Tag: R42

POPULATION ACCESSIBILITY TO RAIL SERVICES. INSIGHTS THROUGH THE LENS OF TERRITORIAL COHESION

Daniela- Luminița CONSTANTIN

Professor at the Department of Administration and Public Management, The Bucharest University of Economic Studies; Bucharest; Romania

danielaconstantin_2005@yahoo.com

Corina- Cristiana NASTACĂ

Teaching Assistant at the Department of Administration and Public Management, The Bucharest University of Economic Studies; Bucharest; Romania

cnastaca@gmail.com

Emilia GEAMBASU

MSc – Administration and Public Management,Faculty of Administration and Public Management, The Bucharest University of Economic Studies; Bucharest; Romania

geambasuemilia@gmail.com

Abstract

Territorial cohesion is a concept that has played an important role in the European authorities’ agenda since the 1990s, being linked to some of the main objectives defined in various EU Treaties (i.e. those envisaging flows, connectivity, spatial nodes, etc.). In this respect, the present research aims to explore territorial cohesion in relation to accessibility so as to provide a comprehensive picture of this subject, employing for the empirical study the Romanian railway system. The main objective is to examine how the Romanian railway infrastructure influences territorial cohesion through regions’ accessibility to infrastructure and rail transport services. The research methodology consists of an exploratory study conducted using secondary data analysis. The collected data have been used to compute a set of indicators (the Engel ratio, the Goltz ratio, and the Hansen accessibility coefficient) that allows the analysis of the degree of population accessibility to railway transport, based on the characteristics of the rail transport service (distance, duration, and cost of travel). The study has revealed that the Romanian railway infrastructure does not have a positive contribution to reducing disparities and strengthening territorial cohesion. Although it is sufficiently extensive, it has uneven growth and low accessibility due to low travel speeds and long travel times. Regarding accessibility, the presence of at least two types of disparities – inter- and intra-regional, has been revealed, due to the fact that disparities in accessibility firstly manifest at the regional level and increase in intensity at the county level.

Keywords: territorial cohesion, population accessibility, railway network, inter- and intra-regional disparities, Romania

JEL classification: R1, R4, R42

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THE IMPORTANCE OF SOUTHEAST MEDITERRANEAN NATURAL GAS RESERVES TO EU’S ENERGY SECURITY; A GEOPOLITICAL AND ECONOMIC APPROACH

Antonios STRATAKIS

PhD Candidate, University of Piraeus – Department of Maritime Studies,

stratakismaritime@gmail.com

Theodore PELAGIDIS

Professor of Economics, University of Piraeus – Department of Maritime Studies, Deputy Governor – Bank of Greece, pelagidi@unipi.gr

Tpelagidis@bankofgreece.gr

Abstract

It has been more than a decade since the Southeast Mediterranean region came to the forefront after the discovery of significant gas reserves in offshore fields located within the maritime territories of Egypt, Cyprus and Israel (Levantine Basin). Gradually, the region drew the attention of major oil companies (Total, Statoil, ENI, Exxon Mobil, BP, Rosneft Qatargas) which intensified their drilling operation activities; aiming to share the exploitation of the potential regional gas deposits with the involved countries in the future. Τhe aim of this paper is to investigate (a) the economic impact of these discoveries on the countries concerned, (b) what role can these discoveries play in EU’s energy plans, given the stated policy to reduce dependence on Russian supplies and (c) the implementation of a forthcoming energy hub in Southeast Mediterranean region, its viability and competitiveness towards other well-established or emerging gas producing areas. Finally, the paper examines the conflicted interests of European Union, Russia and USA in the energy equation of the region.

Keywords: Energy Corridors, Pipeline Networks, EastMed Project, LNG Terminals, Southeast Mediterranean

JEL classification: F10, F51, R41, R42, R48

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BDI’s CORRELATION WITH LEADING ECONOMIC INDICATORS

Theodore PELAGIDIS

Professor, University of Piraeus & NR Senior Fellow, Brookings Institution, US. 21, Lambraki Ave.,GR-18533

pelagidi@unipi.gr

Evgenia TSAHALI

University of Piraeus,

evgtsahali@yahoo.gr

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to investigate the correlation between the Baltic Dry Index (BDI) and certain leading economic indicators. We follow a different path than the existing literature follows. In particular, using a multi-linear regression method and defining the BDI index as a dependent variable, we seek to determine the multiple relations of the independent variables regarding the BDI value. We are looking at whether the BDI is a representative indicator not only for the shipping industry itself, but also for the whole economic and financial environment in which the shipping industry operates.

Keywords: Transportation Economics, General Financial Markets, Financial Securities

JEL classification: R4, R42, G1