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At crossroads. Current problems of Russia’s gas sector

Author(s): Szymon Kardaś / Language(s): English

The Russian gas sector has found itself in a difficult situation. The mounting challenges and problems are primarily the consequence of the sector’s politicisation, the growing rivalry between Gazprom and the so-called independent gas producers, changes on external gas markets and the absence of reforms, which have been repeatedly postponed. Because Gazprom serves as an internal and foreign policy instrument and a source of revenues for the Russian elite, economic calculations or the interests of the sector as a whole have often been ignored by the state. This has led to problems in the gas production sector and challenges in external markets. // The purpose of this paper is to present the current condition of the Russian gas sector and its prospects. To a limited extent, the paper also discusses the wider context of the changes that occurred in the Russian gas sector in the years 2000-2016.

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Shale gas in Bulgaria, the Czech Republic and Romania. Political context - legal status - outlook

Author(s): Tomasz Dąborowski,Jakub Groszkowski / Language(s): English

Despite their initial interest in shale gas exploration, over the past year Bulgaria, the Czech Republic and Romania have become increasingly sceptical about the development of unconventional gas resources. In January of this year Bulgaria introduced an indefinite ban on the exploration and production of shale gas and Romania followed suit in May by introducing a six-month moratorium on exploration work, which it plans to extend by another two years following the country’s parliamentary elections scheduled for December.Similar measures are being planned by the government in Prague. The aim of this report is to explore the reasons why countries which claim to want to improve their energy security have been showing increasing scepticism towards shale gas.

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Germany's energy transformation: difficult beginnings

Author(s): Marta Zawilska-Florczuk,Konrad Popławski,Piotr Buras / Language(s): English

Initiated in May 2011, several months after the Fukushima nuclear disaster, Germany’s energy transformation (Energiewende) has been presented as an irrevocable plan, and – due to the speed of change required – it represents a new quality in Germany’s energy strategy. Its main objectives include: nuclear energy being phased out by 2022, the development of renewable energy sources (OZE), the expansion of transmission networks, the construction of new conventional power plants and an improvement in energy efficiency.The cornerstone of the strategy is the development of renewable energy. Under Germany's amended renewable energy law, the proportion of renewable energy in electricity generation is supposed to increase steadily from the current level of around 20% to approximately 38% in 2020. In 2030, renewable energy is expected to account for 50% of electricity generation. This is expected to increase to 65% in 2040 and to as much as 80% in 2050. // The impact of the Energiewende is not limited to the sphere of energy supplies. In the medium and long term, it will change not only to the way the German economy operates, but also the functioning of German society and the state. Facing difficulties with the expansion of transmission networks, the excessive cost of building wind farms, and problems with the stability of electricity supplies, especially during particularly cold winters, the federal government has so far tended to centralise power and limit the independence of the German federal states with regard to their respective energy policies, justifying this with the need for greater co-ordination. The Energiewende may also become the beginning of a "third industrial revolution", i.e. a transition to a green economy and a society based on sustainable development. This will require a new "social contract" that will redefine the relations between the state, society and the economy. Negotiating such a contract will be one of the greatest challenges for German policy in the coming years.

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Niemiecka transformacja energetyczna: trudne początki

Author(s): Konrad Popławski,Marta Zawilska-Florczuk,Piotr Buras / Language(s): Polish

