Search

In this paper, we study how free labor mobility agreements in Europe, usually thought to favor inward migration, might actually create good incentives for already settled migrants to exit their host country. Using outmigration data between 1990 and 2011, a period of observation where some countries entered the EU and especially a period during which Schengen agreements have been progressively implemented by a large number of European countries, we could test this conjecture. While the evidence for EU is mixed, we find very strong evidence that Schengen did increase migrations outflows by 40 to 53%. The effect appears to be even higher for outmigrants originating from Eastern Europe after their countries' accession to Schengen. Also, and consistent with the hypothesis of preferences for living at home or in a country with a close culture to home, the effect of Schengen on outmigration happens to be smaller when the countries of origin and of residence of the outmigrants are close in terms of their cultural traits. Also, we document that the Schengen effect is significantly higher for outmigration flows than for immigration flows by almost 20 percentage points. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper provides a new synthesis of perforated fish vertebrae in prehistoric and historic Europe, with a particular focus on Poland, within the broader context of Central and Eastern Europe. The earliest examples of such artefacts in Europe date from the Upper Palaeolithic, but compared to other 'beads' manufactured from animal bone, perforated fish vertebrae are rare. This paper examines the diachronic trends in the range of species that have been chosen for such objects, as well as their depositional contexts. Despite the wide range of freshwater and marine species exploited by people, only the vertebrae of a few species—especially pike and catfish—were selected for use as beads. There is a general shift from their deposition in funerary contexts in prehistoric European societies to their association as low‐status objects associated with Christian private devotion in the post‐conversion period. However, this may not reflect continuity in the use of fish vertebrae, with a shift in their symbolism after the conversion to Christianity, given the substantial chronological gaps in the archaeological record. This synthesis nonetheless provides a solid foundation for contextualising future archaeological finds of such artefacts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper presents Pentecostalism that is primarily a mission movement more than a hundred years old. It reflects on the place and role in World Christianity of this still young and growing church tradition, and the relationships between Pentecostalism and the ecumenical movement. The challenges that Pentecostalism is facing are discussed, with special attention to the Eastern European context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study drying trends across the central latitude strip of Europe (47.5–52.5°N and 2.5–27.5°E) during 1980–2019 and their links to atmospheric circulation. Daily differences between potential evapotranspiration and precipitation (PET–P) calculated from the E–OBS data are used to characterize dryness, and atmospheric circulation is represented by circulation types classified using daily sea level pressure patterns from the NCEP/NCAR reanalysis. Circulation types favoring dry conditions in vegetation season (April–September) are identified based on daily PET–P, and their temporal changes, seasonal variations, and links to trends in dryness in individual European regions are analyzed. In the early vegetation season (AMJ), drying trends are observed mainly in Western and Central Europe while in the late vegetation season (JAS), they are located predominantly in Eastern Europe. The dry circulation types include all anticyclonic types in all regions, as well as northeast to south (southwest in Eastern Europe) directional types. Trends of the dry circulation types correspond to those of dryness: the largest increase is found during AMJ in Western and Central Europe but during JAS in Eastern Europe. The results show that trends in dryness in the central latitude strip of Europe in the warm half‐year were associated with changes in atmospheric circulation, as the largest increases in frequency of dry circulation types occurred in the regions and months affected by pronounced drying. The increasing frequency of anticyclonic types in AMJ and reduced inflow of moist air masses from the Atlantic are the key factors supporting intensification of dry conditions in European mid‐latitudes. Plain Language Summary: Drought is a major climatic hazard that threatens many aspects of society and ecosystems. The 2015–2018 dry period and the recent dry summer of 2022 in Europe are mere examples of many recent droughts developing worldwide. We studied how dryness severity progressed in Europe since 1980 and whether trends in dryness were linked to changes in atmospheric circulation. We found distinct regional patterns in drying trends: while Western and Central Europe recorded the largest increases in dryness during the early vegetation season (April–June), Eastern Europe, by contrast, had more distinct drying trends in the late vegetation season (July–September). We linked this pattern to changes in frequency of circulation types favorable to dryness and concluded that increased frequency of anticyclonic (clear‐sky) weather and reduced westerly flow of moist oceanic air contributed to drought intensification in European mid‐latitudes. Key Points: Significant drying trends in European mid‐latitudes since 1980s have been primarily linked to growing potential evapotranspirationDry conditions during early vegetation season have become more frequent and severe particularly in Western and Central EuropeIncreased frequency of circulation types favoring dry conditions corresponds both spatially and temporally to the drying trends [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

