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on Transition Economics |
| By: | Ruben Nicolas; Vitĕzslav Titl; Fredo Schotanus; Vitezslav Titl |
| Abstract: | The European Commission co-funds public projects through the European Structural and Investment Funds (ESIF) to stimulate the sustainable economic development of EU Member States. The ESIF budget is about 90 billion euros annually and ESIF beneficiaries are explicitly encouraged to increase their use of Green Public Procurement (GPP) since 2014. In this paper, we study to what extent ESIF co-funding affects the uptake of GPP, using a dataset with all public tender notices in the Czech Republic (2006-2019). Our findings suggest that ESIF co-funding instigates selection behaviour by contracting authorities to improve chances of receiving co-funding. After accounting for selection effects, we find that ESIF co-funding has a small but significant effect on the uptake of GPP. Studying exogenous changes in the ESIF policy conditions, we find that GPP uptake responds to changes in the availability of co-funding and not to stronger policy objectives related to sustainability. Finally, we find that the contracting authority’s prior experience with GPP is positively associated with ESIF co-funding and has only a small effect on GPP uptake aside from ESIF. |
| Keywords: | green public procurement, EU, co-funding, climate policy, policy evaluation, sustainable developmen |
| JEL: | H57 D73 |
| Date: | 2024 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ces:ceswps:_11263 |
| By: | Przemysław Kot (Ignatianum University in Cracow, Poland) |
| Abstract: | This article will address the issue of communist propaganda in the Poznań Voivodeship from 1945 to 1956. This voivodeship was one of the 14 administrative regions into which Poland was divided at that time. The chronological scope covers the period from 1945, marking the occupation of the region by the Red Army and the subsequent takeover by the communists, to 1956, which marks the end of the Stalinist era in Poland. Due to space constraints, this article will address only the issue of propaganda methods, specifically individual agitation and mass propaganda. Before delving into the main part of the article, the current state of research on propaganda in Poland during the analyzed period will be presented, along with definitions of the term "propaganda." The primary sources for this work are archival materials stored in the State Archive in Poznań, produced by the Polish Workers' Party (Polska Partia Robotnicza), which, from 1948, was known as the Polish United Workers' Party (Polska Zjednoczona Partia Robotnicza), the organization responsible for conducting propaganda activities. |
| Keywords: | communism propaganda, Stalinist period |
| Date: | 2024–07 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:smo:raiswp:0392 |
| By: | Barbora Holubová |
| Abstract: | The report was prepared within the SOWELL project focused on social dialogue in care services and co-financed by the European Commission DG Employment, Social Inclusion &Affairs (VS/2020/0242). The report presents the Slovak employment relations, working conditions and social partner strategies in care services, concentrating on two sectors: care services for children aged 0-5 (ECEC) and social and health services for the elderly people (LTC). The report, based on extensive desk research, analysis of the dataset and interviews with the stakeholders, maps the employment, governance and industrial relations in ECEC and LTC to respond to two research questions: a) How did Slovakia balance the pressures of budget constraints, service coverage, job quality and quality of services in ECEC and LTC, the so-called ‘quadrilemma’? and b) What role do the social partners and social dialogue institutions play in favour of some solutions of care provision instead of others? |
| Date: | 2024–08–31 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cel:report:66 |
| By: | Douglas Laxton (NOVA School of Business and Economics, Saddle Point Research, The Better Policy Project); Haykaz Igityan (Head of Model Improvement Division, Central Bank of Armenia); Shalva Mkhatrishvili (Head of Macroeconomics and Statistics Department (Chief Economist), National Bank of Georgia.) |
| Abstract: | This paper introduces the Forecasting and Policy Analysis System (FPAS) Mark II, which incorporates Mervyn King's imperative for economic models to reflect the endogenous nature of central bank credibility based on policy actions. The original FPAS, predominantly utilized by inflation-targeting central banks, has been constrained by its focus on baseline projections and local approximations. These limitations hinder its capacity to accurately reflect the evolving credibility of central banks in response to their policy choices. Credibility specifically refers to how anchored are long term inflation expectations in bond markets and by wage and price setters but also a broader consideration is whether long-term real interest rates and the exchange rate operate as shock absorbers. FPAS Mark II integrates "Monetary Policy as Risk Management" (MPRM), enhancing the framework's ability to address significant uncertainties and adapt to changing economic conditions. This new approach advocates a shift from a baseline projection to a scenario-based strategy that attempts to anticipate a diverse range of economic outcomes including non-linear such as time-varying policy credibility. By doing so, FPAS Mark II not only adheres to King's vision by embedding endogenous credibility into the fabric of monetary policy but also equips policymakers to navigate complex financial landscapes more effectively, avoiding potential pitfalls and better managing periods of uncertainty |
