Slovensko v krízami poznačenej Európskej únii

Author(s): Aneta Világi / Language(s): Slovak Publication Year: 0

Rok 2015 bol v Európskej únii poznačený krízami. Bolo ich hneď niekoľko naraz – menová, migračná, kríza solidarity, integračná kríza – a počas celého roka vytvárali nestabilné politické prostredie, v rámci ktorého členské štáty vrátane Slovenska museli pôsobiť. V tomto kontexte a pod tlakom okolností sa postoje členských štátov značne rôznili. V roku 2015 možno v prípade Slovenska hovoriť o zvýšenej asertivite krajiny v otázkach európskej politiky. V rámci takmer dvanásťročného pôsobenia ako členská krajina Slovensko nikdy nezohrávalo takú výraznú rolu vo formovaní opozície voči európskym iniciatívam. Išlo najmä o migračnú krízu, v rétorickej rovine to bola aj kritika reštriktívnych opatrení EÚ voči Rusku. Pri nemenej dôležitej situácii s hroziacim bankrotom Grécka a možnosťou jeho vystúpenia z eurozóny Slovensko zastávalo jedno z najstriktnejších stanovísk, tentoraz však v súlade s postojmi väčšiny členských štátov.

Zahraničná politika Slovenska v roku 2012

Author(s): Miroslav Lajčák / Language(s): Slovak Publication Year: 0

Kontinuita, ktorá je pre vonkajšie vzťahy Slovenskej republiky už dlhodobo charakteristická, sa potvrdila aj v roku 2012. Súčasne nová vláda Slovenskej republiky, ktorá bola sformovaná na základe výsledkov predčasných marcových parlamentných volieb, vniesla do tejto oblasti nový impulz. Pochopiteľne, pri konkretizácii akcentov a priorít došlo po vytvorení novej vlády k určitému posunu tak v európskej, ako aj medzinárodnej agende. Na realizáciu zahraničnej politiky si nová vláda stanovila nasledujúce priority: • dôveryhodné a rešpektované Slovensko v Európe; • stabilný a spoľahlivý partner v NATO – garantovi bezpečnosti Slovenska; • rozvoj dvojstranných vzťahov so štátmi EÚ a NATO, osobitne usporiadané a rovnocenné vzťahy so susedmi; • podpora rozširovania priestoru stability, demokracie a partnerstva s dôrazom na štáty západného Balkánu a východného partnerstva; • podpora ekonomických záujmov, investícií a inovácií a energetická bezpečnosť; • zodpovedný prístup ku globálnym výzvam s využitím potenciálu medzinárodných organizácií; • pomoc občanom Slovenskej republiky v zahraničí a ich ochrana; • rešpektovanie a posilňovanie záväznosti práva v medzinárodnom prostredí a inštitúciách, presadzovanie ich vymožiteľnosti ako kľúčového nástroja ochrany suverenity štátu.

Klimatické zmeny a rok 2010

Author(s): Juraj Mesík / Language(s): Slovak Publication Year: 0

In December 2009, after a distressful and for the European Commission and the EU member states’ governments’ frustrating developments, The United Nations Copenhagen conference on climate change concluded with a document, whose essential purpose was to conceal from the world a global political fiasco. The result of negotiations was not a binding agreement, which would commit parties to clearly defined and measurable goals in reducing their CO2 emissions and other greenhouse gases. It was neither an agreement on a regime that would replace the Kyoto Protocol regulating trade in greenhouse gas emissions after 2012. From a diplomatic standpoint, for Europe it was quite humiliating, that the final document – albeit toothless – was drafted behind closed doors under the direction of the United States of America, China, India, Brazil and South Africa. It is not surprising that the drafted and later on adopted document from a global warming perspective, was completely ineffective and, moreover, non-binding.

Slovensko-maďarské vzťahy – kontinuita alebo zmena?

Author(s): Juraj Marušiak / Language(s): Slovak Publication Year: 0

In 2010 and in the first months of 20111 as well as in the past, the Slovak–Hungarian relations posed a specific issue by having its foreign as well as domestic policy dimension. The latter did not include only an ethnic cleavage of the Slovak political scene but also the relations between “Slovak” and “Hungarian” (i.e. ethnically speaking) political parties in Slovakia.

