How the Frontex Sea Borders Regulation avoids the hot potatoes

This contribution focuses on the externalization of maritime border controls coordinated by the EU borders agency Frontex. This externalization occurs in two ways. First, by geographically relocating controls away from coastal border crossing points to the various maritime zones. Secondly, by involving non-EU countries in border controls. The recently adopted Frontex Sea Border Regulation aims to clarify the legal regime applicable to such controls in the sphere of fundamental rights, powers of interdiction and search and rescue obligations. The contribution argues that the Regulation is fundamentally flawed as it avoids hard choices, thereby failing to harmonize divergent Member State practice. Further, it provides substandard human rights protection, by creating a parallel legal regime for boat migrants which fundamentally differs from ordinary provisions of EU asylum and immigration law

As Time Goes By: The Long-Term Psychological Impact of either Regular Surveillance or Prophylactic Mastectomy in Women at Risk for Hereditary Breast Cancer

Breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer and the leading cause of cancer death in women worldwide. In the Netherlands, approximately 13000 new breast cancer cases are diagnosed annually, mostly occurring in women older than 50 years. In total 12-13% (one in eight) of the women in the Netherlands will be diagnosed with breast cancer during lifetime, and population screening for breast cancer therefore is being offered to women as of 50 years of age. While the population risk of ovarian cancer is 1.5% in the Netherlands, population screening is not offered. It is estimated that 5-10% of all cancer cases are due to a genetic predisposition. One of the first recognised entities was the clustering of breast and/or ovarian cancer in families. A strong family history of breast (and/or ovarian) cancer in combination with family members affected at a young age (below 50 years of age) may be suggestive of a cancer susceptibility gene in the family. As of the beginning of the nineteen nineties it became possible for women from families with clustering of breast (and/or ovarian) cancer cases to opt for genetic counselling and testing, and subsequently to receive a personal life time risk estimation. Depending on the risk estimation, decisions have to be made for either regular surveillance or prophylactic surgery. Both options are associated with pros and cons regarding on the one hand anxiety that cancer might develop or be detected (at an advanced stage) during surveillance versus on the other hand irreversible consequences after preventive surgery of either breasts and/or ovaries, potentially affecting physical and psychological functioning. As of the beginning of the availability of genetic testing, it became clear that more data on the (dis)advantages of the different strategies was needed. More knowledge about the psychosocial consequences of adhering to regular surveillance as well as prophylactic mastectomy and/or salpingo-ovariectomy was essential, in order to adequately inform and support women considering these options. In 1999, two studies were initiated at the Erasmus University Medical Centre-Daniel den

Dutch EU-policies with regard to legal migration - 28

Political Science; European Unio

Data management protocols workshop

Workshop introduction presentation entitled "Discipline specific protocol: rate your reproducibility" at "FAIR Data - Seminar", University of Tartu, Estoni

The European campus – heritage and challenges:

The European campus is a crucial enabler for the future of Europe. This proposition triggered a comprehensive research project that explores university campuses in all 28 European Union (EU) member states. The current publication summarizes the state of the European campus. It highlights the heritage – illustrated with many photos – and underlines the challenges that more than 800 European universities are confronted with. The quality of European universities, including their physical infrastructure, not only affects policy agendas of education, research and innovation, it affects Europe’s position in the global ‘battle for brains’. The ‘fitness for purpose’ of the European university campuses should be explicitly part of a strategy for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth. This book – covering the data of 28 EU member states – emphasizes that the European campus (still) has the heritage and inner-city locations that provide students with a life experience as much as a learning experience. The unique qualities of European cities add to ‘sense of place’ and attract students from all over the world. However, the last part of the book compares country data and draws conclusions about age profile, condition, footprint etc. Many universities are investing in new state-of-the art facilities, but this heavily affects their financial sustainability. At the same time, many existing European campuses are in very poor functional and physical condition, which negatively influences productivity and satisfaction of users. This requires reinvestment, but most of all: smart strategies. Based on thorough data collection, best practices and prior research about managing university campuses this book suggests campus stress testing as a tool for assessing the ‘fitness for use’ of today’s campuses. Sharing knowledge, benchmarking and self-assessment tools will map the readiness of Europe’s higher education infrastructure to engage global competition. And, crucially, pinpoint key areas of deficiency, just as banking stress tests do. Some of these challenges are operationalized in this book. This research project is conducted in close collaboration with European university networks and policy officers of the European Commission (EC). In the coming years Alexandra den Heijer (associate professor) and George Tzovlas (PhD researcher) will explore new theories for managing university campuses and provide information and tools to support decision- making in practice. This first book – with its many facts, maps, figures and photos – sets the European campus agenda. It is relevant for presidents, university board members and policymakers from university to EC level, but also for (future) students, staff and visitors who are more than welcome at the European campus