. In this paper, we study the effects of inward foreign direct investment ( FDI) and trade on relative skilled labour demand in Poland, Hungary, and the Czech Republic. Our estimates show significant heterogeneity in the FDI effect across the three economies: the effect is always significantly positive for Hungary, weakly negative for Poland, and negligible for the Czech Republic. As to trade, we find much more homogeneity in coefficient estimates, which are generally negative for all countries, although significant only in the case of Hungary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Butterflies are charismatic insects and have been well studied, particularly in Europe. They are disproportionately used in generating and testing hypotheses; on everything from general evolutionary processes, such as speciation or host association dynamics; to conservation‐related studies, such as climate change or habitat loss. Accurate lists of the larval foodplants for European butterflies are not readily available. Mistakes are propagated and information cannot be checked for accuracy. The level of evidence is unknown, and how usage varies between countries is poorly understood. The study consulted 1119 references to produce 19,488 records of larval foodplants for European butterflies. This resulted in 5589 larval host plant records for 464 European butterfly species, with multiple references, enabling information to be checked. Information was unavailable for 59 species. The level of evidence for each relationship shows the current state of knowledge. Significant issues were identified for 3.9% of records extracted from references due to mistakes, ambiguous or unknown plant names, distribution issues, resulting in information being lost. Plants with questionable distributions suggest either mis‐identification or species that have been split. Little is known about plant usage in Eastern Europe. The larval foodplants of many monophagous and Satyrinae butterflies are poorly studied. Only 63% of threatened 2010 Red Listed butterflies have reliable host plant records. The study has provided ecologists with a valuable resource, of a more accurate checklist of the larval foodplants for each European country. Why plant usage varies over a butterfly's distribution opens up some interesting research questions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Whereas current policies on migration and integration are beginning to recognise family reunion as one of the most legitimate reasons for acceptance by a host society, they in most cases still do not account for the growing trend of feminisation of migration, and even rarely do they address specific migrants' needs. As currently constituted, the integration bills envision a one-way process that places migrants into a position where they cannot question, but only accept and fulfil the predetermined requirements of integration plans. But who are the women that migrate, what influence do their transnational experiences have on their families, and how do migration policies envision the reality of increasing transnationalism? This paper focuses on biographical interviews with migrant women in Slovenia as a valuable method to question current integration measurements, applied here to explore female migrants' experiences in transnational family life and social networks. A gender sensitive approach is applied that critically evaluates the specificities of family reunification policies, which define women migrants as dependent family members. We discuss life trajectories of women migrants, focusing the debate on their own experiences in and with family life. This new empirical material is used to theorise gaps in contemporary migration research. Women migrants' own reflections of transnational family ties show a great variety of experiences and their narratives are a unique window into motivational, political, as well as legal dimensions of migration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyses the importance of taxes on corporate income and production-related tangible infrastructure as determinants of foreign direct investment (FDI) in Central and Eastern European countries (CEECs). We operationalise taxes using effective average tax rates on the bilateral level and employ indices derived from principal component analysis as a proxy for the infrastructure endowment. In the empirical analysis we control for a possible interrelation between taxes and infrastructure as determinants of FDI – an issue usually neglected in the literature. Specifically, a favourable infrastructure endowment may compensate for relatively high taxes. Hence, higher taxes may not deter FDI. The results from our panel econometric analysis of bilateral outward FDI flows of seven home countries in eight CEECs for the 1995–2004 period in an augmented gravity model setting show that (i) both taxes and infrastructure play a role in the location decisions made by multinational enterprises; (ii) telecommunication and transport infrastructure are of special significance to FDI; and (iii) the tax-rate sensitivity of FDI indeed decreases with the