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Quotas
Kinds of Quotas Terms modified by Quotas Selected AbstractsCAP Reform in the Dairy Sector: Remove Export Subsidies and Retain Milk QuotaEUROCHOICES, Issue 2 2004Zohra Bouamra-Mechemache Summary CAP Reform in the Dairy Sector: Remove Export Subsidies and Retain Milk Quota The reforms of the Common Agricultural Policy of June 2003 introduced major policy changes, In the dairy sector the aim is to decrease price distortions between the EU and world dairy markets through successive reductions in milk intervention prices. However, the milk quota system is still in place and successive increases in milk quotas are planned. The question is whether these dairy reforms are going in the right direction given the three main characteristics of the EU dairy sector. First the price inelasticity of both milk supply (due to quota) and domestic demand means that price distortion mainly affects the distribution of economic surplus between consumers and producers but does not generate significant net losses in economic welfare. Second, the ,large country' position of the EU on the world market means that the EU should remove all export subsidies, which will reduce EU exports and increase world prices. Third, the projected increase in EU aggregate demand for milk favours a reduction in all subsidies. The CAP is going in the right direction in the dairy sector. But to reduce price distortions all subsidies should be removed as soon as possible and the milk production quota should be retained. La réforme de la PAC laitiére: supprimer les subventions aux exportations et conserver les quotas La réforme de la PAC en juin 2003 est un changement majeur. En ce qui concerne le secteur laitier, l'idée consiste à diminuer les distorsions entre les prix européens et ceux du marché mondial par une série de réductions progressives du prix d'intervention. En même temps, le système des quotas reste en place et des accroissements progressifs sont envisageés pour les droits à produire. La question. est alors de savoir si une telle politique est bien orientée, compte tenu des trois caractéristiques principales du secteur laitier européen. En premier lieu, la faible élasticité-prix aussi bien de l'offre (à cause des quotas) que de la demande, implique que les distorsions, si elies affectent la répartition des bénéfices entre producteurs et consommateurs, ne génèrent pas de très grandes pertes sociales au niveau du bien-être global. Ensuite, l'importance de l'Union européenne sur les marchés mondiaux implique que l'UE doive réduire ses subventions à l'exportation, ce qui diminuera le volume des exportations et en fera remonter le prix, Enfin, l'accroissement prévisible de la demande globale européenne en produits laitiers devrait conduire G une réduction des subventions de toute sorte. La PAC est done sur la bonne voie en matière laitière. Mais pour réduire les distorsions, il faut le plus vite possible supprimer les subventions et conserver les quotas laitiers. Reform der GAP im Milchsektor: Abschaffung der Exportsubventionen und Beibehaltung der Milchquoten Die Reform der Gemeinsamen Agrarpolitik vom Juni 2003 führt zu erheblichen Politikänderungen. Im Milchsektor ist das Ziel, die Preisverzerrungen zwischen der EU und den Weltmärkten für Milchprodukte durch eine sukzessive Reduzierung der Milchinterventionspreise zu verringern. Das Milchquotensystem bleibt jedoch weiter bestehen und sukzessive Erhöhungen der Milchquoten sind geplant. Es ergibt sich die Frage, ob die Reform bei den vorhandenen drei Charakteristika im EU Milchsektor in die richtige Richtung geht. Erstens bedeuten das gegebene preisunelastische Angebot von Milch (wegen der Quotierung) und die Nachfrage im Inland, dass die Preisverzerrung sich vomehmlich auf die Verteilung der ökonomischen Rente zwischen Konsumenten und Produzenten auswirkt, nicht aber zu bedeutenden Wohlfahrtsverlusten führt. Zweitens fuhrt die Abschaffung aller Exporterstattungen für Milch und Milchprodukte dazu, dass die EU Exporte sinken und damit wegen der EU als relative großes Land die Weltmarktpreise für Milch steigen werden. Drittens begünstigt die vorausgesagte Zunahme in der aggregierten Milchnachfrage in der EU eine Reduzierung aller Subventionen. Die GAP entwickelt sich im Milchsektor in die richtige Richtung. Es sollten aber alle Subventionen so schnell wie möglich abgebaut und die Milchquote sollte aufrechterhalten werden, um Preisverzerrungen zu reduzieren. [source] THE EFFECTS OF ITQ IMPLEMENTATION: A DYNAMIC APPROACHNATURAL RESOURCE MODELING, Issue 4 2000LEE G. ANDERSON ABSTRACT. This paper investigates the intertemporal effects of introducing Individual Transferable Quota, ITQ, fishery management programs on stock size, fleet size and composition, and returns to quota holders and to vessel operators. Theoretical analysis is conducted using a specific version of a general dynamic model of a regulated fishery. It is demonstrated that the effects will differ depending upon the prevailing regulation program, current stock size, and existing fleet size, composition and mobility and upon how the stock and fleet change over time after the switch to ITQs. The paper expands upon previous works by modeling the dynamics of change in fleet and stock size and by allowing for changes in the TAC as stock size changes, by comparing ITQs to different regulations, and by allowing the status quo before ITQ implementation to be something other than a bioeconomic equilibrium. Specific cases are analyzed using a simulation model. The analysis shows that the annual return per unit harvest to quota owners can increase or decrease over the transition period due to counteracting effects of changes in stock and fleet size. With ITQs denominated as a percentage of the TAC, the current annual value of a quota share depends upon the annual return per unit of harvest and the annual amount of harvest rights. Because the per unit value can increase or decrease over time, it is also possible that the total value can do the same. Distribution effects are also studied and it is shown that while the gains from quota share received are the present value of a potentially infinite stream of returns, potential losses are the present value of a finite stream, the length