Search Results (1,031)

This research demonstrates the potential of machine learning for revealing the fiscal effects of the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) in the European Union. It focuses on the use of a hybrid approach, based on traditional econometric methods combined with advanced data machine learning techniques. For this purpose, the following were applied: a panel data model with fixed effects, difference-in-differences analysis, correlation analysis, and machine learning, specifically, random forest regression, for the period of 2020–2024, including indicators from all 27 EU member states. The results of the conducted tests establish the effectiveness of the Recovery and Resilience Facility for fiscal stabilization, but also its high vulnerability to specific economic conditions in the individual member states. The complex relationships between the amount of funds received and the fiscal outcomes, which classical models fail to capture, were derived. A positive stabilizing effect on the indebtedness of countries with a clearly expressed imbalance in the public debt-to-gross domestic product ratio was demonstrated. Full article

This paper investigates the determinants of economic growth in EU member states that joined the Union in 2004 and later, focusing on institutional quality, competitiveness, and the green transition. Three composite indices are constructed using principal component analysis (PCA) and incorporated into a panel ARDL-PMG model, complemented by robustness checks with fixed-effects and system-GMM estimators. The results highlight competitiveness as the most robust driver of growth across specifications, while institutional quality emerges as an enabling factor, particularly under dynamic specifications that account for endogeneity. The green transition shows significant long-run benefits, although its short-run effects are weaker, reflecting the gradual payoff of environmental investments. Policy implications emphasize the importance of strengthening institutional frameworks, fostering innovation and productivity, and sustaining commitments to the green transition as pillars of sustainable convergence. The findings enrich the literature on EU integration and provide evidence-based insights for aligning cohesion policy and the European Green Deal with growth objectives. Full article

This paper assesses the green tourism readiness of six EU member states from Central and Eastern Europe—Slovenia, Croatia, Slovakia, Hungary, Bulgaria, and Romania—using a hybrid multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) model. As tourism sectors face increasing pressure to align with the European Green Deal and sustainability goals, integrating green skills, environmental protection, and institutional governance becomes essential. The study applies a three-step framework that combines the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), Best-Worst Method (BWM), and Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) to evaluate national performance across four criteria: natural capital, rural infrastructure, governance readiness, and green skills in vocational education and training (VET). Results show that environmental sustainability and governance are the dominant enablers of green tourism transformation, with Slovenia and Croatia leading in overall readiness. Although green skills have a lower relative weight, their integration significantly strengthens performance in more advanced systems. The hybrid model demonstrated methodological robustness through sensitivity and consistency checks. This research contributes to both methodological innovation and evidence-based policymaking by offering a replicable tool for evaluating sustainable tourism development in transition economies. It provides actionable insights for aligning education, tourism, and environmental policy within the broader EU green transition framework. Full article

Our study analyzes the essential role of social innovation in reducing social exclusion and unemployment while improving citizens’ well-being through targeted public policies that enhance GDP allocations to social protection. Using Eurostat data and European Innovation Scoreboard (EIS) from 2019 to 2020, a comparative econometric analysis of all 27 EU member states, focused particularly on Romania, examines the interdependence between social innovation, social protection expenditures, social exclusion, and unemployment rates. Regression and ANOVA models confirm a significant positive relationship between social innovation and social protection spending. However, Romania’s overall share of social protection in GDP remains well below the EU average, despite higher relative spending on health, pensions, and family support, reflecting structural limitations and a slower diffusion of innovative practices. As an exploratory effort, the study acknowledges possible distortions caused by the pandemic, which temporarily increased expenditures and altered long-term trends. Broader macroeconomic factors such as inflation, demographics, and technology were not included but may refine future analyses. The findings provide both theoretical and practical insights, suggesting that enhancing social innovation through public policy can strengthen social cohesion, improve quality of life, and support the sustainable development of national protection systems. Full article