level of infrastructure endowment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 1990s has been a turbulent decade for inter-national migration in the UNECE region. While recorded movements have declined in recent years in Western Europe, major questions surround the frequency of unrecorded and irregular migrations which many believe are steadily increasing in number, though the evidence is problematic. Central and Eastern Europe is characterised by short-term, short-distance, cross-border movement, most of which is foreconomic purposes and takes advantage of the openness of the informal sector. In North America the main thrust of immigration has long been towards permanent settlement, whereas in Europe most migration has, initially at any rate, been temporary, albeit frequently leading to settled immigrant communities. In the 1990s immigration debates in Canada and the US seem to have increasing echoes of those across the Atlantic. Especially in the US the 'immigrationethos' is increasingly questioned. This paper elaborates on these issues by attempting to identify what is actually happening. How important is migration? What are the patterns and trends? How significant are new and unrecordedtypes of flows? What dilemmas are presented to the managers of the UNECEmigration systems? [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Single motherhood has increased throughout Europe. Single mothers assume the dual role of provider and caregiver and often need external support from public policies or kin to meet their needs. Research has focused primarily on public policies, disregarding the role of kin support—and of multigenerational coresidence in particular. This study provides the first detailed description of single mothers' multigenerational coresidence in Europe. To do so, we combine census and survey microdata from 31 European countries. The data reveal large geographic variation in single mothers' coresidence. Whereas coresidence is a rare and temporary living arrangement in Northern and Western Europe, it is common and more permanent in Southern, Central, and especially Eastern Europe. At the same time, coresidence has declined in almost all countries with data from the past half‐century. These findings suggest large and persistent variation in kin support for single mothers and thus question the assumption of its marginal role in Europe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents information on the paper "Industrial Buyer Attitudes Towards Goods Made in Eastern Europe," by Joseph B. Chasin and Eugene D. Jaffe. The purpose of the authors was to determine the image among potential U.S. buyers of products available for export from Russia and Eastern European countries. Useable responses to a questionnaire survey were obtained from 82 executives with responsibilities for purchasing in companies in the New York City area in fields likely to use such products. Less than a third of' the companies had had any business dealings with any Eastern European country in the past ten years, most of them with Russia and the rest chiefly with Hungary and Rumania. The images were measured by comparing respondents' ratings of Eastern European producers on various criteria with those for U.S. suppliers. The criteria consisted of five product attributes: quality, workmanship, style, dependability and advanced technology, and five marketing values: credit/terms, value for the money, on time delivery, reputation and maintenance/service.

The author reflects on the relationship between alcohol consumption and liver cirrhosis mortality in Eastern Europe. He asserts that a 1-liter increase in per capita alcohol consumption is estimated to generate three to four additional liver cirrhosis deaths per 100, 000 for men and one death for women. He likewise stresses that alcohol use triggers liver cirrhosis mortality as well as reduce the life span and productivity of emerging economies.

This article applies ideal-typical welfare state theory in analysing the recent transition and the current position of welfare state systems in Eastern Central Europe, taking the cases of Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovenia. The article argues that Eastern Central European welfare state systems have returned to their historical and cultural roots of welfare state formation and development, to the time before the onset of state socialism in Soviet times. First, social security policies and social and labour laws were established when the vast bulk of Eastern Central European countries were member states of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, sharing the same political economy, legal system and culture. Over the last 20 years, the socialist system of employment-based social services and benefits has been replaced with Bismarckian-type social security policy and systems. While there are major alterations here and there – in ideal-typical perspective – the four countries under scrutiny share all the major traits of Continental European (Christian Democratic) welfare regimes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Itch is a common symptom in the general population. Affected individuals often do not seek medical consultation and rely on Internet searches to obtain information regarding their itch. Objectives: The aim of this study was to attain insights into common concerns of the general population regarding itch can by analysing itch‐related Internet search behaviour. Methods: Google AdWords Keyword Planner was used to assess search volumes for itch‐related terms in 15 European