of which depends upon the remaining life of the vessel and the expected time it will continue to operate. [source] Harmonizing External Quotas in an FTA: A Step Backward?ECONOMICS & POLITICS, Issue 3 2002Olivier Cadot This paper explores how political,economy forces shape quantitative barriers against the rest of the world in an FTA. We show that whereas the dilution of lobbying power in an FTA typically leads to a relaxation of external quotas, this result is likely to be overturned as integration deepens. In particular, we show that cooperation among member countries on the level of their external quotas, cross,border lobbying by import,competing interests in the free,trade area, and the consolidation of national external quotas into a single one, all lead to stiffer restrictions against imports from the rest of the world. We also show that, unlike tariffs, endogenous quotas are not crucially affected by the presence of rules of origin. [source] Gender Quotas in Politics: The Greek System in the Light of EU LawEUROPEAN LAW JOURNAL, Issue 1 2010Panos Kapotas Positive action is currently gaining momentum in the European anti-discrimination discourse and policy-making as a necessary and effective tool to achieve the goal of full and effective equality in employment. Gender quotas in politics, however, are thought to remain outside the normative scope of Community law, the dominant view being that candidature for elected public office does not constitute employment in the sense of the relevant provisions. This article seeks to examine the Greek quota system for women in politics in its dialectical relationship to the general equality discourse and with reference to the current normative framework in Europe. The aims are threefold: to assess the legality of positive action in favour of women in politics from the point of view of EU law, to evaluate the effectiveness of the Greek system in achieving its gender equality goals, and to identify the problems that quotas in politics may pose with regard to the principle of democratic representation. It will, thus, be argued that positive measures in politics, though generally compatible with the fundamental principles of justice and representative democracy, may nevertheless be inadequate,at least in their current form,to provide effective solutions to the unequal distribution of social and political power. [source] The Limits of Women's Quotas in BrazilIDS BULLETIN, Issue 5 2010Clara Araújo In this article, I examine the case of Brazil which, unlike many other Latin American countries, is an example of where quotas are not working. Drawing on over ten years of research and exploring the dynamics of a varied group of political parties, I contest that male resistance is not the only reason behind this failure. Vagueness around the quota law and a lack of sanctions, together with the elitist nature of politics in Brazil are all contributing factors. My research has also revealed a few anomalies, showing that contrary to much of the literature, women would seem to fare better in elections within less developed and smaller states in Brazil. In conclusion, I propose that in order to move forward and get quotas, working reform measures are needed to strengthen the law, but in addition, women's access to financial support for campaigning needs to be fully understood. [source] Profit and Price Effects of Multi-species Individual Transferable QuotasJOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS, Issue 1 2005Diane P. Dupont Regulators in many countries have adopted individual transferable quotas as a means of dealing with the open access problem inherent in fisheries. Using individual vessel data prior to and after the introduction of ITQs in Canada's multi-species Scotia-Fundy mobile gear fishery, the paper uses an index number profit decomposition to compare vessel performance over time and across individual vessels. The approach allows us to undertake both an ex post evaluation of short-term impacts of ITQs and an ex ante evaluation of longer term impacts. With respect to short-term impacts, the results suggest that larger vessels have benefited the most from the introduction of ITQs, but that all vessels have enjoyed increases in the prices received for those fish species that are included in the quota program. With respect to longer-term impacts, the transferability provisions of the ITQ program have encouraged exit and more efficient operations to prevail. [source] Tariff Peaks for Agricultural and Food Products: their Incidence and Alternatives for their RemovalJOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS, Issue 1 2002Javier Fernández The aim of the paper is the analysis of the current market access situation in global agricultural markets for the post-Uruguay Round period. It identifies those commodity groups in the food and agricultural sector for which tariff peaks exist, and examines how various tariff-cutting formulae would affect their levels. The related issues of tariff complexity and of the administration of Tariff Rate Quotas are also reviewed here. Results show that the implementation of the Uruguay Round agreement has not significantly reduced agricultural protection, since high tariff peaks and nontransparent tariff structures still persist. A repetition of the Uruguay Round cuts would not solve the problem of high protection levels either, and only the introduction of more aggressive harmonising formulae could lead to a true liberalisation of world agricultural and food markets. [source] NILE BASIN: Traditional Quotas RetainedAFRICA RESEARCH BULLETIN: ECONOMIC, FINANCIAL AND TECHNICAL SERIES, Issue 7 2009Article first published online: 27 AUG 200 No abstract is available for this article. [source] MIGRATION: Industrialised Countries Cut QuotasAFRICA RESEARCH BULLETIN: ECONOMIC, FINANCIAL AND TECHNICAL SERIES, Issue 4 2009Article first published online: 4 JUN 200 No abstract is available for this article. [source] Optimal Quotas in Private Committees,THE ECONOMIC JOURNAL, Issue 525 2008Daniel J. Seidmann According to conventional wisdom, raising the quota either causes a committee to retain the status quo or has no effect on its performance; so a committee which would otherwise select good decisions should operate with a low