Economic activity always has an impact on the environment, but the potential degree of this impact depends on consumption and production pattems. The aim of this paper is to analyse the environmental and well being im...Economic activity always has an impact on the environment, but the potential degree of this impact depends on consumption and production pattems. The aim of this paper is to analyse the environmental and well being impacts of consumption and production systems in Baltic Sea Region and draw conclusions about transferring of best practises in Latvia. This study is based on indicator analyses, focusing on data of environmental impacts from consumption and production in the region, and analyses drivers behind these impacts. The paper concludes two trends--Scandinavian countries and Germany which have more advanced economies demonstrate much higher ecoefficiency and environmental management practices compared to the new EU member states. The example of the Baltic Sea region shows that high income levels and a stable development path in the old EU member states provide grounds for technology advancement to reduce the environmental impact of production. However Baltic States and Poland on average demonstrate much more sustainable consumption patterns. But the trends in these countries are negative--they try to copy lifestyles and consumption patterns of more advanced economies with higher ecological footprint. Challenge for Latvia is to improve its ecoefficiency but at the same time develop more sustainable consumption patterns.展开更多
The financial crisis has deeply affected Eastern European countries since the end of 2008. The global economic crisis put an end to a period when the region witnessed solid economic growth, high inflows of foreign inv...The financial crisis has deeply affected Eastern European countries since the end of 2008. The global economic crisis put an end to a period when the region witnessed solid economic growth, high inflows of foreign investment and a dynamic real estate sector, which was one of the main drivers of the region＇s economic growth （Abelson, Kaemar, ＆ Jackofsky, 1990）. The Eastern European real estate market was deeply impacted by the crisis. Investment in real estate dropped sharply due to the significant increase in risks and difficulties in financial borrowing （Bruce, 1991）. Rising unemployment affected retail sales, as well as office net absorption. Take-up fell significantly in all markets： Transactions were of smaller size and demand for buildings decreased. On the supply side, vacancy increased sharply due to the high level of completions entering the market （Smith, 1992）. The strong rise in vacancy rates has put pressure on rents, which dropped sharply in 2008 and in early 2009. They started to stabilize only by the end of 2009. How will the Romanian real estate market evolve？ No one knows for certain. Through this work we try to get some predictions based on statistical theory and not on the lessons learned from other crises.展开更多
Over the past decade higher education reforms in most European countries have been oriented towards creating a European Higher Education Area which is envisaged in the Bologna Declaration.Based on an illustration of a...Over the past decade higher education reforms in most European countries have been oriented towards creating a European Higher Education Area which is envisaged in the Bologna Declaration.Based on an illustration of a variety of difficulties encountered higher education institutions in a wide range of participating countries,this article indicates a less optimistic view on the achievements to date in the Bologna Process.It argues that the tension of interests between the designers of the Process and its national and institutional practitioners undermines the actual progress towards the supranational objectives.It is suggested that most difficulties in relation to harmonizing national structures of higher education lie in the varying degrees of cultural dependency on traditions and academic autonomy across the engaged European countries.展开更多
文摘Economic activity always has an impact on the environment, but the potential degree of this impact depends on consumption and production pattems. The aim of this paper is to analyse the environmental and well being impacts of consumption and production systems in Baltic Sea Region and draw conclusions about transferring of best practises in Latvia. This study is based on indicator analyses, focusing on data of environmental impacts from consumption and production in the region, and analyses drivers behind these impacts. The paper concludes two trends--Scandinavian countries and Germany which have more advanced economies demonstrate much higher ecoefficiency and environmental management practices compared to the new EU member states. The example of the Baltic Sea region shows that high income levels and a stable development path in the old EU member states provide grounds for technology advancement to reduce the environmental impact of production. However Baltic States and Poland on average demonstrate much more sustainable consumption patterns. But the trends in these countries are negative--they try to copy lifestyles and consumption patterns of more advanced economies with higher ecological footprint. Challenge for Latvia is to improve its ecoefficiency but at the same time develop more sustainable consumption patterns.
文摘The financial crisis has deeply affected Eastern European countries since the end of 2008. The global economic crisis put an end to a period when the region witnessed solid economic growth, high inflows of foreign investment and a dynamic real estate sector, which was one of the main drivers of the region＇s economic growth （Abelson, Kaemar, ＆ Jackofsky, 1990）. The Eastern European real estate market was deeply impacted by the crisis. Investment in real estate dropped sharply due to the significant increase in risks and difficulties in financial borrowing （Bruce, 1991）. Rising unemployment affected retail sales, as well as office net absorption. Take-up fell significantly in all markets： Transactions were of smaller size and demand for buildings decreased. On the supply side, vacancy increased sharply due to the high level of completions entering the market （Smith, 1992）. The strong rise in vacancy rates has put pressure on rents, which dropped sharply in 2008 and in early 2009. They started to stabilize only by the end of 2009. How will the Romanian real estate market evolve？ No one knows for certain. Through this work we try to get some predictions based on statistical theory and not on the lessons learned from other crises.
文摘Over the past decade higher education reforms in most European countries have been oriented towards creating a European Higher Education Area which is envisaged in the Bologna Declaration.Based on an illustration of a variety of difficulties encountered higher education institutions in a wide range of participating countries,this article indicates a less optimistic view on the achievements to date in the Bologna Process.It argues that the tension of interests between the designers of the Process and its national and institutional practitioners undermines the actual progress towards the supranational objectives.It is suggested that most difficulties in relation to harmonizing national structures of higher education lie in the varying degrees of cultural dependency on traditions and academic autonomy across the engaged European countries.
