scholarly journals Government social spending in the EU countries: efficiency in poverty and income inequality reduction

Equilibrium ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 405-424
Author(s):  
Magdalena Cyrek
Keyword(s):  
Income Inequality ◽  
Poverty Alleviation ◽  
Value Added ◽  
State Intervention ◽  
Social Spending ◽  
Social Efficiency ◽  
The South ◽  
Crisis Period ◽  
Eu Countries ◽  
The Eu

Research background: Income inequality and poverty attract a lot of attention among politicians, activists as well as scientists, who are trying to find a solution to these socio-economic problems. State intervention is commonly expected in this field, however, there is no agreement about the most efficient methods and instruments, as well as about the scale of public expenditure for the purpose of limiting poverty and inequality. Purpose of the article: The aim of the paper is to specify efficiency of government social spending in reducing problems of poverty and income inequality in the EU countries. Moreover, the attention is paid to changes in the efficiency in a period of the 2007 crisis occurrence and its overcoming and to sources of the changes. Methods: To fulfill the main goal of the paper, the DEA method is used, which enables to compare the social efficiency of the EU countries. The Malmquist index is also calculated and decomposed to identify changes in the efficiency and their sources in the crisis period. Data used in the analyses were obtained from Eurostat and OECD databases and cover the period from 2007 to 2016 year. Findings & Value added: The main findings of the paper shed some light on the differences in social efficiency of government spending in the EU countries. Generally, the countries with a higher level of social spending are also those with lower efficiency in inequality reduction, however, the relationship doesn’t appear for poverty alleviation. Thus, the research suggests some substitution between the scale and the efficiency of social spending, at least for the inequality dimension. Moreover, some differences in a social model can be found between the countries of the  South and of the North: the countries of the South focus their social policy mainly on inequality reduction, while the Scandinavian countries as well as some other affluent societies direct their public support mainly on poverty alleviation. The research also shows that in the crisis period decreases in efficiency concerned mainly the poverty dimension. It reflects the fact that the poor were the losers of the crisis in favor of the middle classes. The efficiency losses were induced by negative changes in the current usage of public sources, while institutional reforms positively influenced the efficiency.

The Service Sector in the Economy in Poland and European Union Countries

2015 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 191-207
Author(s):  
Walentyna Kwiatkowska
Keyword(s):  
Service Sector ◽  
Value Added ◽  
Total Employment ◽  
Eu Countries ◽  
Gross Value Added ◽  
European Union Countries ◽  
Service Sectors ◽  
Sector Theory ◽  
The Eu

The role of the service sector in the economy is increasing in the process of socio-economic development. This tendency has been confirmed and explained by the three-sector theory formulated by A.G.B. Fisher, C. Clark, and J. Fourastie. The main goal of the paper is to show development tendencies in service sectors in Poland and the EU countries and assess them in view of the three-sector theory. The share of the service sector in the total employment and in the total gross value added in the years 2005-2013/2014 will be analysed together with two sub-sectors including market and non-market services. The research shows that the share of the service sector in total employment and total gross value added has been recently increasing in Poland as well as in other EU countries, but there is a gap in this process between Poland and the most developed EU countries. Moreover, in Poland, the role of market services has been recently increasing much faster than the role of non-market services. 

scholarly journals National fiscal frameworks in the post-crisis European Union

Equilibrium ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 623-642
Author(s):  
Agata Szymańska
Keyword(s):  
Public Finance ◽  
European Union ◽  
Value Added ◽  
Fiscal Rules ◽  
Agglomerative Clustering ◽  
Clustering Method ◽  
Public Finances ◽  
Eu Countries ◽  
The Eu ◽  
Fiscal Frameworks