quota. We show that conventional wisdom may fail when members vote in private: raising the quota may prevent such a committee from retaining the status quo, and can cause it to switch between new decisions. Nevertheless, reducing the quota may improve a private committee's performance. [source] Optimal Quotas, Price Competition And Products' AttributesTHE JAPANESE ECONOMIC REVIEW, Issue 4 2003Nicolas Boccard We characterize the Nash equilibrium in the Hotelling model in the presence of an import quota. The optimal quota is identified and shown to be invariant to the mode of competition. We also prove that in the presence of a quota maximal differentiation is not achieved at equilibrium. [source] Should We Impose Quotas?THE JOURNAL OF LAW, MEDICINE & ETHICS, Issue 1 2002Evaluating the "Disparate Impact" Argument Against Legalization of Assisted Suicide First page of article [source] Import Quotas and Entry DeterrenceAUSTRALIAN ECONOMIC PAPERS, Issue 2 2000Neil Campbell Using a simple version of the Milgrom and Roberts entry deterrence model, it is shown that adjusting a quota so that a greater volume of imports is allowed, can facilitate entry into the domestic industry. That is, the easing of a quota, can cause the domestic incumbent to shift from deterring entry to accommodating entry. [source] A Note on Auction Quotas with a Foreign Duopoly*BULLETIN OF ECONOMIC RESEARCH, Issue 2 2001Ling Hui Tan A country importing a good from foreign duopolists may improve its welfare by imposing a quota on the good at the free trade quantity and giving a fraction of the quota licences to the duopolists while auctioning off the rest. [source] Political Representation and Gender in Brazil: Quotas for Women and their ImpactBULLETIN OF LATIN AMERICAN RESEARCH, Issue 2 2008LUIS F. MIGUEL In the 1990s, Brazilian Congress approved an electoral quota for female candidates in parliamentary competition (with exception of the Senate). The reticence of the law and the peculiarities of the Brazilian open lists electoral system have given rise to concern that the quotas will fail. In fact, there has been no great increase in the number of women in Brazilian legislatives , there has been some change in the municipalities, a little less in the states and almost nothing at the federal level. Analysing in detail the results of four elections to the federal Chamber of Deputies, two before and two after the quotas, it becomes apparent that, in Brazil, the impact of quotas is mediated far more than in other countries. Quotas provide, above all, an incentive to party elites to support an increase in the number of female political leaders, and the results may appear only at mid term. [source] Electoral Gender Quotas: Lessons from Argentina and ChileBULLETIN OF LATIN AMERICAN RESEARCH, Issue 1 2003Tricia Gray This comparative case study examines the role of electoral quotas for increasing women's representation in Argentina and Chile. The Central hypothesis is that gender quotas in favourable electoral systems increase women's representation, and a corollary hypothesis is that more women in politics should also promote gender issues in public policy. Since the transitions to democratic regimes, many Argentine and Chilean women still promote gender issues, such as gender quotas, but the different transitions shaped the opportunity space for gender issues in politics. Thus, gender quotas can be effective, but the types of electoral and quota systems are important defining conditions and improvements in gender issues are not guaranteed. [source] After the Health Check What is the Future for the Common Agricultural Policy?EUROCHOICES, Issue 1 2009Nach dem Gesundheitscheck: Wie geht es weiter mit der Gemeinsamen Agrarpolitik? Summary After the Health Check What is the Future for the Common Agricultural Policy? The CAP has now completed another stage in its development. The Health Check negotiating marathon has ended. The Czech Republic has been against unequal conditions for member states as these deform fair competition and the common market. Progressive modulation in the originally proposed form would have created barriers to a unified Europe, thus going against the motto of the Czech presidency ,Europe without Barriers'. The Czech Republic can certainly be satisfied with the essence of the compromise. The cancellation of the milk quota in 2015 is a liberalising measure, and as such we support it. The Health Check opens the door to the Czech presidency for a discussion on the elimination of unfair differences in direct payments between member states and we will definitely take up the opportunity. After 2013 the CAP will have to take much greater account of the situation following the unprecedented expansion of the EU in 2004 and 2006. For the Czech Republic, a further reinforcing of freedom in decision making for farmers and their focus on the specific needs of the local, community and global market is fundamental. Further simplification of the CAP and ,better regulation', focussing on a reduction in the administrative burden on farmers, is one of the priority challenges. La PAC a maintenant atteint un autre stade de son développement. Le marathon de négociation du bilan de santé a abouti. La République tchèque s'est opposée aux conditions inégales proposées aux pays membres car elles faussent la concurrence équitable et le marché commun. La modulation progressive sous sa forme initiale aurait créé des barrières dans une Europe unifiée, ce qui va à l'encontre de la devise de la présidence tchèque "Une Europe sans barrières". La République tchèque peut certainement être satisfaite de l'essence du compromis. La suppression du système des quotas laitiers en 2015 est une mesure de libéralisation et nous la soutenons en tant que telle. Le bilan de santé ouvre la porte à la présidence tchèque pour une discussion sur l'élimination des différences injustes entre paiements directs selon le pays membre et nous profiterons bien entendu de l'occasion. Après 2013, la PAC devra prendre davantage en compte la situation créée par l'élargissement sans précédent de l'UE entre 2004 et 2006. Pour la République tchèque, il est fondamental de renforcer encore la liberté qu'ont les agriculteurs pour prendre leurs décisions et de s'orienter vers les besoins spécifiques