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Designing and implementing relevant and effective environmental policies and fostering green and environmental-friendly approaches and behaviors are constant aims for policy makers all over the world. Concurrently, implementing environmental policies involves significant economic and financial efforts, in order to repair environmental damage and to prevent future negative environmental consequences. How effective are the environmental expenditures and how are they related to the economic growth, i.e. the GDP level, are issues of major concern at a governmental level. In this article we are examining the relation between GDP and environmental expenditure, by using statistical data available for EU economies, for the time period 1995-2013. We found that the Environmental Kuznets Curve hypothesis is supported in most of the EU economies, both for government environmental protection and specialized providers, public and private environmental protection. Further and deeper analyses performed showed different situations for specific countries and even a negative relation between GDP and government environmental protection for specific cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unlike the countries self-proclaimed as countries of destination for migrants, such as the USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand (the so-called "New World"), Europe had a difficult time getting used to the fact that it has become a target for immigration flows and lucidly addressing this phenomenon. Many companies in European countries have been deeply reluctant to accepting immigrants, especially those from non-OECD countries, who are perceived as having a significantly different cultural background and ethnicity. Anti-immigration feelings were expressed by public support for restrictive immigration and asylum policies, the negative presentation of immigrants and asylum seekers in the populist press, the discrimination of ethnic minority residents, or even racist or anti-immigrant manifestations, often leading to harassment and violence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The author's purpose is to provide a brief overview of the European migration policies that have sometimes led to the emergence of certain political dilemmas. Several considerations were made regarding the policies in this field, which may be divided into four categories: labour migration policy, migration control policy, the asylum and protection systems, respectively, integration policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]