Research background: The latest economic and financial crisis has seriously injured European Union Member States, affecting the condition of their public finances. In the face of the crisis, the EU made a special effort to increase the effectiveness of national fiscal frameworks, e.g. by improving the compliance with legislation. The post 2009 reforms were aimed at providing a solid economic foundation for the national fiscal frameworks, especially in the high-debt euro area countries. Purpose of the article: The goal of this research is twofold. Firstly, it aims to provide an outline of the national fiscal governance in the EU. Secondly, the paper analyzes the changes in the core measures of fiscal governance in the EU between the crisis period and the year 2016 (due to the latest available data) and investigates the similarities in the progress made by the 28 EU countries in restoring balance in public finance. Methods: To achieve the goal, the literature review and the analysis of core elements of national fiscal frameworks are provided. In the empirical section the grouping method for all 28 EU countries based on the Ward's agglomerative hierarchical clustering method is employed. The study uses data derived from the AMECO database (in the case of fiscal data) and the European Commission thematic data for quality indexes of particular elements of fiscal governance (numerical fiscal rules, medium-term budgetary frameworks and independent fiscal institutions). Findings & Value added: This paper contributes to the literature by, on the one hand, attempting to analyze changes in main fiscal governance measures and, on the other hand, by assessing their link with public finance through employment of the agglomerative clustering method. Based on the results, the conclusion about the importance of the improvement in fiscal frameworks is provided. The analysis shows that countries with better national fiscal framework achieved better results in public finances regardless the macroeconomic conditions.

scholarly journals Globalization and Income Inequality: Comparative Analysis of the European Countries

2021 ◽  
Vol 92 ◽  
pp. 08003
Author(s):  
Irina Atanasova ◽  
Tsvetomir Tsvetkov
Keyword(s):  
Comparative Analysis ◽  
Income Inequality ◽  
Value Added ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
European Countries ◽  
Political Systems ◽  
Problematic Issue ◽  
The Developed Countries ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Eu

Research background: The globalization of the European countries within the EU and the Eurozone is primarily economic and is expressed by the free trade and the movement of capital and labour, which determines the incomes and the GDP. Globalization and its impact on inequality is becoming an essential and problematic issue, especially in the context of on-going economic integration processes between the countries in Europe, which seek to converge their economic, social and political systems in the Euro area. The process of inequality has become even more relevant in the context of globalization. Purpose of the article: The paper aims to examine the impact of globalization on the inequality in the developed and the emerging economies in Europe. Methods: On the basis of an econometric assessment, a comparative analysis of the effect of globalization on the inequality in the developed European countries and the emerging countries is carried out. Findings & Value added: The paper analyses the essential aspects and the effects of the income inequality dynamics, both horizontally and vertically. It also addresses the question of whether the effect of globalization on the economic growth and the inequality is the same for the developing and the developed countries, respectively. Based on the research, seven important conclusions are reached.

scholarly journals The Use of Artificial Neural Networks to Analyze Greenhouse Gas and Air Pollutant Emissions from the Mining and Quarrying Sector in the European Union

Energies ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (8) ◽  
pp. 1925 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jarosław Brodny ◽  
Magdalena Tutak
Keyword(s):  
Neural Networks ◽  
European Union ◽  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Value Added ◽  
Air Pollutant ◽  
Pollutant Emissions ◽  
Mining Activities ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Eu Countries ◽  
The Eu

The European Union (EU) is considered one of the most economically developed regions worldwide. It was driven by the mining industry for several decades. Despite certain changes in this area, a number of mineral and energy resources are still being mined in the EU. Nevertheless, mining activities are accompanied by many unfavorable phenomena, especially for the environment, such as greenhouse gas and air pollutant emissions. The great diversity of the EU countries in terms of the size of the “mining and quarrying” sector means that both the volume and structure of these emissions in individual countries varies. In order to assess the current state of affairs, research was conducted to look at the structure and volume of these emissions in individual EU countries. The aim of the study was to divide these countries into homogenous groups by structure and volume of studied emissions. In order to reflect both the specificity and diversity of the EU countries, this division was based on the seven most important gases (CO2, CH4, N2O, NH3, NMVOC, CO, NOx) and two types of particulate matter (PM 2.5, PM 10) emitted into the atmosphere from the sector in question. The volume of studied emissions was also compared to the number of inhabitants of each EU country and the gross value added (GVA) by the mining and quarrying sector. This approach enabled a new and broader view on the issue of gas and air pollutant emissions associated with mining activities. The artificial Kohonen’s neural networks were used for the analysis. The developed method, the analyses and the results constitute a new approach to studying such emissions in the EU. Research that looks only at the emission of harmful substances into the environment in relation to their absolute values fail to fully reflect the complexity of this problem in individual EU countries. The presented approach and the results should broaden the knowledge in the field of harmful substance emissions from the mining and quarrying sector, which should be utilized in the process of implementing the new European climate strategy referred to as “The European Green Deal”.

