Economic
Development

The Mezzogiorno has been suffering from economic, social and political underdevelopment for many years, with significant disparities with the North, something that still persists nowadays.

In December 2022, an EU corruption scandal dubbed “Qatargate” exploded following findings from the Belgian Federal Prosecutor’s Office. However, while the origin of the scandal’s name is unclear, the sole focus on Qatar begs reflection.

Contrary to widespread narrative, the metaverse is not a non-regulated technological environment. In the EU, the recently enhanced digital regulatory framework will provide a comprehensive set of rules to address possible challenges arising from the uptake of metaverses, spanning from competition and antitrust, to content moderation and cybersecurity.

After the inclusion of ten Eastern European countries into the EU between 2004 and 2007, English replaced French as the lingua franca of the institutions in Brussels, with its importance to modern communication transcending the socio-economic levels of European society.

As artificial intelligence technologies advance, the EU and UK have diverged on their legal, business, and social approaches to regulating AI. With many AI companies conducting business in both markets, they must be meticulous to abide by the stringent laws of the EU while taking advantage of the UK’s innovation-first approach.

Data sharing is becoming a crucial element of the data economy, which involves possibly all actors, with governments and businesses being increasingly called to implement efficient and smart usage of such a resource.

A Smart City approach that catalyses equality and inclusivity and diminishes the perpetuation of existing inequalities is a necessary step in preventing one of the major shortcomings of smart city planning: a lack of inclusion.

Since her election to the position of Moldova’s president, Maia Sandu has not ceased from travelling across Europe to put an end to Moldova’s diplomatic isolation and to demonstrate Moldova’s willingness to develop towards European common values.

The digital transition, inevitably accelerated by the Covid-19 crisis, brought a number of policy challenges to the EU especially in relation to emerging technologies in the European market, with Artificial Intelligence (AI) at the forefront.

Digital nomadism is becoming more prevalent than we may think. Several states in the EU have taken steps to make it a reality, and more tangibly than a hypothesised traveller on the beach.

To encourage technological advancement and uptake, the less developed EU nations will have to pursue strategies that stimulate both private and public research and development whilst simultaneously reinforcing the effect of technological spill-overs.

Russia and the European Union’s relationship continues to be tested since the relational breakdown in 2008 and 2014. Yet, Russia must not be written off as the EU has the opportunity to revive the dialogue with Moscow in recognising the deep historical and cultural ties between Europe and Russia.

Human trafficking in all of its forms significantly hinders both human and economic development. As Europe faces the Covid-19 pandemic, human traffickers may become less of a priority for government officials, creating a more dangerous situation for those who are trafficked.

To encourage greater economic integration, the European and African Unions must move on from unilateral aid programmes and find mutually beneficial policies relating to trade, immigration and sustainability.

Emerging markets such as digital 4.0 offer new opportunities for Europe’s economy to bounce back from recession and also help meet future environmental targets. IDRN explores why Digital 4.0 can be the answer to Europe’s economic puzzle.

The greater utilisation of technology in education, whether to supplement or substitute physical learning in schools and universities, offers great opportunities to make valuable education more accessible to a wider audience.

In only two months, the bloc’s leaders have agreed upon a recovery package. With the deal nearly done, now only needing to pass through the European and national parliaments, it is prudent to look at the main points of emphasis and identify the winners and losers of Next Generation EU.

In times of crisis, seemingly impossible ideas suddenly become possible, although the viability of universal basic income in the German-dominated, neoliberal EU remains highly unlikely.

Whilst Covid-19 seems to have plunged the world into a global recession, not all sectors have been affected equally. IDRN explores the effect of Covid-19 on tourism.