Developing a European Polity: the case for governance on the Internet at the European Level

Issues of European governance are currently at the fore of the debate on Europe’sfuture. Deliberations on the White Paper, which has recently been released (July 25,2001), have been encouraging and have reaffirmed the status of governance at theEuropean level to be a worthwhile subject of discussion. European politicaldevelopments, in the widest and deepest senses, have both necessitated andaccelerated this debate. However, the fact remains that Europe’s citizens still considera well-defined European polity to be a distant, and sometimes undesirable, aim.What is evidently missing from the Governance White Paper is a clearly definedpolicy regarding the impact of Information and Communication Technology (ICT). Itis not enough to say that eGovernment is a priority issue for eEurope. Europeangovernance in this context is about a more democratic and accountable set ofEuropean institutions, and one way of encouraging this is to bring the citizen closer tothe multiple levels of decision-making institutions. ICT can have a key role to play inthis instance, and this paper will discuss the possible future of electronicdemocratization processes in the European institutions, as opposed to theestablishment of ‘electronic democracy’.Three roles for ICT will be extracted from the current debates upon electronicdemocratisation:•Networks (of people and institutions),•Responsiveness (to participation), and•Dissemination (of information).Whilst the technology can be seen as supportive, there is also the tendency to relyupon the technology to solve problems of inefficient government – and thus provide ageneral response to the increasingly perceived ‘democratic deficit’. The paper willstart to describe the link between technologically-mediated innovations in politicalpractice and the impact these have on the process of democracy in the EuropeanUnion.The paper will state that attempts to improve efficiency in current administrations donot go far enough in helping with the development of governance at the Europeanlevel. If development of the European political space is seen as desirable, then the roleof ICT is one that should be carefully considered as an potential enabler and not apanacea.Fora such as those facilitated by new ICT provide an attractive way to unite Europeanactors. These fora have the likely effect of not only reducing the democratic deficitthrough more defined information channels, but also have the potential to encouragegreater involvement. This in turn, may lead to legitimation of the European polity.How this is to be done in the context of a unique European framework is still notclearly defined, and whilst the democratic deficit is clearly a problem for Europeaninstitutions, the broader question of the nature of the European Union (super-state orintergovernmental organization) is still not entirely answered.research and development ;

The UK in EU External Representation: a principled, yet pragmatic intergovernmentalist. IES Policy Brief Issue 2016/8• April 2016

By bundling the manifold policy expertise of the researchers of the Institute for European Studies (IES), this paper forms part of a series of analyses investigating the potential implications of a ‘Brexit’ scenario for different EU policies. All papers ask the same three questions: 1) What is the state of the EU policy in focus? 2) What is the UK’s role/interest in this policy field? 3) What are the potential implications of a ‘Brexit’ scenario at the policy-level? After Claire Dupont and Florian Trauner introduce the project, Richard Lewis sets the historical and cultural context and explains how the UK and the EU have come to such a low-point in their relations. Next, five policy fields are analysed: justice and home affairs; free movement policies; EU external representation; the (digital) single market; and environmental policy

Affine connections and groups of holonomy

One of the topics of on differential geometry is the affine connections and groups of holonomy on differentiable manifolds. The purpose of this thesis is to make a primary study on this topic by using the technique of principal bundles in algebraic topology

DG CONNECT’s Stakeholder Engagement Strategy. IES Policy Brief Issue 2013/03 • April 2013

Summary. How do we ensure that public policy represents the interests of all, rather than a select few? How will we ensure it draws upon the best insights and talents of key stakeholders? The European Commission’s DG CONNECT recently announced the results of its Stakeholder Engagement Survey, which is designed to ‘provide empirical results and feedback about existing practices and signal gaps and challenges for action in the area of stakeholder engagement.’ (Directorate-General for Communications Networks, Content and Technology, Stakeholders Unit D4, 2013, p.4). The survey launched a new round of reflection on the Commission’s relations with its stakeholders by asking respondents to reflect on the way in which they interact with DG CONNECT. The strategic objective is to see how ICTs can be used in novel ways to enhance support for policymaking from stakeholders in the EU. The Stakeholder Engagement Survey makes a start at answering critical questions about use of ICT as a tool to build ‘smarter policy’ as part of DG CONNECT’s wider step toward defining a strategy for stakeholder engagement. This IES Policy Brief welcomes this current work-in-progress, and outlines some of the challenges that may await the European Commission as it seeks to exploit the full potential of ICT in stakeholder engagement. It provides an initial analysis of the results of this first Stakeholder Engagement Survey, and concludes that whilst many things have changed with regards to tools that policymakers can use to elicit input into policymaking, certain challenges have remained very much the same