countries between September 2014 and August 2018. All identified keywords were qualitatively categorized. Itch‐related terms were descriptively analysed and are shown as number of searches/100 000 inhabitants. Results: The search volume for the keyword 'itch' per 100 000 inhabitants was highest in Northern Europe, followed by Eastern, Central and Southern Europe. In 4/15 countries, itch was searched for more often in the autumn/winter months compared to in the spring/summer months. Most itch‐related terms were related to dermatological conditions such as inflammatory skin diseases (e.g. psoriasis, atopic dermatitis), allergic or immunologic conditions (e.g. urticaria), and infectious diseases or infestations (e.g. scabies). In terms of body location, genitoanal itch dominated the searches. Symptoms and signs related to itch, possible non‐dermatological aetiologies, and treatment options were also among the most searched terms. Conclusions: These analyses provided for the first time insights into the search behaviour patterns related to itch across Europe. People from Northern and Eastern Europe are more likely to seek online information regarding itch. Causes for the itch, especially dermatological conditions, and genitoanal itch are the most important concerns for Internet users. This unconventional and inexpensive method identifies medical needs of people beyond the medical setting, including people who do not seek medical consultation. Accordingly, the data could be used to guide public health interventions and manage respective inhabitants' medical needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently, all European countries offer some form of breast cancer screening. Nevertheless, disparities exist in the status of implementation, attendance and the extent of opportunistic screening. As a result, breast cancer screening has not yet reached its full potential. We examined how many breast cancer deaths could be prevented if all European countries would biennially screen all women aged 50 to 69 for breast cancer. We calculated the number of breast cancer deaths already prevented due to screening as well as the number of breast cancer deaths which could be additionally prevented if the total examination coverage (organised plus opportunistic) would reach 100%. The calculations are based on total examination coverage in women aged 50 to 69, the annual number of breast cancer deaths for women aged 50 to 74 and the maximal possible mortality reduction from breast cancer, assuming similar effectiveness of organised and opportunistic screening. The total examination coverage ranged from 49% (East), 62% (West), 64% (North) to 69% (South). Yearly 21 680 breast cancer deaths have already been prevented due to mammography screening. If all countries would reach 100% examination coverage, 12 434 additional breast cancer deaths could be prevented annually, with the biggest potential in Eastern Europe. With maximum coverage, 23% of their breast cancer deaths could be additionally prevented, while in Western Europe it could be 21%, in Southern Europe 15% and in Northern Europe 9%. Our study illustrates that by further optimising screening coverage, the number of breast cancer deaths in Europe can be lowered substantially. What's new? Breast cancer is the leading cause of death among European women. Although screening for breast cancer is available in all European countries, not all eligible women aged 50‐69 get screened. Here, the authors calculated how many deaths could be prevented if screening coverage reached 100%, considering both organized and opportunistic screening. Already, screening prevents 21 680 deaths per year, and if all countries reached full examination coverage, an additional 12 434 deaths per year could be prevented across Europe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At regional to local scales internal variability is expected to be a dominant source of uncertainty in analyzing precipitation extremes and mean precipitation even far into the 21st century. A debated topic is whether a faster increase in subdaily precipitation extremes can be expected. Here we analyzed seasonal maximum precipitation in various time steps (3 hr, days, and 5 days) from a high‐resolution 50‐member large‐ensemble (CRCM5‐LE) and compared them to changes in mean precipitation over Europe. Our results show that the magnitude of change in extreme precipitation varies for season and duration. Subdaily extremes increase at higher rates than daily extremes and show higher scaling with temperature. Northern Europe shows widespread scaling above Clausius‐Clapeyron of subdaily extremes in all seasons and for daily extremes in winter/spring. Scaling above Clausius‐Clapeyron is also visible over Eastern Europe in winter/spring. For most regions and seasons the forced response emerges from the internal variability by midcentury. Plain Language Summary: The knowledge on how and why the intensity and frequency of extremes changes is critical to a resilient society. Our adaptive measures that are currently in place are based on observed extremes of the past. We know that observations are only one realization of a chaotic system and that the climate system is altered by natural variations, and anthropogenic contributions. Since we can only measure one realization of the world, we need climate models to investigate the influence of natural variability and anthropogenic factors. In this study we focus on the contribution of natural variability and the detection of regional patterns of changes in extreme precipitation. We used