scholarly journals EU-financed peripheral large-scale infrastructure projects and the White Elephant syndrome: The example of Rail Baltica

2019 ◽  
Vol 69 (1) ◽  
pp. 17-39
Author(s):  
Viljar Veebel ◽  
Raul Markus ◽  
Illimar Ploom
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Public Servants ◽  
Public Investments ◽  
Common Criteria ◽  
Policy Goals ◽  
Expected Outcome ◽  
The Common ◽  
Initial Financing ◽  
The Eu

The present study revolves around the question of the appropriateness of “the White Elephant syndrome” to characterise the nature of the planned trans-Baltic railway project Rail Baltica (RB) in terms of its initial financing, long-term profitability and symbolic importance. Whereas, in general, the expected outcome of the project goes well together with the EU Cohesion Policy goals, in its concrete application RB could serve as an example of the tendency of politicians and public servants to institutionally lock themselves into certain irrational choices about publicly financed mega-projects. This is what “the White Elephant syndrome” metaphor illustrates. Methodologically, this paper aims to analyse whether RB meets the common criteria of “the White Elephant syndrome” of public investments or if it can be seen as a sustainable and profitable long-term project after the initial investment.

Large-scale randomized evidence: Trials and meta-analyses of trials

2020 ◽  
pp. 51-66
Author(s):  
Colin Baigent ◽  
Richard Peto ◽  
Richard Gray ◽  
Natalie Staplin ◽  
Sarah Parish ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Trials ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
False Negative ◽  
Premature Deaths ◽  
Common Causes ◽  
The Common ◽  
Meta Analyses ◽  
Positive Results

Clinical trials generally need to be able to detect or to refute realistically moderate (but still worthwhile) differences between treatments in long-term disease outcome. Large-scale randomized evidence should be able to detect such effects, but medium-sized trials or medium-sized meta-analyses can, and often do, yield false-negative or exaggeratedly positive results. Hundreds of thousands of premature deaths each year could be avoided by seeking appropriately large-scale randomized evidence about various widely practicable treatments for the common causes of death, and by disseminating this evidence appropriately. This chapter takes a look at the use of large-scale randomized evidence—produced from trials and meta-analysis of trials—and how this data should be handled in order to produce accurate result.

Results of the QUENCH-L2, DISCO-L2, and COMET-L2 Experiments Performed Within the LACOMERA Project at the Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe

2006 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexei Miassoedov ◽  
Hans Alsmeyer ◽  
Leonhard Meyer ◽  
Martin Steinbrueck ◽  
Pavlin Groudev ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Fluid Dynamic ◽  
Test Phase ◽  
Severe Accident ◽  
Lower Head ◽  
Dry Conditions ◽  
Experimental Facilities ◽  
Reactor Types ◽  
The Eu

The LACOMERA project at the Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe, Germany, is a 4 year action within the 5th Framework Programme of the EU which started in September 2002. Overall objective of the project is to offer research institutions from the EU member countries and associated states access to four large-scale experimental facilities QUENCH, LIVE, DISCO, and COMET. These facilities are being used to investigate core melt scenarios from the beginning of core degradation to melt formation and relocation in the vessel, possible melt dispersion to the reactor cavity, and finally corium concrete interaction and corium coolability in the reactor cavity. The paper summarizes the main results obtained in the following three experiments: QUENCH-L2: Boil-off of a flooded bundle. The test is of a generic interest for all reactor types, provided a link between the severe accident and design basis areas, and would deliver oxidation and thermal hydraulic data at high temperatures. DISCO-L2: Fluid-dynamic, thermal, and chemical processes during melt ejection out of a breach in the lower head of a pressure vessel of the VVER-1000/320 type of reactor. COMET-L2: Investigation of long-term melt-concrete interaction of metallic corium in a cylindrical siliceous concrete cavity under dry conditions with decay heat simulation of intermediate power during the first test phase, and subsequently at reduced power during the second test phase.

scholarly journals EU–Turkey relations need an honest new start

European View ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 52-57
Author(s):  
Manfred Weber
Keyword(s):  
Rule Of Law ◽  
Humanitarian Aid ◽  
Refugee Crisis ◽  
Fundamental Interest ◽  
The Rule Of Law ◽  
Eu Membership ◽  
Joint Solution ◽  
The Common ◽  
The Eu

The EU has a fundamental interest in having a constructive relationship with Turkey. However, the EU–Turkey relationship has become strained over recent years. This is why EU–Turkey relations need a new start, based on honesty about the long-term goal: EU membership is not an option for Turkey. Instead, the EU and Turkey should focus on concrete fields of cooperation. Humanitarian aid in the refugee crisis is a good example of a field in which a joint solution has been successful, as is the protection of the common external border. More joint action from the EU and Turkey is needed as regards the situation in Syria and Iraq. Turkey must overcome its democratic shortcomings. Further economic cooperation will depend on the application of the rule of law in Turkey.