Zahraničná politika Slovenska v roku 2008 optikou ministra zahraničných vecí

Author(s): Miroslav Lajčák / Language(s): Slovak Publication Year: 0

For Slovak foreign policy, the year 2008 was both a year of continuity in terms of fundamental priorities and goals and a year which marked the beginning of significant change within the external environment in which Slovak diplomacy operated. On the international scene, Slovakia backed solutions based on effective multilateralism and adherence to international law. Slovakia was able to fulfill its main foreign policy objectives and the external conduct of the country strengthened its international position. Slovak diplomacy clearly, and with a certain amount of foresight, included the main strategic priorities and objectives of foreign policy in the strategy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA); the structure of which was also used in drafting the Report on the Fulfillment of Slovak Foreign Policy Tasks in 2008 and Foreign Policy Orientation for the Year 2009. Strengthening diplomatic activities in support of Slovakia’s prosperity, issues of energy security, and the overall stability of Europe proved to be key agendas within the strategy. Protecting the interests of Slovak citizens abroad also received greater focus in foreign policy. We also perceive 2008 to have been a year of increased uncertainty in international relations and international law. It was the year of the Russian-Georgian conflict, the unilateral declarations of the independence of Kosovo, South Ossetia and Abkhazia, and the year of the beginning of the global financial and economic crisis.

Slovenské predsedníctvo – druhý dych Vyšehradu?

Author(s): Juraj Marušiak / Language(s): Slovak Publication Year: 0

As for Slovakia’s perspective, the most dominant role was played by the Visegrad Four (V4) when speaking about the numerous international structures aimed at supporting the cooperation in the region of Central Europe. Moreover, the Regional Partnership played an important role as well and its work marked the close cooperation of V4 states with Slovenia. Compared to previous years, a substantially less important role was played by the Central European Initiative (CEI) partially due to the indistinctive activity of the Albanian presidency.

NAPpROTI – NAdace Partnerství pro ROdiče a děTI

Author(s): Dita Tesařová / Language(s): Czech Publication Year: 0

The EU and Kazakhstan: Is the pursuit of energy and security cooperation compatible with promotion of human rights and democratic reforms?

Author(s): Bhavna Dave / Language(s): English Publication Year: 0

Kazakhstan’s continuing socio-economic and political stability, a formal commitment to political reforms and an avowed pro-Western orientation make it the European Union’s most reliable partner in the Central Asian region. Kazakhstan’s expanding economic and security partnership with Europe is part of its ‘multi-vectoral’ foreign policy geared at balancing its ties with Russia, China, the Western states and the Muslim world. Kazakhstan has skilfully utilised its geostrategic location as a corridor between Asia and Europe and the country’s rising profile as the leading oil exporter to Europe after Russia (almost 80% of EU imports from Kazakhstan consist of fuel) to carve out a special niche for itself within the European market.

The Balkans in the New Energy Architecture: Political and Economic Dynamism

Author(s): Elisabeth Yoneva / Language(s): English Publication Year: 0

In the last decades, the subject of the development of the energy sector in the Balkancountries provokes special attention due to its relevance in the context of the changing geopolitical and geoeconomic landscape in Eurasia, as well as the transformations on a global level. The restructuring of the region represents an essential element in the shifting model of international relations, determining new roles and functions for the Southeast European states within the world system. They are facing the challenge to adapt to the new realities and the measures undertaken and planned to improve the national situation alter their diplomacy and especially their approaches towards different regions. In turn, this causes large spillover effects on international relations. In the light of these new developments, the paper explores the principal dimensions of the energy architecture in the Balkans and the resulting foreign policy implications, by comparing the strategies implied according to the correspondent national energy guidelines. The aim of the study is to contrast the various approaches, in order to assess their potential capacity, the crucial differences and the similarities between them, as well as their advantages and limitations. The analysis also showcases the main vectors of the interests of global players such as the EU, Russia, the US, China, and especially the resulting implications of their involvement in the region with emphasis on recent transformations. The author discusses different aspects of the significance of this zone as an energy junction and the ambitions of the Balkans to act as a bridge between East and West. Special attention is paid to the impact of the political approaches on the establishmentof regional patterns of energy cooperation or competition. Looking at the subject from the perspective of the evolutions in the last years, the paper investigates the endogenous and exogenous dynamics of the changing energy settings in Southeast Europe. The research work outlines the conceptual frame of the attempts of the Balkan countries at both bilateral and multilateral level to recalibrate their actions, in order to unlock the potential of the region as a stable partner, particularly with regard to energy supplies. Currently, the level of energy insecurity and vulnerability of the Balkan states remains high, albeit to varying degrees, and the successful elimination of the label "unstable energy architecture" for Europe’s East requires revised vision for the region that will envelop political and economic dimensions of development.

