Confronted by more and more global sustainabilityrelated challenges, society is increasingly aiming for a circular economy. Wouldn’t it be ideal if we could contribute to an economic model with closed loops, where products and materials that are at the end of their functional life are reused in new products and systems? As the Netherlands aims to have a fully circular economy (i.e., zero net waste) by 2050, circularity is also a critical theme for the Amsterdam Metropolitan Area. ‘Circular City’ is one of the main urban challenges of the Urban Technology research programme of the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences (AUAS). Its chair of Circular Design & Business and its research group on Digital Production collaborate with companies, lecturers and students on a range of applied research projects in order to advance the knowledge around circular design and business model strategies making use of digital production to encourage the local reuse of discarded urban materials. Amsterdam ArenA, home base of the Ajax football team and a major concert and events venue, is replacing all stadium seats in the run-up to the European Football Championship in 2020 (UEFA Euro 2020), and wishes to do so in a socially responsible manner. With that purpose, Amsterdam ArenA engaged the expertise of the Urban Technology research programme at the AUAS to study the viability reusing the old seats in a circular manner. The research started from the assumption that these discarded seats not only form a large and relatively homogeneous waste stream, but also have an emotional value that can potentially raise their economic value, beyond that of the material alone. For the AUAS this was an important case study, because the Amsterdam ArenA aspires to be a stage for sustainable innovations, reduce its environmental impact and stimulate the local economy. This project could serve as an example for other stadiums and public buildings with substantial waste streams on how to handle discarded products, and rethink how they can prevent waste in the future. With this mission, the AUAS lined up a team of experts on circular design, digital production, business modelling and impact studies to carry out a comprehensive multi-disciplinary study.
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The main hypothesis underlying this article is that although arbitrators are not formally part of national justice systems, they have dealt with questions of EU fundamental rights and the European rule of law standards for quite some time, at least formally since the landmark CJEU judgment in Eco Swiss in 1999. In fact, in all forms of arbitration, be it national or international, taking place in or across (Member) States daily and not necessarily concerning the application by arbitrators of EU law stricto sensu, arbitrators can be seen as guardians of many crucial procedural guarantees that increase parties’ access to justice and advance the European rule of law, or so we wish to argue. This article is an exploratory piece. That is, it combines the format of the state-of-the-art review with the format of conference proceedings through which we present the main activities of the DG Justice TRIIAL project concerning arbitration. Our main goal is three-fold: (1) to advance the discussion on the relationship between the European rule of law and arbitration, (2) to present the main findings stemming from research and training activities within the TRIIAL training workshops on arbitration, and (3) to formulate future research and practical questions on the topic at hand.
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This article addresses European energy policy through conventional and transformative sustainability approaches. The reader is guided towards an understanding of different renewable energy options that are available on the policy making table and how the policy choices have been shaped. In arguing that so far, European energy policy has been guided by conventional sustainability framework that focuses on eco-efficiency and ‘energy mix’, this article proposes greater reliance on circular economy (CE) and Cradle to Cradle (C2C) frameworks. Exploring the current European reliance on biofuels as a source of renewable energy, this article will provide recommendations for transition to transformative energy choices. http://dx.doi.org/10.13135/2384-8677/2331 https://www.linkedin.com/in/helenkopnina/
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In the past few years, the EU has shown a growing commitment to address the rapid transformations brought about by the latest Artificial Intelligence (AI) developments by increasing efforts in AI regulation. Nevertheless, despite the growing body of technical knowledge and progress, the governance of AI-intensive technologies remains dynamic and challenging. A mounting chorus of experts expresses reservations about an overemphasis on regulation in Europe. Among their core arguments is the concern that such an approach might hinder innovation within the AI arena. This concern resonates particularly strongly compared to the United States and Asia, where AI-driven innovation appears to be surging ahead, potentially leaving Europe behind. This paper emphasizes the need to balance certification and governance in AI to foster ethical innovation and enhance the reliability and competitiveness of European technology. It explores recent AI regulations and upcoming European laws, underscoring Europe’s role in the global AI landscape. The authors analyze European governance approaches and their impact on SMEs and startups, offering a comparative view of global regulatory efforts. The paper highlights significant global AI developments from the past year, focusing on Europe’s contributions. We address the complexities of creating a comprehensive, human-centred AI master’s programme for higher education. Finally, we discuss how Europe can seize opportunities to promote ethical and reliable AI progress through education, fostering a balanced approach to regulation and enhancing young professionals’ understanding of ethical and legal aspects.