Zainicjowana w maju 2011 roku, kilka miesięcy po awarii elektrowni atomowej w Fukushimie transformacja energetyczna RFN przedstawiana jest jako decyzja ostateczna, a ze względu na narzucone tempo zmian stanowi nową jakość w strategii energetycznej Niemiec. Głównymi jej założeniami są: rezygnacja z energii jądrowej do 2022 roku, rozwój odnawialnych źródeł energii (OZE), rozbudowa sieci przesyłowych, budowa nowych elektrowni konwencjonalnych i wzrost efektywności energetycznej.Strategia ma się opierać głównie na rozwoju odnawialnych źródeł energii. Zgodnie z nowelizacją ustawy o OZE, udział energii odnawialnej w produkcji prądu ma systematycznie wzrastać – z obecnych ok. 20% do ok. 38% w 2020 roku. W 2030 roku ma on już wynieść około 50%, w 2040 roku – 65%, a w 2050 – aż 80%. // Konsekwencje Energiewende nie ograniczają się do sfery zaopatrzenia w energię. W średnim i długim okresie spodziewać się można zmian w funkcjonowaniu nie tylko gospodarki, lecz także niemieckiego społeczeństwa i państwa. Utrudnienia rozbudowy sieci przesyłowych, zbyt wysokie koszty budowy farm wiatrowych, problemy z zaopatrzeniem w energię elektryczną w szczególnie mroźne zimy skłaniają rząd federalny do centralizacji władzy i ograniczania suwerenności krajów związkowych w realizacji ich polityk energetycznych. Dotychczas takie próby dokonują się pod hasłem zwiększenia koordynacji. Energiewende może też okazać się początkiem „trzeciej rewolucji przemysłowej” w kierunku zielonej gospodarki i społeczeństwa opartego na zrównoważonym rozwoju. Konieczne będzie zawarcie nowej „umowy społecznej”, a więc ułożenia na nowo relacji państwo-społeczeństwo-gospodarka. Wynegocjowanie takiej umowy będzie jednym z najważniejszych wyzwań niemieckiej polityki w nadchodzących latach.

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Breaking the boundaries. The transformation of Central European gas markets

Author(s): Tomasz Dąborowski / Language(s): English

According to the European Council decision of February 2011, the process of creating the European Union’s internal gas market should be completed by the end of 2014. Therefore, it is worth summarising the changes which have taken place in the gas markets of Central Europe so far. The past few years have seen not only a period of gradual ‘marketisation’ of the national gas sectors, but also the building of new gas infrastructure, a redrawing of the gas flow map, and changes in the ownership of the Central European gas companies. Another change in Central Europe is the fact that individual states and companies are moving away from their traditional focus on their national gas markets; instead, they are beginning to develop a variety of concepts for the regional integration of Central European markets. This publication attempts to grasp the main elements of the ongoing transformation of Central Europe’s gas markets, with particular emphasis on the situation in Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary.

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Przełamując bariery. Transformacja środkowoeuropejskich rynków gazu

Author(s): Tomasz Dąborowski / Language(s): Polish

Zgodnie z decyzją Rady Europejskiej z lutego 2011 roku proces tworzenia wewnętrznego rynku gazu Unii Europejskiej ma zostać zakończony z końcem 2014 roku. W związku z tym warto podsumować przemiany, jakie dokonały się na rynkach gazu w Europie Środkowej. Ostatnie lata to nie tylko okres stopniowego „urynkowienia” krajowych sektorów gazowych, ale również czas realizacji szeregu nowych inwestycji infrastrukturalnych, przewartościowań w krajobrazie przesyłu surowca oraz zmian własnościowych wśród środkowoeuropejskich spółek gazowych. Zmianą w Europie Środkowej jest również fakt, że poszczególne państwa i firmy gazowe odchodzą od tradycyjnej, krajowej perspektywy w myśleniu o swoich rynkach. Zaczynają natomiast rozwijać różnorodne koncepcje regionalnej, środkowoeuropejskiej integracji rynków gazu. Niniejsza publikacja przedstawia główne elementy dokonującej się transformacji środkowoeuropejskich rynków gazu, ze szczególnym uwzględnieniem sytuacji na rynkach Polski, Czech, Słowacji i Węgier.

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Germany's stance on the TTIP. Background, interests and concerns

Author(s): Konrad Popławski / Language(s): English

Co-operation between the United States and Germany has for many years been a subject of disputes. In addition to the differences over the US engagement in the resolution of international conflicts, bilateral relations have been strained as a consequence of the so-called Snowden scandal and the unproved allegations that Chancellor Angela Merkel’s telephone was wiretapped. The Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership offers a chance for improving relations between Germany and the USA for the first time in many years. Companies from the two countries may benefit from the lifting of some barriers to transatlantic economic co-operation. Furthermore, the emergence of in fact an internal EU and US market, with reduced customs tariffs and harmonised legal and economic rules, will pressure the emerging economies to make their markets more open. The TTIP may create conditions for exporting US raw materials from unconventional sources to the European Union; and this will be a benefit of geopolitical significance for Germany. The German government is aware of the fact that diversification of supplies of fossil fuels will make Europe less dependent on pressure from Moscow.

