Support for farmers' cooperatives: EU synthesis and comparative analysis report: policy measures

In order to foster the competitiveness of the food supply chain, the European Commission is committed to promote and facilitate the restructuring and consolidation of the agricultural sector by encouraging the creation of voluntary agricultural producer organisations. To support the policy making process DG Agriculture and Rural Development has launched a large study, “Support for Farmers’ Cooperatives (SFC)”, that will provide insights on successful cooperatives and producer organisations as well as on effective support measures for these organisations. These insights can be used by farmers themselves, in setting up and strengthening their collective organisation, and by the European Commission in its effort to encourage the creation of agricultural producer organisations in the EU. Within the framework of the SFC project this EU synthesis and comparative analysis report - Policy Measures has been written. Data collection for this report has been done in the summer of 2011. In addition to this report, the SFC-project has delivered 27 country reports, a report on policies for cooperatives in non-EU OECD countries, 8 sector reports, 5 other EU synthesis and comparative analysis reports, 33 case studies, a report on cluster analysis, and a final report

The Equator Principles: The Voluntary Approach to Environmentally Sustainable Finance

This article considers the Equator Principles, a voluntary code for environmentally responsible project financing by commercial and investment banks. The value of voluntary environmental approaches is increasingly recognised in the European Union, and in its Sixth Environment Action Programme, the European Commission advocated a voluntary initiative with the financial sector to promote harmonised standards for green lending and investing. The article begins by explaining the broader relevance of financial institutions to sustainable development. The nature and effectiveness of voluntary environmental measures to engage the private sector is canvassed before looking at the Equator Principles in detail. The article explains what the Principles demand of lenders, assesses their implementation, and makes some observations on their adequacy for the promotion of environmentally sustainable finance

The Equator Principles: The Voluntary Approach to Environmentally Sustainable Finance

This article considers the Equator Principles, a voluntary code for environmentally responsible project financing by commercial and investment banks. The value of voluntary environmental approaches is increasingly recognised in the European Union, and in its Sixth Environment Action Programme, the European Commission advocated a voluntary initiative with the financial sector to promote harmonised standards for green lending and investing. The article begins by explaining the broader relevance of financial institutions to sustainable development. The nature and effectiveness of voluntary environmental measures to engage the private sector is canvassed before looking at the Equator Principles in detail. The article explains what the Principles demand of lenders, assesses their implementation, and makes some observations on their adequacy for the promotion of environmentally sustainable finance

What does the new charities (protection and social investment) act mean for the voluntary sector?

The Charities (Protection and Social Investment) Act 2016 was passed this year, and introduced a range of measures including the empowerment of the Charities Commission to ‘crack down’ on potential abuses of the sector from financial abuses. Here, Nicole Bolleyer and Anika Gauja look at the practical impact of the legislation, and ask what the bill means for the voluntary sector

Possible approaches to benchmarking voluntary health insurance funds in Bulgaria

Following the adoption of the Health Insurance Law in Bulgaria (1999), which provided the legal framework for the development of the voluntary health insurance, several health insurance funds had been established. Bulgaria had two licensed voluntary health insurance funds in 2001; in 2003 their number grew to six; and in 2009 this number stands over twenty. Despite the increased number of funds in recent years, their share of healthcare spending stayed at 1-1.5%, which is below European average. To this date, there are no serious and profound studies in the field among the scientific community in Bulgaria. The economic data published by the Commission of Financial Surveillance (CFS), conforms to EC regulations, but do not allow non-specialists to assess realistically voluntary health insurance funds (VHIF). This article introduces a methodology for comparing VHIF and establishment of a complex index (Benchmark Index - BI) based on 5 groups of indicators, related to several available variables. This index is intended as a tool for analyzing the voluntary health insurance sector and managing resources through a set of analytic indicators and variables. It can be used to create a certain type of ranking of VHIF.voluntary health insurance, market, comparing methods, benchmark index

Inclusive Environments: Designing a Framework for Environmental Justice (Final Report)

This research builds on the report and recommendations of the Cheshire and Warrington Sustainable and Inclusive Growth Commission (SIGC) (2022) (Sustainable and Inclusive Growth Commission, 2022). It seeks to develop an inter-disciplinary Environmental Justice Framework (the Framework) for use by public and private sector decision makers. This aims to ensure inclusivity and environmental justice is mainstreamed throughout the development, implementation, and monitoring of environmental sustainability (ES) policy and actions introduced across the subregion of Cheshire and Warrington. This Framework will seek to reduce inequalities in ES development and implementation and ensure that ES measures are built on inclusive foundations of environmental justice to ensure equity, efficacy, and impact. This research builds upon existing strengths and sub-regional work and addresses identified challenges. It brings together partners from industry, local government, community and voluntary sector, academia, and communities (particularly, marginalised voices)

