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The transition to green energy is a priority of the European Union in fighting climate change and aiming to reach open strategic autonomy, especially today when the world has entered a period of high uncertainty regarding energy security. Since the transition to green energy implies costs, resources, and new technologies, nuclear power generation could represent the buffer between the current situation and the desired one. This paper aims to analyse whether nuclear energy could represent such a buffer for Romania, which still relies on electricity imports due to the variability of internal production, considering our country's advantages in this field, namely resources of uranium and existing nuclear capacities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pandemic and, currently, the war in Ukraine revealed the fragility of the linear economic system that depends on external supply chains and emphasised the need to achieve strategic autonomy regarding the critical resources for the economy and people. Since energy has become a burning issue nowadays, based on data provided by Eurostat and the European Commission, the paper analyses the relationship between the real GDP per capita, the electricity production capacities for renewables and wastes (wind, solar and solid biofuels), and the Digital Economy and Society Index. It aims to identify possible connections between prosperity, digitalisation, and green energy sources in an attempt to understand how to achieve strategic autonomy. The research identified several statistically significant relationships between the GDP per capita, DESI and the components of electricity production capacities for renewables and wastes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increase in greenhouse gas emissions has become a significant problem for the people and the environment. As a signatory party of the Kyoto Protocol and Paris Agreement, the European Union joined the international community's efforts to achieve a 20% cut in greenhouse gas emissions by 2020 compared to 1990 levels and up to 55% by 2030 as intermediary stages towards achieving climate neutrality by 2050. Recent studies revealed that limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius to meet the Paris Agreement requirements will still be difficult under the current level of ambition. This paper aims to assess the progress registered by the EU member states in meeting the climate targets assumed according to the newest EU goals in the field. It also aims to identify levers that can help meet these objectives by analysing their relationships with greenhouse gas emissions. Our research looks for potential relations between the greenhouse gas emissions and the following indicators: life expectancy, gross domestic product, final energy consumption, final energy consumption in transport, utilised agricultural area and manufacturing value-added. To this end, this paper employs scatter plots to check for linearity, calculates the Pearson's r correlation coefficient for each analysed pair and tests them at a 95% confidence level to establish the statistical significance. Five statistically significant linear relationships at a 95% confidence level between the GHG emissions and the following indicators have been identified: life expectancy, gross domestic product, manufacturing value-added, utilised agricultural area and final energy consumption. Therefore, the decision-makers could take measures to address these levers to cut emissions at the desired level. The research is based on the literature and the data provided by Eurostat and the World Bank. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The EU has to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 55% compared to the levels recorded in 1990 by 2030, despite the higher level of ambition suggested by the European Parliament, namely 60%. It is a very optimistic goal considering the different levels of compliance to the intermediary targets by the EU member states. Reducing energy consumption or increasing the share of green energy seems to be the directions to follow to meet the requirements set by the Commission; energy consumption is the highest generator of such gases that are detrimental to all life forms and the planet. In our paper, we are modelling the relationship between final energy consumption, greenhouse gas emissions and the share of energy from renewable sources in the EU and Romania to assess their statistical significance in order to identify how the energy sector could turn into a lever in the transition towards the green economy. We identify a strong statistically significant relationship between final energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions in the EU27, as opposed to Romania's case, in which the correlation coefficient is extremely weak. We also find out that the correlation between the share of energy from renewable sources and greenhouse gas emissions is stronger and more statistically significant in Romania than in the EU27, explaining somehow the first findings. For our analysis, we use the database of Eurostat and several statistical tools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The new coronavirus crisis revealed the weaknesses of our linear economic model, particularly the overdependence on long supply chains and specific countries. In this new context, the circular economy and the principles of reducing, reusing, and recycling are getting new meanings, forcing the decision-makers into adopting new ways of achieving economic sustainability. In our paper, we investigate if, in the EU, there is any correlation between the tertiary education attainment and the recycling rate of municipal waste. We aim to emphasize that higher education is essential in the transition towards the circular economy. To this end, we used the database of Eurostat and several statistical tools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Global Economics / Revista de Economie Mondială is the property of Institute for World Economy 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 the context of the current trade wars, the major players are aiming at identifying new opportunities to keep the multilateral trade engine running. With the Belt and Road, a modern version of the ancient Silk Road, China launched an initiative that could encompass many stakeholders from various continents aiming to place herself at the core of the new world order. This research focuses on the main transportation corridors of the Belt and Road initiative, analysing them through the lenses of several relevant indicators, to identify their attractiveness degree for the EU and China and thus answering the question in the title. The analysis is based mainly on data provided by the World Bank, Eurostat, the National Bureau of Statistics of China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Global Economics / Revista de Economie Mondială is the property of Institute for World Economy 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.)

