Europe cannot afford people in bad health - Economics of health and care as a guide for investments. EPC Commentary, 4 July 2016

It is widely accepted that a new way of looking at Europe’s health sector is necessary if we are to maintain universal health coverage. Financial resources are limited, and the sustainability of Europe’s health systems is under threat. Economic growth is slow, health expenditures outpace GDP growth, public budgets are under strain and demographics – with a growing aging population – are putting pressure on the younger tax-paying generations. In an effort to ensure the sustainability of Europe’s health systems, reforms, underpinned by a new understanding of the economic value of health for individuals and society is needed

Kontekstualni pristup istraživanjima o medijskom obrazovanju u Europi

In this article, we focus on how various historical, contextual, and idiosyncratic factors shape the aims and methods of current European media educational practice. We start by briefly situating the history of European media education research and policymaking. We then discuss in more detail three important strands of media literacy initiatives within the Flemish Community (Belgium). While each of these diverging types of media education partly mirrors broader trends in European media research and policymaking, their aims and instructional methods also reveal the specificity of the Flemish media literacy context. In our discussion, we draw upon these findings to pinpoint a number of key determinants which may help to better understand similarities and differences within the European Union.U ovom radu autor je fokusiran na to kako različiti povijesni, kontekstualni i idiosinkrastički faktori oblikuju ciljeve i metode sadašnje europske prakse u medijskom obrazovanju. Na početku je ukratko izložena povijest istraživanja medijskog obrazovanja u Europi te stvaranje politike obrazovanja. Potom se detaljnije raspravlja o trima različitim pristupima medijskoj pismenosti u flamanskoj zajednici (Belgija). Svaki od tih pristupa u medijskom obrazovanju djelomice odražava šire trendove u europskim medijskim istraživanjima te u kreiranju politika. Zadani ciljevi i obrazovne metode u flamanskoj zajednici također otkrivaju specifičnosti njihova medijskog opismenjavanja. Autor na kraju povezuje nalaze o medijskom obrazovanju kako bi istaknuo ključne odrednice koje mogu pomoći pri boljem razumijevanju sličnosti i razlika unutar Europske unije

Evaluating Media Literacy Education: Concepts, Theories and Future Directions

This article synthesizes a large subset of the academic literature on media literacy education. It first argues that media literacy is mostly defined in terms of the knowledge and skills individuals need to analyze, evaluate, or produce media messages. These knowledge and skills mainly relate to four key facets of the mass media phenomenon, i.e. media industries, media messages, media audiences, and media effects. Subsequently, it evaluates what is empirically known about the effectiveness of media literacy practices. Suggestions are made for future research

How Media Literacy Supports Civic Engagement in a Digital Age

Young people are making active use of the Internet in ways that may or may not contribute to civic engagement. While some scholars believe civic engagement arises naturally from digital media use, others believe that media literacy education is needed to provide the cognitive and social scaffolding that systematically supports civic engagement. Research with a sample of 400 American high school students explores the relationship between participation in a media literacy program, academic ability, frequency of Internet use, information-gathering motives, news and advertising analysis skills, and the intention towards civic engagement. Findings show that students in a selective-admission media literacy program have substantially higher levels of media knowledge, news analysis and advertising analysis skill than other students. Participation in a media literacy program was positively associated with information-seeking motives, media knowledge, and news analysis skills. Moreover, information-seeking motives, media knowledge, and news analysis skills independently contributed to adolescents’ intent toward civic engagement

The EU Transparency Register: on the right path, but not quite there yet. EPC Discussion Paper, 15 December 2016

The transparency of EU institutions' interactions with interest representatives is again very much the talk of the town in Brussels. The occasion is the European Commission's recent proposal for a third revision of the Transparency Register, based on an Interinstitutional Agreement (IIA) between the Commission, the European Parliament (EP), and the Council of the EU

Joint and angle-covariant spin measurements with a quadrupole magnetic field

We study a Stern-Gerlach type setup, with a quadrupole magnetic field, for neutral particles of arbitrary spin. The Hamiltonian is of a form proposed for joint measurements of the incompatible observables. The measurement results are discussed, showing the limitation of such Hamiltonians. Some remarks are made on the relevance of covariance as a criterion for measurement schemes

The General Data Protection Regulation and children’s rights: questions and answers for legislators, DPAs, industry, education, stakeholders and civil society. Roundtable Report.

status: publishe

Delayed childbearing and maternal mortality

Objectives: To assess the maternal age trend in pregnant women in Flanders, Belgium, and examine the impact of maternal age on maternal mortality. Study design: Retrospective analysis of a population based regional perinatal database during one decade. Results: Between 1991 and 2000 a significant increase in maternal age was found, in primiparous as well as in multiparous women. The maternal mortality ratio was 5.8, and strongly related to maternal age, with a relative risk of 7.0 (95% CI: 3.0–16.2) from the age of 35 on, and of 30.0 (95% CI: 11.4–80.6) in women aged 40 years or beyond. Conclusions: These data call for further research and action to facilitate career and reproduction, and for special care for older pregnant women