El modelo social europeo: elementos constitutivos y viabilidad en un contexto adverso

El trabajo propone una definición y caracterización del modelo social europeo aun admitiendo la existencia de claras variantes . los elementos constitutivos del MSE son sometidos a contrastación con los datos observados en los distintos países buscando una evidencia de su entidad como modelo de desarrollo diferenciado propio de Europa occidental

Globalización y definición nacional de políticas de protección social

El artículo plantea la cuestión de la sostenibilidad de los niveles actuales de protección social, en un contexto de creciente exposición de las empresas a la competencia internacional y de paralela pérdida de autonomía en la formulación nacional de medidas típicas de mejora de la competitividad a corto plazo. Tras deducir la conexión teórica entre las estrategias de favorecimiento de la competitividad y la financiación de las prestaciones de protección social, se aporta alguna evidencia empírica (referida al entorno UE) que corrobora la existencia de riesgos potenciales para la consolidación de la intensidad protectora. ____________________________________________The essential objective of this article is to link the exposure of firms to increasing international competition and the evolution of social welfare systems, while states lose the use of some policies aimed to improve national competitiveness. The empirical study focuses on EU countries, and investigates whether trends in welfare provision levels and funding are coherent with theoretical hypothesis

The Social Dimension of the European Union: A Means to lock out Social Competition?

In the process of European integration, the social dimension has to date been subordinated to presumed economic requirements. There have been no specific commitments to preserve the European Social Model (ESM), which has been gradually diluted as a result of successive EU enlargements, the impact of ageing, job insecurity and socio-cultural changes on social protection systems and the pressure exerted by globalisation in a context of ever harsher market competition. Moreover, the decisions adopted by the EU in addressing the 2008 economic crisis have led Community institutions gradually to impose reforms of pension systems and labour markets, particularly in southern countries, which threaten to reduce the level of protection provided for citizens. This paper argues that the EU aquis is not sufficient to prevent social competition and warns of the risks arising from the current dynamic in terms of maintaining social cohesion, equal opportunities and fairness as basic features of European identity. Some data that illustrate the varying degrees of intensity and effort in social welfare provisions by Member States and the gradual divergence in social protection benefits are provided (using dispersion measurements). In an effort to be proactive, a number of proposals are given with a view to reversing this trend and consolidating the social content of the European project.Open Access funding provided thanks to the CRUE-CSIC agreement with Springer Nature

Local Whittle estimation of long memory: Standard versus bias-reducing techniques

[EN] Frequency domain semiparametric estimation of memory parameters belongs to the standard toolkit of applied time series researchers. These methods are based on a local approximation of the spectral density, which robustifies the estimation methods against misspecification, but induces a loss with respect to the parametric setting, where the spectral density is known up to a finite number of unknown parameters. In particular, standard semiparametric estimators have convergence rates no better than T^2/5 , whereas the rate T^1/2 is achievable under parametric assumptions. Refinements of the local approximation have been developed by means of bias-reducing techniques, implying that rates arbitrarily close to the parametric one are achievable in the semiparametric setting. Two of these approaches to cover more general settings (including non-stationarity) are extended. A Monte Carlo experiment of finite sample performance is used to assess whether the asymptotic advantages of the bias-reducing methods materialize in better finite sample behavior.Research supported by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation grant ECO2015-64330-P and by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation ERDF grant ECO2016-76884-P

Role of Zr loading into In2O3 catalysts for the direct conversion of CO2/CO mixtures into light olefins

The effect of the ZrO2 content on the performance (activity, selectivity, stability) of In2O3-ZrO2 catalyst has been studied on the hydrogenation of CO2/CO mixtures. This effect is a key feature for the viability of using In2O3-ZrO2/SAPO-34 tandem catalysts for the direct conversion of CO2 and syngas into olefins via oxygenates as intermediates. The interest of co-feeding syngas together with CO2 resides in jointly valorizing syngas derived from biomass or wastes (via gasification) and supplying the required H-2. The experiments of methanol synthesis and direct synthesis of olefins, with In2O3-ZrO2 and In2O3-ZrO2/SAPO-34 catalysts, respectively, have been carried out under the appropriate conditions for the direct olefins synthesis (400 ?, 30 bar, H-2/COX ratio = 3) in an isothermal fixed bed reactor at low space time values (kinetic conditions) to evaluate the behavior and deactivation of the catalysts. The Zr/In ratio of 1/2 favors the conversion of CO2 and COX, attaining good oxygenates selectivity, and prevents the sintering attributable to the over-reduction of the In2O3 (more significant for syngas feeds). The improvement is more remarkable in the direct olefins synthesis, where the thermodynamic equilibrium of methanol formation is displaced, and methanation suppressed (in a greater extent for feeds with high CO content). With the In2O3-ZrO2/SAPO-34 tandem catalysts, the conversion of COx almost 5 folds respect oxygenates synthesis with In2O3-ZrO2 catalyst, meaning the yield of the target products boosts from ~0.5% of oxygenates to > 3% of olefins (selectivity > 70%) for mixtures of CO2/COX of 0.5, where an optimum performance has been obtained.This work has been carried out with the financial support of the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities of the Spanish Government (PID2019-108448RB-100); the Basque Government (Project IT1645-22), the European Regional Development Funds (ERDF) and the European Commission (HORIZON H2020-MSCA RISE-2018. Contract No. 823745). A. Portillo is grateful for the grateful for the Ph.D. grant from the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities of the Spanish Government (BES2017-081135). The authors thank for technical and human support provided by SGIker (UPV/EHU)