| Keywords: | Endogenous Credibility, FPAS, Monetary Policy as Risk Management |
| JEL: | E17 E47 E52 |
| Date: | 2024–09 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:aez:wpaper:2024-04 |
| By: | Tibor Hlédik; Joana Madjoska; Mite Miteski; Mr. Jan Vlcek |
| Abstract: | This paper presents a calibrated DSGE model of the economy of North Macedonia that was developed at the National Bank of the Republic of North Macedonia (NBRNM) within a technical assistance project delivered jointly by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the Czech National Bank (CNB). The model structure reflects the specific characteristics of the economy of North Macedonia. Namely, it is a small open economy DSGE model featuring a fixed exchange rate regime functioning in an economy experiencing structural changes over time. The paper provides a detailed overview of the theoretical structure of the model, including optimization problems of economic agents and first-order optimality conditions. A particular emphasis is put on model calibration, as well as on model evaluation, including the analysis of impulse responses, shock decompositions and historical in-sample simulation. Compared to other empirical papers focusing on DSGE models, our approach explicitly includes additional trends and wedges needed to capture non-stationary great ratios as well as the Balassa-Samuelson effect. The model has been developed to complement the existing analytic tools used at the NBRNM for policy analyses and to improve the understanding of the underlying drivers of the business cycle of the domestic economy. |
| Keywords: | DSGE model; calibration; economy of North Macedonia; fixed exchange rate |
| Date: | 2024–08–30 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:imf:imfwpa:2024/187 |
| By: | Monika Martišková |
| Abstract: | The BARMETAL project is aimed at understanding the impacts of the dual transformation involving digitization, automation and decarbonization (DAD), in working conditions and social dialogue within the metal sector. In the report, we describe how social partners responded to DAD challenges and evaluate the role of social dialogue in mitigating the adverse effects of the transformation on working conditions in Czechia. Within the metal industry, specifically understood as the sector processing metal goods, our focus centred on the automotive industry, the largest industrial production sector contributing to 9% of GDP (in the broader sense of supplier-buyer chains), constituting 26% of industrial production, and accounting for 24% of exports. In the first section, we outline current developments in the automotive industry, emphasizing the national and sector-level labour market situations and recent changes. We then provide insights into industrial relations in the country, followed by a description of DAD discourses, policies, and impacts on employment, drawing on stakeholder interviews and available policy documents. The fourth section zooms in on responses to DAD challenges through collective bargaining at the sector level, subsequently delving into the company-level experiences and practices of collective bargaining examined through three case studies in automotive companies. The final section analyses findings from interviews and secondary sources. This report is based on 15 interviews conducted between June and November 2023, with interview durations ranging from 45 to 90 minutes, conducted in person or via online calls (see the list of interviewees stakeholders in Annex 1). In addition to interviews, Charles University along with CELSI and EUROPEUM2 co-organized a roundtable of 13 regional stakeholders in the Moravian-Silesian region hosted by Hyundai Nošovice in Czechia in November 2023. The purpose of the event was to get insights into the regional transformations and actors involved. Knowledge gathered during the roundtable is also used as a source of evidence in the report. Secondary sources, including academic literature, reports, background documents, and media reports, complement the evidence gathered during fieldwork activities. |
| Date: | 2024–08–31 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cel:report:63 |
| By: | Cristina-Luiza Erimia (Ovidius University of Constanta, Faculty of Pharmacy, Constanta, Romania) |
| Abstract: | The Europe dietary supplements market exhibits a diverse end-user concentration, encompassing health-conscious individuals, fitness enthusiasts, and those seeking preventive healthcare solutions. With a growing awareness of holistic well-being, the market caters to a broad spectrum of consumers, ranging from aging populations seeking nutritional support to younger demographics embracing proactive health measures. In the context of an increasing number of products being introduced into the European Union market in the form of food products containing a concentrated source of nutrients and presented as supplementing the intake of these nutrients into the normal diet, this paper examines the regulation of the internal market of food supplements, as well as the obstacles arising to cross-border trade in dietary supplements containing substances other than vitamins and minerals. Given that European legislation does not include specific provisions on the use of substances other than vitamins or minerals in food supplements, the free movement of these products is governed by Articles 34 – 35 of TFEU/Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union and may thus be subject to national restrictions or prohibitions within the limits set out in Article 36. At the same time, the paper aims to present the relevant case-law of the Court of Justice of the European Union which restrictively interprets the list of derogations stipulated in Article 36 of TFEU, so that measures taken by Member States do not constitute a means of arbitrary discrimination or any restriction hid under the trade of food supplements containing substances other than vitamins and minerals. |
