"Veliki prasak" proširenja i reforma Zajedničke poljoprivredne politike

The article analyses the influence of the 2004 enlargement and of the 1998-2002 accession negotiations on the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) reform. In contrast to the dominant liberal institutional political economy models that explain preenlargement CAP reforms in terms of the negative trade related policy externalities, the common budget expenses and the specific role played by the common institutional setting, a critical realist explanatory model is proposed. In accordance with the model, the reforms were facilitated by the conflicting interests and the differences in capacity of the capital fixed to agricultural production in the member states and the candidate countries. The capacity of the agro-capital is defined by comparing the agricultural production structures, which were in the case of the old member states sustaining high levels of the fixed capital and which were in the case of the candidate countries, on average, underdeveloped and under-capitalized. The model is supported by the empirical analysis of the CAP reform and the accession negotiations process.U članku se analizira utjecaj proširenja iz 2004. i pristupnih pregovora od 1998. do 2002. na reformu Zajedničke poljoprivredne politike (ZPP). Za razliku od prevladavajućih političko-ekonomskih modela liberalnog institucionalizma, koji ZPP reforme iz vremena prije proširenja objašnjavaju negativnim trgovinskim vanjskim učincima, zajedničkim proračunskim rashodima i specifičnom ulogom koju je odigrao zajednički institucionalni okvir predlaže se kritičko- -realistički model tumačenja. U skladu s modelom, reforme su olakšane zbog sukobljenih interesa i razlika u kreditnoj sposobnosti povezanoj s poljoprivrednom proizvodnjom u zemljama članicama i zemljama kandidatkinjama. Kapacitet agrokapitala definiran je usporedbom struktura poljoprivredne proizvodnje, koje su u slučaju starih država članica održavale visoke razine fiksnoga kapitala, a koje su u slučaju zemalja kandidatkinja, u prosjeku, bile nerazvijene i potkapitalizirane. Model podupire empirijska analiza reforme ZPP-a i procesa pristupnih pregovora

The European Union is no Free Lunch: Reconsidering the Eastern Enlargement of the EU from an Intergovernmental Perspective

Central and Eastern European countries (CEEC) were expected to benefit substantially from European Union (EU) membership. As full members, they would take advantage of formal decision-making powers. Furthermore, EU instruments and norms would influence distributional issues and the common market would facilitate economic convergence. However, these positive expectations, which are underpinned by rational institutional and normative theories of enlargement, have become challenged by the effects of the 2004 and 2007 enlargement rounds. Therefore, drawing on the liberal intergovernmental approach (LIG), the article proposes to test an alternative explanation. First, it is proposed that EU decision-making powers are constrained by other powers possessed by the national governments. Second, the distributional issues are determined by individual interests and relative power (dependence). Third, economic convergence depends on the ability of individual governments to influence economic processes. The meta-study of post-accession Council decision-making, as well as case studies of some of the central distributional issues from the pre- and post-accession periods, and macroeconomic trends support the proposed LIG-based explanation

European views on the UK’s renegotiation: France, the Netherlands, Slovenia and Latvia

The success or failure of David Cameron’s planned renegotiation of the UK’s EU membership will depend to a large extent on how the other 27 EU member states respond to his proposals. But how do countries across the EU view the UK’s renegotiation? Building on a report published in 2014 by the German Council on Foreign Relations, EUROPP is running a series of overviews of the renegotiation from each of the EU’s member states. Compiled by the LSE’s Tim Oliver and written by authors based at universities and research institutions, the overviews will set out what discussion – if any – there has been about the renegotiation and the wider views within each country on a potential Brexit. This post is the second in the series and gives views from France, the Netherlands, Slovenia and Latvia. France: The French are looking for a fair deal for France and the EU, not just Britain Netherlands: There is support for the UK’s renegotiation, but only up to a point Slovenia: The government believes the EU’s four freedoms should remain the basis for any change Latvia: National security, not EU reform, is the priorit

Toplinska udobnost i unutarnja kvaliteta zraka nakon djelomične energetske obnove prefabriciranog betonskog dječjeg vrtića izgrađenog 1980-ih u Sloveniji

The majority of kindergartens situated in the territory of former Yugoslavia need renovation. Apart from their enhanced energy efficiency, renovated buildings will presumably offer better indoor environmental quality. According to the current case study, children using a classroom with new windows installed are exposed to substantially poorer indoor air quality due to airtightness and improper ventilation, which calls attention to a vital technical issue of the current renovation process.Većini dječjih vrtića smještenih na teritoriju bivše Jugoslavije potrebna je obnova. Osim naglašene energetske učinkovitosti, obnovljene će zgrade vjerojatno ponuditi i bolju kvalitetu boravka u interijeru. Prema aktualnoj studiji slučaja, djeca u učionicama s instaliranim novim prozorima izložena su osjetno lošijoj kvaliteti zraka u zatvorenom prostoru zbog zračne nepropusnosti i neispravne ventilacije. U središtu pozornosti stoga treba biti tehnička problematika aktualnih procesa obnove

Herzbergova dvofaktorska teorija delovne motivacije na primeru zaposlenih v turizmu