scholarly journals Różnice w wydajności pracy między grupami państw UE w rolnictwie na podstawie Rachunków Ekonomicznych dla Rolnictwa (RER)

2018 ◽  
Vol 18(33) (2) ◽  
pp. 105-116
Author(s):  
Joanna Jaroszewska ◽  
Włodzimierz Rembisz
Keyword(s):  
Analytical Approach ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Labour Productivity ◽  
Value Added ◽  
Eu Countries ◽  
Gross Value Added ◽  
Labour Input ◽  
Direct Payments ◽  
The Eu

The differences of the level of labour productivity in EU countries puts at a disadvantage countries adopted into the EU after 2004 (EU-13). A derived analytical approach to this problem has been illustrated empirically. The labour productivity analysed is presented as gross value added per person employed. The Economic Accounts for Agriculture and the Agricultural Labour Input were used for the study. The research shows that the large differences of labour productivity between groups of countries is still maintained. However, it is gradually decreasing. A negative impact of direct payments on this process was also found.

scholarly journals Multidimensional comparative analysis of the competitive capacity of the European Union countries and geographical regions

2017 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 487-504 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katarzyna Cheba ◽  
Katarzyna Szopik-Depczyńska
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Comparative Analysis ◽  
International Comparisons ◽  
Value Added ◽  
Basic Question ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Eu Countries ◽  
Geographical Regions ◽  
European Union Countries ◽  
The Eu

Research background: The basic question we ask is whether is it possible to talk in today’s globalizing world about the uniform of the competitiveness of the economies? Posing such questions is particularly important in the case of political and economic structures such as the European Union. The competitiveness of the economies is now one of the most frequently discussed topics. In this work, due to the context of the conducted research (international comparisons of the EU countries’ economies) the competitiveness of international economies will be considered in terms of international competitive capacity. In addition to the problems associated with defining this concept, there are also important dilemmas concerned with the measurement of the competitiveness. In the performed comparative analyses of European economies the research results presented within reports of „Global Competitiveness Index” will be used. Purpose of the article: The main purpose of the paper is to conduct a multidimensional comparative analysis of the competitive capacity of the European Union countries and geo-graphical regions of Europe. Methods: In the paper, to study the spatial differentiation of the EU countries and geograph-ical regions of Europe in the context of their competitive capacity, the taxonomic measure of development based on median vector Weber was used. Findings & Value added: As a result, the classification and the typological groups of EU countries and geographical regions of Europe calculated on the basis of the features describing their competitive capacity arises. The value added of these research is the analysis of competitive capacity conducted not only for EU countries, but also for geographical regions of Europe. In the paper, the verification of criteria using by World Economic Forum to assess the competitive capacity of EU economies was also conducted. In this area of the research, because of high level of correlation, many features from initial database were deleted.

scholarly journals STATE FINANCIAL SUPPORT FOR SMALL BUSINESS DURING THE CORONAVIRUS CRISIS IN EUROPEAN COUNTRIES

2021 ◽  
Vol 3 (38) ◽  
pp. 326-332
Author(s):  
V. Humeniuk ◽  
Iu. Umantsiv ◽  
A. Dligach ◽  
Н. Іванова ◽  
H. Umantsiv
Keyword(s):  
Small Business ◽  
Financial Support ◽  
Complex Structure ◽  
State Intervention ◽  
State Regulation ◽  
European Countries ◽  
Financial Policy ◽  
Small Enterprises ◽  
Eu Countries ◽  
The Eu