| Keywords: | European Union legislation, food supplements, internal market, free movement of goods, case-law of the Court of Justice of the European Union |
| Date: | 2024–07 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:smo:raiswp:0390 |
| By: | Monika Martišková; Patrik Gažo |
| Abstract: | Slovakia heavily relies on energy resources from Russia, but there are efforts to diversify sources, intensified by the Ukraine-Russian war started in 2022. Nuclear power dominates electricity generation, while renewables constitute only 13% of the energy mix, primarily sourced from water, solar, and biomass. Wind and geothermal energy hold untapped potential, crucial for enhancing the country's energy self-sufficiency. Mining and coal burning sector, as well as in the gas distribution industry transformation will have the strongest impact on employees. At the same time, emerging sectors such as photovoltaics and heat pumps are facing huge labour shortages. There are two multi-employer collective agreements in the energy sector, both stipulate requirements on employers to provide requalification if the employer has capacities to do so and oblige employer to consult with the company-level trade union measures related to employees´ qualifications. Nevertheless, more and more frequently, social partners address the energy transition at the company level, and thus the approaches are decentralised and less coordinated, often guided by the company HR policies and less consulted with trade unions. At the same time, social dialogue is missing in the emerging sectors. |
| Date: | 2024–08–31 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cel:report:68 |
| By: | Adam Šumichrast |
| Abstract: | This report identifies and analyses the wage setting practices in Czechia, focusing on four specific sectors – construction, hospitality, urban transport, and waste management. As part of the BARWAGE project2 this report seeks to understand how exactly wage is setting in these sectors, with a focus on low-wage workers (if relevant) is occurring, which actors are involved, what is the starting point of this process and where does it lead to in terms of institutional stability or change of the wage setting institutions. The findings reveal that sectoral wage setting has historically played a minor role, with only certain wage components, like bonuses and special cases, being adjusted. These adjustments set a base but can be overridden by company collective agreements. Except for the construction sector, sectoral collective bargaining is declining, as seen in urban transport, or is nonexistent, as in waste management. Wage setting is primarily driven by company-level bargaining, with the statutory minimum wage having a limited impact, except in hospitality. Individual bargaining is not significant. In unionised workplaces, wage negotiations are typically conducted by the union, with little individual negotiation. |
| Date: | 2024–08–31 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cel:report:70 |
| By: | Kristína Gotthardová; Marta Kahancová |
| Abstract: | This report identifies and analyses the wage setting practices in Bulgaria, focusing on four specific sectors – construction, hospitality, urban transport, and waste management. General practices of wage setting are outlined in the context of wider global trends towards individualization and employer discretion. Evidence on the four sectors is summarised together with the most relevant trade unions and employer organization in each, with particular attention paid to low-paid jobs in the sector. Wage setting and collective bargaining in the four sectors are traced in detail, accounting for wage setting at several levels, including the statutory, municipal, sectoral, company, and individual level. |
| Date: | 2024–08–31 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cel:report:69 |
| By: | Roeckert, Julian; Krähnert, Kati; Hoffmann, Roman |
| Abstract: | This study examines the impact of extreme weather events on violence against children inflicted by adult household members. Our focus is on Mongolia, where winter disasters cause high livestock mortality that exert economic stress on pastoralist households. The analysis builds on three cross-sectional Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys. The identification strategy utilizes spatial variation in the intensity of three winter disasters. Exposure to extreme winter conditions significantly increases the probability of children from pastoralist households to become victim of psychological and physical violence. Increased alcohol consumption, shifts in attitudes toward male dominance, and reduced life satisfaction among adults are likely mechanisms. |