Forging their path in the Brussels bubble? Civil society resistance within the domestic advisory groups created under the EU trade agreements

Academic and policy interest in civil society participation in the European Union's trade policy has been growing since the late 1990s. We analyse civil society's engagement with the Domestic Advisory Groups (DAGs)-consultation mechanisms established by the European Commission at the implementation stage of its free trade agreements. While the Commission's formal rationale for the DAGs is partnership with civil society, in fact this relationship involves a marked power and resistance dynamic. We focus on civil society's agency and resistance, develop a conceptual framework laying out different possible types of resistance, and empirically demonstrate the wealth of both overt and subtle resistance practices employed by DAG members. Most of this resistance is (moderately) comprehensive and directed against the DAGs' rationalities and technologies. While showing that DAGs are deeply contested, our study also provides a nuanced analysis of resistance with particular attention for divisions between business and non-business members

The United Kingdom and the (Digital) Single Market. Issue 2016/9• April 2016

By bundling the manifold policy expertise of the researchers of the Institute for European Studies (IES), this paper forms part of a series of analyses investigating the potential implications of a ‘Brexit’ scenario for different EU policies. All papers ask the same three questions: 1) What is the state of the EU policy in focus? 2) What is the UK’s role/interest in this policy field? 3) What are the potential implications of a ‘Brexit’ scenario at the policy-level? After Claire Dupont and Florian Trauner introduce the project, Richard Lewis sets the historical and cultural context and explains how the UK and the EU have come to such a low-point in their relations. Next, five policy fields are analysed: justice and home affairs; free movement policies; EU external representation; the (digital) single market; and environmental policy

Building better multistakeholderism: GIPO’s role in promoting debates on internet governance. Issue 2016/20 • October 2016

The Global Internet Policy Observatory (GIPO), an initiative of the European Commission, is an online tool to help monitor developments on Internet governance and policy around the world and provide better understanding and access to the largest number of potential stakeholders. Governments, NGOs and others interested in Internet Governance, including Internet users, are often daunted by the complexity of this fast-paced policy area. Thanks to the use of advanced IT technologies, GIPO provides a practical tool to navigate this field, increasing expertise and understanding among many more interested actors. The tool helps all those interested in Internet Governance to navigate the labyrinth of global Internet governance and policy. This policy brief outlines the results of a meeting held on the fringes of EuroDIG in Brussels in 2016, and presents some of the challenges and opportunities for such an experiment in ‘machine-driven information monitoring’ on a given topic of global importance. It provides recommendations for the future development of the tool, and continues the debate launched by the GIPO project’s Federation Roadmap, to help the tool maximize its impact in this complex policy environment

Participation of civil society in EU trade policy making : how inclusive is inclusion?

In response to growing contestation and politicisation of trade policy, policy makers have aimed to enhance the 'inclusiveness' of trade policy through the institutionalisation of deliberative forums in which civil society organisations participate. However, it is not clear whether these processes actually enhance inclusiveness. This article adds to our understanding of this question by, first, developing an analytical framework (the 'inclusiveness ladder') and, second, applying it to the civil society mechanisms (CSMs) of European Union (EU) free trade agreements. The unique feature of CSMs is their focus on ensuring that the actual implementation of trade agreement does not run counter to sustainable development principles. Specifically, our empirical research involves a mixed methods analysis of primary and secondary sources and a survey of civil society participants. We find that CS is largely included at the level of logistics and partly at the level of information sharing, whereas monitoring capacities remain limited and impact on policy-making is quasi-absent. Moreover, results suggest differences between business participants, who seem largely satisfied with the lower steps on the 'ladder', and non-governmental actors who insist on policy impact. Finally, we outline avenues for further research and reflect on policy implications

Metastatic Breast Cancer in Kenya: Presentation, Pathologic Characteristics, and Patterns-Findings From a Tertiary Cancer Center

