the studied period and suggests potential research areas, for which the presented dataset can provide useful insights. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper assesses the environmental ambition of 2023-2027 Common Agricultural Policy in France. Since conditionality and agri-environment-climate measures are only marginally improved relative to the previous period, attention is focused on the new environmental instrument of the eco-scheme that in France targets the whole farm. Results suggest low environmental progress since almost all French farms would reach the standard level of the eco-scheme by one of the three access paths with unchanged farming practices, and 85% of them would reach the superior level. The percentage of farms at the superior level would be lower for farms specialized in annual crops than for cattle farms. We then show that the payment difference of €20 per hectare between the standard and superior level is probably insufficient for farms specialized in cereals, oilseeds and protein crops to offset the additional cost of the change in farm practices required to move from the standard to the superior level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environmental policy integration (EPI), that is, the incorporation of environmental concerns in non‐environmental policy areas, has been widely adopted in public policies. However, EPI research has found much discrepancy between environmental objectives and actual implementation. This paper argues that analyzing EPI in the context of policy mixes with multiple objectives, multiple instruments and their calibrations helps to better understand unavoidable tensions and limitations. We develop a framework to assess EPI at these three levels of policy output, synthesizing the EPI and policy mix literatures. We further distinguish four analytical dimensions to assess calibrations: stringency, specificity, flexibility, and temporality. A case study of the national implementation of the European Union's Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) in Germany 2014–2022 is used to elaborate the conceptual argument. The CAP has saliently incorporated environmental objectives, while implementation, including the calibrations of most instruments within predetermined corridors, is left to member states. A systematic meta‐review of 142 texts evaluating policy instruments and calibrations in the CAP 2014–2022, focusing on Germany, found that several CAP instruments link most farm income support to pro‐environmental behavior. These instruments could potentially have high environmental effectiveness and efficiency. But actual policy calibrations delivered weak EPI due to low stringency and specificity, while high flexibility and temporal accommodation of farmers' needs might support EPI by increasing acceptance. Weak EPI resulted from instrument calibrations in the face of unavoidable trade‐offs between competing objectives. Our results demonstrate that calibrations can significantly affect the strength of EPI adoption, and the priorities within policy mixes more generally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Digitalization makes its way into the agri-food sector; thus, new technologies provide conditions for sustainable agricultural production, contributing to "greening" of the agricultural sector. In this paper, we highlight EU as an actor that is able to form networks enhancing cooperation between the main economic and productive actors that seem to be critical for agricultural transition to digitalization. On the other hand, this proves to be a particular tool to achieve the goal of "greening" of the agri-food chain. Emphasis is laid on the extent to which this process is integrated in the European Union's Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). For the purposes of the article we rely on relational and network-based approaches, providing a holistic framework on the role the EU plays to conceptualize change for sustainable agriculture and agri-food industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of King Abdulaziz University: Engineering Sciences is the property of King Abdulaziz University, Scientific Publishing Centre 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.)

• Socio-economic factors are more important than risks in the allocation of RMT budget. • More affluent regions and areas of relatively high welfare spend more for the RMT. • Regions with high agricultural VA and more permanent crops land spend less on the RMT. • The income stabilization capacity of direct payments is an alternative to risk management. • The institutional environment and political economy processes have a key role in the allocation of budget. This paper analyses the factors influencing public expenditure on the EU's Risk Management Toolkit comparing six types of regional-level spatial autoregressive models, and finding that there is a predominance of socio-economic factors over risk and agro-ecological factors in the allocation of budget. Higher expenditure occurs in more affluent regions and in areas with clusters of relatively high welfare. Conversely, regions with high agricultural value added and a greater presence of permanent crops spend less on the Risk Management Toolkit, indicating a trade-off with private risk management products (e.g. insurance) and on-farm practices. A higher intensity of CAP subsidies tends to reduce expenditure on the Risk Management Toolkit, indicating that the income stabilization capacity of direct payments might be an alternative to risk management and indicating a substitution between policies. Moreover, a strong spatial dependence of the regional expenditures indicates a key role of the higher-level institutional environment and political economy processes in the allocation of budget. The paper concludes deriving policy implications for the new CAP reform which is characterized by higher flexibility in deciding what policy instruments to implement at the territorial level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The agri-environment-climate measures of the European Union Common Agricultural Policy are incentives aiming to reduce negative environmental impacts and increase positive effects generated from agriculture. Several criticisms have been addressed to their efficiency and effectiveness and thus, the design of innovative contract solutions is currently suggested. Among the novel contractual solutions, there are result-based payments, collective implementation of measures, the engagement of private and business actors in value chains, and new forms of land tenure systems coupled with environmental clauses. Little is known about the factors at interplay influencing farmers' decision to uptake such contracts. The present paper investigates the acceptability determinants of the above-mentioned novel contractual solutions concerning a sample of nearly 1900 farmers from 10 European Union countries. The analysis is based on a questionnaire built through a common research framework. We apply ordered logistic regressions: both proportional and partial proportional odds models are used. Farmers' preferences are interpreted by splitting the innovative contractual solutions into 13 individual contractual features which are then modeled in combination with the structural characteristics of the farms and the sociodemographic and behavioral characteristics of the farmers. We estimate farmers' willingness to enroll in result-based, collective, value-chain, and land tenure contracts and highlight the positive and negative factors potentially influencing farmers' acceptability of each type of contract. • Acceptability of result-based, collective, value chain, and land tenure contracts • Through ordered logistic regressions on 1866 farmers from 10 EU countries • Contractual design features matter (implementation details more than contract type) • Farmers have a good level of interest, but trade-offs in design and implementation • Managerial aspects/contractual design features matter vs. farms' structural characteristics [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