| Abstract: | Diese Studie untersucht die Auswirkungen extremer Wetterereignisse auf Gewalt gegen Kinder durch erwachsene Haushaltsmitglieder. Unser Fokus liegt auf der Mongolei, wo extreme Wetterbedingungen im Winter eine hohe Viehsterblichkeit verursachen, die die Existenz von Viehhaltern bedrohen. Die Analyse basiert auf drei Querschnittserhebungen von Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys. Die Identifikationsstrategie nutzt die räumliche Variation in der Intensität dreier extremer Winterereignisse. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass extreme Winterbedingungen systematisch die Wahrscheinlichkeit erhöhen, dass Kinder aus Viehhalter-Haushalten Opfer von psychischer und physischer Gewalt werden. Erhöhter Alkoholkonsum, veränderte Einstellungen gegenüber männlicher Dominanz und eine geringere Lebenszufriedenheit unter Erwachsenen sind wahrscheinliche Mechanismen für den Anstieg der Gewalt.Diese Studie untersucht die Auswirkungen extremer Wetterereignisse auf Gewalt gegen Kinder durch erwachsene Haushaltsmitglieder. Unser Fokus liegt auf der Mongolei, wo extreme Wetterbedingungen im Winter eine hohe Viehsterblichkeit verursachen, die die Existenz von Viehhaltern bedrohen. Die Analyse basiert auf drei Querschnittserhebungen von Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys. Die Identifikationsstrategie nutzt die räumliche Variation in der Intensität dreier extremer Winterereignisse. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass extreme Winterbedingungen systematisch die Wahrscheinlichkeit erhöhen, dass Kinder aus Viehhalter-Haushalten Opfer von psychischer und physischer Gewalt werden. Erhöhter Alkoholkonsum, veränderte Einstellungen gegenüber männlicher Dominanz und eine geringere Lebenszufriedenheit unter Erwachsenen sind wahrscheinliche Mechanismen für den Anstieg der Gewalt. |
| Keywords: | Extreme weather events, violence against children (VAC) |
| JEL: | I31 J12 J13 Q12 Q54 |
| Date: | 2024 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:rwirep:302182 |
| By: | Minh Ha-Duong (CIRED - Centre International de Recherche sur l'Environnement et le Développement - Cirad - Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement - EHESS - École des hautes études en sciences sociales - AgroParisTech - ENPC - École des Ponts ParisTech - Université Paris-Saclay - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique) |
| Abstract: | This review examines Vietnam's eighth Power Development Plan (PDP8), analyzing how it reveals tensions between traditional energy planning concepts and emerging realities. PDP8 aimed to balance renewable energy and natural gas priorities amidst Vietnam's rapidly changing energy landscape. The planning process struggled to incorporate uncertainties like technology cost declines and global energy crises. Although following a conventional optimization approach, PDP8 underwent repeated delays and pivots, pointing to misalignment between rational planning ideals and implementation constraints. The case study highlights the limitations of 'plan to build' methods focused on rigid engineering blueprints. Instead, Vietnam's energy transition requires strategic approaches that embrace flexibility and scenario analysis. Based on years of participative observation, two interview surveys, and extensive corpus analysis, the review traces PDP8's evolution towards more open-ended strategies. While still detailing infrastructure projects, PDP8 defines adaptive implementation mechanisms and conditional goals dependent on external finance. This shift from project lists to navigational thinking illustrates the need for energy planning to incorporate uncertainty and maintain the capacity to adjust. PDP8 represents a transitional compromise between traditional ten-year planning and emerging 'plan to drive' concepts focused on navigating change with annual updates to the Plan. |
| Abstract: | Cette étude de cas examine le huitième Plan de Développement Électrique du Vietnam (PDP8), en mettant en lumière les tensions entre les concepts traditionnels de planification énergétique et les réalités émergentes. Le PDP8 visait à équilibrer les priorités entre les énergies renouvelables et le gaz naturel dans un paysage énergétique vietnamien en rapide évolution. Le processus de planification a eu du mal à intégrer des incertitudes comme la baisse des coûts technologiques et les crises énergétiques mondiales. Bien qu'il suive une approche d'optimisation conventionnelle, le PDP8 a subi des retards répétés et des réorientations, indiquant un décalage entre les idéaux de planification rationnelle et les contraintes de mise en œuvre. Cette étude de cas met en évidence les limites des méthodes de 'planification pour construire' centrées sur des plans d'ingénierie rigides. Au lieu de cela, la transition énergétique du Vietnam nécessite des approches stratégiques qui embrassent la flexibilité et l'analyse de scénarios. Basée sur des années d'observation participative, deux enquêtes d'entretiens et une analyse approfondie du corpus, l'étude retrace l'évolution du PDP8 vers des stratégies plus ouvertes. Tout en détaillant encore les projets d'infrastructure, le PDP8 définit des mécanismes de mise en œuvre adaptatifs et des objectifs conditionnels dépendant de financements externes. Ce passage de listes de projets à une réflexion axée sur la navigation illustre la nécessité pour la planification énergétique d'intégrer l'incertitude et de maintenir la capacité d'adaptation. Le PDP8 représente un compromis transitoire entre la planification traditionnelle sur dix ans et les concepts émergents de 'planification pour diriger' axés sur la gestion du changement avec des mises à jour annuelles du Plan. |
| Keywords: | Power System Planning, Energy transition, Vietnam, Case study, Adaptative strategies |
| Date: | 2024–08–30 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hal:ciredw:hal-04683709 |