Around the Bloc: Poland Gives Go-Ahead To Controversial Logging Program
The plans to allow large-scale logging in the Bialowieza forest are likely to put the country on a collision course with environmentalists and the European Union.
More...We kindly inform you that, as long as the subject affiliation of our 300.000+ articles is in progress, you might get unsufficient or no results on your third level or second level search. In this case, please broaden your search criteria.
The plans to allow large-scale logging in the Bialowieza forest are likely to put the country on a collision course with environmentalists and the European Union.
More...THE CASE OF TURKEY
In recent years, the main macroeconomic problem of Turkey is current deficits. In order to realize sustainable growth, the balance of payment should be kept under control. This control system is directly depends on minimization of current deficits. One of the main reasons of Turkey’s current account deficits is energy imports. By applying the Johansen co-integrated analysis, this paper aims to identify the relationship between energy consumption and economic growth by using the data set between the years 1984–2012 with reference to VAR (Vector Auto Regression). Furthermore, unit root test was applied to the data which is the traditional unit root tests ADF (Augmented Dickey Fuller), PP (Phillip–Perron) and KPSS (Kwiatkowski–Phillips–Schmidt–Shin) and taking into account the structural break test was performed Zivot–Andrews. In addition to examining the long-term relationship between the two variables, taking into account the structural break in the cointegration test Engle– Granger and taking into account the structural break Hatemi-J cointegration test were applied. According to the results of the analysis, we reached that there is a relationship between energy consumption and economic growth.
More...
Slovak government initially opposed the project, which creates a gas corridor between Germany and Russia
More...
Water is the source of a great deal of tension between the states of Central Asia. The causes of the dispute over the use and distribution of this scarce resource are complicated and the result of old Soviet policies.
More...
Threats such as the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, international terrorism, transnational organized crime, illegal migration, piracy, escalation of inter and instra-state conflicts are constantly gaining internsity, including new regions and countries.Regional threats to international security are increasing, and their negative effects may cause global impact. This state of affairs forces us to reassess the level and impact of threats to Ukraine’s life interests, to define strategic priorites for national security policy and to indicate how to improve the machanisms for implementing these priorites.
More...
Energy security has been one of the most important issues in the European Union over the past few years. Although the debate has focused primarily on the approach of the main EU powers, this research aims at studying the impact of small Member States’ size on their energy security in the EU. Then it provides proposals to safeguard the energy security of EU small countries by providing a comprehensive interpretation of the term alliance in shelter theory. Applying the composed “smallness” index and the quantitative method, the results imply a direct relationship between the small states’ size and energy security in the first step. The study shows that such a relationship cannot be proven in non-small States. Although the EU has tried to strengthen collective energy security in Member States, such differences show that complementary policies are needed to ensure energy security in small countries. Given an extensive interpretation of “alliance” in shelter theory, this research proposes deep integration of the small states’ energy infrastructure in order to ensure their energy security. In the aftermath of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, where the EU’s energy security, especially in the small states, is more fragile than ever, adopting such a policy seems more vital.
More...
EU Directives included in the ‘Clean Energy for All Europeans’ package introduced Renewable Energy Communities ECs (RECs) and Citizen ECs (CECs) into the legal framework, sharing commonalities, but with distinctions. The aim of this paper is to examine whether EU law provides for a single model of ECs or, in fact, two distinct models, and to characterize ECs as new participants in the energy market. The publication focuses on the field of legal studies and includes a literature review, an interpretation of EU provisions defining ECs, a characterization of ECs as new market participants, and a case study. The paper concludes that EU law indeed encompasses two models of ECs – RECs and CECs. The characterization of ECs as participants in the energy market is complex, and the case study illustrates that significant differences can exist among different examples of ECs, influencing their legal characteristics.
More...
A country’s energy security is an important component of its overall national security, as energy supply is essential for the functioning of its national economy and the livelihoods of its population. The purpose of this research is to develop practical tools for analyzing the condition of Ukraine’s energy sector, and to provide practical recommendations for potential development and integration into the single European energy system. The practical value of the research findings is that the SWOT-analysis (Strengths – Weakness – Opportunities – Troubles) of the energy sector of Ukraine which makes it possible to identify the most acute problems and threats that have a negative impact on the energy sector of Ukraine and its integration into the European common energy system. Based on the results of the conducted SWOT- analysis, three potential scenarios for the development of Ukraine’s energy sector are proposed: a “no change” scenario (preservation of current trends and state of affairs); an “unfriendly influence” scenario (no systemic changes in energy policy combined with the escalation of aggression by the Russian Federation); and a “positive transformation” scenario (targeted efforts aimed at achieving the goals set out in this Strategy). The paper suggests the following possible ways of ensuring energy import substitution for Ukraine: development of renewable energy; development of energy efficiency; development of its own oil and gas industry; development of alternative energy sources; diversification of energy import sources; development of energy infrastructure; developing energy self-sufficiency in its individual regions.