scholarly journals Major tendencies in livestock changes after the EU accession

2014 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 422-428
Author(s):  
Levente Komarek
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Agricultural Sector ◽  
Arable Land ◽  
Animal Production ◽  
Living Standards ◽  
Production Costs ◽  
Production Structure ◽  
Industry Chain ◽  
The Eu

In the mid 80s Hungarian agriculture belonged to the forefront of the world in many respects, despite the fact that there was a lot to do regarding yields, production costs, production structure, and the fastness of adaptability to markets and establishing accordance between the elements of the food industry chain. The mid 1980s witnessed an energetic improvement despite the unequal pace, and then followed an era of different tensions and imbalances in Hungarian agriculture. At the time of the regime change the agricultural sector, and particularly animal production within that, suffered from the signs of crisis and it was getting into an increasingly difficult position. The vast majority of the agricultural large scale farms ceased to exist, and most of the arable land was privatised. Production fell back, its composition became more heterogeneous, sometimes with an irrational production structure and selling difficulties arouse. Profitability decreased in the field of animal production generally, and some activities even had losses. The domestic consumption fallback, which was caused by the farmers’ lack of capital, the unorganised production, and the decrease in living standards, produced an amount of unsellable goods and it made the otherwise low profitability even worse. The low level of profitability resealed in unjustified production decline and led to the fact that the number of domestic animals in Hungary decreased to a never experienced depth. Today there are positive changes in the field of animal production, which might result in the long-term growth of our livestock. This study was designed to present the major tendencies and spatial characteristics of Hungarian livestock.

scholarly journals The Dynamics of Europeanness of Lithuania’s Media Elite (2008–2015)

2017 ◽  
Vol 10 ◽  
pp. 21-51
Author(s):  
Irmina Matonytė ◽  
Gabrielė Bernatavičiūtė ◽  
Gintaras Šumskas
Keyword(s):  
Three Dimensions ◽  
Medium Term ◽  
Clear Trend ◽  
Eu Member States ◽  
Elite Group ◽  
Eu Governance ◽  
Economic Entity ◽  
The Common ◽  
The Eu

This article presents insights about Lithuania’s media elite, gained during research carried out on the basis of a complex Europeanness model, developed by Heinrich Best (Best 2012: 208-233). Data describing Lithuania’s media elite are analyzed with reference to three dimensions or facets, identified in the original model of Europeanness: emotive, cognitive-evaluative and projective-conative. However, the list of variables examined in the study is considerably longer as compared to the initial static model offered by Best, and the analysis is much more detailed. This comparative study is aimed at identifying and describing the evolution of emotive identi­fication of Lithuania’s media elite with Europe in terms of the objective and judging approach of the EU in the period from 2008 to 2015. Results of the research revealed a clear trend that Lithuania’s media elite have been be­coming European. It was noticed that it tends to increasingly associate itself emotionally with Europe. Besides, the number of representatives of this elite group that assesses the common EU governance negatively (when the EU’s common foreign policy in respect of countries found beyond the EU borders is becoming increasingly accepted) has been consistently decreasing and the trust in the EU institutions has been enhancing. Looking to the future, the representatives of Lithuania’s media elite tend to assess the EU prospects in the medium-term and long-term (10 years) optimistically. They also hold the view that 10 years later the EU, as a geopolitical, political and economic entity will be stronger, and that both social and economic differences among the EU member states will not be so sharp. Euroscepticism is seen not only on the cultural plane. Correlation analysis has revealed that young age (people under 40) and an intensive socialization in the EU networks (constant com­munication with the EU partners) determine that Lithuania’s media elite have been becoming European.

scholarly journals The Priorities of EU Energy Policy

2021 ◽  
Vol 103 (3) ◽  
pp. 117-127
Author(s):  
Yuri Borovsky ◽  
◽  
Olga Shishkina ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Energy Policy ◽  
Historical Analysis ◽  
Energy Sector ◽  
Sector Reform ◽  
Policy Goals ◽  
Eu Energy Policy ◽  
Historic Development ◽  
Key Drivers ◽  
The Eu

The article deals with the evolution, development conditions and characteristics of implementation of the EEU/EU key energy policy goals in the 1960‒2010s. The authors apply historical analysis to consider the goals of the EEU in the energy sector in the 1960‒1980s and proceed to the EU energy policy goals in the 1990‒2010s. They explore the challenges that had brought these goals to the top of the EU energy policy list and the traditional hierarchy of the EU energy policy goals. Seen through the prism of historic development, security was the first and most acute goal, integrated energy market – the second, and ecology – the third. The authors raise a question if one should expect changes in the priorities of the energy policy goals under the conditions of the ongoing ecological and climate turn in the long-term development strategies of the EU. Until 2019 security had dominated the list of the EU major energy policy goals. However, after 2020 ecology may replace security as an «umbrella goal». It has already become one of the key drivers of energy sector reform and makes the EU members give up their sovereignty in favour of the EU institutions.