External shocks and policy spillovers have facilitated a gradual shift away from the exceptionalism (exclusive role of agricultural interests) in the EU Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). This article argues that post-Lisbon decision-making rules and procedures, against some of the expectations, slowed this process. First, the parallel veto-based negotiations on the bloc's finances gave status quo actors the opportunity to influence the CAP indirectly (by blocking the redistribution of CAP funds) and directly (through package deals). Second, the co-decision procedure allowed the ministers of agriculture and the European Parliament's Committee of agriculture to change the proposals of the more reform-minded Commission more easily. The argument is supported by the case of the CAP 2023–2027 reform, which resulted in limited changes given the Brexit-related cut in CAP funding (external shock) and the inclusion of environmental targets as part of the European Green Deal (policy spillover effects). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In this study, the changes in corneal cap and residual stromal thickness (RST) values during a 180-day observation period after refractive lenticule extraction small incision lenticule extraction (ReLEx SMILE) were assessed. Methods: Fifty patients underwent ReLEx SMILE using the VisuMax 500 femtosecond laser, with corneal imaging conducted pre and post procedure via anterior segment optical coherence tomography (AS-OCT). Cap thickness in the center and 1.5 mm from the center in four meridians was measured at various intervals. Results: The results showed a significant decrease in cap thickness 180 days post procedure compared to earlier intervals (p < 0.05). Similarly, RST decreased gradually and significantly post procedure (p < 0.05). Notably, changes in cap thickness within the central 1.5 mm area were more dynamic than RST changes during the 6-month observation period following SMILE. Conclusions: The corneal cap thickness measured with swept-source AS-OCT within the central 1.5 mm area underwent more dynamic changes than the residual stromal thickness during the 6-month observation following SMILE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Annals of the Polish Association of Agricultural & Agribusiness Economists is the property of Polish Association of Agricultural & Agribusiness Economists 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.)

Mycotoxins, harmful compounds produced by fungal pathogens, pose a severe threat to food safety and consumer health. Some commonly produced mycotoxins such as aflatoxins, ochratoxin A, fumonisins, trichothecenes, zearalenone, and patulin have serious health implications in humans and animals. Mycotoxin contamination is particularly concerning in regions heavily reliant on staple foods like grains, cereals, and nuts. Preventing mycotoxin contamination is crucial for a sustainable food supply. Chromatographic methods like thin layer chromatography (TLC), gas chromatography (GC), high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and liquid chromatography coupled with a mass spectrometer (LC/MS), are commonly used to detect mycotoxins; however, there is a need for on-site, rapid, and cost-effective detection methods. Currently, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA), lateral flow assays (LFAs), and biosensors are becoming popular analytical tools for rapid detection. Meanwhile, preventing mycotoxin contamination is crucial for food safety and a sustainable food supply. Physical, chemical, and biological approaches have been used to inhibit fungal growth and mycotoxin production. However, new strains resistant to conventional methods have led to the exploration of novel strategies like cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) technology, polyphenols and flavonoids, magnetic materials and nanoparticles, and natural essential oils (NEOs). This paper reviews recent scientific research on mycotoxin toxicity, explores advancements in detecting mycotoxins in various foods, and evaluates the effectiveness of innovative mitigation strategies for controlling and detoxifying mycotoxins.