More...
The principle of EU energy solidarity, regulated by Article 194 of the Lisbon Treaty, has created a new dimension of energy sector developments. Initially, it was treated as an abstract, purely political concept with no particular normative significance. However, the CJEU judgment in the OPAL case established energy solidarity as a principle of EU law, deriving, inter alia, from the principle of justice. The concept of just transition, based on the same foundations of justice, creates directions for socio-economic transformation based on a sustainable and low-carbon economy. Energy solidarity is, in fact, a way of implementing the assumptions and directions of the development of just transition, based on normative premises ensuring energy security, economic competitiveness and sustainable development.
More...
The fluvial anthropospheres cover the river and its floodplains. They arise due to modifying or replacing natural processes with human-dominated ones. Fluvial anthropospheres are the legacy of past human activity. The article determines the beginning of the formation of fluvial anthropospheres in the Skawa catchment and the conditions of its functioning. The effects of anthropopressure were researched using a comparative analysis of maps from the 19th - 21st centuries. The impact on the natural environment was assessed on the basis of written sources and literature. Indirect causes of interference with the environment have changed over time, ranging from milling and rafting to water retention for municipal purposes. On the other hand, the immediate causes resulted from socio-economic and political changes. Technological progress and demographic development were responsible for the development of the milling industry. Periods of stagnation or regression have been caused by natural disasters and wars. Navigation development plans were part of the Habsburg imperial policy. The pro-industrial policy of the 1980s dictated the construction of the retention reservoir. Therefore, the directions of development of the fluvial anthropospheres can be treated as a result of national and international politics.
More...
In this paper (occurrence), will be discussed the principles of whistleblower protection in the corporate governance systems of Polish energy partnerships, as well will be presented the model principles resulting from the so-called whistleblower directive. In specific, attention will be concentrated, to the fact major change, witch was made by the amendment to the Act on public offering entered into force of 30 November 2019. It contained a provision (Art. 97d) imposing on issuers of financial instruments the obligation to ensure easy, unrestricted and stress-free reporting of violations of law, procedures, as well as ethical principles to the management board or the supervisory board. In addition, a new EU regulation is imposed on national polish legislation – Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council (EU) 2019/1937 of 23 October 2019 – on the protection of persons reporting violations of EU law (EU Journal of Laws of 2019 L 305/17 from 26.11.2019) – so-called whistleblower directive. In according new regulation, Polish energy partnerships will also be obliged to adapt their procedures, special regarding public procurement (Art. 2 (1) (a) (i) of the Directive with Annex Part I A) to the new rules, because the scope of application in the area of public procurement has been covered to (among others) Directive 2014/25/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 February 2014 on the award of contracts by entities operating in the sectors of water management, energy, transport and postal services, repealing Directive 2004/17/EC (Official Journal of the EU of 2014 L 94/243 from 28.3.2014). The transposition date imposed on Member States is 17 December 2021. The author draws attention to the need to implement solutions that actively involve supervisory boards in the process of evaluating reports submitted by whistleblowers.
More...
The article describes key aspects of the impact of the ongoing war in Ukraine since February 24, 2022 on the Polish economy with a particular focus on the energy crisis caused by this war. When in 2021 the economies of many countries began to recover from the covid recession of the 2020 economy, the prices of various categories of industrial and energy raw materials also began to rise. Then immediately after when Soviet troops invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022, fossil fuel prices additionally began to rise rapidly on energy commodity exchanges. Increases in fuel and energy prices became further factors in the rise of food prices, which ultimately also accelerated inflation. As a result, as early as mid-2022, forecasts appeared suggesting that there would be a serious energy crisis during the autumn-winter 2022/2023 heating season. The aforementioned energy cri- sis was particularly deep in Poland. It has been caused by years of blocking and restricting the development of renewable and zero-carbon energy sources, as well as large-scale government fi- nancial state aid given to the financially deficient, unprofitable coal and lignite mining sector and the dirty coal-burning power generation sector. The result is still a situation where more than 3⁄4 of electricity and heat in Poland is generated from dirty coal-burning energy. In this area, too, mis- guided, anti-climate, anti-environment, anti-social economic state interventionism has been carried out for many years, ignoring the need for a green transformation of the economy and the realization of sustainable development goals.
