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Anti-Corruption Policies Revisited: WP9 Organised crime and impact on vulnerable groups (ANTICORRP Integrated Report)

Author(s): Salvatore Sberna,Alberto Vannucci,Tihomir Bezlov,Dimitar Markov,Maria Karayotova,Ana Hećimović,Iva Nenadić,Munir Podumljak,Péter Gyimesi,Szidónia Nagy,Boróka Pápay,Zoltán Szántó,István János Tóth,Edona Krasniqi / Language(s): English

This integrated report investigates the link between political corruption and organised crime, by examining the modalities, resources and strategies used by criminal groups to govern and/or capture the market of political corruption. On the one hand, the report looks at the infiltration of organised crime in three main policy sectors where public spending and regulations play a pivotal role: public procurement, the privatization of public services, and management of EU funds. Alongside this, the report also analyses the criminal penetration of electoral politics, by evaluating the influence that criminal organisations can achieve in electoral arenas. As a result, the report provides a general assessment of policy regulations, legal countermeasures and practices adopted to prevent and combat organised crime, especially in interaction with political corruption. The report is drawn from data collected in five European countries (Bulgaria, Croatia, Hungary, Italy, Kosovo) across the above themes, and includes two more countries for the assessment of anti-organised crime legislation and initiatives (Albania and Georgia). The methodology involves both extensive and intensive strategies of investigation. A quantitative assessment of the crime and politics nexus is based on the Organised Crime & Corruption (OCC) events database, in which events data about the link between criminal groups and political corruption have been gathered and assembled1. A qualitative assessment involves in-depth understanding of the mechanisms of corrupt exchanges, presented as single case studies conducted in the countries covered by this study, inclusive of primary and secondary sources (interviews, legal proceedings, academic and policy-oriented reports). Data collection and analyses were conducted by five institutions across Europe (EUI, CSD, BCE, IKS, PSD).

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БЪЛГАРИЯ: ИНДИКАТОРИ ЗА ЕНЕРГИЙНА СИГУРНОСТ И ПРЕДИЗВИКАТЕЛСТВА ПРЕД ПОЛИТИКИТЕ

Author(s): Author Not Specified / Language(s): Bulgarian

National bulletins present a critical analysis of energy security management in Bulgaria, Romania, Serbia and Ukraine, and highlight the major challenges faced by countries in their transition to more transparent and data-driven policy-making processes. The management of state energy enterprises in CEE is strongly influenced by political interference, violating their investment independence and regulatory oversight. This is particularly noticeable in Bulgaria and Ukraine. The political pressure to reduce electricity and gas prices in Bulgaria, Romania and Serbia further increases the vulnerability of their energy sectors.Strong dependence on a single source and route for gas supply is the most serious risk to energy security in all countries. In Bulgaria and Ukraine, this risk is exacerbated by their dependence on imported oil from the same source - Russia. While Romania, Bulgaria and Ukraine have made efforts for energy diversification, Serbia seems to support the current status quo, although it pays some of Europe's highest natural gas prices.

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РУМЪНИЯ: ИНДИКАТОРИ ЗА НАЦИОНАЛНА ЕНЕРГИЙНА СИГУРНОСТ И ПРЕДИЗВИКАТЕЛСТВА ПРЕД ПОЛИТИКАТА

Author(s): Author Not Specified / Language(s): Bulgarian

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SERBIA: NATIONAL ENERGY SECURITY INDICATORS AND POLICY CHALLENGES. Country factsheet

Author(s): Author Not Specified / Language(s): English

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UKRAINE: NATIONAL ENERGY SECURITY INDICATORS AND POLICY CHALLENGES. Country factsheet

Author(s): Author Not Specified / Language(s): English

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY - RUSSIAN INFORMATION CAMPAIGN AGAINST UKRAINIAN STATE AND DEFENCE FORCE

