Maritime transport is one of the main activities of the blue economy, which plays an important role in the EU. In this paper, we aim to assess the impact of maritime transport, related investment, and air pollution on economic growth within 20 countries of the European Union, using eight panel data regression models from 2007 to 2018. Our results confirm that maritime transport, air pollutants (NOx and SO2) from maritime transport, and investment in maritime port infrastructure are indeed positively correlated with economic growth. In other words, an increase of 10% in these factors has generated an associated increase in economic growth rate of around 1.6%, 0.4%, 0.8%, and 0.7% respectively. Alongside the intensity of economic maritime activities, pollution is positively correlated with economic growth, and thus it is recommended that policymakers and other involved stakeholders act to diminish environmental impacts in this sector using green investment in port infrastructure and ecological ships, in accordance with the current European trends and concerns.

The COVID-19 crisis has led to a raise in the number of people working remotely. This paper aims at identifying the extent to which the pandemic will determine a paradigm change regarding teleworking in Romania Our research is based on two surveys designed to assess the impact of teleworking both on individuals and on efficiency at the organizational level. The results show that, generally, teleworking has significant advantages, both for employees and employers. As we become aware of these advantages, it is quite likely that Romania will experience a paradigm shift in terms of teleworking, as both managers and employees consider that teleworking becomes a very good option. However, the changes will be gradual and with different intensities at the sectoral level, as teleworking must be adapted to the specificities of each sector or activity. While some sectors tend to make teleworking the new organizational culture, others will capitalize on the benefits of teleworking progressively, in relation to technological endowments and structural changes that will continue to occur. On the other hand, teleworking has the advantage of promoting the improvement of digital skills for employees, which is a great step forward for a higher degree of digitisation.