Abstract. The aim of the conducted research is elaboration of conceptual statements and formulation of practical recommendations aimed at development of the methodological bases of state financial support for small business. On the basis of the existing theoretical statements, discovery of essential characteristics, peculiarities and systematisation of the obtained results of the research, conceptual approaches to interpretation of the features of state financial support for small business during the coronavirus crisis have been suggested. Small business is an important component of the economic system of any country. It ensures formation of the complex structure of the market for goods and services, development of efficient competition and promotes addressing the needs of consumers in conditions of formation of their sovereignty. State financial support for small business in European countries is at different stages of development. In the EU countries, financial policy of small business regulation is an example of state intervention in the mechanism of market self-regulation in order to solve social and economic problems by changing the economic behaviorur of small enterprises. The formational process, strategic priorities of state financial support for small business in European countries and macroeconomic instruments for its implementation during the coronavirus crisis have been studied. Changes in the concern of the world community in forms of state financial support for small business have been detected. A comparative and analytical examination of the instruments for macroeconomic financial regulation, which are being used during the COVID-19 pandemic in Europe, has been conducted. The research shows the importance of small business in terms of solving economic and social problems of social development, outlines the situation of state financial support in the EU countries in comparison with Ukrainian small enterprises, determines the general features and differences in state regulation of entrepreneurship. The practical significance of the obtained results consists in the fact that the main scientific statements of the article can be used in practice of state and regional management of small business. Keywords: small business, state regulation, financial support, financial policy, coronavirus crisis. JEL Classification H12, D21, E61 Formulas: 0; fig.: 2; tabl.: 1; bibl.: 12.

scholarly journals Intervention on the agricultural land market in relation to the end of the transitional period for purchasing agricultural land by foreigners

Equilibrium ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 171 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wiesława Lizińska ◽  
Renata Marks-Bielska ◽  
Karolina Babuchowska
Keyword(s):  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Value Added ◽  
State Intervention ◽  
Transitional Period ◽  
Land Market ◽  
European Economic ◽  
Traditional Form ◽  
Eu Member States ◽  
Local Traditions ◽  
The Eu

Research background: A traditional form of state intervention in agriculture comprised regulating the rights to ownership. One of the often discussed aspects of regulations refers to those binding for foreigners. Purpose of the article: The objective of the article was to analyse the position (of the European Economic and Social Committee and the Polish legislator) regarding the phenomenon of purchasing agricultural property by foreigners as well as the opinions of farmers on the consequences for the agricultural land market resulting from ending the transitional period in Poland for purchasing agricultural property by foreigners as on 1 May 2016. Methods: Direct studies were conducted in 2015 among 86 farmers in the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship. Findings and Value added: The main reason for such a discussion conducted globally and in Europe is the phenomenon of excessive concentration and the use of land for non-agricultural purposes. Whereas, the European Economic and Social Committee indicates that in order to limit unfavourable practices in the EU member states, activities directed at preventing speculation, preserving local traditions and ensuring a proper usufruct of land should be permitted. The majority of farmers were afraid of the changes in the agricultural land market after the end of the transitional period in purchasing agricultural property by foreigners.  They emphasised the above by expressing opinions on regulations binding in the transitional period and their effectiveness. With regard to the provisions of the Act of 5 August 2015, farmers were afraid of an increase in prices of agricultural land and the capital advantage of foreigners.

scholarly journals DEBT POLICY IMPLEMENTATION IN EU COUNTRIES: LESSONS FOR UKRAINE

2018 ◽  
pp. 7-19
Author(s):  
Ihor LYUTY ◽  
Yuliia TERES
Keyword(s):  
Public Debt ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Debt Crisis ◽  
Government Debt ◽  
Debt Management ◽  
Social Spending ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Eu Countries ◽  
Debt Policy ◽  
The Eu