Author(s): Author Not Specified / Language(s): English

The report was executed for the NATO StratCom COE by the Centre for Applied Research under the Estonian National Defence College. The objective of this research is to identify how the Russian media portrays the Ukrainian military and security structures, including the policies of the Kiev government and their ‘collaboration’ with the West. The research group looks at how messages disseminated in the media attempt to construct attitudes and advocate behaviours in parallel to political and military events on the ground in Ukraine. The research covers the period from 1 April until 31 December 2014 and analyses the following Russian media: Regnum, Komsomolskaya Pravda and TV Zvezda. These media are important because they target not only Russian internal audience but also the Russian-speaking communities in the former territory of the USSR. The researchers used standardised content analysis in accordance to a specially developed Coding Manual and enriched the findings with data from 25 structured interviews with Ukrainian representatives (media, political and military experts, as well as soldiers and officers involved in the military conflict). From December 2014 the Russian military has adopted a new doctrine that explicitly states that information superiority is essential to achieving victory on the physical battleground in the modern war. It is crucial for NATO to draw appropriate conclusions from the on-going conflict in Europe in order to further strengthen the unity of the alliance and avoid such conflict scenarios between Russia and NATO in the future. Russia’s information activities have played a significant role in the overall military operations carried out in the territory of East Ukraine since 2014. Information operations were used at all levels starting with the political level (against the state of Ukraine, state structures, politicians) up to the tactical level for justifying military actions initiated by pro-Russian forces. Information confrontation and a variety of psychological operations continue to play a substantial role in the current crisis in Ukraine. Russia uses various media channels to conduct its operations against Ukraine, including governmental and private TV channels (e.g. Pervyi Kanal, Rossija 1, NTV, Russia Today, LifeNews), radio (e.g. Radio Mayak), mobile phone operators (e.g. KyivStar), Internet sources (including online publications, e.g. Regnum, TV Zvezda, Кomsomolskaya Pravda, Itar Tass, RIA Novosti ) and social media networks (e.g. YouTube, Facebook, Vk.com, odnoklassniki.ru). Some Ukrainian sources hold pro-Russian attitudes and can also be used to spread disinformation (e.g. Vesti). The separatist People’s Republics of Donetsk and Luhansk have their own channels producing anti-Ukrainian propaganda (e.g. dnrnews.com, novorus.info). The current study has focused on the media channels that represent the Russian mainstream—Komsomolskaya Pravda, TV Zvezda, Regnum. These mass media channels are generally critical against the Ukrainian government and armed forces, but do not offer a critical view of the Russian government; they justify Russian policy in Ukraine and see the Ukrainian crisis as a battlefield between Russia and West, referring to the clash of civilisations with the West (primarily the US and NATO, but also the European Union) allegedly intending to advance its sphere of influence towards Russian borders.

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CANABISUL PE PIAȚA DE DROGURI A UNIUNII EUROPENE PÂNĂ ÎN ANUL 2020

Author(s): Gabriel Călin NISTOR,Sergiu-Adrian VASILE / Language(s): Romanian Publication Year: 0

Cannabis is the main drug market in the European Union and an important source of income for organized crime groups. Young people start using from a very young age, it estimates that one in seven young people between the ages of 15 and 34 has used cannabis in the last year. Europe is a major producer of cannabis, it is estimated that more than 20000 cannabis plots are discovered every year. The cannabis market is becoming more and more complex, although still the main products are marijuana and cannabis resin, cannabis oils with a high level of THC, synthetic cannabinoids, or other low-thc products are starting to appear on the market sold in different forms. In this article we will analyze the consequences of the drug markets (consequences for society, the environment, etc.), the factors that lead to the development of these markets, such as the globalization and the development of the technology, after which we will present the cannabis market in Europe, with the following subdivisions: production of marijuana and cannabis resin within and outside EU states, trafficking of marijuana and cannabis resin within and outside EU states, the situation of cannabis in Romania, to conclude with a series of conclusions regarding this market and measures for European states.