Purpose: The purpose of this research was to describe the sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of Kenyan women with metastatic breast cancer diagnosed and treated at Aga Khan University Hospital in Nairobi, Kenya from 2012 to 2018. Patients and Methods: We reviewed charts of Kenyan women with metastatic breast cancer and analyzed sociodemographic data, breast cancer risk factors, and tumor characteristics associated with stage at diagnosis, receptor status (ie, estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor, and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 [HER2]), and site of metastasis using χ2, analysis of variance, two-sample t tests, and logistic regressions. Results: A total of 125 cases with complete medical records were included in the analysis. Forty women (32%) had metastases at diagnosis. Of the others, those diagnosed in stage III developed metastases sooner than those diagnosed in stage II (P \u3c .001). Fifty-eight percent of patients had metastases to bone, 14% to brain, 57% to lungs, and 50% to liver. Seventy-four percent of patients presented with more than one metastatic site. Metastases to bone were associated with greater age at diagnosis (P = .02) and higher parity (P = .04), and metastases to the brain were associated with early menopause (P = .04), lower parity (P = .04), and lack of breastfeeding (P = .01). Patients whose tumors were triple negative (estrogen receptor-negative, progesterone receptor-negative, and HER2 negative) were more likely to develop brain metastases (P = .01), and those whose tumors were HER2 positive were more likely to develop liver metastases (P = .04). Conclusion: Although our data on patterns of metastases and pathologic subtypes are similar to those in published literature, some unique findings concerning hormonal risk factors of women with metastatic breast cancer and specific metastatic sites need additional exploration in larger patient populations

Facteurs influençant le choix du futur lieu d’exercice chez les résidents en rhumatologie

Background: There are regional disparities in the distribution of Canadian rheumatologists. The objective of this study was to identify factors impacting rheumatology residents’ postgraduate practice decisions to inform Canadian Rheumatology Association workforce recommendations. Methods: An online survey was developed, and invitations were sent to all current Canadian rheumatology residents in 2019 (n = 67). Differences between subgroups of respondents were examined using the Pearson χ2 test. Results: A total of 34 of 67 residents completed the survey. Seventy-three percent of residents planned to practice in the same province as their rheumatology training. The majority of residents (80%) ranked proximity to friends and family as the most important factor in planning. Half of participants had exposure to alternative modes of care delivery (e.g. telehealth) during their rheumatology training with fifteen completing a community rheumatology elective (44%). Conclusions: The majority of rheumatology residents report plans to practice in the same province as they trained, and close to home. Gaps in training include limited exposure to community electives in smaller centers, and training in telehealth and travelling clinics for underserviced populations. Our findings highlight the need for strategies to increase exposure of rheumatology trainees to underserved areas to help address the maldistribution of rheumatologists. Contexte : Au Canada, il existe des disparités régionales dans la répartition des rhumatologues. La présente étude recense les facteurs qui influencent les choix des résidents en rhumatologie concernant leur lieu d’exercice futur afin de guider les recommandations de Société canadienne de rhumatologie relatives aux effectifs. Méthodes : Après l’élaboration d’un sondage en ligne, une invitation a été envoyée à tous les résidents en rhumatologie au Canada en 2019 (n = 67). Les différences entre les groupes ont été examinées à l’aide du test Pearson χ2. Résultats : Trente-quatre des 67 résidents contactés ont répondu au sondage. Soixante-treize pour cent des répondants prévoyaient d’exercer dans la province où ils avaient fait leur formation en rhumatologie. La majorité des résidents (80 %) ont classé la proximité des amis et de la famille comme le facteur le plus important dans leur choix de lieu d’exercice. La moitié des participants s’étaient familiarisés avec d’autres modes de prestation de soins (par exemple, la télésanté) pendant leur formation en rhumatologie et 15 d’entre eux (44 %) avaient fait un stage en rhumatologie communautaire. Conclusions : La majorité des résidents en rhumatologie déclarent avoir l’intention d’exercer près de chez eux, dans la province où ils ont fait leurs études. Les lacunes dans la formation comportent l’exposition limitée à des stages dans les petits centres en milieu communautaire, en télésanté et dans les cliniques mobiles ciblant les populations mal desservies. Nos conclusions soulignent le besoin de stratégies visant à augmenter l’exposition des résidents en rhumatologie à des zones mal desservies afin de remédier à la mauvaise répartition géographique des rhumatologues