Inclusive Environments: Designing a Framework for Environmental Justice (Full Report)

This research builds on the report and recommendations of the Cheshire and Warrington Sustainable and Inclusive Growth Commission (SIGC) (2022) (Sustainable and Inclusive Growth Commission, 2022) . It seeks to develop an inter-disciplinary Environmental Justice Framework (the Framework) for use by public and private sector decision makers. This aims to ensure inclusivity and environmental justice is mainstreamed throughout the development, implementation, and monitoring of environmental sustainability (ES) policy and actions introduced across the subregion of Cheshire and Warrington. This Framework will seek to reduce inequalities in ES development and implementation and ensure that ES measures are built on inclusive foundations of environmental justice to ensure equity, efficacy, and impact. This research builds upon existing strengths and sub-regional work and addresses identified challenges. It brings together partners from industry, local government, community and voluntary sector, academia, and communities (particularly, marginalised voices).Unfunde

Charity Scotland summary document: the report of The Scottish Charity Law Commission

Members of the Scottish Charity Law Commission were asked to review the law relating to charities in Scotland and to make recommendations on any reforms considered necessary. In taking forward the review the Commission considered the following: the structure of regulation and support for the charitable sector in Scotland; the operational effects of Scottish legislation on charities of all types and size, bearing in mind the need to encourage voluntary and charitable activity and the contribution which the voluntary sector makes to the social economy; how best to provide the charitable sector with definitive advice and information; the requirement to protect the public, ensuring high standards among charities but at the same time avoiding over-burdensome administrative requirements; whether in addition to reform, the law should also be consolidated

Juridical framework of voluntary agreements in Italy and policy relevance at the local level

This paper investigates the existing Italian regulation regarding the so-called "administration by agreements" and the possibility to adapt the existing legal system to voluntary agreements in the environmental field in the light of the European guidelines on this issue. The research consists of two parts. The first one presents a valuation of the Italian public administration system and a comparison of the relevant laws. It also discusses the principles of "subsidiarity", flexibility and administrative simplification. The second part is aimed at highlighting the results of an empirical study of some selected voluntary agreements signed by Italian local and regional administrations with the private sector. This empirical part relies on a general survey carried out by Feem with the aid of questionnaires addressed both to public and private sectors. The paper assesses a number of existing environmental voluntary agreements in the light of the check-list suggested by the European Commission in its Communication on environmental agreements (COM(96) 561 final, 27/11/96). It also illustrates that in Italy there is no univocal definition of "voluntary agreements" and no "ad hoc" legal framework for regulating them. Nowadays, the only definition of "voluntary agreements" as such is provided in the Ronchi Decree and it is specifically related to the waste sector. Moreover both the Ronchi Decree and the recent Legislative Decree no.152/99 on water protection stimulate public authorities to promote and sign voluntary agreements. As the research shows, the absence of a legal framework of reference leads public administrations to stipulate voluntary agreements having the form of "protocol of intent", which is a common policy instrument without any binding juridical structure. However, it is now recognised by those public administrations and private parties having experience in co-operating together that a more formal structure for voluntary agreements is important in order to ensure their transparency and effectiveness as policy instruments. This need is also confirmed by the law project proposed in 1999 at the Italian Chamber of Deputie

Sector skills insights : construction

The UK Commission for Employment and Skills is a social partnership, led by Commissioners from large and small employers, trade unions and the voluntary sector. Our mission is to raise skill levels to help drive enterprise, create more and better jobs and promote economic growth. Our strategic objectives are to: • Provide outstanding labour market intelligence which helps businesses and people make the best choices for them; • Work with businesses to develop the best market solutions which leverage greater investment in skills; • Maximise the impact of employment and skills policies and employer behaviour to support jobs and growth and secure an internationally competitive skills base. These strategic objectives are supported by a research programme that provides a robust evidence base for our insights and actions and which draws on good practice and the most innovative thinking. The research programme is underpinned by a number of core principles including the importance of: ensuring ‘relevance ’ to our most pressing strategic priorities; ‘salience ’ and effectively translating and sharing the key insights we find; internationa