The COVID-19 pandemic has sparked the debate on strengthening European-level cooperation and solidarity in tackling the disease. The debate has focused on several questions: Given the common threat to public health, is conferral of more competences upon the EU (1) desirable and (2) feasible? As for desirability: …

Poland still has a lot of changes ahead that are necessary, especially in rural areas, if Poland wants to reach the climate goals set by the European Union. Bioenergy could be a great option for Poland as it would tackle Poland’s problems with greenhouse gas emissions, air pollution and power interruptions. …

Wine consumption is decreasing for many decades, but organic products demand is increasing. To counter the image of Spanish wines which is “poor quality and cheap wines” because of their big quantity production and their low prices, Spanish wine producers change their farming method. Spain ranks first …

In 2013, the Joint Action Plan for Mental Health and Well-being (JA-MH-WB) was launched as a collaborative effort by the European Union and the 28 Member States. It aims were to build a framework for action mental health policy at the European level and builds on previous work developed under the European …

In this dissertation, the effectiveness of the relationship between Japan and the European Union is assessed by means of a policy analysis on the EU-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement (EU-Japan EPA).

Rook is playful data visualization device aiming at the dissemination of air quality data. The Rook unit accesses the database of the Hollandse Luchten (henceforth HL) project, which collects data on air quality in Nord-Holland via a network of sensor kits distributed to the local population and displays …

The subject of this thesis is the effectiveness of the specific instance procedure of National Contact Points (NCPs), operating in the context of the Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises (MNE Guidelines) of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). This thesis aims to create …

A rise in global population and welfare is depleting the earth’s resources and challenging the current predominantly linear economy, following a take-make-waste pattern, calling upon a shift towards a more circular economy (Bastein and Willems, 2019; Ellen MacArthur Foundation, 2013; Lüdeke-Freund et …

The global industrial economy is still predominantly linear, working according to the take-make-waste principle. This has affected the planet to a concerning amount, which is why the European Union signed the Paris Agreement, committing to a 1,5 to 2 degree scenario of global warming. In order to achieve …

Plastic is one of the most popular materials used in products, but it also leaves the earth to deal with a major environmental issue, namely plastic pollution. The oceans in particular are filled with plastic waste, which harms biodiversity and ecosystems. It also negatively impacts countries and their …