du marché local, communautaire et mondial. Un des défis prioritaires est de continuer à simplifier la PAC et d'améliorer la réglementation en s'orientant vers une réduction de la charge administrative qui pèse sur les agriculteurs. Eine weitere Phase in der Entwicklung der Gemeinsamen Agrarpolitik ist nun abgeschlossen. Der Verhandlungsmarathon hinsichtlich des Gesundheitschecks ist vorbei. Die Tschechische Republik war dagegen, dass für die Mitgliedsstaaten unterschiedliche Bedingungen gelten sollen, da diese den fairen Wettbewerb und den gemeinsamen Markt verzerren. Eine progressive Modulation in der ursprünglich vorgeschlagenen Form hätte einem einheitlichen Europa Steine in den Weg gelegt und somit dem Motto "Europa ohne Grenzen" der tschechischen Präsidentschaft widersprochen. Die Tschechische Republik hat zweifellos mit dem Kompromiss ein im Wesentlichen zufriedenstellendes Ergebnis erzielt. Die Abschaffung der Milchquote bis 2015 ist eine Maßnahme zur Liberalisierung, und als solche findet sie unsere Unterstützung. Der Gesundheitscheck eröffnet der tschechischen Präsidentschaft die Diskussion über die Beseitigung unterschiedlich hoher , und somit ungerechter , Direktzahlungen an die Mitgliedsstaaten. Diese Gelegenheit werden wir uns nicht entgehen lassen. Nach 2013 wird sich die GAP sehr viel mehr mit der Situation beschäftigen müssen, die sich aus der beispiellosen EU-Erweiterung aus den Jahren 2004 und 2006 ergibt. Für die Tschechische Republik ist es von grundlegender Bedeutung, die Entscheidungsfreiheit für Landwirte und deren Orientierung an den lokalen, regionalen und globalen Märkten fortwährend zu stärken. Die weitere Vereinfachung der GAP und eine "bessere Regulierung", die den Verwaltungsaufwand für Landwirte verringern soll, gehören zu den vorrangigen Zielen. [source] CAP Reform in the Dairy Sector: Remove Export Subsidies and Retain Milk QuotaEUROCHOICES, Issue 2 2004Zohra Bouamra-Mechemache Summary CAP Reform in the Dairy Sector: Remove Export Subsidies and Retain Milk Quota The reforms of the Common Agricultural Policy of June 2003 introduced major policy changes, In the dairy sector the aim is to decrease price distortions between the EU and world dairy markets through successive reductions in milk intervention prices. However, the milk quota system is still in place and successive increases in milk quotas are planned. The question is whether these dairy reforms are going in the right direction given the three main characteristics of the EU dairy sector. First the price inelasticity of both milk supply (due to quota) and domestic demand means that price distortion mainly affects the distribution of economic surplus between consumers and producers but does not generate significant net losses in economic welfare. Second, the ,large country' position of the EU on the world market means that the EU should remove all export subsidies, which will reduce EU exports and increase world prices. Third, the projected increase in EU aggregate demand for milk favours a reduction in all subsidies. The CAP is going in the right direction in the dairy sector. But to reduce price distortions all subsidies should be removed as soon as possible and the milk production quota should be retained. La réforme de la PAC laitiére: supprimer les subventions aux exportations et conserver les quotas La réforme de la PAC en juin 2003 est un changement majeur. En ce qui concerne le secteur laitier, l'idée consiste à diminuer les distorsions entre les prix européens et ceux du marché mondial par une série de réductions progressives du prix d'intervention. En même temps, le système des quotas reste en place et des accroissements progressifs sont envisageés pour les droits à produire. La question. est alors de savoir si une telle politique est bien orientée, compte tenu des trois caractéristiques principales du secteur laitier européen. En premier lieu, la faible élasticité-prix aussi bien de l'offre (à cause des quotas) que de la demande, implique que les distorsions, si elies affectent la répartition des bénéfices entre producteurs et consommateurs, ne génèrent pas de très grandes pertes sociales au niveau du bien-être global. Ensuite, l'importance de l'Union européenne sur les marchés mondiaux implique que l'UE doive réduire ses subventions à l'exportation, ce qui diminuera le volume des exportations et en fera remonter le prix, Enfin, l'accroissement prévisible de la demande globale européenne en produits laitiers devrait conduire G une réduction des subventions de toute sorte. La PAC est done sur la bonne voie en matière laitière. Mais pour réduire les distorsions, il faut le plus vite possible supprimer les subventions et conserver les quotas laitiers. Reform der GAP im Milchsektor: Abschaffung der Exportsubventionen und Beibehaltung der Milchquoten Die Reform der Gemeinsamen Agrarpolitik vom Juni 2003 führt zu erheblichen Politikänderungen. Im Milchsektor ist das Ziel, die Preisverzerrungen zwischen der EU und den Weltmärkten für Milchprodukte durch eine sukzessive Reduzierung der Milchinterventionspreise zu verringern. Das Milchquotensystem bleibt jedoch weiter bestehen und sukzessive Erhöhungen der Milchquoten sind geplant. Es ergibt sich die Frage, ob die Reform bei den vorhandenen drei Charakteristika im EU Milchsektor in die richtige Richtung geht. Erstens bedeuten das gegebene preisunelastische Angebot von Milch (wegen der Quotierung) und die Nachfrage im Inland, dass die Preisverzerrung sich vomehmlich auf die Verteilung der ökonomischen Rente zwischen Konsumenten und Produzenten auswirkt, nicht aber zu bedeutenden Wohlfahrtsverlusten führt. Zweitens fuhrt die Abschaffung aller Exporterstattungen für Milch und Milchprodukte dazu, dass die EU Exporte sinken und damit wegen der EU als relative großes Land die Weltmarktpreise für Milch steigen werden. Drittens begünstigt die vorausgesagte Zunahme in der aggregierten Milchnachfrage in der EU eine Reduzierung aller Subventionen. Die GAP entwickelt sich im Milchsektor in die richtige Richtung. Es sollten aber alle Subventionen so schnell wie möglich abgebaut und die Milchquote sollte aufrechterhalten werden, um Preisverzerrungen zu reduzieren. [source] Can Russia be Competitive in Agriculture?EUROCHOICES, Issue 3 2003William M. Liefert Summary Can