In recent years, the European Union has played a key role in global efforts to combat climate change and the energy transition, focusing on creating fiscal, legal and regulatory policies and instruments capable of supporting the decarbonization process and ensuring a sustainable energy future. Environmental taxation has been considered not only as an essential tool to discourage pollution but also to stimulate cleaner energy production, the integration of renewable sources and energy efficiency. Our research analyses the impact of environmental tax revenues on CO₂ across 27 EU member states from 2012 to 2023. A mixed-method research approach is used, combining policy and strategy analysis, bibliometric mapping and econometric data analysis using OLS, as well as fixed and random effects models that are selected based on the Hausman test. The methodological mix approach provides empirical evidence on how fiscal instruments can simultaneously support environmental sustainability and energy resilience. The results show that environmental taxes are associated with greenhouse gas emission reductions and an increase in the share of renewable energy, especially when integrated into a coherent national policy framework. The policy analysis highlights the role of the Climate Action Budgetary Mechanism (CABM) and the Effort Sharing Regulation (ESR), underlining their importance for the European Union’s energy strategy. The bibliometric results indicate the existence of thematic clusters focused on carbon pricing, renewable energies and international comparisons, particularly with China. Finally, this study suggests that the maximum efficiency of environmental taxes is achieved when the revenues generated are reinvested in green infrastructure, innovation and sustainable jobs. Furthermore, policies should be adapted to the specificities of each Member State to ensure a fair and sustainable energy transition at the EU level. Full article

The present study examines the relationship between economic growth and the tax burden that is formed as a result of income taxes. The main goal is to verify whether there is a link between these research variables in the long run and if this is confirmed, to analyze the manner in which these processes interact. The research applies a range of econometric techniques, including stationary tests, pairwise Granger causality test, Johansen cointegration test, impulse functions, and variance decompositions in order to investigate causality in the short- and long-term. The study is based on 49 observations and covers four European Union (EU) member states (Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania, and Estonia), which continue to impose a proportional (flat) tax on personal and corporate income. The analysis relies on quarterly data for the period 2013Q1–2025Q1. The results obtained are quite heterogeneous, which can be explained by the significant differences in the tax policy pursued, as well as by a number of other features determining the growth of national economies. Full article

The Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) requires all EU Member States to establish Whole Life Carbon (WLC) benchmarks by 2030. While progress is being made across Europe, a comprehensive and standardised national methodology remains absent in Italy, raising broader questions about how to ensure comparability of WLC assessments across diverse territorial contexts. Italy represents a particularly complex case, as its building stock is regulated simultaneously by seismic zoning and climatic zoning, complicating the definition of representative archetypes. This study applies Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) to a prototypical residential building in Tuscany, testing scenarios that vary by seismic risk and exposure conditions. Results show that structural components dominate impacts, accounting for approximately 60% of total Global Warming Potential (GWP), and that outcomes are highly sensitive to both location and data source. These findings underscore the importance of data granularity and context-specific modelling in developing robust benchmarks. The novelty of this work lies in proposing a framework that integrates seismic and climatic factors into archetype selection, while also emphasising the adoption of nationally tailored datasets to improve accuracy and policy relevance. By situating the Italian case within the wider European debate, the paper contributes to the urgent task of establishing robust, comparable, and context-sensitive WLC benchmarks that can guide both national regulation and EU-wide decarbonisation strategies. Full article

After the powerful socioeconomic shock of the fall of the communist regime in the early 90s, the ten countries in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) analyzed in this study became growing Member States of the European Union (EU). However, they faced the 2008 financial crisis, the 2019 COVID shock, and sharp income disparities both at the regional level and compared to the countries in Western EU. This study explores the differences in sustainable regional development, modeling with Panel Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) to analyze relationships across multiple cross-sections in the short and long run, as well as with Cointegration Tests and Granger Panel Causality to detect evidence of causality among the variables in the study. The analysis covers 2012–2022, a period in which the Member States from CEE had the best access to generous structural and cohesion EU funds and that includes both the post-financial crisis convergence phase and the COVID-19 shock, enabling us to capture regional resilience dynamics. The results indicate that capital formation and population density positively influence disposable household income in the long run, across CEE regions, while unemployment and life expectancy exert negative effects. The results of this paper can be of use to decision-making institutions seeking to implement proactive socioeconomic policies in the lagging regions, before the next crisis, focused on capital investments, reducing unemployment, and bridging the rural–urban divide. The study contributes to the literature on inclusive and sustainable economic development at the CEE regional level. Full article

