• December 3rd: Laura McCann, Agricultural Economics, "Transaction costs, institutional design, and agri-environmental policy."

   

• During a December 3 presentation, an MU professor of Agricultural Economics discussed transaction costs and environmental policy in Europe. In the final lecture of the 2007 European Union Fellows Seminar Series, Associate Professor Laura McCann said that transition costs are the resources used to define, establish, maintain and transfer property rights.
              McCann said transaction costs of environmental policies can be high, almost 30 percent of the total amount. She said that ignoring the costs have negative impacts, which include: Distorting pollution; limit efforts to reduce cost; and result in poor policy choices.
              McCann added that different policies differ in the extent to which transition costs are borne by polluters. In one study from Europe, McCann said environmental transaction refers to an elementary coordination problem between two parties in conflict over resource use and potentially involves a transfer of property rights. She concluded with the idea that the European agricultural-environmental context may differ from the United States as a result of cultural differences, specific regulations regarding production and marketing, and preferences for the environment.

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• November 12^th: Johann Bruhn and Jeanne Mihail, Plant Pathology, "Linking Old World and New World Trufficulture"

 

• On November 12, Professor Bruhn gave a speech on his biological research project --- cultivation of Burgundy Truffle. This research project is a joint effort of researchers from both the US and the Europe. Johann Bruhn and Jeanne Mihail are from the University of Missouri ¨C Columbia. Christina Weden and Eric Danell are from Uppsala University. Alessandra Zambonelli and Mirco Iotti are from University of Bologna. Elena Barbieri is from the University of Urbino.
  Burgundy truffles are one of best truffles in the world. It originally grew in France. Because of its special taste, it has been widely used in French food as an important part of European cuisine culture. Most of the Burgundy truffles naturally grow in forests. The production of natural Burgundy truffles is very limited, and so far there has not been an efficient way to cultivate Burgundy truffle through human efforts.
  Professor Bruhn and his colleagues devote their effort to solve the problem of cultivating Burgundy truffles. According to Professor Bruhn¡¯s lecture, cultivating truffles has at least three benefits. It encourages people to reforest land. It maintains agrarian lifestyle. And it brings profit to the land owner. Burgundy truffles are sold at $500 per lb. In the lecture, he introduced how truffles fit into the local environment in Sweden, Italy, and China.
  Cultivating truffles are rather challenging. Professor Bruhn pointed out in the lecture that not all orchards can produce truffles, and even in the same orchard, not all trees in an orchard can grow truffles. The underlying reasons may be suppression from native species of fungi, or absence of certain crucial external conditions. Professor Bruhn plans four stages of research to solve the problems of cultivating truffle. They started with taking a sample of the root system of each tree, and divided these trees into morphological types. Then, they will name each sample, and match them by their DNA extractions. Hopefully, in the near future, the production of Burgundy truffles will be highly improved by this research, and we will have a more profound understanding of the species of Burgundy truffles as well.

 

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• November 5th : Lanis Hicks, Ph.D and Gordon Brown Ph.D, Health Management & Informatics, "Comparing National Health Care Systems of the US and Germany"

 

November 5, 2007 - Two University of Missouri experts in health care discussed the differences in health systems between the United States and Germany. As part of the 2007 European Union Fellows Seminar Series, Lanis Hicks, Ph.D and Gordon Brown, Ph.D. summarized and clarified differences in both systems.

Hicks said both systems developed from very different philosophical, political and structural directions. She said that both face challenges of providing populations with accessible, high quality, safe and efficient health care for its citizens.

Hicks said the U.S. has evolved from an individual responsibility, private-oriented market system through incremental, categorical assistance programs.

In contrast, she said that Germany has a mixed system, evolving from a nationalized, public financed health system. Furthermore, Hicks said statutory health insurance is dominant in Germany and is based on the solidarity principle-income related premiums, where the benefit is independent from premiums.

Brown said social and cultural changes in the U.S. and the EU include: Aging of populations; technology; and changes in lifestyle. He said Germany is improving its quality of medical care and service to patients. Furthermore, Germany gives patients greater responsibility and roles over its medical care.

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• October 15^th : Lecture by Professor Rosemarie Muzika, Forestry, "Ecological Change in Central European Forests"

  October 15th, 2007- Professor Muzika gave a speech on the topic of ¡° Forestry, Ecological Change in Central European Forests." She started with a book of scientific research by collaborated efforts of the US and many European countries, which set up a human dimensions tone for this scientific talk. Then, she unfolded a unique approach to forestry and ecology to the audience: the influence of culture, politics and history on forest ecology.
  The areas she examined included forests in Europe and North America. She looked at the influence of private and public ownership of land on natural resources. With the example of the ?umava Moutains, a former military zone and now a national park, she discussed the history of that area, its changing identity, its future and the influence of German legacy on people's perception of forests. When talking about Beskydy Mountains, a reserved area, she also shared with the audience the local culture and history, and then moved to the influence of societal and economic factors on environment.
  Three things worth mentioning in her speech. First, societal factors and human history influence forest ecology more than we imagined. One example of the impact of policy on ?forest management was that forest managers were not allowed to remove dying trees to reduce damage from bark beetles bites in the ?umava area because it was illegal to remove any trees from a national park according to the Czech law. Second, air pollution caused by factories could be so bad that forests are not able to recover from the damage. Last, different from the US, European culture often focus on ?the spiritual qualities of the forests and shows respect to natural forces.

  At the end of speech, she commented that foresty ecology was a huge concept involving sciences, culture, politics, and history. Her proposal for adjusting forestry management and developing policies that make sense to culture, history and ecology is quite inspiring.

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• October 22^nd : Lecture by Professor Charles Davis, Journalism, "Freedom of Information in Europe."

  October 22, 2007- Charles Davis, Missouri School of Journalism professor and Missouri chapter president of the National Freedom of Information Coalition (NFOIC) gave a presentation about freedom of information in European Union countries. As part of the 2007 European Union Fellows Seminar Series sponsored by the University of Missouri European Union Center, Davis said that Europe is in the early stages of a cautionary trend toward openness among FOI laws.

  Davis said that freedom of information was a revolutionary concept in Sweden in 1776, when that country adopted the first FOI law in the world.

  Most EU countries, except for Luxembourg and Malta have FOI laws today, according to Davis. He said that each of the laws vary widely in their detail, effectiveness and how they are implemented in their specific countries. Davis added that laws without meaningful mechanisms are simply not good.

  Davis said there is a trend toward greater transparency and more by the private rather than public sector. Furthermore, he said there is a need for transparency, particularly among fiscal matters.

  Davis concluded by arguing that EU nations without FOI laws need to become adamant about adopting them because the fundamental right of people in a democracy is to have free access to information.

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