More...
The article attempts to identify the relationship between budget expenditure on agriculture and the dynamics of GDP and the state budget in Poland in the years 1995–2020. The aim of the research was also to identify the determinants of the dynamics of budget expenditure on agriculture, both endogenous and exogenous, also taking into account their delayed im‐ pact. The source of empirical materials on agricultural budget expenditures of Poland was primarily data from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. The data used in the analyses were standardised and adjusted by the price index. Moreover, an additive model of development tendency and a multiple regression function were used. The research results indicate that the agricultural budget was positively related to the dynamics of GDP and the dynamics of state budget expenditure. However, in the entire analyzed period, except for the years 2004–2008, the expenditure of the agricultural budget grew at a slower pace than GDP. The increase in the agricultural budget was primarily dependent on the increase in state budget expenditure and the level of European funds allocated to the sector under the instruments of the Common Agricultural Policy. It was also shown that the economic situation in agriculture, measured by the price scissors index, and changes in the level and structure of income of farmers’ households partially influenced the expenditure of the Polish agricultural budget, but with a one‐year delay.
More...
This study develops a theoretical framework to assess the key drivers of carbon markets, that is, carbon markets approach in the global energy transition. The developed Global Low Carbon Energy Transition (GLCET) framework is then applied to the six metareviews of the literature, with the exception of the literature reviews of Groups 1 and 2 (Section 2). Based on this metareview, the study also considers the key drivers of the GLCET, namely, DE carbonisation of the power sector, fossil fuel phase-out, geopolitical security. Based on the MOSCOW technique, the author concludes that DE carbonisation of electricity is very important and critical (MO), phasing out fossil resources is challenging but requires some solutions (S) and in third place (W) the impact of geopolitical security on GLCET is not very important. The author’s main recommendation is to develop a more qualitative framework to understand the main challenges of the global energy transition.
More...
Purpose – The article poses a research question: Is decarbonization an alternative or a necessity? In view of the current problems with coal supplies on the one hand, and the need to take care of the environment on the other, the question posed takes on a deeper meaning. Particularly when sustainable management of natural resources and broad energy policies appear in the background. Therefore, the research hypothesis is: “decarbonization, as one of the recently imposed trends, is indicated from the point of view of sustainable management of natural resources as part of the energy policy and and as a desirable solution in order to to take care of the environment and current problems with coal supplies”.Research method – The article uses several research methods: literature studies, se- condary data analysis, analysis of figures in the economic aspect or elements of compa- ratism.Results – The analysis shows that decarbonization is desirable (it is supported by economic and environmental considerations). Moreover, it is a necessity and follows from the adopted national energy strategy, which is influenced by the EU’s climate and energy policy, based on the pursuit of climate neutrality of the EU by 2050.Originality/value/implications/recommendations – The presented point of view, sup- ported by a preliminary analysis of available statistical data, can be considered as the author’s opinion leading to more in-depth analyses based on more and more recent data in the future. In view of the above, the article is a voice in the discussion on the role and importance of energy policy, in the context of the concept of sustainable development, with a particular focus on one of the components of the European Green Deal. The in- cluded commentary on decarbonization, treated as one of the recently imposed trends, was intended to stimulate the reader’s thoughts and their own assessment of the changes taking place and the challenges that go along with them. The text was developed as part of the research project: SUPB.RN.21.109, Id: 538.
More...
Purpose – The aim of the article is to analyze the level of Poland’s energy security in comparison with the other European Union countries.Research method – The study was based on an index analysis with the use of selected economic indicators of the level of energy security.Results – The highest level of energy security, taking into account selected indica- tors, occurs in countries such as Sweden, Finland, and Estonia, and the lowest in Malta, Belgium, and Luxembourg. As regards Poland, it is characterized by a high degree of import independence, which may indicate a high level of energy security. Poland has also a higher share of RES in final energy consumption than the EU average. However, when analyzing the energy intensity of the economy, it should be noted that Poland has one of the highest levels in this respect.Originality/value/implications/recommendations – The literature on the subject is dominated by descriptions and characteristics of various methods of assessing the state of energy security of the country (including quantitative methods). At the same time, there is a noticeable lack of analysis of the level of energy security in Poland with the use of economic indicators. The research undertaken in the article thus deepens the analyses carried out so far and will be the basis for further considerations on the economic aspect of Poland’s energy security.
