Browsing by Author "Todor, Arpad"

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    EU microbial pest control: A revolution in waiting
    (Society of Chemical Industry (SCI), 2022) Helepciuc, Florenta-Elena; Todor, Arpad
    Recent evaluations of the microbial biological control sector indicate that implementing microbial control of pests is still slow in the EU. The top causal factors are the lengthy, expensive, and cumbersome two-stage procedure for approval of biological agents as active substances at the EU level and authorization of formulated products at the national level, limited funding, lack of EU level integrated approaches, and slow implementation of integrated pest management. This article contributes to a better understanding of the factors that limit microbial control of pests in EU agriculture by providing the first evaluation of the evolution of microbial biological control agent (MBCA) EU-level approval combined with that of microbial biological control product (MBCP) national-level authorization, discusses recent trends in research and offers some policy recommendations. By 2020, the EU had caught up with the USA regarding research output, approved MBCAs, and MBCA approval procedures (first stage). Despite improvements from 2014 to 2019, the number of authorized MBCPs (second stage) has progressed slowly and unevenly across the EU. Significant progress is concentrated in countries with more extensive agricultural land and higher research intensity. The EUʼs focus on promoting more sustainable agriculture by increasing the availability of low-risk pesticides of biological origin as alternatives to conventional chemical pesticides has gained traction in recent years. Nevertheless, more efforts to improve the capacity and expertise of laggard EU Member States to contribute to the approval of MBCA, authorization of MBCP, and stimulating market availability are needed. Furthermore, we recommend introducing more concrete measures to promote the adoption of the microbial control of pests in the National Action Plans for the sustainable use of pesticides.
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    Politicization of climate change and Central and Eastern European countries’ stance towards the European Green Deal
    (Elsevier, 2024) Witajewska-Baltvilka, Baiba; Helepciuc, Florentina Elena; Mangalagiu, Diana; Todor, Arpad
    This paper investigates the factors that led to the national adoption of the European Green Deal (EGD) in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) and shows how politicization affects national governments’ positions and commitments. Using a comparative analysis of Hungary, Poland, and Romania, our study shows that while issues of public opinion ideological leaning, fossil fuel dependency, economic context, and parties’ ideological leaning all contribute to the national position on the EGD, the influence of these factors is mediated and shaped by the politicization of climate change issues. Our analysis unveils the process and actors of climate change politicization and shows the non-linearity of this process. This study sheds light on the highly intricated mechanisms between climate change and climate change action at the national level and underlines the importance of understanding the political mechanisms through which international regulation can be operationalized through national-level policies and strategies.