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Niemcy wobec TTIP. Uwarunkowania, interesy, obawy

Author(s): Konrad Popławski / Language(s): Polish

Współpraca polityczna i gospodarcza między Stanami Zjednoczonymi i Niemcami jest od wielu lat przedmiotem sporów i napięć. Obok tradycyjnych różnic dotyczących amerykańskiego zaangażowania w rozwiązywanie konfliktów międzynarodowych, stosunki obciążyła tzw. afera Snowdena i zarzuty o podsłuchiwanie telefonu kanclerz Angeli Merkel. Transatlantyckie Partnerstwo w Handlu i Inwestycjach wydaje się pierwszą od wielu lat szansą na poprawę stosunków Niemiec i USA. Producenci i eksporterzy z obu państw mogą skorzystać na ograniczeniu barier dla transatlantyckiej współpracy ekonomicznej. Korzyścią o znaczeniu geopolitycznym dla Niemiec z podpisania umowy TTIP może być stworzenie warunków do eksportowania amerykańskich zasobów z niekonwencjonalnych źródeł energii do Unii Europejskiej. Rząd RFN coraz bardziej zdaje sobie sprawę, że dywersyfikacja dostaw surowców ograniczy zależność Europy od Rosji.

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Development co-operation made in Germany

Author(s): Kamil Frymark / Language(s): English

For years, development policy has attracted the attention of public opinion in Germany and been strongly supported by the public. It takes the form of an agreement between equal partners who draw mutual benefits from this co-operation. German development policy is structured to support the German economy. This policy and the state’s significant share in development projects reduces the investment risk incurred by German entrepreneurs who engage their assets in developing countries. Furthermore, bilateral co-operation successfully builds the made in Germany brand as regards both development policy and further economic co-operation, making the beneficiaries of development co-operation indirectly dependent on German goods and services. Development co-operation, along with diplomacy and defence policy, is the third pillar of German foreign policy. In this context it plays above all a preventive function in the case of international conflicts. Investing funds as part of development projects in areas affected by military conflicts or facing a high risk of military conflict is viewed by Germany as its contribution to overcoming crises or removing their causes. This goes hand in hand with the conviction that international conflicts, wherever they appear, adversely affect the German economy, which heavily relies on exports.

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The Southern Gas Corridor. The Azerbaijani-Turkish project becomes part of the game between Russia and the EU

Author(s): Aleksandra Jarosiewicz / Language(s): English

The Southern Gas Corridor is a system of three complementary gas pipeline projects controlled by Azerbaijan and Turkey, each at a different stage of implementation. The crisis in EU-Russia relations over Ukraine has made the two players interested in the Southern Gas Corridor once again. Brussels views it as an opportunity for a genuine diversification of gas supplies and a way to reinforce its position against Russia. In turn, Moscow’s proposal for Turkey and Greece to join the Turkish Stream gas pipeline project changes the energy map of the regional projects, which indirectly affects the Southern Gas Corridor. This has raised concern in Azerbaijan, which has been making efforts to manoeuvre between the interests of Moscow and Brussels.

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Russia’s best ally. The situation of the Russian oil sector and forecast for its future

Author(s): Wojciech Konończuk / Language(s): English

Oil is a strategic raw material for Russia and one of fundamental significance for the functioning of the state and its future. Taxes on oil production and exports are the most important source of state budget revenues which guarantee Russia maintains its political and economic stability. Russia is building its international position on the basis of its vast raw material and energy potential. While a great number of various publications have been devoted to Russian gas and Gazprom, surprisingly little research has been done into the present condition and possible future developments of the Russian oil sector, despite the fact that oil has and will have a much greater impact than gas on the functioning and the future of Russia. The main objective of this text is to describe the present situation of the Russian oil sector, its problems and the challenges it is posing, as well as the government’s policy towards this key branch of the Russian economy. This will be an introduction to an attempt to answer to the questions about the possible future production and the export levels of Russian oil, also broken down into the European and Asian directions.

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Ani krezus, ani bankrut. Kondycja finansowa Gazpromu

Author(s): Szymon Kardaś / Language(s): Polish

W 2018 roku Gazprom – największy, kontrolowany przez państwo, rosyjski koncern gazowy – przyjął rekordowy w historii program inwestycyjny. W 2017 roku spółka odnotowała także największe w historii wpływy ze sprzedaży gazu i innych dóbr i usług. Jednocześnie w latach 2007–2017 ponad sześciokrotnie zmniejszyła się kapitalizacja koncernu, a całkowite zadłużenie osiągnęło w 2017 roku rekordowy poziom 55,2 mld USD. W związku z powyższym warto przyjrzeć się kondycji finansowej największego rosyjskiego koncernu gazowego, który zachowuje status znaczącego dostawcy gazu na rynek europejski (34% udziału w rynku UE w 2017 roku).