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PIAȚA INTERNAȚIONALĂ A COCAINEI

Author(s): Gabriel Călin NISTOR,Sergiu-Adrian VASILE / Language(s): Romanian Publication Year: 0

Organized crime groups are in full expansion and development, with ever-increasing revenues obtained from illicit activities. Drug trafficking represents an important source for these groups, constituting a permanent threat to the security of states. In smaller or larger proportions, each state is faced with this problem born from drug consumption and trafficking. The period 2010-2020 was a flourishing decade for the cocaine market, setting new records in terms of production, and a permanent increase in consumption among the population (the global area of coca leaf cultivation – 234,000 cultivated hectares, 1982 tons of cocaine pure produced – up by 11% compared to the previous year, 1424 tons of different purity confiscated by the authorities – up by 4.5%, the total number of consumers – 21 million.). The western and central European area represents the second market after North America (in Europe the cocaine market is the second largest after the cannabis market, only at the level of the European Union, in 2021 the number of consumers aged between 15 and 64 was 3.5 million (young consumers between the ages of 15 and 35 – 2.2 million), and the number of people who have consumed cocaine at least once in their life amounts to 14.4 million.). In the next article we will take a look at the global cocaine market; we will analyze the main producing countries: Colombia, Peru and Bolivia, we will also analyze the main traffic routes and methods, the key moments of the last years of the market, the European cocaine market and we will conclude with a series of conclusions.

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BUSOLA STRATEGICĂ – NOUL INSTRUMENT COMUN DE SECURITATE EUROPEANĂ

Author(s): Gabriel Pereş / Language(s): Romanian Publication Year: 0

The European Strategic Compass is a comprehensive approach developed by the European Union (EU) to guide the development and implementation of its defense and security policies. The Project was launched in 2020 as part of the EU efforts to enhance its military and civilian capabilities in order to face current and future security challenges. The Strategic Compass is designed to provide a strategic direction for the EU defense and security policies, taking into account the changing security environment, technological developments, and the need for collective action. It covers a wide range of issues, including military operations, crisis management, counterterrorism, cyber security, defense industry, and research and development. Europe is preparing to have a guided strategy that assesses risks and finds useful and timely solutions in such a way that the degree of security remains at high standards.

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Provocări în gestionarea migrației– Pactul UE privind migrația și azilul

Author(s): Bianca-Ioana Petcu / Language(s): Romanian Publication Year: 0

Migration has been a feature of human existence for centuries. People have always migrated in groups or individually to seek freedom, to escape poverty, to find new economic opportunities, to flee religious intolerance or political repression and this process is impacting both countries of origin and countries of destination. The issue of migration is complex. Through a well-managed system, migration can contribute to growth, innovation and social dynamism. Both the safety of people seeking international protection or seeking a better life must be taken into account, as well as the concerns of destination countries who fear that migration pressures will exceed their capacities. Following the Refugee Crisis of 2015-2016 and the different way in which Member States were impacted, it was identified the need to build a system to manage and normalize migration in the long term and which is fully based on European values and the international law. In this sense, the steps for the action of the Pact on Migration and Asylum have been initiated, which specifies that no Member State should assume a disproportionate responsibility and that all Member States should constantly contribute to solidarity, aiming a solid and balanced management of migration flows that are looking for a better life on the territory of the European Union. This new common framework will set out the principles and structures needed for an integrated approach over the migration and asylum policy, in order to ensures a fair share of responsibility and effective management of mixed arrivals: both persons in need of international protection and persons that do not need such protection.

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IMPACTUL PROFILULUI ETNIC DISCRIMINATORIU ÎN ACTIVITATEA POLIȚIEI

Author(s): Ciprian Eugeniu CONSTANTIN,Beatrice-Geanina Romanescu / Language(s): Romanian Publication Year: 0

The creation of this profile will be considered discriminatory when the police will exercise its autority upon people, having principal reason or exclusively the race, the ethnicity or the religion of the persons concerned. The creation of ethnic profiles present a number of limits and, even if they can be considered an efficient instrument of crime's detection, in the short term, the profiles are predictable and avoidable. In police activity specific measure is applied, which diminishes or even eliminate the risk of creating a discriminatory ethnic profile. These measures will be adopted in both organizational and operational terms.