Russia be competitive inAgriculture? Russian agriculture currently is not internationally cost competitive. Since the mid-1990s Russia has imported large volumes of meat, while the grain trade has fluctuated in most years between small net imports and exports. Russia has, however, exported large quantities of key agricultural inputs, including 80 per cent of fertilizer output, mainly to EU countries. Research indicates that Russia has a comparative advantage in producing grain compared to meat, but also a comparative advantage in producing agricultural inputs compared to agricultural outputs. The expected real appreciation of the Russian rouble vis-à-vis Western currencies should further damage Russia's cost competitiveness in meat and grain, but this should be offset by modest productivity growth. An expected rise in consumer income, deriving from relatively high annual GDP growth of about 4,5 per cent, should also stimulate demand for meat imports. In spring 2003, Russia imposed tariff rate quotas on its imports of beef and pork, and a pure quota on imports of poultry. For other agricultural commodities, Russia is pushing in its WTO accession negotiations for allowable agricultural import tariffs that are higher than current levels. Taking these changes together, it is likely that Russia will continue as a big meat importer for about the next ten years,with tariff rate quotas probably determining the level of meat imports,and will become a moderate grain exporter. L'agriculture russepourrait-elle être compétitive ? Actuellement, l'agriculture russe n'est pas compétitive. La Russie a importé de gros volumes de viande depuis le milieu des années 90, tandis que la balance des échanges de céréales oscillait entre les faibles excédents et les faibles déficits. Cependant, la Russie est grande exportatrice d'agro-fournitures dont, en particulier, 80% de sa production d'engrais, principalement vers l'Europe. On montre ici que l'avantage comparatif de la Russie se situe dans les céréales plutôt que dans la viande et, surtout, dans les agro-fournitures plutôt que dans les denrées agricoles. La remontée, à laquelle il faut s'attendre, du rouble vis à vis des devises occidentales, devrait encore diminuer la compétitivité de la Russie en matière de viandes et de céréales, ce qui devrait être compensé par des gains de productivité même faibles. La hausse attendue des revenus des consommateurs, engenderée par une croissance élevée du revenu national, de l'ordre de 4 à 5% par an, devrait aussi stimuler la demande de viande importée. Au printemps 2003, la Russie s'est dotée d'un système de droits sur ses importations hors quotas de viande de bæuf et de pore, ainsi que d'un quota d'importation pour les produits avicoles. En ce qui conceme les autres produits agricoles, dans le cadre des négociations relatives à son entrée dans l'OMC, la Russie s'efforce d'obtenir l'autorisation d'augmenter les taxes à l'importation par rapport à leur niveau actuel. Au total done, à un horizon de l'ordre de dix ans, il est probable que la Russie reste un gros importateur de viandes - le niveau des taxes sur le hors quotas déterminant les niveaux d'importation -, et un modeste exportateur de céréales. Kann Russland auf dem Agrarsektorwettbewerbsfähig sein? Die russische Landwirtschaft ist hinsichtlich der Kosten momentan nicht international wettbewerbsfähig. Seit Mitte der 1990er importiert Russland große Mengen an Fleisch, während der Getreidehandel in den meisten Jahren zwischen geringen Nettoimporten und -exporten schwankte. Russland hat jedoch große Mengen an wichtigen landwirtschaftlichen Vorieistungen, unter anderem 80% seiner Düngerproduktion, hauptsächlich in EU-Länder exportiert. Forschungsergebnisse weisen darauf hin, dass Russland in der Produktion von Getreide verglichen mit Fleisch einen komparativen Vorteil besitzt; dies trifft jedoch ebenfalls auf die Produktion von landwirtschaftlichen Vorieistungen verglichen mit landwirtschaftlichen Endprodukten zu. Es ist anzunehmen, dass die erwartete reale Aufwertung des russischen Rubel gegenüber den westlichen Währungen eine zusätzliche Verschlechterung der russischen Wettbewerbsfähigkeit hinsichtlich der Kosten im Bereich Fleisch und Getreide nach sich zieht; dies sollte sich jedoch durch ein moderates Produktivitätswachstum ausgleichen. Der erwartete Anstieg der Verbrauchereinkommen, der sich aus dem relativ hohen jährlichen Bruttoin-landsproduktzuwachs von ca. 4,5 Prozent ableitet, sollte sich ebenfalls stimulierend auf die Nachfrage nach Fleischimporten auswirken. Im Frühjahr 2003 führte Russland Zolltarifkontingente für seine Schweine- und Rindfleischimporte ein und belegte seine Geflügelfleischimporte mit einem Importkontingent. Im Hinblick auf weitere Agrarerzeugnisse drängt Russland in den WTO-Beitrittsverhandlungen darauf, höhere Einfuhrzölle als die gegenwärtig geltenden zuzulassen. In Anbetracht all dieser Veränderungen ist es wahrscheinlich, dass Russland auch für die kommenden zehn Jahre große Mengen an Fleisch importieren,wobei möglicherweise Zolltarifkontingente die Menge bestimmen werden,und sich zu einem mäßigen Getreideexporteur entwickeln wird. [source] Near real-time spatial management based on habitat predictions for a longline bycatch speciesFISHERIES MANAGEMENT & ECOLOGY, Issue 6 2006A. J. HOBDAY Abstract, Southern bluefin tuna (SBT), Thunnus maccoyii (Castelnau), is a quota-managed species that makes annual winter migrations to the Tasman Sea off south-eastern Australia. During this period it interacts with a year-round tropical tuna longline fishery (Eastern Tuna and Billfish Fishery, ETBF). ETBF managers seek to minimise the bycatch of SBT by commercial ETBF longline fishers with limited or no SBT quota through spatial restrictions. Access to areas where SBT are believed to be present is restricted to fishers holding SBT quota. A temperature-based SBT habitat model was developed to provide managers with an estimate of tuna distribution upon which to base their decisions about placement of management boundaries. Adult SBT temperature preferences were determined using pop-up satellite archival tags. The near real-time predicted location of SBT was determined by matching temperature preferences to satellite sea surface temperature data and vertical temperature