This review provides a comprehensive analysis of the technological, environmental, economic, regulatory, and social dimensions shaping the development and operation of agricultural biogas plants. The paper adopts a primarily European perspective, reflecting the comparatively high share of agricultural inputs in anaerobic digestion (AD) across EU Member States, while drawing selective comparisons with global contexts to indicate where socio-geographical conditions may lead to different outcomes. It outlines core principles of the AD process and recent innovations—such as enzyme supplementation, microbial carriers, and multistage digestion systems—that enhance process efficiency and cost-effectiveness. The study emphasises substrate optimisation involving both crop- and livestock-derived materials, together with the critical management of water resources and digestate within a circular-economy framework to promote sustainability and minimise environmental risks. Economic viability, regulatory frameworks, and social dynamics are examined as key factors underpinning successful biogas implementation. The paper synthesises evidence on cost–benefit performance, investment drivers, regulatory challenges, and support mechanisms, alongside the importance of community engagement and participatory governance to mitigate land-use conflicts and ensure equitable rural development. Finally, it addresses persistent technical, institutional, environmental, and social barriers that constrain biogas deployment, underscoring the need for integrated solutions that combine technological advances with policy support and stakeholder cooperation. This analysis offers practical insights for advancing sustainable biogas use in agriculture, balancing energy production with environmental stewardship, food security, and rural equity. The review is based on literature identified in Scopus and Web of Science for 2007 to 2025 using predefined keyword sets and supplemented by EU policy and guidance documents and backward- and forward-citation searches. Full article

Digital skills represent a key dimension of digital transformation, shaping the innovation potential, competitiveness, and long-term sustainability of the European economy. The aim of this paper is to compare the development of digital skills in EU-27 countries from 2018 to 2024 and identify the strengths and weaknesses within the European context. The analysis is based on secondary data from the Digital Economy and Society Index (DESI). From the total of 36 indicators included in DESI, 12 variables were selected, with an emphasis on 3 core digital-skills metrics: Internet use, ICT specialists, and ICT graduates. To assess their interrelationships and linkages with overall digital transformation performance, non-parametric correlation analyses (Kendall’s Tau and Spearman’s rank correlation) were applied. Furthermore, across-year nonparametric tests (Friedman ANOVA with Kendall’s coefficient of concordance, W) were used to evaluate year-to-year differences and the stability of country rankings over 2018–2024. The empirical results confirmed that higher levels of digital skills are associated with stronger digital transformation performance among EU member states, while significant cross-country disparities persist. Germany and the Nordic economies (Finland, Sweden, and Denmark) achieved the best results, while Southern and Eastern European countries such as Bulgaria, Portugal, and Greece lagged behind. These findings highlight the strategic role of digital education, ICT specialization, and lifelong learning initiatives in promoting sustainable digital transformation and competitiveness across Europe. In addition, panel regression analysis confirmed that digital infrastructure, particularly FTTP coverage and Very High Capacity Networks, is a key driver of digital skills development, whereas the effects of business digitalization appear indirect or delayed. The outcomes provide relevant implications for broadband deployment and user-centric digital public services to support the objectives of the EU Digital Decade 2030. The study contributes to a deeper understanding of the determinants of digital skills and digital transformation performance, providing evidence-based guidance for targeted digital policies aimed at reducing the digital divide and strengthening digital transformation performance within the European Union. Full article

This paper investigates the risk determinants and spatial patterns of tax revenue loss due to illicit tobacco consumption across the 27 EU Member States from 2017 to 2022. Using a panel dataset covering economic, demographic, social, political, and behavioral dimensions, we apply principal component analysis to identify key factors associated with revenue loss, and hierarchical clustering to group countries with similar risk profiles. Geographic Information Systems visualize the spatial heterogeneity of fiscal vulnerabilities. Findings reveal that institutional and economic stability, international trade and market share, socio-economic inequality and tax burdens, health and well-being, demographic aging and social dynamics, tobacco taxation policy, and labor dynamics and shadow consumption structure the patterns of tax loss risk. Findings also highlight significant differences among Member States, emphasizing the multidimensional nature of fiscal risks. Full article