regional climate simulations, driven by multiple runs of global climate simulations under the same emission scenario, but with slight changes at the start of the simulation to imitate the butterfly effect of the climate system and simulate natural variability. We have found that natural variability plays a dominant role in the first half of the 21st century. But we have also found that subdaily extreme precipitation is increasing at a higher rate than daily extremes and that some of this change can be attributed to the warming of the atmosphere. Key Points: Subdaily extreme precipitation intensifies faster than daily extremes and mean precipitationOn regional scales internal variability remains a dominant source of uncertainty until the end of the 21st centuryWidespread scaling rates of subdaily extremes above Clausius‐Clapeyron over Northern and Eastern Europe [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most of the nature‐related economic costs and human losses in many regions of Europe are due to extreme weather events such as heat waves, cold spells, persistent droughts, heavy precipitation and intense cyclonic wind‐storms. Extreme precipitation events are projected by climatic models to become more intense over the continent while droughts might last longer by the end of the century. In dry regions as Southern Europe, soils are predicted to dry out as temperatures and evapotranspiration rise and rain‐bearing atmospheric circulations become less frequent. Prospects on the future of climate indices linked to extreme phenomena are herein derived by using observed and model projected daily meteorological data. Specifically, E‐OBS high resolution gridded datasets of observed precipitation and surface minimum and maximum temperatures have been used as the regional observed baseline. For projections, the same meteorological variables have been obtained from a set of regional climate models integrated in the European EURO‐CORDEX project, considering the RCP8.5 future emissions scenario. A quantile–quantile adjustment has been applied to the simulated regional scenarios to reduce biases in modelled extreme regimes. Results suggest that warm days will substantially increase across Europe, consistently with a decrease of cold nights. An increase in heat wave amplitude is expected across the continent, with South Eastern Europe and the Mediterranean as the most affected regions. In contrast, Northern Europe will undergo the largest decrease in cold spell magnitude. An overall rise in the frequency and volume of heavy precipitations is projected in all seasons, even if the number of dry days is also expected to increase, except in the Baltic countries. Regarding abnormally long dry periods (extreme droughts), we find that the occurrence of episodes would reduce over Europe as consequence of projected increases in length. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the key reasons for the scholarly and policy concern about the rising levels of ethnic diversity is its apparently detrimental effect on the production of public goods. Although numerous studies have tackled that issue, there is still much ambiguity as to the precise micro‐level mechanisms underpinning this relationship. In this article, a novel theoretical explanation for this relationship is proposed, building on the social resistance framework. This proposition is tested using a new cross‐sectional public opinion survey covering 14,536 respondents in 817 neighbourhoods across 11 Central Eastern European countries. Analysing national minorities defined by postwar border changes means one can overcome the endogeneity problem faced by research based on immigrant groups. The findings show that it is the combination of a minority group's discrimination and its spatial clustering that makes minorities reluctant to contribute to public goods. The article constitutes a novel theoretical and methodological contribution to the research on the effects of diversity on public goods provision. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract This article argues for a fresh approach to debates on democratic backsliding and European Union (EU) influence in East Central Europe (ECE), drawing on the discursive institutionalism of Vivien Schmidt. Underlying assumptions about backsliding in CEE largely reflect a set of ideas derived from the rational institutionalist and historical institutionalist schools. Moreover, the same theoretical assumptions were previously deployed to explain the apparent success of democratization and EU leverage in CEE. A discursive institutionalism perspective, stressing the role of actors and their discourses in making and unmaking institutions, suggests that democracy in CEE was always less secure than assumed. It also highlights the key role of liberal mainstream parties in embodying democratic institutions. Case studies of the liberal centre‐right in Bulgaria and social democrats in the Czech Republic highlight the way background ideas of ethnically exclusive titular states have increasingly impinged on foreground ideas of liberal pluralism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: To estimate temporal trends in adolescents’ current cigarette, alcohol and cannabis use in Europe by gender and region, test for regional differences and evaluate regional convergence. Design and Setting: Five waves of the European School Survey Project on Alcohol and Other Drugs (ESPAD) from 28 countries between 1999 and 2015. Countries were grouped into five regions [northern (NE), southern (SE), western (WE), eastern Europe (EE) and the Balkans (BK)]. Participants: A total of 223 814 male and 211 712 female 15–16‐year‐old students. Measurements: Daily cigarette use, weekly alcohol use, monthly heavy episodic drinking (HED) and monthly cannabis use. Linear and quadratic trends were tested using multi‐level mixed‐effects logistic regression; regional differences were tested using pairwise Wald tests; mean absolute differences (MD) of predicted prevalence were used for evaluating conversion. Findings: Daily cigarette use among boys in EE showed a declining curvilinear trend, whereas in all other regions a declining linear trend was found. With the exception of BK, trends of weekly drinking decreased curvilinear in both genders in all regions. Among girls, trends in WE, EE and BK differed from trends in NE and SE. Monthly HED showed increasing curvilinear trends in all regions except in NE (both genders), WE and EE (boys each). In both genders, the trend in EE differed from the trend in SE. Trends of cannabis use increased in both genders in SE and BK; differences were found between the curvilinear trends in EE and BK. MD by substance and gender were generally somewhat stable over time. Conclusions: Despite regional differences in prevalence of substance use among European adolescents from 1999 to 2015, trends showed remarkable similarities, with strong decreasing trends in cigarette use and moderate decreasing trends in alcohol use. Trends of cannabis use only increased in southern Europe and the Balkans. Trends across all substance use indicators suggest no regional convergence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives The aim of the study was to evaluate differences in immunovirological response to combination antiretroviral therapy ( cART) in migrant and native men and women within a European collaboration of HIV cohorts Collaboration of Observational HIV Epidemiological Research in Europ ( COHERE) in EuroCoord, 2004-2013. Methods Migrants were defined as those with geographical origin ( GO) different from the reporting country and were grouped as originating from Western Europe and Western Countries ( WEWC), Eastern Europe ( EE), North Africa and the Middle East ( NAME), sub-Saharan Africa ( SSA), Latin America ( LA), Caribbean ( CRB) and Asia/Oceania ( ASIA/ OCE). Native ( NAT) individuals were defined as those originating from the reporting country. CD4 cell counts were modelled using piecewise linear mixed-effects models with two slopes, whereas models to estimate subdistribution hazard ratios ( sHRs) were used for time to virological response ( VR) (i.e. time from cART initiation to the first of two successive HIV RNA measurements < 400 HIV-1 RNA copies/ ml). Results Of 32 817 individuals, 25 799 (78.6%) were men. The percentage of migrants was higher in women (48.9%) than in men (21.2%) and migrants from SSA accounted for the largest migrant group (29.9% in men and 63.3% in women). Migrant men and women from SSA started at lower CD4 cell counts than NAT individuals, which remained lower over time. VR was ≥ 85% at 12 months for all groups except CRB women (77.7%). Compared with NAT men and women, lower VR was experienced by NAME [ sHR 0.91; 95% confidence interval ( CI) 0.86-0.97] and SSA ( sHR 0.88; 95% CI 0.82-0.95) men and CRB ( sHR 0.77; 85% CI 0.67-0.89) women, respectively. Conclusions Immunovirological response to cART in Western Europe varies by GO and sex of patients. ART benefits are not equal for all, underlining the point that efforts need to prioritize those most in need. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and aims Barriers linked to drug control systems are considered to contribute to inequitable access to controlled medicines, leaving millions of people in pain and suffering. Most studies focus on access to opioids for the treatment of severe (cancer) pain. This study aims to identify specific access barriers for patients with opioid dependence in legislation and regulations of 11 central and eastern European countries. Methods This study builds on a previous analysis of legislation and regulations as part of the EU 7th Framework Access To Opioid Medication in Europe (ATOME) project. An in-depth analysis was undertaken to determine specific barriers for patients with opioid dependence in need of opioid analgesics or opioid agonist therapy (OAT). For each country, the number and nature of specific potential barriers for these patients were assessed according to eight categories: prescribing; dispensing; manufacturing; usage; trade and distribution; affordability; penalties; and other. An additional keyword search was conducted to minimize the omission of barriers. Barriers in an additional category, language, were recorded qualitatively. Countries included Bulgaria, Cyprus, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia and Turkey. Results Ten of the 11 countries (all except Estonia) showed specific potential barriers in their legislation and regulations. The total number of barriers varied from two (Slovenia) to 46 (Lithuania); the number of categories varied from one (Slovenia) to five (Lithuania). Most specific potential barriers were shown in the categories 'prescribing', 'usage' and 'other'. The total number in a single category varied from one to 18 (Lithuania, prescribing). Individual differences between countries in the same specific potential barrier were shown; for example, variation in minimum age criteria for admission to OAT ranging from 15 (Lithuania, in special cases) to 20 years (Greece). All countries had stigmatizing language in their legislation. Conclusions