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Met een Europees Parlementslid praten over de gemeenteraadsverkiezingen, is dat niet raar? Wat ons betreft niet. Zo’n 70% van het beleid dat in de Europese Unie wordt gemaakt sijpelt namelijk door naar het niveau van gemeenten. Met de Nederlandse gemeenteraadsverkiezingen in aantocht vonden we het hoog tijd om aandacht te besteden aan dit onderwerp. Hoe loopt de weg van Brussel naar de gemeenten en andersom? Europees Parlementslid van de VVD Caroline Nagtegaal is actief in haar thuisstad Rotterdam én in de Europese arena. Met haar verkennen we dit onderwerp.
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De Stichting EYOF Utrecht 2013 en Official Partner Achmea hebben besloten om rondom het European Youth Olympic Festival 2013 onderzoek te laten uitvoeren rond de thema’s: maatschappelijke betekenis; economische betekenis/beleving evenement; het organisatieproces met betrekking tot maatschappelijke betekenis. Het onderzoek naar de maatschappelijke betekenis is uitgevoerd door de Hogeschool Utrecht (Kenniscentrum Sociale Innovatie). De economische betekenis en de beleving van het evenement is door het Mulier Instituut in kaart gebracht (in nauwe samenwerking met de Werkgroep Evaluatie Sportevenementen, WESP). Het onderzoek naar de organisatie van het evenement met betrekking tot de maatschappelijke betekenis is uitgevoerd door de Universiteit Utrecht (USBO). Het onderzoek werd gecoördineerd door het Mulier Instituut. Over de drie onderzoeken is separaat gepubliceerd in drie deelrapporten. In deze overall rapportage brengen we de uitkomsten uit de drie deelonderzoeken bijeen en formuleren we de belangrijkste conclusies en aanbevelingen. De reactie op de onderzoeken vanuit het bestuur van de Stichting EYOF Utrecht 2013 is als bijlage in het rapport opgenomen
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While there is extensive research on how Russian interference – in particular Russian disinformation operation – has played out in different European countries, indications of Russian interference directly targeting EU, its institutions or policies received little attention. This paper argues why there is good reason to assume that the EU, its institutions and its policies are an ideal a target for authoritarian regimes to exploit. It then explores in what ways, if any, Russian disinformation campaigning targeted EU institutions and their policies during the political and electoral campaigns leading up to the European Parliament (EP) elections of May 2019. In this context disinformation campaigning in terms of both network flows and contents (‘narratives’) have been examined, on the basis of a review of various reports identifying Russian interference and disinformation and of analyses of overall disinformation flows in Europe and the use of a database monitoring occurrences of disinformation.
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In juli 2013 vond in Utrecht het European Youth Olympic Festival (EYOF Utrecht 2013) plaats. Op zeven locaties in de stad streden 2.300 atleten tussen de 13-18 jaar oud uit 49 verschillende landen in negen takken van sport om de medailles. De organisatoren van EYOF Utrecht 2013 wilden niet alleen een mooi toernooi voor de atleten organiseren, maar ook een breder maatschappelijk effect sorteren. Mede om deze reden werd er een programma aan side-events georganiseerd, onder de noemer Achmea High Five Challenge (Achmea H5C). Het doel van de Achmea H5C is om Nederlandse jongeren kennis te laten maken met sport en hun eigen talenten, zodat ze ook na de Achmea H5C aan het sporten blijven. Met het side-events programma wilden de organisatoren bekendheid geven aan EYOF Utrecht 2013 en de officiële partner (Achmea). Verder wil de Achmea H5C bewegen, sportiviteit en vriendschap uitstralen (High Five) en meer kinderen en jongeren via sport in contact brengen met hun talent (Challenge). Het programma beoogde met name kinderen en jongeren te bereiken, die nu nauwelijks bewegen en sporten (Achmea H5C, 2012).
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This paper addresses the extraterritorial dimension of transnational corporations, focusing on the corporate accountability-deficit that characterizes the current International legal framework. The analysis looks at parent companies’ civil liability for environmental harm caused abroad. By introducing a selected number of foreign direct liability cases brought before European national courts, the paper investigates whether the binding environmental and human rights reporting obligations contained in Directive 2014/95/EU contribute to the determination of a parent company’s duty of care towards its overseas subsidiaries, and consequently establish their potential liability.
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