data from an oceanographic model. Regular reports detailing the location of temperature-based SBT habitat were produced during the period of the ETBF fishing season when interactions with SBT occur. The SBT habitat model included: (i) predictions based on the current vertical structure of the ocean; (ii) seasonally adjusted temperature preference data for the 60 calendar days centred on the prediction date; and (iii) development of a temperature-based SBT habitat climatology that allowed visualisation of the expected change in the distribution of the SBT habitat zones throughout the season. At the conclusion of the fishing season an automated method for placing management boundaries was compared with the subjective approach used by managers. Applying this automated procedure to the habitat predictions enabled an investigation of the effects of setting management boundaries using old data and updating management boundaries infrequently. Direct comparison with the management boundaries allowed an evaluation of the efficiency and biases produced by this aspect of the fishery management process. Near real-time fishery management continues to be a realistic prospect that new scientific approaches using novel tools can support and advance. [source] Social Movement, Action and Change: The Influence of Women's Movements on City Government in Mumbai and LondonGENDER, WORK & ORGANISATION, Issue 2 2004Jim Barry This article reports on a research investigation into gender and local government in Mumbai in India and London in England. In both these cities female representation at the political level stands at around one third, achieved in London slowly in recent years and in Mumbai more rapidly through the adoption of a quota, or seat reservation system, implemented in 1992. In considering the experience of the women concerned it is argued that their presence and aspirations have been influenced through the networks of their respective women's movements, operating through civil society and the local state. In considering the ways in which they organize and manage the duties of office and their gendered identities, as well as in their focus on the most disadvantaged in their communities and in their dealings with others, the part played by social movements in influencing change is examined. [source] Multiple pathology and tails of disability: Space,time structure of disability in longevityGERIATRICS & GERONTOLOGY INTERNATIONAL, Issue 4 2003Satoru Matsushita Disability and the resulting lowered quality of life are serious issues accompanying increased longevity. Curiously, despite its potential contribution to aging theory, complete statistical and etiological structures of this common and unwelcome aging phenotype before death have not been well identified. Another neglected issue in aging and disability is the principles of phylogenesis and morphogenesis, which contemporary life science invariably starts with. In the present review these two related subjects are addressed, with an introduction of an analysis on patients and published data. Statistically rigorous log,normal and normal distributions distinguish disability for its duration and age-wise distribution, respectively. Multiple pathology and diverse effects of various endogenous diseases on disability are confirmed. The robust long-tailed log,normal distribution for various phases of disability validates the fact that patients in disability undergo series of stochastic subprocesses of many independent endogenous diseases until death. For 60% of patients, the log,normal distribution is mimicked by a random walk model. Diseases of core organs are major causes of the long tails. A declining force of natural selection after reproduction and trade-off of life history through pleiotropy of the genes are considered to be the roots of aging. The attenuated selection pressure and the resulting decrease of genetic constraints produce an increased opportunity for chance and stochastics. Elucidated stochastic behaviors of disability underscore the key role of chance in aging. Evolutionary modifications in the development of the structure tend to favor developmentally later stages first. Distal parts are developmentally last, therefore most subject to modification. The rate of molecular evolution of the genes is also found to be relatively slow at the core and rapid at the edge of cells and organs. Therefore, systems at the core must be relatively slow and inactive to comply with pleiotropy and trade-offs in comparison with systems at the edge. Hence, against flat and probabilistic aging, the core organs must be moulded to be more robust with a lower threshold for dysfunction, to age relatively slowly, and should have less of a disease quota in aging. The principle of core protective aging assures possibilities not only to reduce disability but also to accomplish the Third Age as well. Finally, it must also be acknowledged that the principle is a double-edged sword. Paradoxically, the developed biological and societal organization provides protection for the injured core, and so develops long tails of disability. The principle of core protective aging re-emphasizes the key role of prevention in order to reduce the amount of disability. [source] Performance evaluation of CSMA/ID MAC protocol for IP over WDM ring networksINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS, Issue 11 2008Jih-Hsin Ho Abstract In this paper, a packet pre-classification media access control protocol based on a carrier sense multiple access with idle detection (CSMA/ID) scheme is investigated for supporting IP packets over all-optical WDM ring networks. The purpose of the protocol is to increase throughput and to decrease the packet transmission delay of IP packets over optical networks in a metropolitan area network. This protocol avoids both packet collision and packet fragmentation. In order to improve the utilization of the network, the packets transmitted from a local area network are first pre-classified into various class queues of an access point (AP) according to their length. After checking the available space based on the wavelength received by the receivers of the AP, the packets in the queues are transmitted. An analytical model is developed to evaluate the performance of the protocol, with simulation results showing good network efficiency. The proposed network has short-term variations that introduce unfairness conditions. This problem could be overcome by assigning a quota on individual queues to allow all queues fair access. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Nursing staff anxiety versus smoking habitsINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF NURSING PRACTICE, Issue 3 2001Athanassios Tselebis RN, MSc(Psych) The aim of this study was to assess smoking habits versus anxiety levels of 114 female nurses. The Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory Scale (STAI, Questions 21,40) was used. Current smokers (n = 52) had the highest levels of anxiety (STAI score: mean ± SD, 43.04 ± 8.48) compared to non-smokers (n = 30), and ex-smokers (n = 32) (38.94 ± 6.45 and 36.56 ± 6.62, respectively; P < 0.02). Differences in STAI scores were greater between non-smokers and ex-smokers (P < 0.01), while the STAI scores of current smokers were positively correlated with their per day quota of cigarettes (Pearson's: +0.65; P < 0.002). We concluded that even in people who are well-acquainted with the ill-effects of nicotine abuse, smoking habits persist and are correlated with levels of anxiety. Apparently the (perceived) stress-relieving effects of nicotine outweigh anxiety of nursing staff. Preventive programs, if based exclusively on information on the effects of smoking on health, seem to be ineffective. Alternatively, techniques aimed at the relief of anxiety may yield better results. [source] Evaluation of NOC Measures in Home Care Nursing PracticeINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF NURSING TERMINOLOGIES AND CLASSIFICATION, Issue 2003Gail M. Keenan PURPOSE To evaluate the reliability, validity, usefulness, and sensitivity of 89 NOC outcomes in two Visiting Nurse Associations in Michigan. METHODS Of a total 190 NOC outcomes 89 were assigned for testing. Interrater reliability and criterion validity were assessed a total of 50 times per outcome (on 50 different patients) across the study units. The total number of times the reliability and validity were assessed for each of the 89 measures studied ranged from 5,45. Three RN research assistants (RNRAs) oversaw and participated in data collection with the help of 15 clinicians. Convenience sampling was used to identify subjects. A roster of outcomes to be studied was maintained and matched with patient conditions whenever possible until the quota of outcomes assigned had been evaluated. Clinicians and RNRAs independently rated the outcomes and indicators applicable to the patient. NANDA diagnoses, NIC interventions, and medical diagnoses were recorded. FINDINGS A total of 258 patients (mean age 62) enrolled; 60% were women, 23% were from minority groups, and 78% had no college degree. Thirty-six of the 89 NOC measures were designated "clinically useful." The 10 outcomes with the highest interrater reliability were Caregiver Home Care Readiness; Caregiver Stressors; Caregiving Endurance Potential; Infection Status; Mobility Level; Safety Status: Physical Injury; Self-Care: Activities of Daily Living; Self-Care: Bathing; Self-Care: Hygiene; and Wound Healing: Secondary Intention. Criterion measurement and repeated ratings provided evidence to support the validity and sensitivity of the NOC outcomes. Evidence also suggested that NOC label level ratings could be a feasible, reliable, and valid method of evaluating nursing outcomes under actual use. For some measures, adjustments in the scales and anchors are needed to enhance reliability. For others, it may be unrealistic to reliably score in one encounter, thus scoring should be deferred until the clinician has adequate knowledge of the patient. CONCLUSIONS Continued study and refinement that are coordinated and integrated systematically strongly recommended. Comprehensive study in an automated system with a controlled format will increase the efficiency of future studies. [source] An equity-based passenger flow control model with application to Hong Kong-Shenzhen border-crossingJOURNAL OF ADVANCED TRANSPORTATION, Issue 2 2002Hai Yang Cross-border passengers from Hong Kong to Shenzhen by the east Kowloon-Canton Railway (KCR) through the Lo Wu customs exceed nearly 200 thousand on a special day such as a day during the Chinese Spring Festival. Such heavy passenger demand often exceeds the processing and holding capacity of the Lo Wu customs for many hours a day. Thus, passengers must be metered off at all entrance stations along the KCR line through ticket rationing to restrain the number of passengers waiting at Lo Wu within its safe holding capacity. This paper proposes an optimal control strategy and model to deal with this passenger crowding and control problem. Because the maximum passenger checkout rate at Lo Wu is fixed, total passenger waiting time is not affected by the control strategy for given time-dependent arriving rates at each station. An equity-based control strategy is thus proposed to equalize the waiting times of passengers arriving at all stations at the same time. This equity is achieved through optimal allocation of the total quota of tickets to all entrance stations for each train service. The total ticket quota for each train service is determined such that the capacity constraint of the passenger queue at Lo Wu is satisfied. The control problem is formulated as a successive linear programming problem and demonstrated for the KCR system with partially simulated data. [source] SEQUENCE ANALYSIS AND TRANSCRIPTIONAL REGULATION OF IRON ACQUISITION GENES IN TWO MARINE DIATOMS,JOURNAL OF PHYCOLOGY, Issue 4 2007Adam B. Kustka The centric diatom Thalassiosira pseudonana Hasle et Heimdal and the pennate diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum Bohlin possess genes with translated sequences homologous to high-affinity ferric reductases present in model organisms. Thalassiosira pseudonana also possesses putative genes for membrane-bound ferroxidase (TpFET3) and two highly similar iron (Fe) permeases (TpFTR1 and TpFTR2), as well as a divalent metal (M2+) transporter belonging to the NRAMP superfamily (TpNRAMP). In baker's yeast, the ferroxidase,permease complex transports Fe(II) produced by