Patients with opioid dependence are likely to experience specific barriers to accessing opioids in addition to those experienced by other non-dependent patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article reconsiders the relative growth performance of centrally planned economies in the broader context of postwar growth in Europe. It reports a new dataset of revised estimates for investment rates in eastern European countries between 1950 and 1989. Complemented with data on other growth determinants, this evidence is used to re-evaluate the socialist growth record in a conditional convergence framework with a panel of 24 European countries. After controlling for relative backwardness, investment rates, and improvements in human capital, the findings show that centrally planned economies underperformed due to their relative inefficiency only after the postwar golden age. In the 1950s and 1960s, eastern Europe was falling behind mainly due to relatively low levels of investment and weak reconstruction dynamics. Both are explained, in part, by the lack of labour-supply flexibility that, in turn, resulted from the comparatively much larger negative impact of the war on population growth in eastern Europe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The aim of the study was to understand the characteristics of the International Federation of Psycho-oncology Societies (FPOS) and possible disparities in providing psychosocial care in countries where psycho-oncology societies exist.Method: A survey was conducted among 29 leaders of 28 countries represented within the FPOS by using a questionnaire covering (i) characteristics of the society; (ii) characteristics of the national health care system; (iii) level of implementation of psycho-oncology; and (iv) main problems of psycho-oncology in the country.Results: Twenty-six (90%) FPOS returned the questionnaires. One-third reported to have links with and support from their government, while almost all had links with other scientific societies. The FPOS varied in their composition of members' professions. Psychosocial care provision was covered by state-funded health services in a minority of countries. Disparities between countries arose from different causes and were problematic in some parts of the world (eg, Africa and SE Asia). Elsewhere (eg, Southern Europe and Eastern Europe), austerity policies were reportedly responsible for resource shortages with negative consequences on psychosocial cancer care. Half of FPOS rated themselves to be integrated into mainstream provision of care, although lack of funding was the most common complain.Conclusions: The development and implementation of psycho-oncology is fragmented and undeveloped, particularly in some parts of the world. More effort is needed at national level by strong coalitions with oncology societies, better national research initiatives, cancer plans, and patient advocacy, as well as by stronger partnership with international organizations (eg, World Health Organization and Union for International Cancer Control). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Politics & Policy is the property of Wiley-Blackwell 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.)

Background: Although the literature offers various theoretical explanations for the existence of informal patient payments, empirical research has mostly focused on socio‐demographic features as determinants of these payments. The role of health‐care users’ perceptions on informal payments are rarely taken into account especially in multicountry surveys. Objective: Our aim is to examine the association between informal payments for health‐care services and perceptions of health‐care consumers about paying informally as well as socio‐demographic characteristics. Design: We use data from a multicountry quantitative empirical research conducted in 2010. Setting and participants: A national representative sample is drawn in six Central and Eastern European countries – Bulgaria, Hungary, Lithuania, Poland, Romania and Ukraine. In each country, about 1000 respondents are interviewed. Main variables studied: Data related to informal payments for health‐care services consumed during the preceding 12 months are analysed in addition to data on respondents’ perceptions about paying informally and socio‐demographic data. Results: Health‐care users in Bulgaria and Poland are less inclined to make informal payments, while health‐care users in Romania and Ukraine most often report such payments. The informal payment rates for Hungary and Lithuania fall between these two groups. In all six countries, individuals who feel uncomfortable when leaving the physician's office without a gratuity and who feel unable to refuse the request of medical staff to pay informally, more often make informal payments. Conclusions: Such consumers’ perceptions can undermine policy efforts to eradicate these payments; therefore, health policy measures should reinforce social resistance to informal payments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The economic crisis has significantly challenged national welfare states and has often led to retrenchment. The question arises how countries have reacted to the crisis in the area of family policy - not directly connected to rising unemployment and also not as demanding for state spending as for example the pension system. This article analyzes family policy reforms during the crisis in three small European welfare states - Austria, the Czech Republic and Slovenia. Focusing on the 'rationale' behind the