Common Projects in the Energy Sector: The Balkans and the European Energy Union

Author(s): Alexei Margoevski / Language(s): English Publication Year: 0

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the cooperation in energy issues among SEEcountries. The paper focus is on the current energy projects of common interest in the region andthe perspectives for their realization from Bulgarian point of view. The EU Energy Union Strategysets the goal of diversification of gas supplies to Europe. Currently there are more than 70 gasprojects listed as Projects of Common Interest (PCI). The European Energy Union should be established by 2020. The process, however, faces serious challenges when it comes to the Balkanswhere national particularistic approaches to energy security are still strong. This is the regionwith the lowest level of energy connectivity in Europe. Since the Balkan countries have modestenergy resources, the level of analysis cannot be national or only narrowly regional. One mustrefer to the wider regional level. Hence, the importance of the Balkans for the global energy corridors comes from their strategic position The region is important for the transport of oil and natural gas from the Middle East and Central Asia to western markets. The interconnectors that arebuilt or have to be built in the region are PCI for EU. The Union declares that an emergency planfor possible energy crises must be established, and common approach must prevail over self-helpin such circumstances. For that reason since 1993 there have been plans for eight energy corridors in the SEE: "South stream" pipeline, then its successor the "Turkish stream", "NABUCCO",the "Trans-Adriatic pipeline", "AGRI" and "East ring", as well as the oil pipelines "AMBO" and"CPOT". Consequently, the EU supports the PCI in the region with the intention to incorporatethem in the future European Energy Union.

Food safety management systems

Author(s): Justyna Górna / Language(s): English Publication Year: 0

1. Importance of food safety. 1.1. Types of food safety hazards. 1.2. Codex alimentarius commission. 1.3. History and rules of the HACCP system. 1.4. Legal requirements within the scope of food safety. 2. Importance of GMP/GHP in food safety assurance. 3. Food safety monitoring bodies in the world and the European Union. 4. Normalization and standardization requirements. 4.1. Food safety management in compliance with the ISO 22000:2005 standard. 4.2. Food safety management system in compliance with the requirements of the BRC standard. 4.3. Food safety management system in compliance with the international food standard.

A survey of Poznań residents on tourism development in the city

Author(s): Agnieszka Niezgoda / Language(s): English Publication Year: 0

Competition at regional and local levels calls for solutions that will ensure a better success in meeting development goals of territorial units. Among major goals is the welfare of local communities. A category describing the sense of well-being of a group of citizens (e.g. inhabitants of a municipality, city, or region) is the quality of life which depends to some extent on the outcomes of economic activities in the area. Among many economic functions of a city is tourism. The relationship between quality of life and tourism development, however, is not straightforward as it depends on the complex city product and the role of local residents in its creation.

Европейски зелен пакт – възможност за България да осъществи енергиен преход и да преобразува икономиката и обществото си

Author(s): Peter Poptchev / Language(s): Bulgarian Publication Year: 0

The European Green Deal is the first multilateral strategy to ensure sustainable future for the entire EU. The Union intends to engage other countries and continents in commitment to the Paris agreement through expedient policy making, law engagement, leading by example and active diplomacy. EU has the potential to become a world leader in this continues process of energy, technological and economic transformation which would contribute to preserving the Earth and the mankind. The European Green Deal is vastly enveloping and transformative, it reaches beyond the frame of the pragmatic and technocratic solutions and, by necessity, transmutes itself into a philosophical problem.

Значение и място на договорните условия на ФИДИК при реализация на проекти, финансирани от фондовете на ЕС в областта на околната среда в България

Author(s): Stoyan Neytchev / Language(s): Bulgarian Publication Year: 0

This paper presents a brief review and analysis regarding the impact of the FIDIC Conditions of Contract and, in particular, the opportunities which they suggest in terms of efficient resource management and, generally, the projects in their two main aspects: adherence to established beforehand time schedule and project implementation up to a financial resource defined through negotiations between the dedicated national institutions and beneficiaries in the environmental protection field.

Възникване, развитие и финансиране на Eвропейския зелен пакт

Author(s): Filip Petkov / Language(s): Bulgarian Publication Year: 0

The objective of the research is to present the importance of the European Green Deal for the European economy. The paper reviews in a greater detail as a subject the structure of the Green deal proposal and its mechanisms. The utilized research methodology includes content analysis, analysis of statistical, historical data, graphics, conclusions and generalizations. The hypothesis is that the European Green Deal presents tremendous opportunity for the EU to lead the global course towards climate neutral economy and decarbonization. Significant changes to the existing socio-economic structures would follow. In preparation for that, the EU engages significant amount of public fiscal resource in the long transition to climate neutrality till 2050. The strategic fundamentals of the European Green Deal are highlighted by the European Commission, yet further legal acts and binding policies shall be implemented so that measures and commitments are enforced with efficacy. It concludes that combination between already existing and new policy instruments are introduced.

Нагласи на българския бизнес по отношение на целите за устойчиво развитие на ООН

Author(s): Ilina Mutafchieva / Language(s): Bulgarian Publication Year: 0

In September 2015 all 193 Member states of the United Nations adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable development outlining the path for the development of the world, each country, the business and the nongovernmental sector. The inclusion of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals in business management processes is a precondition for increasing the investments and the trust in companies. In this report, the author aims to examine the involvement of Bulgarian business in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and its attitude towards including the 2030 Agenda in its „agenda“.