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Vliv kvality na výkonnost a konkurenceschopnost podniku

Author(s): Petr Suchánek,Maria Králová,Peter Marinič,Jana Pokorná,Martina Rešlová,Jiří Richter,Milan Sedláček / Language(s): Czech

The main outcome of this publication is a model describing the influence of the product quality (including customer satisfaction) on the company performance (including the relationship of product quality of a company and its competitors). Particular model variables (factors) were analyzed to determine statistical significance of their mutual relationship. Simultaneously, the research concerns the interaction of quality management system, company performance, cost management, and quality certificates. In line with this theoretical approach, the model has been extended into the field of quality management system. Moreover, the model became dynamic. From a statistical point of view, mutual interaction of sub- variables (factors) in the model but not the model as a whole was confirmed.

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State of the Country - REPUBLIC of MOLDOWA 2007

Author(s): Valeriu Prohniţchi,Alex Oprunenco / Language(s): English

Although, development and modernization of the Republic of Moldova has constantly been on the agenda of the public authorities, civil society and the international community, there has been limited progress in initiating public debates on trends and policies affecting welfare in a long run perspective. The State of Country Report 2007 contains a series of analytical studies that offer some solutions to the problems specific to the process of policy making and policy planning in the Republic of Moldova. The main goal of this collective intellectual effort is to provide those that have the power to decide on key policy issues with an analytical instrument that would facilitate the process of understanding the main social and economic trends and evaluate the available alternatives at their disposal to achieve a specific goal. Because of the combination of a sectorial approach with a global view of the process and perspectives of Moldova's development, this report is unique in its genre. Moreover, the survey conducted within the framework of the report sheds light on citizens' pessimistic view on the current state of affairs. In order to overcome this socially sub-optimal equilibrium, the authors point out to a series of challenges and opportunities which should be taken into account by the current and future generations of policy makers.

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Uncertain eternity, or eternal uncertainty? The controversy about a geological repository for highly radioactive waste in the Czech Republic

Author(s): Karel Svačina / Language(s): English

This book examines the controversy over the plans to construct a deep geological repository for highly radioactive waste in the Czech Republic. Since the 1990s, state authorities have identified a number of locations as potentially suitable for the construction of the repository. However, the plans have met strong opposition from the affected municipalities, as well as from local and national NGOs. The controversy has lasted for almost two decades now, and arguably has not progressed much since the beginning. This book provides a detailed account of this controversy based on interviews with key actors, observations from public meetings and debates, policy documents, technical reports, and media coverage. With inspiration from literature from the field of science and technology studies (STS), the book analyses the controversy in terms of how risk and uncertainty are dealt with in the negotiations. Ultimately, the author suggests that a shift from a risk-based to an uncertainty-based perspective may offer a way out of the negotiation deadlock.

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Innowacje opakowaniowe na rynku produktów konsumpcyjnych

Author(s): Magdalena Ankiel,Patrycja Wojciechowska,Karolina Wiszumirska / Language(s): Polish