The transformation of vocational education and training (VET) systems has become a strategic priority for achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly in the context of accelerating global economic transitions. This article examines how EU member states modify their VET systems to address evolving labor market demands and align with the objectives of SDGs 4, 8, and 10, utilizing system alignment, decentralization, infrastructure development, stakeholder engagement, and investment in green and digital skills. The article analyzed the influence of these five strategies. Using cross-national comparative analysis and multidimensional indicators, the study reveals that strong partnerships with labor market stakeholders and investments in green and digital transitions significantly enhance the responsiveness and sustainability of VET systems. However, assumptions related to the decentralization of governance and infrastructure expansion were not consistently supported, indicating the need for a more nuanced approach to policy reform. The findings offer practical implications for VET policy design, emphasizing flexibility, system coherence, and future-oriented planning. This study contributes to the growing body of research that links education systems to sustainable economic development. The research also concludes that innovative management models—combining flexible governance, labor-market intelligence, and digital innovation—are central to modernizing VET and improving its adaptability to future skill needs. Full article

In this study, we investigated the spatial and temporal dynamics of pork carcass prices across European Union Member States, focusing on the influence of wheat prices and population income levels between 2014 and 2023. Our analysis revealed that both input costs (reflected by wheat price fluctuations) and income-driven demand factors exert significant and spatially correlated effects on pork carcass prices. The results demonstrate the existence of spatial interdependencies among neighboring countries, indicating that price changes in one region may propagate through the broader European market. By integrating spatial econometric techniques within a panel data framework, this research provides empirical evidence of the interconnected nature of EU agricultural markets, advancing the existing literature by demonstrating how input markets and consumer income dynamics jointly shape price behavior within an integrated regional economy. Our findings contribute to a deeper understanding of price transmission mechanisms in the livestock sector and offer valuable insights for policymakers seeking to enhance market efficiency and resilience within the Common Agricultural Policy context. Full article

In recent years, European cities have implemented numerous initiatives to reduce the use of resources and improve the resilience of climate change by promoting shifts toward the circular economy (CE). This comparative case study investigated the results of the applications of the CE model in the built environment from two different national approaches and perspectives of strategic planning in capitals that represent the “old” (Copenhagen) and “new” (Ljubljana) European Union (EU) member states. This paper introduces the original methodology to assess the implementation of the strategic approaches in the adaptation of the CE in architecture and urban design using a set of 10 selecting indicators. Although both cities have ambitious strategic goals and are undertaking actions aimed at shifting to the CE, they are driven by different motivations (climate crisis vs. urban revitalization and zero waste policy) and exhibit different implementation patterns (top-down systemic/institutional vs. gradual/sectoral). The results highlight the key role of a comprehensive approach to CE implementation, particularly the development of institutional frameworks and dedicated infrastructure and digital tools for transition management, the involvement of external stakeholders in the circular vision, wide-range educational activities, and the promotion of CE initiatives. However, limitations resulting from the lack of a comprehensive and standardized measurement framework pose a challenge to effectively accelerate progress in the shift toward a CE in the built environment. The main contributions of this study are: (1) to identify and verify the methods and strategies undertaken by European cities for the adaptation of a CE in the built environment and (2) demonstrate the different dimensions, levels, and the most relevant factors in the strategic management of the processes of transformation toward the CE. In addition, recommendations for future implementations based on CE systems are indicated. Full article

The rapidly expanding use of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies in recent years presents significant opportunities for achieving sustainable, clean, and safe environmental objectives. This study aims to comprehensively examine the potential use of AI technologies for clean and safe environmental goals in forest tourism areas in Turkey, Lithuania, and Morocco, and to conduct comparative analyses specific to each target country. The research was conducted using a qualitative methodology within a case study design. In line with purposive sampling principles, the sample was limited to a total of 72 participants from the three countries (24 from Turkey, 24 from Lithuania, and 24 from Morocco). To identify expert opinions relevant to the study objectives, semi-structured interviews were conducted across the three country samples, and the collected data were processed and analyzed using NVivo 14 software. The data were transformed into findings through descriptive analysis and content analysis. The results indicate that AI technologies are employed in forest tourism areas for diverse purposes and objectives related to clean and safe environmental management. In Turkey, AI applications are primarily directed toward proactive measures addressing pressing environmental issues, such as forest fires. In Lithuania, as an EU member state, AI technologies are utilized in a more strategic, institutional, and comprehensive manner across multiple areas and objectives. In contrast, Morocco appears to lag in AI adoption, focusing on international collaborations to enhance digital infrastructure and facilitate technology transfer. Full article