Introduction. The implementation of debt policy in the EU countries is associated with a range of problems, in particular, rising social spending, and increasing budget deficits. In recent years, Member States have had a negative impact on the debt crisis, which is primarily due to unbridled fiscal policies of individual countries and the banking crisis. Purpose. The article is devoted to issues of implementation of debt policy in the EU countries and the problems of overcoming the consequences of the debt crisis, which began in 2008 and extends to today. An estimation of the possibilities of using this experience in Ukraine is made considering the fact that the country is on the verge of a debt crisis. Results. It has been determined that the sovereign debt crisis is a crisis of confidence for the EU, in particular the euro zone. This required adjusting both the socio-economic and financial policies of the EU. It can be argued that the Stability and Growth Pact did not take place and that now Europe needs to form a qualitatively new budget system that could more effectively cope with the adverse economic consequences or even the failure of a Member State to fulfill its obligations. It has been determined that one of the main items of budget expenditures of the European Union countries is government debt service costs. Public debt management, above all, is carried out through government debt securities. There is a tendency to reduce the share of shortterm public debt and increase the long-term, which provides reduction of budget expenditures for servicing public debt. In particular, in some EU countries there are strict rules that determine the conditions for external borrowing, for example, new loans should not exceed the annual amounts of debt to be repaid. Conclusions. It has been established that a number of measures have been implemented in the EU countries to address the consequences of the debt crisis, in particular: diversification of sources of state debt financing and optimization of terms of circulation of government debt securities; fiscal consolidation; increase maturity of debt obligations and optimize the structure of the public debt portfolio. It is concluded that the measures taken by the EU countries to overcome the consequences of the debt crisis may be useful for Ukraine and, in fact, is a step-by-step guide for the presentation of crisis phenomena, taking into account positive and negative experiences.

scholarly journals Evaluation of cultural sphere development in the European Union countries as a factor of forming social capital and creative industries: experience for Ukraine

2020 ◽  
Vol 184 (7-8) ◽  
pp. 68-78
Author(s):  
Marianna Kichurchak ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Social Capital ◽  
European Union ◽  
National Economy ◽  
Value Added ◽  
Creative Industries ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Eu Countries ◽  
Spatial Differences ◽  
Cultural Sphere ◽  
The Eu

Taking into account the European integration course of Ukraine, it is necessary to evaluate the socio-economic conditions of cultural sphere development in the countries of the European Union, because it is an integral part of creative industries and improvement of social capital. The purpose of this research is to identify the factors of cultural sphere development in the EU countries due to its importance for the system of creative industries and the process of social capital accumulation, outlining the possibilities of European experience adaptation in this sphere for Ukraine. The scientific and methodology approaches were developed to the definition of cultural sphere development factors in the EU countries from the point of view of its influence on the formation of social capital and creative industries. A comparative analysis of socio-economic development of cultural sphere in 2011-2019 was realized, including evaluation of spatial differences in its functioning on the base of variation indicators calculating and tracking their dynamics. The specification of multiple regression models was done, in which the explained variables became employment in cultural sphere (Y1) and the value of its gross value added (Y2). It is found out that the place and significance of the cultural sphere for the national economy of each EU country differ, whereas the environment of its functioning is relatively stable, which contributes to the formation of proper conditions for the accumulation of social capital and the development of creative industries. It is substantiated that spatial differences in cultural sphere development have been intensified in the EU countries due to the different intensity of social capital and creative industries network formation. The multiple regression analysis revealed that a number of explanatory variables (demographic situation, tourism activity, unemployment rate, and education index) influence employment and gross value added of the cultural sphere. It is determined that for the cultural sphere of Ukraine, taking into account the European integration and experience of the EU countries, it is important to ensure the stability of cultural sphere, minimize the effects of the demographic crisis, promote tourism development, and regulate the employment policy, which, due to synergy, will influence the social capital and the positions of creative industries in the national economy.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document