Road transport is the most important mode of transportation in the EU, followed by sea and rail. Therefore, the road infrastructure network can be considered the backbone or the primary enabler of trade and mobility in an EU country. This year we celebrate 100 years since the creation of Great Romania, a country in which the cities, towns, villages, and its citizens are still not adequately connected by a modern network or motorways and roads as a symbol of unity. As Ionel I.C. Brătianu used to say "the roads make a country". Our paper aims at portraying the state of play in road infrastructure in Romania, as compared to some relevant countries from the Soviet bloc (Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland). We based our research on the statistics provided by Eurostat, the OECD, and on the positions of the primary stakeholders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Along the history, people organised in communities needed payment means in order to exchange goods or deliver services. From beads and feathers to metal and paper money they have always improved the way transactions were made. The invention of the Internet opened new doors in the field of payments, through the quick access to information and the emergence of significant international online communities. The members of these communities became aware of the importance of decentralising the way they acquire goods or services, thus eliminating the middlemen. Cryptocurrencies represent the response of these communities to the old centralised means of payment, controlled by the bankers, politicians and interest groups. Our paper aims to analyse the cryptocurrency phenomenon revealing some of its advantages and disadvantages, to increase the awareness on the topic. We based our research on the existing literature, the relevant international databases, the official positions of the financial and regulatory institutions on the analysed matter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our paper aims at analysing the development of retail electronic commerce in the selected countries focusing on its key features and prospects in a world in which connectivity via the Internet offers both sellers and buyers the platform for exchanging information on goods and services better enabling safer transactions in line with technological progress. For the selected states our paper assesses the dynamic of the main e-tail indicators (sales, share in total retail sales, the rankings, the relevant stimuli and the main players). We based our research on the available statistics, literature and specialised online platforms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Global Economics / Revista de Economie Mondială is the property of Institute for World Economy 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.)

Copyright of Journal of Global Economics / Revista de Economie Mondială is the property of Institute for World Economy 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.)

Along the history, the people's inquisitive minds invented technologies that changed the economic landscape in ways difficult to imagine for previous generations. Among the so-called "disruptive technologies" that marked the progress of humanity: the printing press, the mechanization of the textile industry, electricity, the assembly line, nuclear energy, programmable computer, the digitalization of production, namely additive manufacturing or 3D printing seems to represent a new economic paradigm, changing the output pattern fundamentally. Our paper aims at unveiling the main features (SWOT analysis) and economic implications of this new disruptive technology, identifying the main players and sectors based on the available literature and statistical data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the past two millennia, Europe and more recent the European Union had significant interferences with the Muslim world. The first major contact date back to the 8th century, when the Muslim rulers subdued a part of the South-Western Europe, bringing on our continent their cultural, social, economic and technological values. Since then, the contact between the two civilisations has continued, being characterised by conflicts, temporary alliances, peaceful years, culminating recently with the highest wave of Islamic migration towards Europe in history. Our paper aims at unveiling the main features of the current relations between the two civilisations from three perspectives: historical, demographical and economic. We base our research on the literature, recent developments as presented in relevant journals and the available statistical data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Global Economics / Revista de Economie Mondială is the property of Institute for World Economy 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.)

