This paper analyzes the impact of policy changes on the Romanian renewable energy producers. Attracted by a generous subsidy scheme, foreign and domestic investors flocked to the market. ...Consequently, the sector witnessed remarkable progress, especially in the wind power category. Romania fast approached the national target set by the European Union concerning the share of the country’s energy consumption from renewable sources. However, frequent changes in the support scheme and in the regulations issued by public authorities led to chaos. The aim of the paper was to emphasize the evolution of renewable energy policy in Romania, to investigate the incentives and their effects, and to critically assess the impact of the changes on renewable energy producers. It highlights, by means of an exploratory study and several interviews with executives of renewable energy companies, the challenges and shortcomings of policymaking. The main finding was that the revision of the subsidy scheme and the changes in energy policy that followed are the major determinants for the declining financial performance of renewable energy producers. Subsequently, some recommendations for improved policymaking are suggested, so as to re-establish the trust of investors and to promote the sustainable development of the sector.
This volume investigates the challenges confronted by the European Union (EU) as an international actor deeply influenced by migration. This has been a key phenomenon in recent years and holds great ...political, economic and social importance for the future of the whole European continent. The book focuses on specific aspects related to East-West migration, such as the importance of migration for economic development and the multi-faceted impact of migration on sending countries, as well as recipient countries. It also includes an overview of the myriad of reasons which stand for the fundamental decision whether to emigrate or not. The collection offers a novel Eastern European perspective on contemporary migration, a hotly debated topic inside the European Union, which is far from being fully recognised and understood, and it also provides valuable, complex and comprehensive insight into the issue of South Eastern migration to Western Europe.
This research emphasizes the analysis and assessment of the environmental impact in the construction sector. It aims to propose a model for analyzing the management of environmental resources in the ...building process. This specific sector presents a significant potential risk of negatively affecting the environment, through pollution, energy consumption, and waste generation. Environmental responsibility involves analyzing the environmental impact and implementing effective solutions for an adequate governance of the environmental resources. Various life cycle assessment methods are employed to design a new model of management of environmental resources, starting from the factors impacting the environment. The resulting model takes these factors into account and carries several advantages from an organizational point of view. One novel result is that the model can be applied at a microeconomic level as well as at a macroeconomic level. By implementing this model, the preconditions for reconfiguring operational conditions and processes with significant impact on resource consumption within construction projects can be created at a company level. As such, the objective for the construction sector is to manage the use of resources efficiently and, at the same time, to restore the areas possibly affected by the specific operations.
This paper aims to assess the multiple opportunities provided by information technology and the internet for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), with an emphasis on those operating in trade ...and tourism. In the first part, the literature review reveals the most important opinions and contributions concerning the influence of the internet and modern information technologies on the business activity of SMEs. Based on a consistent desktop research, the second part highlights and analyzes the advantages brought by the internet for SMEs, in their competitive struggle with large companies. The findings show that new opportunities range from business models and market orientation, increased efficiency and speed of the workflow, to studying new markets, and a significant push towards internationalization. Moreover, the business playing field is leveled to a larger extent. The results are tailored for SMEs active in trade and tourism, and their specific operations. The paper ends with some conclusions regarding the benefits that can be reaped by SMEs once they embrace information technologies in their business strategies. Finally, specific internet-related recommendations are made, which could prove worth for managers of SMEs, given the dynamic nature of the trade and tourism sectors.
The relationship between foreign direct investment (FDI) and host countries is a complex, multi-faceted one. One of the issues that recently gained more attention in the literature is the impact of ...FDI on employment. The aim of this paper is to investigate the way in which FDI impacts the labor force in the host countries and to reveal the factors that determine the outcome of this relationship. Based on a thorough desktop research, the approach of the paper is twofold: both the quantitive impact and the qualitative impact of FDI on employment are analyzed. The main findings are that quantitatively, the result is largely determined by the type of FDI, while qualitatively, most effects (on productivity, wages, and training) are positive. The impact of FDI on employment is analysed further on the special case of Central and Eastern European countries. These went through a transition period in which former state-owned companies were privatized with the help of foreign investors, giving rise to specific effects. The conclusions highlight the positive and the negative aspects associated with the impact of FDI on employment, turning into recommendations which may become a valuable toolokit for policy-makers in host countries
The introduction of the euro as a single currency in Eastern European countries, the new member states of the European Union, has sparked, and still sparks, a great deal of debate concerning the ...effects that arise from this changeover. Although macroeconomic effects of switching to the euro have been analyzed extensively, microeconomic effects have received far less attention. This paper tries to bring a contribution in this field and fill the existing gap in the literature. It investigates the impact of the introduction of the euro on Eastern European companies. Based on a thorough desktop research, the aim of the paper is twofold. Firstly, it shows the estimated effects companies will experience when their respective country will make the changeover to the euro. Secondly, it analyzes the measures these companies will have to take so as to ensure an efficient transition to the euro, by trying to reap the benefits and mitigate hardships linked to this move. The results of the analysis consist in a kit of operational measures, valuable to owners and managers of Eastern European companies who want to prepare properly for the changeover to the euro.
This text derives empirical evidence for the didactic value of translating texts in context through an experiment involving final-year undergraduate students who study translation as a basic ...component of their curriculum. A number of theoretical frameworks are invoked here, most notably those of the discourse model elaborated by Hatim and Mason and House's text analysis model.
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