This paper is an assessment of whether the Nordic countries constitute an optimum currency area (OCA) or not. Hodrick Prescott-­?filtered data of real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and rate of employment are used to investigate the similarity of business cycles between the target countries through a series of correlation analysis with Sweden as the base reference country and also by using a linear regression model. Additionally there is an evaluation of trade volume and labour mobility between the countries. Our results indicate that Iceland had the least similar business cycles within the Nordic countries and that the area should therefore possibly comprise Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden. .

EU is an organization that has expanded really fast during the last years. When you read about different EU membership processes you notice that some processes have been much faster than others. Spontaneously you think that this depends om that some countries have not been fulfilling the Copenhagen criteria. However, during the last decennium some scientists have written articles about motives that have affected the membership processes. The basic problem in my essay is how we are supposed to understand a membership process? Since I was interested in if I could see the same inconsistent behavior pattern in other membership processes I chose to study Turkey and Croatia.

Aim: The aim of this present study was to assess the dental caries prevalence in children and adolescents aged 3-19 in the Nordic countries, and to examine if the caries prevalence is affected by socioeconomic and cultural differences.Method: The study is a literature review based on 20 scientific medical reports based on the aim of this study.Result: Decayed missed filled surfaces (dmfs) of the 3-year-olds varies from 0.3 to 0.99 and from 0.9 to 7.3 in 5-year-old children. The Nordic 12-year-olds have similar numerical values. In Nordic 14-year-olds caries prevalence increases. In the late teens there is a reduction in caries prevalence. Children at Greenland have five times more teeth decayed than other Danish children.

A clean and affordable energy source for cooking is deficient in developing countries. People rely on fuels that contribute to environmental, social and health problems.Biogas is an alternative energy source and an increased investment in small-scale biogas production can in several developing countries be found. Several projects have started to use the technology in developing countries because of the benefits with biogas. Some cases in the establishment of biogas plants have succeeded and some have not. The study is a literature review supplemented by two field studies.

About 1000 women in the so called developing countries die every day associated with pregnancy and childbirth. Sub-Saharan Africa is the worst affected region. This study aims to explore the different key factors in national development that can interact with a reduced maternal mortality. The study compares 15 countries in sub-Sahara where the greatest reduction in maternal mortality occurred with 15 countries in sub-Sahara where maternal mortality reduction has been at its lowest, between the years 2000 to 2010. This study also analyzes the link between reduced maternal mortality and various key factors for national development.

This paper aims to describe the geographical changes of Swedish international aid politics since 2007, which was the year the new aid reform of decreasing collaborating countries, came up. To decrease the number of aid receiving countries due to efficiency is not a new idea within Swedish aid politics, but Sweden received criticism from the (DAC) Development Assistance Committee, saying Sweden was active in too many countries, and the government established a policy to decrease the amount of countries given aid. Despite the government?s recent work, science has shown on a failed country focusing. This is followed up in the paper trough examination of statistics to measure the extent of the reduction.

The way you address people is depending on the existing culture, to be on familiar terms with people you don?t know or elderly people is totally unacceptable in some cultures. Some behaviour might be acceptable in one culture, and unacceptable in another. Culture exists on different levels in the society, and what combines people within a culture are that they share the same norms and values.This study identifies and deals with the resemblances and the differences in the customer relationship within one specific organization with activity in several different countries. Two of these countries, which can be seen as each others cultural contrasts, were chosen for the study, Sweden and Spain.

In today?s society it is not uncommon for people to move across borders. We are more likely to work and study in other countries, initiate cross-border relationships, acquire property in other states and change our residence. Therefore it is not uncommon for a per-son to leave inheritance in several states. The laws of succession differ between countries which creates an uncertainty among the devisors when planning their successions.

Arms trade is a multi-faced issue, it can increase the state's economic revenue; however also endanger the human security. The European Union's member state United Kingdom is one of the five largest arms traders in the world. The EU promotes human security in its work, especially in the union's development policies. These circumstances address the main question of the study: is there a contradiction between the UK's arms trade and the EU development policies. The objective of this study is to research the stately weapon use in three of the UK's trading partners, and how it could affect the EU development policies.

This thesis investigates the relationship between economic growth and self-reported happiness in 45 European countries during the periods of 2011 and 2014-2022. In addition to economic growth, the effects of factors such as unemployment, health, and equality are also analyzed. Data has been collected from the World Bank and Our World in Data. To analyze these relationships, a fixed effects regression analysis and clustering are used, supplemented by tests for multicollinearity and scatter plots. The results of the study indicate that economic growth has no significant effect on happiness when our control variables are included in the analysis.

Parallel imports often lead to lowered prices and is therefore regarded as good from a consumer's point of view. From a business'point of view this is not always the case. When do parallel imports occur? Is it possible to prevent parallel imports to protect an introduction of a product in another member state? The purpose of this thesis is to present situations where parallel imports occur and to see if it is compatible with competition law to prevent parallel imports. Furthermore I will analyse the future development after the group exemption of vertical restraints enters into force in June 2000.

The European Union is originally an economic organization that has developed into including more social and cultural questions. These questions are especially important when the Union expands with so many different cultures and traditions to take into concideration.I have from an identity perspective studied the relation between the European Union and the candidate country of Turkey. Using theories including the Other I have discussed the relationship between us (Europe) and the Other (Turkey) and Turkey's possibilites to become a member of the Union. My conclusion will include a discussion on the basis of three dimensions; History, Economy/Politics and Religion. I believe there are hindrances for Turkey to become a member of the European Union.

A clean and affordable energy source for cooking is deficient in developing countries. People rely on fuels that contribute to environmental, social and health problems.Biogas is an alternative energy source and an increased investment in small-scale biogas production can in several developing countries be found. Several projects have started to use the technology in developing countries because of the benefits with biogas. Some cases in the establishment of biogas plants have succeeded and some have not. The study is a literature review supplemented by two field studies.

In May 2004 the European Union enlarged from 15 to 25 member states and it was the biggest enlargement since the foundation. Two years earlier Poland, as one of the new member states, finished four years of accession negotiations with the EU.This study focus on the case of Poland and how the accession negotiations with EU were conducted. According to the theoretical framework of asymmetric negotiations Poland was said to be a weak party and the EU was considered a strong party in the enlargement negotiations.The aim of the thesis is to examine Poland's negotiation performance and determine what Polish failure and success in the accession negotiations depends on. The research contains a illustration of the motives for enlargement, the negotiation process and structure, attitudes and behaviour and finally results of negotiations in specific areas.The study concludes that Poland's negotiation performance was influenced by the Polish negotiation team's unpleasant attitude, confused organizational structure, lack of coalition partners and the strong will to become a member state, in both positive and negative ways. Finally, Poland was most successful in negotiations that concerned specific issues which were of great importance for Poland but less prioritized by the EU..

The prospect of Turkish accession to the EU has sparked controversy in many of the member countries. It has highlighted the different ways in which European as well as Turkish identity is being defined in the debate, with some politicians seemingly trying to draw on old prejudices in order to make the case against membership. By utilising discourse analysis as advocated by Thomas Diez, this thesis seeks to explore the debates regarding the Turkish accession bid in the British House of Commons. Its purpose is to analyse how ?EU? and ?Turkey?, understood as contested concepts, gets described in different ways.