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Aspecte ale fluxului de aer prin galeria de admisie a unui motor marin cu turbină

Author(s): George Bălan,Amado Ștefan,Vasile Năstăsescu / Language(s): Romanian Publication Year: 0

The paper presents aspects related to the flow of air through the intake manifold of a turbine engine, for its maximum operating regime. The manifold pressure losses are calculated using the analytical relations. For a more accurate calculation, the flow is calculated with numerical methods.

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ȘEF SAU LIDER - ASPECTE ALE MANAGEMENTULUI SITUAȚIILOR DE URGENȚĂ

Author(s): Ion Peligrad,Andrei-Cătălin Caragea / Language(s): Romanian Publication Year: 0

The aim of this paper is to analyse the personality of a boss in antithesis to the personality of a leader by defining and differentiating them. The methodology of the research carried out is to start from the initial emergence of these terms to the present day. The paper includes both a theoretical comparison of the two types of leadership and a practical comparison of two known historical personalities, and on the basis of the results obtained, leadership styles in emergency management are highlighted. The essential conclusion of this paper is the notion of innate leadership resulting from the analysis as well as the identical result of comparing the two typologies mentioned above regardless of the historical moment in which it takes place.

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METODICI EXPERIMENTALE DE SPECTROMETRIE ÎN CERCETĂRI DE MEDIU

Author(s): Irinel Alexandru Precup,Liviu Valentin Bălănescu / Language(s): Romanian Publication Year: 0

Spectrometry and measurements of radioactive background are used to detect and quantify levels of ionizing radiation in various environments, including air, water, and soil. These techniques allow the determination of the type and quantity of radionuclides present in a sample and can be used to evaluate the impact of radiation on human health and the environment. Spectrometry involves detecting and analyzing the radiation emitted by radioactive materials, while measurements of radioactive background refer to measuring the level of background radiation in a particular environment or location. Measurements of radioactive background are important in assessing the risks associated with exposure to radiation in a given environment. These measurements are carried out using measuring instruments such as dosimeters, radiation detectors, or spectrometers and allow the monitoring of radiation levels in various environments, including areas where there are natural or artificial sources of radiation. Overall, spectrometry and measurements of radioactive background are essential for evaluating the risks associated with exposure to radiation and for protecting human health and the environment.

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Ромските гетоизирани градски структури: пространствен конструкт, места за толерантност или за социална изолация на ромите от живота на града

Author(s): Kamelia Petkova Tsvetkova-Nedyalkova / Language(s): English,Bulgarian Publication Year: 0

In recent years, regardless of the reported negative demographic changes in the structure of the population, there has been an increase in the size of the existing Roma ghettoized urban structures, which change, albeit unconsciously, the appearance of several cities and have a significant impact on their development. In the context of European territorial cohesion policies, the view is taken that European cities become places of tolerance and social progress, working towards social cohesion, balance, and integration. Based on a series of in-depth interviews conducted among representatives of the Roma community, educational mediators, non-governmental organizations, and representatives of local authorities in the cities of Lom, Kyustendil and Dobrich within the framework of a project on the topic: „Spatial models of Roma ghettoized urban structures in Bulgaria“. financed by the Scientific Research Fund at the Ministry of Education and Culture, an attempt will be made to answer the research question.

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Религиозна свобода и права на човека откъм перспективата на личностното развитие и образование

Author(s): Margarita Atanasova Mollova,Petar Georgiev Kostov / Language(s): English,Bulgarian Publication Year: 0

The region of Southeast and Central Europe faces several key risks in the context of ethno-religious peace and security. Ethno-religious conflicts pose a serious threat to the stability and security of the region. The diversity of ethnic and religious groups in the region can lead to tensions and breaches of the peace. Extremist and terrorist groups using religious motives are also a factor of concern. These groups can pose a serious security threat and violate human rights. The protection of religious freedom and human rights is essential. This principle includes the freedom of individuals to express and practice their religion or belief without discrimination. In addition, human rights include the right to express religious beliefs and convictions, as well as freedom of assembly and the right of conscience. These rights are inseparable from the security and stability of the region. They promote tolerance, diversity and respect for the rights and freedoms of every citizen, while guarding against conflicts and tensions related to religion.

