The development of the bioeconomy on regional and national levels is heavily reliant on the establishment of precise and efficient governance frameworks. These structures encompass a wide range of components, spanning from financial support to regulatory tools and limitations. These mechanisms play a pivotal role in addressing the challenges that emerge during the bioeconomy’s growth. In this context, the necessity for continuous research to underpin and guide bioeconomy policies, while also bridging existing knowledge gaps, is glaringly evident. The current study brings a new perspective, using hierarchical cluster analysis as an exploratory approach and a technique for generating hypotheses. Its aim is to assess the progress of EU countries concerning the bioeconomy, including sectors involved in biomass production and conversion. The research draws on data published by the European Commission and Eurostat for the years 2015 and 2020, to capture the changes brought about by the adoption of the 2030 Agenda. The research findings furnish valuable insights into advancements in the bioeconomy and the clustering of countries based on their performance levels. Notably, Belgium and Denmark emerge as standout performers, potentially offering exemplary models of best practices.

This study delves into the dynamic relationship between artificial intelligence (AI) and environmental performance, with a specific focus on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions across European countries from 2012 to 2022. Utilizing data on industrial robots, AI companies, and AI investments, we examine how AI adoption influences GHG emissions. Preliminary analyses, including ordinary least squares (OLS) regression and diagnostic assessments, were conducted to ensure data adequacy and model readiness. Subsequently, the Elastic Net (ENET) regression model was employed to mitigate overfitting issues and enhance model robustness. Our findings reveal intriguing trends, such as a downward trajectory in GHG emissions correlating with increased AI investment levels and industrial robot deployment. Graphical representations further elucidate the evolution of coefficients and cross-validation errors, providing valuable insights into the relationship between AI and environmental sustainability. These findings offer policymakers actionable insights for leveraging AI technologies to foster sustainable development strategies.

To mitigate the negative effects of climate change on the environment, the Member States of the European Union implement fiscal measures and commit budgetary expenditures to ensure sustainable economic development. Romania, in line with the Union’s objectives, resorted to the application of a system of environmental taxes and provided in the budgetary policy government expenditures for environmental protection. The aim of the research is to highlight the effects of these measures on the environment by analysing the short-run and long-run causal relationships between greenhouse gas emissions, green taxes and government expenditures on environmental protection. Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) method and Granger causality tests were used to demonstrate the existence of these relationships and the intensity with which they manifest. Following the analysis, we identified a significant long-run influence of government spending on environmental protection on greenhouse gas emissions but also numerous short-run and long-run causal relationships between greenhouse gas emissions and green taxes, applied in Romania. The results of the research consider the impact of public expenses for environment protection, a variable not yet applied for Romania, on greenhouse gas emissions’ decrease, in correlation with environmental taxes per source of origin.

Cucumis metuliferus E. Meyer ex Naudin belongs to the family Cucurbitaceae. It is an annual vegetable species known as horned melon or kiwano. Fruits are recommended for the daily diet because they provide vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals to alleviate malnutrition and improve human health. In this study, kiwano was cultivated in the climatic conditions of Southwestern Romania, which is characterized by warm summers, lower precipitation, and high temperatures, ensuring optimal conditions for growth and development. The fruits were harvested at three stages of consumption: immature stage (green), intermediate stage (white–yellow) or the mature stage (yellow–orange). They were also subjected to analysis on the productive yield and physical–chemical properties. The results showed that the number of fruits ranged from 13.9 to 15.3 fruits/plant, and their average weight had values from 204 g to 234 g, depending on the harvest stage. The results obtained for bioactive compounds and antioxidant activity indicated significant differences (p ≤ 0.05), depending on the harvesting stage. The highest values for the antioxidant capacity (140.90 μM TE/100g DPPH) and total polyphenols (48.78 TPC mg/100 g) were recorded in the immature fruit phase, as well as for the carbohydrate content (3.56%), total protein (1.98%), ascorbic acid (4.3 mg/100 g f.w.), and carotene (0.98 mg/100 g) in the mature fruit phase. These results may stimulate interest in the introduction of this species as a niche crop and for consumption as a source of natural antioxidants for the prevention of diseases due to oxidative stress.

Sicyos angulatus (Cucurbitaceae) is an invasive species because of its rapid growth rate, intensive dispersal and ability to adapt to a wide range of environments. It has become an invasive species in the Ostroveni area, an area at the confluence of the Jiu River and the Danube River in the Oltenia region of Romania. This species spreads, climbs and takes over everything in its path. It can also outcompete native plants very quickly as it is a prolific breeder. The aim of this study was to demonstrate the invasive potential of S. angulatus in the forests of the Jiu and Danube confluence area by calculating several indicator values. The results showed that the number of plants varies depending on factors such as location, water availability and shade. They also showed that S. angulatus is a plant that occupies its niche in the ecosystem and has a negative impact on the local flora. Population control should therefore start with early detection, so that control and eradication are less costly.

Faced with the challenges posed by climate change, Serbian viticulture is looking for sustainable solutions for adaptable production. This study shows that grass is a multifunctional tool for overcoming the challenges of intensive viticulture while maintaining the quality of the grapes. In a three-year research experiment (2020–2022), the maintenance of an inter-row sward in a vineyard with four certified high-quality French Cabernet Sauvignon clones was investigated, and its effects on the ampelographic composition of the grapes and the quality of the grape juice (must) were studied as a function of wine quality. A grass sward was established between the rows as a biological soil management system and as a climate change adaptation measure in a high-intensity viticultural system. A grass–legume mixture was used as an inter-row cover crop, with nitrogen applied in two doses (50 and 100 kg ha⁻¹) in spring. The growth of the grasses responded to the nitrogen fertilisation, which was reflected in the biomass production, surface cover and nitrogen content in the biomass. At the end of the study, the biomass of the grass increased threefold when a high dose of nitrogen was applied compared to the non-fertilised grass. In contrast to the effects of nitrogen on the sward, N has no effect on the quantitative or qualitative parameters of the grapes. Clone 169 was separated for most grape mechanical parameters such as the bunch mass, all berries and the bunch stem; clone 15 showed the best grape juice quality parameters such as the sugar content and glycoacidometric index. The results show an option for climate change adaptation in viticulture that can mitigate the effects of rising temperatures, contribute to soil conservation and carbon storage in biomass and enable timely interventions in vineyards after heavy rainfall by creating accessible paths within the vineyards. The three-year effect of the different nutrient management of the sward in the inter-rows of Cabernet Sauvignon showed that the interaction between the two systems, sward and vine, is low and has no negative impact on the ampelographic and qualitative grape parameters.