The prospects of innovative agri-environmental contracts in the European policy context: Results from a Delphi study

Innovative agri-environmental contracts are increasingly studied in the literature, but their adoption has been relatively slow and geographically scattered. Action-based agri-environmental measures remain the predominant policy mechanism across Europe. A three-round Policy Delphi study was conducted with policy makers, scientific experts, farmers’ representatives, and NGOs from across 15 different European countries, to investigate how and under which circumstances novel contractual solutions could be implemented more widely. The expert panel perceived result-based and collective contractual elements as the most promising. Although considered beneficial from several aspects, value chain contracts were perceived less relevant to the policy environment. The Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) Pillar 2 measures were highlighted by the experts as the key policy area to implement novel contracts by national or regional authorities, but Pillar 1 eco-schemes, being launched in the CAP 2023–2027, were also considered as a potentially suitable framework for testing and implementation. The Delphi panel envisaged innovative contracts should be adopted by governments in iterative steps and not as a complete substitute for current payment schemes, but rather as an additional incentive to them. Such an incremental approach allows contractual innovations to capitalise on existing best practices. But it also implies the risk that innovative contracts could remain marginal and fail to substantially change farmers’ behaviour, resulting in a failure to improve environmental conditions

Les dyades, des équipes entrepreneuriales comme les autres ? Résultats d’une étude comparative

International audienceWhile dyadic entrepreneurship is more and more common, academic research on entrepreneurship deals little with this type of entrepreneurship. This research aims to study the specificities of dyadic entrepreneurship. Using a qualitative comparative analysis of 11 companies created as a team, the results showed that dyadic entrepreneurship shares some characteristics with team entrepreneurship, but has a specific character both in terms of motivations, functioning and advantages or perceived risks. The results provided lead to the analysis and support of this particular form of entrepreneurship.Alors que l’acte d’entreprendre à deux est de plus en plus répandu, la littérature traite peu des dyades entrepreneuriales. Cette recherche vise ainsi à étudier les spécificités de l’entrepreneuriat dyadique versus les équipes de taille plus importante. Grâce à une analyse qualitative comparative de 11 entreprises créées en équipe, les résultats montrent que l’entrepreneuriat dyadique partage certaines caractéristiques avec l’entrepreneuriat en équipe, mais revêt un caractère spécifique tant au niveau des motivations que du fonctionnement et des avantages et des risques perçus. Les résultats suggèrent des pistes quant à l’analyse et l’accompagnement de cette forme entrepreneuriale particulière

Interpreneuriat : quelles spécificités de « l’entreprendre à deux » ?

International audienceDans la pratique, l’acte d’entreprendre à deux est de plus en plus répandu, alors que la littérature en entrepreneuriat ne traite que peu de cet acte interpreneurial. Notre recherche vise à étudier les spécificités de l’interpreneuriat. Pour répondre à cette problématique, nous avons utilisé un protocole de recherche qualitatif d’analyse du processus à travers une analyse rétrospective fondée sur trois « histoires » de cas d’entreprises incubées, créées par deux interpreneurs, combinant entretiens multiples auprès des interpreneurs ou de personnes ressources de l’acte d’entreprendre, et des sources secondaires. Les résultats montrent d’abord que l’acte interpreneurial est très répandu dans la pratique de création d’entreprises. Ensuite, qu’il revêt un caractère spécifique tant sur le plan du processus que celui de la gestion post création. Enfin, la comparaison des visions des deux interpreneurs pour chaque interentreprise créée permet d’identifier des points de vigilance quant aux différences de visions de l’acte d’interprendre et au devenir de l’entité créée

The prospects of innovative agri-environmental contracts in the European policy context : Results from a Delphi study

Innovative agri-environmental contracts are increasingly studied in the literature, but their adoption has been relatively slow and geographically scattered. Action-based agri-environmental measures remain the predominant policy mechanism across Europe. A three-round Policy Delphi study was conducted with policy makers, scientific experts, farmers’ representatives, and NGOs from across 15 different European countries, to investigate how and under which circumstances novel contractual solutions could be implemented more widely. The expert panel perceived result-based and collective contractual elements as the most promising. Although considered beneficial from several aspects, value chain contracts were perceived less relevant to the policy environment. The Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) Pillar 2 measures were highlighted by the experts as the key policy area to implement novel contracts by national or regional authorities, but Pillar 1 eco-schemes, being launched in the CAP 2023–2027, were also considered as a potentially suitable framework for testing and implementation. The Delphi panel envisaged innovative contracts should be adopted by governments in iterative steps and not as a complete substitute for current payment schemes, but rather as an additional incentive to them. Such an incremental approach allows contractual innovations to capitalise on existing best practices. But it also implies the risk that innovative contracts could remain marginal and fail to substantially change farmers’ behaviour, resulting in a failure to improve environmental conditions

Cost-Utility Analysis of Curative and Maintenance Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS) for Treatment-Resistant Unipolar Depression: A Randomized Controlled Trial Protocol

International audienceBACKGROUND: Depression is a debilitating and costly disease for our society, especially in the case of treatment-resistant depression (TRD). Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is an effective adjuvant therapy in treatment-resistant unipolar and non-psychotic depression. It can be applied according to two therapeutic strategies after an initial rTMS cure: a further rTMS cure can be performed at the first sign of relapse or recurrence, or systematic maintenance rTMS (M-rTMS) can be proposed. TMS adjuvant to treatment as usual (TAU) could improve long-term prognosis. However, no controlled study has yet compared the cost-effectiveness of these two additional rTMS therapeutic strategies versus TAU alone. METHODS/DESIGN: This paper focuses on the design of a health-economic, prospective, randomized, double-blind, multicenter study with three parallel arms carried out in France. This study assesses the cost-effectiveness of the adjunctive and maintenance low frequency rTMS on the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex versus TAU alone. A total of 318 patients suffering from a current TRD will be enrolled. The primary endpoint is to investigate the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) (ratio costs / quality-adjusted life-years [QALY] measured by the Euroqol Five Dimension Questionnaire) over 12\,months in a population of patients assigned to one of three arms: systematic M-rTMS for responders (arm A); additional new rTMS cure in case of mood deterioration among responders (arm B); and a placebo arm (arm C) in which responders are allocated in two subgroups: sham systematic M-rTMS and supplementary rTMS course in case of mood deterioration. ICER and QALYs will be compared between arm A or B versus arm C. The secondary endpoints in each three arms will be: ICER at 24\,months; the cost-utility ratio analysis at 12 and 24\,months; 5-year budget impact analysis; and prognosis factors of rTMS. The following criteria will be compared between arm A or B and arm C: rates of responders; remission and disease-free survival; clinical evolution; tolerance; observance; treatment modifications; hospitalization; suicide attempts; work stoppage; marital / professional statues; and quality of life at 12 and 24\,months. DISCUSSION: The purpose of our study is to check the cost-effectiveness of rTMS and we will discuss its economic impact over time. In the case of significant decrease in the depression costs and expenditures associated with a good long-term prognosis (sustained response and remission) and tolerance, rTMS could be considered as an efficient treatment within the armamentarium for resistant unipolar depression. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03701724. Registered on 10 October 2018. Protocol Amendment Version 2.0 accepted on 29 June 2019

Cost-utility analysis of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) in non-treatment-resistant depression: the DISCO randomised controlled study protocol

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