reforms, it aims to explore how family policy was affected by the crisis and whether the crisis gave rise to new policy pathways and ideas in the area. The exploratory case studies of reforms conducted in the three countries between 2009 and 2013 show that everywhere the pre-crisis policy pathways were also continued in the period of crisis. The reforms were framed by diverse paradigms related to national-specific contexts along with newly emerged austerity arguments. The Czech Republic shows a continued focus on a neo-liberal paradigm, utilizing the crisis to introduce further residual measures, i.e. mostly negative re-familializing reforms, mixed with de-familializing policies based on the workfare paradigm. Strong crisis-related discourse in Slovenia was accompanied by diverse austerity measures, which strengthened the social dimension of family policy and weakened a de-familialistic effect of the pre-crisis reforms. Austria, much less affected by the crisis, continues to combine social investment and 'freedom of choice' paradigms, introducing an ambivalent amalgam of positive familialistic and de-familialistic family policy reforms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

European countries show substantial variation in family policy and in the extent to which policies support more traditional male-breadwinner or more gender egalitarian earner-carer family arrangements. Using data from the European Social Survey, the authors implemented multilevel models to analyze variation in fertility intentions of 16,000 men and women according to individual-level characteristics and family policy across 21 European countries. Both traditional and earner-carer family support generosity were positively related to first-birth intentions for men and women. In contrast, only earner-carer support maintains its positive relationship with second birth intentions. Family policy is not in general related to third and higher order parity intentions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article analyzes the role of welfare systems in shaping migration patterns in central and eastern Europe. It argues that states have played a crucial role in affecting migration by creating and widening opportunities for potential and actual migrants through welfare system policies. This explains why CEE countries where social spending figures have been lower, unemployment benefit schemes less extensive and where labour market mismatches remained unaddressed, experienced greater out-migration. The article contributes to our understanding of how sending countries' institutional factors affect out-migration by investigating the role of sending states' institutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this article is to contribute to the debate on how governance and rural development may operate in the alternative political setting of Central and Eastern Europe. Presenting a case study of a UK-funded Rural Partnership Programme ( RPP) implemented in the Ukmerge District of Lithuania, crucial determinants on the operation of the governance and rural development model that arise from characteristics of the post-socialist rural environment are identified and discussed. Three channels of influence on the operation of the RPP in this post-socialist case study District are explored: the recent period of transition; historical experiences of socialism; and local variations within the Ukmerge District. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of EuroChoices is the property of Wiley-Blackwell 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.)

What factors explain the wave of adoption of the flat tax in Eastern Europe? It is argued in this article that, once the first few successes were underway, governments with liberal outlooks toward taxation adopted the reform through a process of rational learning: an often radically new government will tend to adopt the policy based on successful implementation of its neighbours. The issue of policy diffusion is approached by explicitly modeling the different mechanisms that might underlie the process. Little evidence is found for pure ‘bandwagoning’ in the adoption of the flat tax – the presence of other market-minded reforms do not predict adoption of the flat tax, and contagion measures do not capture the dynamics of the adoption of the reform. Instead, rational learning, where economically right-wing governments evaluated the success of the reform (as measured by their ability to attract foreign investment) in the medium term, plays the largest role. Rational emulation in a shorter time period contributes to the probability of adoption as well, as does a change to an economically liberal ideology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Examines the role of migration on the spread of AIDS in Eastern Europe and the Community of Independent State countries. Effect of the collapse of communist systems on the region's health services pressured by growing number of migrants; Labor migration in former Soviet states contributing to the prevalence of AIDS cases in the area.

The text of the public lecture "Is Socialism Doomed?" is presented, originally delivered by political science author Daniel Singer in Berkeley, California, on April 20, 1994. The author discusses the perceived end of socialism due to the collapse of the Soviet Union and the destruction of the Berlin Wall, as well as the conditions of social democracy in western Europe. Topics include unemployment in western Europe, the role of capitalism in eastern Europe, and social conditions in Russia.