Copyright of Journal of Global Economics / Revista de Economie Mondială is the property of Institute for World Economy 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.)

Copyright of Journal of Global Economics / Revista de Economie Mondială is the property of Institute for World Economy 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.)

Great Britain's withdrawal from the European Union would not only change the internal political climate, but it could have important political repercussions within the EU and also on its relations with other European Community's countries. Also, it could stimulate the other EU Member States to re-evaluate the terms and conditions of their membership. The same applies if Great Britain fails to renegotiate these terms and conditions while keeping the status of EU member. A priority for the UK is to maintain close trade relations with the EU, even if politically it would opt for withdrawal. In the event of possible withdrawal from the EU, Great Britain could conclude an agreement with the EU following the example of a customs union (after Turkey's model). In this case, it would not be obliged to contribute to the EU budget or accept immigration from the EU member states. Last but not least, from a geopolitical point of view, Great Britain's exit from the EU could be seen externally as a sign of decline, EU losing its financial, economic, political and military powerhouse. From this point of view, the European Union itself have a significant political and economic interest to conclude a mutually beneficial agreement with Great Britain considering that it could terminate its EU membership. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to increase the capacity of an economy to produce goods and services a country needs to increase the quantity and quality of its factors of production: land, labor, time, information and capital. Along the history, there have always been dominant factors of production. Among these, one of the most important proved to be "man" seen, from the economic standpoint, as "human capital". Human capital comprises knowledge, skills, talents, abilities, courage, intelligence, experiences, wisdom, health, some inherited and some acquired during lifelong learning (family, school, university, on-thejob learning, and training). Analyzing the literature in the field this paper focuses on the components that best define "human capital": education, health, leadership, migration and innovation and, using statistical data available, tries to underline how well are these components represented in successful economies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Silk Road Economic Belt, a strategic priority of the Chinese foreign policy in 2015, draws the attention to the countries of Central and Eastern Europe through the multiple benefits that it displays (investments, economic growth, trade between the countries along its corridors, job creation, infrastructure development, the strategic importance of being part of a grandiose multi-continental project). Among these benefits an important one is represented by the opportunities of Chinese investments in infrastructure, since the EU is suffering from a credit restraint. Also, The Silk Road Economic Belt could lead to a potential increase in the bilateral trade. Analyzing the literature in the field and the various official information available online, this paper aims to depict the Chinese project form the Eastern European perspective, identifying local priorities, conflicting interests, possible infrastructure projects, routes, focusing on two strategic countries in the region: Romania and Serbia, both displaying advantages and disadvantages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Global Economics / Revista de Economie Mondială is the property of Institute for World Economy 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.)

The main objective of this paper is to identify the recent global and regional trends in ICT developments and to reveal how companies improve productivity and modernize production and services. Nowadays, the digital lifestyle of the consumers forces technology companies to address their needs in order to maintain and extend the market share. In the 21st Century, wearable devices and other forms of digital applications are gaining momentum. More users are interested in buying notebooks, smart TVs, tablets, smartphones, fitness products, smart watches, connected eyeglasses in order to be in the latest fashion of 21st Century or to use them to make the difference in the competitive markets. The Internet of Things, Unified Communications and 3D printing will revolutionize our lives in the years to come. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 1869, with the opening of the Suez Canal, world trade entered a new era of development. The commercial routes linking the Far East to the western countries were shortened considerably as compared to the maritime corridor around the Cape of Good Hope. In 1914, the opening of the Panama Canal sealed the new deal in world trade, opening for business the shortest commercial routes around the world. After 145 years from the inauguration of the Suez Canal, world trade is on the eve of a new expansion. Two major projects: the expansion of both the Suez and Panama canals, planned to be completed in the next two years, will double their transit capacity. This paper does a comparative analysis of these two strategic projects, underlining the main benefits for Egypt, Panama and world trade, based on the available statistical data, reports and literature in the field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Global Economics / Revista de Economie Mondială is the property of Institute for World Economy 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.)