Alternative acid catalysts for the stable and selective direct conversion of CO2/CO mixtures into light olefins

Different acid catalysts (silicoaluminophosphates (SAPOs) -34, −18, and − 11, and HZSM-5 zeolite) were tested as components of In2O3-ZrO2/acid tandem catalysts in the direct synthesis of light olefins by hydrogenation of CO2, CO and their mixture. The conversion and olefins yield and selectivity evidence that the presence of the large amount of strongly acidic sites in SAPO-34 favors the extent of the reaction mechanism with methanol as intermediate, minimizing secondary methanation reactions. In addition, the shape selectivity of SAPO-34 boosts olefins selectivity (mainly of propylene), limiting the extent of the secondary reactions for the formation of other hydrocarbons. Using SAPOs as acid catalysts enhances olefins selectivity when co-feeding CO2 with CO. Despite all tandem catalysts undergo deactivation by coke deposition (mostly in the acid catalyst), a pseudo-steady state of stable remaining activity is acquired. From the study of the coke nature, soft and hard coke were discerned. For the complete regeneration of the SAPO-34 in the tandem catalyst, the stripping of the soft coke is not sufficient and the combustion at 500 °C of the hard coke (little developed) deposited on the micropores is required.This work has been carried out with the financial support of the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities of the Spanish Government (PID2019-108448RB-100); the Basque Government (Project IT1645-22), the European Regional Development Funds (ERDF) and the European Commission (HORIZON H2020-MSCA RISE-2018. Contract No. 823745). A. Portillo is grateful for the grateful for the Ph.D. grant from the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities of the Spanish Government (BES2017-081135). The authors thank for technical and human support provided by SGIker (UPV/EHU)

A review on the valorization of CO2. Focusing on the thermodynamics and catalyst design studies of the direct synthesis of dimethyl ether

The direct synthesis of dimethyl ether (DME) on bifunctional catalysts is highly attractive for valorizing CO2 and syngas derived from biomass gasification and is a key process to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. DME economy (conventionally based on its use as fuel) arouses growing interest, in parallel with the development of different routes for its conversion into hydrocarbons (fuels and chemicals) and H-2 production. This review, after analyzing different routes and catalytic processes for the valorization of CO2, focuses on studies regarding the thermodynamics of the direct synthesis of DME and the advances in the development of new catalysts. Compared to the synthesis of methanol and the synthesis of DME in two stages, carrying out the reactions of methanol synthesis and its dehydration to DME in the same reactor favors the formation of DME from CO2 and from CO2 co-fed with syngas. Starting from the experience for syngas feedstocks, numerous catalysts have been studied. The first catalysts were physical mixtures or composites prepared by extrusion of methanol synthesis catalysts (CuO-ZnO with different carriers and promoters) and dehydration catalysts (mainly gamma-Al2O3 and HZSM-5 zeolite). The performance of the catalysts has been progressively improved with different modifications of the composition and properties of the components to upturn the activity (lower for the hydrogenation of CO2 than for CO) and selectivity, and to minimize the deactivation by coke and by sintering of the metallic function. The core-shell configuration of the bifunctional catalyst allows physically separating the environments of the reactions of methanol synthesis and its conversion into DME. The confinement facilitates the extent of both reactions and improves the stability of the catalyst, since the synergies of the deactivation mechanisms are eliminated.This work has been carried out with the financial support of the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities of the Spanish Government (PID2019-108448RB-100); the Basque Government (Project IT1645-22); the European Regional Development Funds (ERDF); and the European Commission (HORIZON H2020-MSCA RISE-2018. Contract No. 823745)

Del mercado único a la Unión Monetaria: ¿hacia una política económica común?

La evolución de la gobernanza económica europea no ha sido lineal, sino que se han experimentado unos saltos cualitativos en la atribución de competencias para la intervención económica entre las instituciones comunitarias y las nacionales. Estos cambios de naturaleza estructural nos habrían acercado aparentemente a una política económica común a través de 3 etapas: Mercado común, Comunidad económica y Unión monetaria. Sin embargo, se ha llegado a un complejo y asimétrico sistema de interrelaciones que estaría reflejando que el denominador común del proyecto europeo ha sido la construcción plena del Mercado interior, para lo que se adoptaron todas las medidas consideradas necesarias, aunque supusieran compromisos adicionales en determinadas políticas económicas. Por eso puede afirmarse que se ha subordinado el proyecto de construcción europeo —y sobre todo su dimensión social— a las metas económicas compartidas. Recibido: 20 diciembre 2013 Aceptado: 07 enero 2014 Publicación en línea: 15 abril 201

Reconfiguring global value chains in a post-Brexit world: A technological interpretation

[EN]With the uncertainties that it may entail in terms of possible trade barriers between the UK and the EU, increased exchange rate risk, restrictions on the establishment of professionals and possible changes in regulations on the environment, tax and protection of competition, Brexit could exacerbate the process of re-localisation of operations that commenced to a small extent some years ago. This process was based on technological innovations under the heading of Industry 4.0, and more recently strengthened by the supply problems that came to light during the handling of the Covid-19 pandemic. Although the social, political and institutional context matters a lot, we believe that technology is going to be a conditioning element in the ability of businesses to reconfigure the value chains in which they are involved. We propose a typology based on this technological perspective that could have considerable potential impact in defining business strategies in numerous industries and in orienting industrial policy in countries striving to acquire a more central role or to prevent themselves from being cut out of the global value chain.The authors acknowledge research funding from University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU) : Grant GIU19/078