In or out of Europe? What prospects for Ukraine?
Abstract The paper outlines the ambitions of, and economic and political reasons for, Ukraine to join the European Union (EU). Differences in interest and support for EU membership compared to other new EU members are discussed, including divisions among the population and elites, and the economic consequences of the enlargement for Ukraine. Public and elite in the EU are shown to be divided and lacking in support for further enlargement to include Ukraine (and Turkey). Alternatives to full membership of the EU are discussed. The European Neighbourhood Policy is considered to be the only viable alternative. This has political disadvantages, but some compensations. These include the possibilities for an independent trading policy with Russia and other parties. It has the advantage of allowing readjustment to market conditions to take place more slowly, ensuring political stability. Policy implications are that Ukraine should aim to be within Europe as part of the ENP, rather striving for EU membership which is unlikely to be conceded by the EU.
EU-Ukraine Relations Before the 2014 Maidan Revolution
In November 2013, the people of Ukraine rose up in protest against the government of President Viktor Yanukovich. This in turn led to social upheaval, a political and economic crisis in Ukraine, Russia’s annexation of Crimea and the current crisis in the Donbass Region. The catalyst for these events was Viktor Yanukovich’s failure to sign an association agreement with the European Union. Much has been said about Russia’s involvement in the weeks before the agreement was supposed to be signed and its desire to steer Ukraine towards the Eurasian Customs Union. However, much less has been said about Ukraine’s general inability to separate itself from its former Soviet ties, which may in fact have been the country’s main obstacle on the path to a prosperous future. Since independence in 1991, Ukraine remained very much integrated in the former Soviet infrastructure, with little reform. While the country was no longer the Ukrainian SSR, much remained unchanged, such as trading, military, security and governmental frameworks. What is more, many negative attitudes towards the government and Europe remained largely the same.[1] Ukraine’s unwillingness and inability to disentangle itself from its past ties sent certain signals to the EU, indicating hesitancy, reluctance and suspicion in attitude towards Europe.
Pig Vocalizations Under Selected Husbandry Practices
Acoustical characteristics of vocalizations of sows, piglets, and nursery pigs under selected husbandry practices were analyzed with a digital signal processing system. The duration (D) and major energy-resonance frequency (P) for each call were determined as follows: a) processing of piglets (D = 0.81 s and f* = 3 700 Hz); b) food anticipation of breeding-gest ation sows (2.50 s and 3 000 Hz); c) isolation of piglet (0.34 s and 500, 3 500 Hz); d) startling of nursery pigs (0.29 s and 900 Hz); e) sows in heat (3.07 s and 1 375 Hz); f) farrowing (0.10 s and 3 000 Hz); g) sow nursing (0.15 s and 1 000 Hz); and h) mate greeting of sow (0.13 s and 1 000 Hz). Calls a) to d) are responses to human generated stressors, and calls e) through h) responses to social and physiological states of the pigs. Thus, vocalizations can be segmented for different pig production situations.