scholarly journals The Relationship Between Anti-Hypertensive Drugs and Cancer: Anxiety to be Resolved in Urgent

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rong Yang ◽  
Yonggang Zhang ◽  
Xiaoyang Liao ◽  
Yi Yao ◽  
Chuanying Huang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Clinical Decision Making ◽  
Clinical Decision ◽  
Complementary Therapy ◽  
Causal Link ◽  
Tumor Treatment ◽  
Incident Cancer ◽  
The Common ◽  
The Relationship

Hypertension is the prevailing independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease worldwide. Anti-hypertensive drugs are the common and effective cure for lowering blood pressure in patients with hypertension. However, some large-scale clinical studies have pointed out that long-term ingestion of some oral anti-hypertensive drugs was associated with risks of incident cancer and the survival time. In contrast, other studies argue that anti-hypertensive drugs are not related to the occurrence of cancer, even as a complementary therapy of tumor treatment. To resolve the dispute, numerous recent mechanistic studies using animal models have tried to find the causal link between cancer and different anti-hypertensive drugs. However, the results were often contradictory. Such uncertainties have taken a toll on hypertensive patients. In this review, we will summarize advances of longitudinal studies in the association between anti-hypertensive drugs and related tumor risks that have helped to move the field forward from associative to causative conclusions, in hope of providing a reference for more rigorous and evidence-based clinical research on the topic to guide the clinical decision making.

scholarly journals Implementing Nature-Based Solutions in Rural Landscapes: Barriers Experienced in the PHUSICOS Project

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 1461
Author(s):  
Anders Solheim ◽  
Vittoria Capobianco ◽  
Amy Oen ◽  
Bjørn Kalsnes ◽  
Turid Wullf-Knutsen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Urban Areas ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Practical Implementation ◽  
Horizon 2020 ◽  
Rural Landscapes ◽  
Rural Settings ◽  
Main Barrier ◽  
Risk Reducing ◽  
The Eu

Nature-based solutions (NBS) are becoming increasingly important in both the EU and individual countries’ political agendas, as a sustainable means to reduce the risk posed by hydrometeorological hazards. However, as the use of NBS is increasing, a number of barriers regarding their practical implementation also become apparent. A number of review studies have summarized and classified barriers, mainly in urban settings. PHUSICOS is a Horizon 2020 Innovation Action to demonstrate the use of NBS in rural and mountain landscapes. Large-scale demonstrator case sites with several sub-projects are established in Italy, Norway and in the French and Spanish Pyrenees. The present paper describes the project’s NBS measures and their experienced barriers, some of which have resulted in full cancellation of the planned interventions. Many of the barriers experienced in rural settings have the same root causes as the ones described from urban areas, and the main barrier-creating mechanisms are institutional factors, resistance among stakeholders and technical and economic issues. The key element, however, is the lack of knowledge about the ability of NBS to deliver a series of co-benefits in addition to their risk-reducing effects and that long-term thinking is required to see the effect of many of these co-benefits.

scholarly journals Implementing Nature Based Solutions in Rural Landscapes; Barriers Experienced in the PHUSICOS Project

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anders Solheim ◽  
Vittoria Capobianco ◽  
Amy Oen ◽  
Bjørn Kalsnes ◽  
Turid Wullf-Knutsen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Urban Areas ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Practical Implementation ◽  
Rural Landscapes ◽  
Rural Settings ◽  
Spanish Pyrenees ◽  
Main Barrier ◽  
Risk Reducing ◽  
The Eu

Nature Based Solutions (NBS) are becoming increasingly important in both the EU and individual countries' political agendas, as a sustainable means to reduce the risk posed by hydrometeorological hazards. However, as the use of NBS is increasing, a number of barriers regarding their practical implementation also becomes apparent. A number of review studies have summarized and classified barriers, mainly in urban settings. PHUSICOS is a H2020 Innovation Action to demonstrate the use of NBS in rural and mountain landscapes. Large scale demonstrator case sites with several sub-projects are established in Italy, Norway and in the French and Spanish Pyrenees. The present paper describes the project's NBS measures, and their experienced barriers, some of which have resulted in full cancellation of the planned interventions. Many of the barriers experienced in rural settings have the same root causes as the ones described from urban areas, and the main barrier-creating mechanisms are institutional factors, resistance among stakeholders and technical and economic issues. The key element, however, is lack of knowledge about the ability of NBS to deliver a series of co-benefits in addition to their risk-reducing effects, and that long-term thinking is required to see the effect of many of these co-benefits.

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