Monografia stanowi kompleksowe ujęcie zagadnień z zakresu innowacji opakowaniowych. Zawiera charakterystykę przesłanek, kategorii i kierunków rozwoju innowacji na rynku opakowań produktów konsumpcyjnych wraz z rozwiązaniami praktycznymi. W rozdziale pierwszym scharakteryzowano rynek opakowań w Polsce na tle światowym oraz przedstawiono pojęcie, klasyfikację i determinanty rozwoju innowacji na omawianym rynku. Ponadto omówiono teoretyczne ujęcie procesu rozwoju i komercjalizacji innowacji opakowaniowych. W rozdziale drugim szczegółowo zaprezentowano innowacje materiałowe w segmencie opakowań ze szczególnym naciskiem na rozwiązania, które są zgodne z zasadami gospodarki o obiegu zamkniętym, filozofią zrównoważonego rozwoju oraz zasadami ekoprojektowania opakowań. Rozdział trzeci zawiera szeroką charakterystykę innowacji konstrukcyjnych i technologicznych. Kolejny poświęcono najbardziej powszechnej kategorii innowacji opakowaniowych, tj. innowacjom marketingowym. Omówiono w nim aktualne rozwiązania w zakresie formy konstrukcyjnej opakowań, grafiki, kolorystyki oraz logotypu marki. Ponadto zaprezentowano przesłanki wdrażania tych rozwiązań, kierunki ich rozwoju, a także podano przykłady skutecznych działań z zakresu wdrażania innowacji marketingowych w segmencie dóbr konsumpcyjnych, głównie na rynku polskim. W rozdziale piątym przybliżono zagadnienia związane z projektowaniem innowacyjnych opakowań w odniesieniu do rynkowych, prawnych, technologicznych, ekonomicznych i ekologicznych aspektów tego procesu. Rozdział szósty monografii powstał we współpracy z firmami z branży opakowaniowej, naukowcami oraz projektantami. Zawarto w nim opis czterech unikatowych projektów, ukazujący proces projektowania z różnych perspektyw, a także poruszono aspekty związane z fazą poszukiwania rozwiązań, testowania i prototypowania.

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Proceedings of the 24th International RAIS Conference on Social Sciences and Humanities

Author(s): / Language(s): English

This publication presents the proceedings of the 24th International RAIS Conference on Social Sciences and Humanities held online on October 17-18, 2021.

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20 lat Wydziału Studiów Międzynarodowych i Politologicznych Uniwersytetu Łódzkiego

Author(s): / Language(s): Polish

The aim of the publication is to discuss research, didactic, and organisational achievements of the Faculty of International and Political Studies [FIPS] of the University of Lodz. The work has been compiled on the occasion of its 20th anniversary which fell in 2020. The Faculty is a unique interdisciplinary academic unit offering courses to Polish and foreign students from almost 50 different countries. It stands out with its strong international focus visible in all areas of the Faculty’s research and teaching activities. It also runs unique courses taught in foreign languages: English and French at full time and post-graduate MBA studies. At the Faculty students can choose between courses in International Relations, Political Sciences, National Security, International Cultural Studies, International and Political Studies, and International Marketing. When it comes to research, the academic staff of the Faculty deal with broadly understood international relations and examine them in the context of political, economic and social relations across different geographic areas (Europe, Asia, Middle East, North Africa, Russia and countries of the former USSR, North and Latin America, Australia), as well as international security and business. The Faculty offers also doctoral studies in political science and administration. The FIPS has a wide network of partnership contacts with universities across the world. The aim of the Faculty is to provide a wide array of advisory and expert services in international relations to actors at the local, regional, and national levels.

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Analizy i prognozy polskiego rynku pracy. Przekrój grup zawodowych

Author(s): Artur Gajdos,Karolina Lewandowska-Gwarda / Language(s): Polish

Analyses and forecasts of changes in the occupational structure of employees are an extremely important element of the labour market research. They provide information about the future demand of work in specific occupations, which enables the intensification of adjustment processes of the labour market in the changing socio-economic reality. Appropriate qualification and professional matching of jobseekers and job vacancies leads to a more effective use of production factors and, consequently, to an increase in their productivity. It is also a determinant of wage growth, while satisfying the professional aspirations of working people. In the macroeconomic perspective, it affects economic development, the level of unemployment and the state of the government budget. This monograph presents the theoretical basis for forecasting changes of the occupational structure in the labour market, as well as the analysis and forecasts of the number of employees in the cross-section of major, sub-major and minor occupations groups in Poland. Historical data analysis covered the period 1995-2018, apart from that in the last chapter it was extended by 2019 and 2020. The forecasts results were presented in the short horizon until 2025 and in the long horizon, in five-year intervals from 2025 to 2050. An attempt was also made to evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the occupational structure in Poland. The presented results made it possible to conduct a comprehensive analysis of the expected transformations in the labour market in Poland. The high forecast dynamics of the increase in the demand for specialists and the decrease in demand for farmers indicates the continuation of the process of transition of the Polish economy towards the knowledge-based economy in the coming years.

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Proceedings of the 25th International RAIS Conference on Social Sciences and Humanities

Author(s): / Language(s): English

This publication presents the proceedings of the 25th International RAIS Conference on Social Sciences and Humanities held online on December 5-6, 2021. The Conference was organized by Research Association for Interdisciplinary Studies.

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