reductases. We investigated transcript abundances of these genes as a function of Fe quota (QFe). Ferric reductase transcripts are abundant in both species (15%,60% of actin) under low QFe and are down-regulated by 5- to 35-fold at high QFe, suggesting Fe(III) reduction is a common, inducible strategy for Fe acquisition in marine diatoms. Permease transcript abundance was regulated by Fe status in T. pseudonana, but we did not detect significant differences in expression of the copper (Cu)-containing ferroxidase. TpNRAMP showed the most dramatic regulation by QFe, suggesting a role in cellular Fe transport in either cell-surface uptake or vacuolar mobilization. We could not identify ferroxidase or permease homologues in the P. tricornutum genome. The up-regulation of genes in T. pseudonana that appear to be missing altogether from P. tricornutum as well as the finding that P. tricornutum seems to have an efficient system to acquire Fe,, suggest that diverse (and uncharacterized) Fe-uptake systems may be at play within diatom assemblages. Different uptake systems among diatoms may provide a mechanistic basis for niche differentiation with respect to Fe availability in the ocean. [source] PRODUCTION OF PARALYTIC SHELLFISH TOXINS BY APHANIZOMENON SP.JOURNAL OF PHYCOLOGY, Issue 4 2002LMECYA 31 (CYANOBACTERIA) We examined intracellular and extracellular paralytic shellfish toxins (PST) in a strain of Aphanizomenon sp. (LMECYA31) isolated from a Portuguese freshwater reservoir throughout the growth cycle and under different conditions affected by temperature and nitrate and phosphate availability. PST concentrations and compositions were greatly influenced by cell density, growth stage, and temperature and nutrients conditions. On a per-cell basis results showed (1) the enhancement of PST cell quota after the end of exponential growth phase in nutrient replete batch cultures, (2) the absence of a PST increment at late growth stages under phosphate limitation, (3) a rise in PST maximum cell quota under nitrate depletion, and (4) the enhancement of toxin production at higher temperatures. The relative proportion of the four toxins detected, neoSTX, dcSTX, STX and GTX5, also changed within and between culture settings. While growing under phosphate rich media cells produced mainly GTX5 and neoSTX, whereas under phosphate limitation the proportion of STX and dcSTX increased substantially with culture age. Large amounts of extracellular toxins were found in the culture medium, increasing during culture time. Extracellular toxin composition in each culture was fairly constant and always similar to the intracellular composition found at late stages of growth. This further supported other research that indicates that PSTs are released to the water through cell lysis, and a significant concentration of PST may be expected to remain in the water upon the collapse of a toxic bloom or after cells removal by water treatment. [source] Water-Yield Reduction After Afforestation and Related Processes in the Semiarid Liupan Mountains, Northwest China,JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN WATER RESOURCES ASSOCIATION, Issue 5 2008Yanhui Wang Abstract:, The increase of coverage of forest/vegetation is imperative to improve the environment in dry-land areas of China, especially for protecting soil against serious erosion and sandstorms. However, inherent severe water shortages, drought stresses, and increasing water use competition greatly restrict the reforestation. Notably, the water-yield reduction after afforestation generates intense debate about the correct approach to afforestation and forest management in dry-land areas. However, most studies on water-yield reduction of forests have been at catchment scales, and there are few studies of the response of total evapotranspiration (ET) and its partitioning to vegetation structure change. This motivates us to learn the linkage between hydrological processes and vegetation structure in slope ecosystems. Therefore, an ecohydrological study was carried out by measuring the individual items of water balance on sloping plots covered by different vegetation types in the semiarid Liupan Mountains of northwest China. The ratio of precipitation consumed as ET was about 60% for grassland, 93% for shrubs, and >95% for forestland. Thus, the water yield was very low, site-specific, and sensitive to vegetation change. Conversion of grassland to forest decreased the annual water yield from slope by 50-100 mm. In certain periods, the plantations at lower slopes even consumed the runon from upper slopes. Reducing the density of forests and shrubs by thinning was not an efficient approach to minimize water use. Leaf area index was a better indicator than plant density to relate ET to vegetation structure and to evaluate the soil water carrying capacity for vegetation (i.e., the maximum amount of vegetation that can be supported by the available soil water for an extended time). Selecting proper vegetation types and plant species, based on site soil water condition, may be more effective than the forest density regulation to minimize water-yield reduction by vegetation coverage increase and notably by reforestation. Finally, the focuses in future research to improve the forest-water relations in dry-land areas are recommended as follows: vegetation growth dynamics driven by environment especially water conditions, coupling of ecological and hydrological processes, further development of distributed ecohydrological models, quantitative relation of eco-water quota of ecosystems with vegetation structures, multi-scaled evaluation of soil water carrying capacity for vegetation, and the development of widely applicable decision support tools. [source] FOREIGN INVESTMENT POLICIES AND ENVIRONMENTNATURAL RESOURCE MODELING, Issue 2 2005HAMID BELADI ABSTRACT. We consider a North-South model of capital mobility in which foreign investment adversely impacts the environment in South. By focusing on the strategic aspects of environmental policies, among other things, we compare different policy regimes, i.e., different combinations of tax and quota. More specifically, we investigate the (non)equivalence of these policy regimes. [source] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||