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Germany in the Czech Foreign Policy

Author(s): Vladimír Handl / Language(s): English Publication Year: 0

The Czech policy vis-a-vis Germany experienced mostly positive dynamics but also a lack of coherence. Existential interests were not at stake – on the contrary, they constituted a positive background for the relations: Czechs and Germans as allies guarantee each other’s security, sovereignty and territorial integrity.

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West European Countries in the Czech Foreign Policy

Author(s): Mats Braun,Elsa Tulmets,Ondřej Ditrych / Language(s): English Publication Year: 0

The Czech relations with countries covered in this chapter – both EU Member States and others (including microstates) – shared certain general characteristics. Without exception, they involved no issues that would be a subject of major controversy. Secondly, with but a few exceptions, these relations were conducted within a network, or at least through a network, of the EU multilateral frame. The reason for the dominance of the EU framework in the conduct of bilateral relations is primarily the importance of the political process at the EU level both for Member States and their West European neighbours due to a high degree of mutual interdependence and the increasing scope of EU’s allocative and distributive policies. Several government ofﬁcials throughout the period covered in this volume estimated that up to 80% of the relations of Czech Republic with those countries take place at the EU level. However, this does not result in a decline of the bilateral dimension of mutual relations, as could be expected, but rather in their conduct in a new environment of a burgeoning political system, where the need to negotiate issue coalitions increases. Bilateral negotiations remain an important diplomatic means of this ‘permanent congress’. The last shared feature of Czech foreign policy towards the countries covered in this chapter is that it generally took place in conditions of a political pluralism, which was made possible by the countries’ location within the EU framework. The process of Czech foreign policy involved a considerable number of government actors – all of which should theoretically act in the public interest – without the mediation by traditional diplomacy and conduct through its standard channels. This new pluralism represents one of the central challenges for Czech foreign policy, since without proper coordination it leads to a suboptimal use of (necessarily limited) resources in realizing public interest abroad.

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The Middle East, the Mediterranean and Afghanistan in the Czech Foreign Policy

Author(s): Jaroslav Bureš / Language(s): English Publication Year: 0

The Mediterranean and the Middle East, although they did not fall under the priorities of Czech foreign policy after 1989, had to be taken into account by the Czech Republic after it joined NATO and the EU due to the wider interest of the trans-Atlantic allies in regional stability and security. For this reason, issues like terrorism, immigration, the Middle East peace process, proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, peacekeeping missions, and the Euro-Mediterranean cooperation were among the most frequently discussed topics in the Czech political scene during the 2000s. The Middle East agenda have affected our relations with allies and they have been the subject of home competition on left-right axis. The only long-term Czech interest relating to the region was the mainly rightist government’s attempt to reduce the Czech Republic’s one-sided dependence on imports of Russian oil and gas, which was demonstrated by the support for the Nabucco pipeline project during the Czech EU presidency.

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Как руските енергийни ресурси станаха токсични за Европейския съюз – причини и последици

Author(s): Plamen Dimitrov / Language(s): Bulgarian Publication Year: 0

This article explains why Russia's military aggression against Ukraine has made Russian energy resources toxic to the European Union in terms of security, geopolitics and morale. EU sanctions against coal, oil and oil products from Russia and their outcome are discussed. It is explained why the collapse of gas supplies from "Gazprom" to the EU countries has happened at the initiative of the Kremlin, and not because of sanctions. The consequences of the energy "disconnection" between the EU and Russia have been traced – both on the energy markets in Europe and on the revenues in the Russian state budget. It was concluded that the pushing of Russian oil and gas out of the EU markets is an irreversible process with long-term consequences.

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