Производство на електроенергия от конвенционални енергийни източници в България

Author(s): Svetla Boneva / Language(s): Bulgarian Publication Year: 0

The objective of the research is to present the importance of the characteristics of conventional energy sources electricity generation in Bulgaria. The research methods used in the study involve elements of retrospective analysis, induction and deduction, analysis and synthesis, comparative and content analysis, table presentation and generalization of the main ideas of key strategic and regulatory documents in the energy policy area. This is a conceptual study and a posteriori research approach has been followed for its development. The thesis of the research is that electricity generation from conventional energy sources still dominates the energy sector in Bulgaria. Coal is of high importance for the security of the country with electricity. Bulgaria has enough installed and functioning powers for coal processing, which is the main reason for the highest share of this energy sources in the total electricity generation in Bulgaria. The results of the research represent generalizations and analyses on the stable interest in conventional electricity generation in Bulgaria. The results of the research provide ground for evidence-based recommendations and decisions on the future policy measures in the energy sector and their implementation in Bulgaria. The conclusion of the research is that the interest in conventional energetics is big and the biggest share of electricity generated in Bulgaria comes from coal notwithstanding its’ negative environmental impacts and the consciousness of the fact that raw materials will be depleted in the long run. The general production of electricity in Bulgaria in 2017 has been increased in comparison with 1990 as a result of the new powers installed for generating electricity from renewable energy sources. Electricity generation from coal and atomic energy remain nearly unchanged in 2017 compared to 1990, while electricity derived from natural gas has reduced and the electricity generated by renewable energy sources registers several times bigger increases for the same period. Energy efficiency measures undertaken in Bulgarian industry and households in the last 2 decades, the clear trend to turning the national economy structure towards less energy consuming sectors (such as the service sector which forms an ever growing share of the national GDP in the recent years) and the overall decrease of the population in Bulgaria is a clear evidence of the export potential of the country in terms of electricity exports. Yet both the European and world electricity markets however do not render a considerable account for the resource from which energy has been generated (e.g. "green" or "brown" energy).

Електромобилите - част от устойчивата мобилност в контекста на Европейския пазар и стимули

Author(s): Daniela Mihneva / Language(s): Bulgarian Publication Year: 0

Urban mobility is changing in the most cities in the developed world. More importantly, these changes are no longer related to the continuation of past trends, such as the significant increase in motorization in the second half of the 20th century. Instead, cities are increasingly seeing the impact of more destructive changes, whether as a result of technological innovation, socio-economic change or new political interventions. The significant and unexpected growth of urban bicycling; the growing importance of the car- and bicycle sharing; multimodal travel supported by smartphone travel applications; and rediscovery of walking in urban conditions are not only the common experiences in many cities, but they have become the main focus of the urban transport policy in the cities around the world. This study aims to address the issues of the sustainable mobility, how and via which policies and incentives will be realized and what are the challenges the automotive companies are facing. The methodology used for the study conduct is an analysis of primary and secondary information, a review of researches by leading consultancy companies, opinions and researches of the European institutions, and a regulatory framework to clarify the problems and opportunities for mobility. In order to solve the connectivity, safety and environmental issues, the automotive industry should work with other industries, institutions, NGOs etc.

Разкриване на нефинансова информация в Докладите за устойчивост – по примера на Daimler

Author(s): Daniela Mihneva / Language(s): Bulgarian Publication Year: 0

The present study focuses on the disclosure practices of the companies’ environmental impact in their sustainability reports. Based on various studies of companies’ sustainability reports, the study aims to follow how the disclosure practices change and which principles and approaches influence and stimulate the development of such disclosure. Different formats for disclosure are being considered, with more attention being paid to the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) as the most commonly used format. The goal is to highlight the positive aspects of disclosure of sustainability information, as well as to be presented some shortcomings in the reporting formats and the impact they have on the company performance. A sustainability spectrum model is presented, exploring the stages of sustainability that companies reach when providing sustainability information. The study also includes a practical example for a sustainability reporting by an automotive company.

Потенциални възможности на социалното предприемачество в кръговата икономика на ЕС след присъединяването на България

Author(s): Ivet Tileva / Language(s): Bulgarian Publication Year: 0

The increasing tendency for creating a circular economy within the EU has a favorable impact on the emergence of new business ideas based on innovations in Bulgaria as well. Social entrepreneurship and the start-ups as its result are about to be the source for green economy due to the development of their own innovative solutions. For the purposes of analysis, as an example a Bulgarian start-up company working in the field of biodegradable waste utilization in an environmentally sound manner is observed. On the basis of the information gathered, a conclusion for the level of significance and the place of the business model in the Community's circular economy is drawn. Additionally, a forecast for development of the particular innovation at international level is formulated.