More...
Purpose – The aim of the article is to indicate EU funds and programs for 2021–2027 supporting the climate and energy transformation, from the perspective of the tasks of local government.Research method – Several methods were used in the research: literature studies, review of EU legislation and budgets, national programs, descriptive and comparative analysis. Results – In the context of the political and energy crisis, the goal of achieving climateneutrality of the EU economy in 2050 and intermediate targets by 2030 has increased the importance of climate and energy targets and their inclusion in the mainstream of EU policy and budget. In the years 2021–2027, it is planned to allocate at least 30% of the general budget expenditure, including Recovery and Resilience Facility, to them. The reduction of GHG emissions, improvement of energy efficiency and decarbonization of the economy were subordinated to the Cohesion Policy funds and Just Transition Fund, the CAP funds, CEF, LIFE Programme, etc. Integrating EU and national resources and different financing mechanisms are key to the success of the climate and energy transfor‐ mation in local governments.Originality/value/implications/recommendations – Due to the scale of climate and energy transformation in Poland and budget constraints reported by local governments, the article has an application value, complementing research on the decarbonization of the economy.
More...
Purpose – The aim of this article is to assess the impact of environmental taxes interms of sustainable consumption and production. Examination of the correlation betweenenvironmental tax revenues in the European Union countries and sustainable consumptionand production indicators will allow us to make this assessment.Research method – The study used the method of literature analysis and comparativeanalysis using structure, dynamics, correlation, median and arithmetic mean indicators.The numerical data for the research were obtained from the Eurostat database. Goal no12 performance indicators were used as a variable to measure the impact of environmentaltaxes in each Member State.Results – The results of the correlation analysis conducted clearly indicate that inthe case of the indicators: energy productivity, average CO2 emissions of new passengercars per 1 km, consumption of materials in a closed loop, and the gross value of goods inthe sector of environmental goods and services, significant relationships were obtainedin a large group of EU countries in the desired directions. The hypothesis has been pos-itively verified.Originality / value / implications / recommendations – It is very important from the pointof view of sustainable development, and especially sustainable consumption, to definethe role of tax fiscal instruments. As an important instrument of public finance, theyshould support the implementation of sustainable development goals. As a result of theconducted analyses, an attempt will be made to formulate recommendations in terms ofthe functioning of tax fiscal instruments for sustainable development.
More...
The intensive use of non-renewable production resources and the associated growing environmental pollution forces us to look for new methods of halting these negative trends. Circular economy is one such method. This phenomenon is the subject of numerous studies attempting to assess its condition at both the micro and macro levels, the implementation of circular economy strategies, its environmental impact, the context of waste generation, etc. On the other hand, little attention is paid to assessing its efficiency. Technological efficiency, i.e., the relationship between material footprint and waste generation, is of particular importance, since the amount of waste generated primarily depends on the technology used at the time of production. Thus, this paper aims to analyse and assess the development of technological efficiency over a certain period of time. Further, it is necessary not only to build on the results of development at the end of this period, but also to assess the extent of the changes that have taken place during it in order to reflect the actual state of affairs. Thus, the final result takes into account both the intensity of the development of technological efficiency and the importance of its current state to the overall development process.
More...
The low carbon transition of the energy sector towards a greater penetration of renewable energy sources (RES) is one of the most impressive examples of political and economic change in the European Union. For nearly two decades, the European Union was rightly considered to be a frontrunner in RES development and deployment around the world. This culminated in March 2007 when the 20-20-20-targets were agreed under the European Council Conclusions. They aimed at creating a carbon neutral society by 2050 and replacing fossil fuels with renewables. This target requires huge transformations of energy systems and transformative shifts in economics and society. Even as renewables can provide numerous environmental, social, and economic benefits, their fast penetration may cause various societal challenges and encounter many barriers. Therefore, this paper aims to analyse the achievements of select EU countries in renewable energy development. For this purpose, an indicators framework is applied to monitor the RES drivers and achievements, RES penetration, and attained benefits of low carbon transformations. The case study focuses on Nordic and Baltic countries that are EU member states.
More...