Prispevek obravnava delovno motivacijo kontaktnega osebja v turizmu v Sloveniji. Motivacijo opredeljujemo na podlagi Herzbergove dvofaktorske teorije, ki temelji na dveh vrstah faktorjev delovne motivacije, in sicer na motivatorjih, ki zaposlene motivirajo, in higienikih, ki zaposlenih ne motivirajo, a so brez njih nezadovoljni. Rezultati izvedene empirične raziskave kažejo, da imajo motivatorji (npr. priznanje, odgovornost) zelo močan vpliv na delovno motivacijo, medtem ko higieniki (npr. višina plače) nanjo nimajo statistično značilnega vpliva. Izhajajoč iz izsledkov raziskave lahko vodstva turističnih podjetij posvetijo večjo pozornost oz. povečajo pomen motivatorjev, v smislu povečanja odgovornosti kontaktnega osebja, uvedbe priznanj, omogočanja usposabljanj in podajanja ustreznih informacij, saj so le-ti dejavniki ključnega pomena za motiviranost zaposlenih.The article focuses on work motivation of Slovenian front-line employees working in tourism. The motivation is analyzed using a Herzbergs Two Factor Theory of work motivation, which is based on two factor groups of work motivation growth factors that motivate, and hygiene factors that do not motivate, yet their absence causes work dissatisfaction. The empirical research results indicated that growth factors (e.g. recognition and responsibility) have a major impact on work motivation, while hygiene factors (e.g. salary) did not show statistically signicant impact. The ndings of the research could be useful for management in tourism industry, who should give more attention to growth factors or strengthen their meaning by increasing front-line employees responsibilities, recognition, enabling additional trainings and giving adequate information as these factor have a pivotal meaning for employees work motivation

Energy performances of the traditional rammed earth house in Vojvodina.

Предмет спроведеног истраживања су енергетске перформансе традиционалне војвођанске кућа од набоја. Под појмом традиционалне војвођанске куће, за потребе спроведеног истраживања, подразумева се јединствен архитектонски феномен: троделна кућа од набоја, која је настајала и развијала се у периоду од краја XVIII, цео XIX и почетак XX на простору целе покрајине...The subject of the research is the energy performance of traditional rammed earth house in Vojvodina. Under the concept of a traditional house in Vojvodina, for the purposes of the conducted research, a unique architectural phenomenon is accepted: the tree-part rammed earth house that has been created and developed in the period from the end of XVIII, during the XIX and in the early XX century in the entire province of Vojvodina..

EU views on the British vote to leave: Italy, Germany, Slovenia and Spain

In the run-up to the referendum, the LSE BrexitVote blog ran a series setting out the potential positions of various EU member states if Britain voted for leave. Written by authors based at universities and research institutions across Europe, and compiled by the LSE’s Tim Oliver, the series showed the variety of positions and concerns found across the EU. A full list of the views can be found here. In this post authors from Italy, Germany, Slovenia and Spain, each of whom contributed to the original series, give a brief insight into how politics in their country has responded to the British vote to leave the EU

Preparations for a Brexit: views from Denmark, Italy, the Netherlands, Slovenia and Spain

If Britain votes to leave the EU it will have to negotiate its exit and a new post-withdrawal relationship with the EU, one that will have to be agreed by the remaining 27 EU member states and the European Parliament. What positions might they take in the negotiations? Over the next few weeks the LSE’s BrexitVote blog will be running a series of overviews from each member state and the European Parliament setting out what positions they might take. Written by authors based at universities and research institutions across Europe, and compiled by the LSE’s Tim Oliver, the overviews build on his introductory piece which sets out the various negotiations the EU will undertake in the event of a British exit. This post is the first in the series and gives views from Denmark, Italy, the Netherlands, Slovenia and Spain

Why Central Europe needs a unified strategy for tackling the migration crisis

Central Europe has been one of the focal points of the migration crisis, yet there have been clear disagreements between Central European countries on how the crisis should be managed. Gabi Gőbl, Christian Kvorning Lassen, Marko Lovec, Milan Nič and Paul Schmidt write that while the route through which people entered Central Europe in 2015 has largely been closed, there is a clear need for a unified strategy to prevent divisions emerging between countries in the region

Optical coherence microscopy for the evaluation of a tissue-engineered artificial cornea

A transparent artificial cornea derived from biological material is the ultimate goal of corneal research. Attempts at artificial corneal constructs produced from synthetic polymers have proved unsuccessful due to lack of biocompatibility and ability to integrate into the tissue. We have designed a corneal model derived from collagenous biological materials that has several advantages: it has low antigenicity and therefore small chance of eliciting an immune reaction, it can be broken down by the body’s own cells and gradually replaced over time by natural materials, and it may contain signaling information for native cells, thereby inducing normal phenotype and behavior. In addition, a transparent corneal model has the potential to be used for testing of novel ophthalmic drugs or gene therapy approaches, eliminating the need for animal testing. We have used an optical coherence microscope (OCM) to evaluate both the structure of our tissue constructs over time in culture and the optical properties of the tissue itself. This imaging technique promises to be an important diagnostic tool in our efforts to understand the influence of mechanical forces, cell phenotype, and soluble factors on the transparency of corneal tissue. From the 26th Annual International Conference of the IEEE-Engineering-in-Medicine-and-Biology-Society [September 01-05, 2004, San Francisco, CA] IEEE Engn Med & Biol Soc, Whitaker Fdn, Cyberonics, NIH, NIBIB, NIDOCD, NINDS ISBN: 0-7803-8439-