Benefits and Costs of vertical Separation in Network Industries. The Case of Railway Transport in the European Environment

The article is devoted to a phenomenon called vertical separation in the area of network industries. Vertical separation is understood as de-merging of infrastructure and delegating control over it to independent manager banned from operating on downstream markets which are subject to liberalisation. Arguments for and against these tendencies have been examined using the example of the European railway transport. The complete analysis presents vertical separation as a promising solution for the railway industry. One of the conditions for the success of this reform is forming of a close cooperative relationship, based on loyalty and trust, between the infrastructure manager and its clients – rail operators. Building such a relationship should be supported by the implemented regulatory policy.network industries, public utilities, railway transport, economic regulation, liberalisation, vertical separation

The 2007-13 operational programmes: a preliminary assessment: Spring – Autumn 2005

A preliminary assessment of the 2007-13 operational programmes on EU cohesion policy

Programmes in transition - between closure and start. Review of programme developments: Winter-Summer 2007

The past six months have seen a shift in emphasis from the 2000-2006 to the 2007-2013 programmes. Programme managers and other implementing organisations have not only been negotiating draft programmes for 2007-2013 with European Commission staff, but have also been undertaking a range of tasks to prepare for implementing these programmes. A number of initiatives have also occurred at EU level, which direct policymakers’ attention forward to the EU budget review of 2008-2009 and beyond. In addition, ongoing efforts have been needed to ensure that the remaining funds under the 2000-2006 programmes are effectively absorbed, and that all technical preparations for programme closure are underway

Railway Research

This book focuses on selected research problems of contemporary railways. The first chapter is devoted to the prediction of railways development in the nearest future. The second chapter discusses safety and security problems in general, precisely from the system point of view. In the third chapter, both the general approach and a particular case study of a critical incident with regard to railway safety are presented. In the fourth chapter, the question of railway infrastructure studies is presented, which is devoted to track superstructure. In the fifth chapter, the modern system for the technical condition monitoring of railway tracks is discussed. The compact on-board sensing device is presented. The last chapter focuses on modeling railway vehicle dynamics using numerical simulation, where the dynamical models are exploited

Selected features of planning based on a cross-border infrastructural project

The key stage of investment project management is planning, as it is when the project design, which determines the legitimacy and possibilities of practical implementation of the said project, is developed. In the planning of cross-border projects, a selection of partners and an allocation of tasks and responsibilities is of strategic importance. Another aspect of planning an undertaking is knowledge of guidelines and regulations a given project needs to comply with, if it is to apply for EU grants. Selected aspects of project planning and rules behind its preparation are presented in the article in the form of a case study analysis based on a selected road project prepared by Polish and Ukrainian partnersW zarządzaniu projektami inwestycyjnymi bardzo ważnym etapem jest planowanie, ponieważ wtedy ma miejsce opracowanie koncepcji projektu, która przesądza o jego zasadności i możliwości praktycznego wdrożenia. W planowaniu projektów o charakterze transgranicznym kluczowe znaczenie ma dobór partnerów oraz podział pomiędzy nimi zadań i odpowiedzialności. Kolejnym aspektem planowania przedsięwzięcia jest znajomość wytycznych i warunków, jakie ma spełniać projekt, jeśli ma być przekładanym o dofinansowanie z funduszy unijnych. Wybrane aspekty planowania projektu oraz zasad jego przygotowania ukazane zostały w tym artykule w formie analizy studium przypadku, na przykładzie wybranego projektu drogowego, przygotowanego przez partnerów polskich i ukraińskic

European Arctic Initiatives Compendium

Julkaistu versi

Experience in Implementing Social Benefits Monetization Reform in Russia. Literature Review.

The present paper is an integral part of the "Preparation of the strategy for social benefits monetization reform in Ukraine" project, co-financed by the 2008 Polish aid programme of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland and carried out by CASE in 2008. The paper was prepared as background material aimed at obtaining a better understanding of the main bottlenecks in reforming a vast in-kind benefits system typical for many countries of the Former Soviet Union (FSU). The paper focuses on the following issues: aims and motives of monetization reforms in Russia; expected outcomes of the reform; description of the implementation process; changes of the roles of various actors and agencies; compensation of housing and communal services (HCS) expenses in the course of HCS and monetization reforms; and the major gains and failures of the reform. The paper concludes with lessons that can be derived from the Russian monetization experience for the planned Ukrainian monetization reform. The paper is based on extensive research on the monetization reform in Russia and literature published by leading Russian independent research centers including the Independent Institute for Social Policy (IISP), the Institute for Urban Economics, the Centre for Economic and Financial studies (CEFIR), and the Institute for the Economy in Transition (IET).in-kind benefits, monetization, housing and communal services benefits,targeted social assistance, social sector reform, Russia, transition