Academic literature on the topic 'Consumer protection – Law and legislation – Germany'

Thorough legal regulation of arbitration involving consumers is significant for their protection, which is provided in the EU by the restrictive model, embedded in Council Directive 93/13/EEC on Unfair Terms in Consumer Contracts. It is submitted that EU Member States’ legislative reaction to achieve compatibility of their national laws with Directive 93/13 EEC was not identical and led to a debate on the effectiveness of consumer arbitration in the EU. The following article is an attempt to inform this debate. It provides a compact analysis of consumer arbitration agreements and discusses relevant arbitration law and practice in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Austria and Germany – four EU Member States and also neighbors with intertwined mutual relationships. The thesis of this article is that even the most consumer-friendly legislation does not secure the success of consumer arbitration in all arbitrated cases. Equally, strongly pro-consumer legislation does not always mean arbitration-friendly legislation when legislative assimilation of litigation with arbitration is not avoided – indeed, quite the opposite.

Abstract Since August 2001, German radiation protection law is governed by a new Radiation Protection Ordinance, implementing two new Euratom Directives and taking into account new scientific developments, which provides a comprehensive basis for the protection of man and the environment. The Ordinance has been completely re-structured; however, it is still a very complex piece of legislation comprising 118 provisions and 14 annexes, some of them highly technical. Reduced dose limits for occupationally exposed persons and members of the public, a detailed provision on clearance of radioactive substances, a new part aiming at the protection of man and the environment against ionising radiation emanating from natural sources, and regulations dealing with the protection of consumers in connection with the addition of radioactive substances to consumer goods are some of the centre pieces of the new legislation which shall contribute significantly to the further prevention or at least minimisation of the adverse effects of radiation exposure.

The demand for medical products increases dramatically due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. In this instance, unscrupulous traders are seen to be taking advantage of the situation by selling illegal medical products. These illegal products can be toxic and pose a severe health risk to consumers, as they may include the wrong ingredients, ineffective ingredients, or no active ingredients. One of the factors identified in the increase in the sale of illegal medical products is the ineffectiveness of the existing law to act as a deterrent. Growth in the activity is because the profits gained from selling the products are much higher than the fine imposed. By adopting doctrinal research and using content analysis methods, the article aims to identify the protection conferred to consumers concerning illegal medical products under the existing law. The article further examined the liability imposed on the manufacturer for a defective product which resulted in consumer suffers injury. It is submitted that the primary legislation, which is the Consumer Protection Act 1999, is ineffective in protecting consumers concerning illegal medical products. Thus, reference is made to the German Medicinal Product Act, which provides for liability of the manufacturer for the medicinal products.

The article presents the results of the analysis of the compliance of the civil legislation of Ukraine with the European approaches to guaranteeing the freedom of contract and its restrictions. The normative consolidation of freedom of contract in European countries (France, Germany, Slovakia, Poland, and Romania) has been studied. It was found that in European countries the freedom of contract is limited in order to maintain public order, good morals, protection of certain categories of contractors (consumers). In France, the current version of Article 1102 of the Civil Code stipulates that everyone is free to conclude a contract, choose contractors, determine the content and form of the contract, but within the limits established by law. It is established that in Germany the freedom of contract is limited by the requirements of the law, the prohibition of illegality, immorality, as well as the need to protect consumer rights. An analysis of Slovakia's civil law found that the expansion of the substantive content of the principle of freedom of contract was influenced by the case law of the Constitutional Court. In Romania, as in Ukraine, a separate article is devoted to the freedom of contract and the disclosure of its content in the Civil Code. The compliance of the Ukrainian legislation on freedom of contract with the DCFR is analyzed. The position of European scholars on the impact of the principle in dubio pro libertate on contractual freedom and its restrictions, as well as the views of domestic scholars on the principle of freedom of contract. It is substantiated that in general both scientific positions and legislative provisions of the Central Committee of Ukraine on the formulation of freedom of contract correspond to the European approach to maximum freedom and application of only lawful and proportionate restrictions guaranteeing fairness and non-discrimination, protection of weaker counterparties (consumers) interests. It is proposed to understand the limits of freedom of contract provided by the CC or other act of civil legislation of Ukraine legal, reasonable, fair and proportionate framework that restricts the freedom of action of the parties to the contract to ensure the balance of public and private interests.

The purpose of this article is to identify the main trends of development of criminal legal policy of EU countries in the field of combating crimes against the environment in the context of growing global environmental crisis and the development of consumer society the example of France, Germany, Spain and Italy, the features of statutory regulation of the characteristics of environmental crimes and prescribe the penalties in the legislation of the countries under consideration. The relevance of the problem under study is due to a significant degree of public danger of environmental crimes, their high latency, and therefore the fight against encroachments on the environment is recognized as one of the priority areas of the criminal policy of the EU countries. Criminal legislation plays a crucial role in the system of legal norms for countering environmental crimes. Conclusions. Despite the legal integration of EU countries in the field of environmental protection and the adoption of the Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council of 19.11.2008, which imposes obligations on member States to introduce certain elements of criminal acts into national legislation, the constitutional and criminal law norms of individual States do not differ in a uniform approach to environmental protection. However, the legislative regulations of the European Parliament have influenced the reform of criminal legislation in a number of countries in the direction of increasing responsibility for environmental crimes and introducing special chapters in the criminal codes that combine criminal acts that infringe on natural objects. The importance of the natural environment, flora and fauna as independent objects of criminal law protection is underestimated, so the severity of criminal repression depends on such a sign as causing harm to human health and life by environmental offenses.

The article is devoted to a comprehensive study of German legislation regarding the right regulation of the work of supervisory boards of joint stock companies — banks. During the writing of the article, the main legislative acts of Germany, the current version of which was published on the official website of the Federal Ministry of Justice and Consumer Protection (Bundesministeriums der Justiz und für Verbraucherschutz), were studied and analyzed, as well as scientific articles by German scientists and practitioners. Corporate legislation of Germany is compared with the legislation of Ukraine regarding the legal regulation of the activity of banks, which are joint stock companies. It is established that the banking activity should be performed by a legal entity in the form of a joint stock company. The two-tier system of governance with supervisory boards and executive boards, as well as a clear division of powers of management and control between these bodies, must be mandatory for banks. Suggestions were made on the possibility of electing not only shareholders and independent directors, but also other bank stakeholders, to the Supervisory Boards, in particular the election of employees, trade unions and, as a consequence, strengthening the influence of the labor collective on the management of the company. Emphasis is placed on the existence in German corporate law of provisions allowing the election, in certain cases, of members of the supervisory boards in court for the application of the list of persons defined by law. It is concluded that such practice is not practicable in Ukraine at this time due to the lack of speed of court proceedings and the possibility of unfair actions to influence the joint stock company on this basis. It is proposed to provide a mechanism for appealing the decisions of the Supervisory Board by the company Executive Board. The implementation of these innovations could strengthen the system of checks and balances in the management of the bank, namely to ensure mutual control of the supervisory board and the executive board of the bank, as well as to make it impossible (to prevent) the possibility of making decisions that could lead to negative consequences in the activity of the bank. There are a number of other statements and suggestions that can be used in further legislative work to improve the legal regulation of corporate governance in Ukraine.

Obsolescence – the premature wear and tear of products – is currently a considered topic. There have been a number of recent developments in this area: the European Consumer Organisation (beuc) has recently launched a flagship campaign on durable goods; the European Economic and Social Committee delivered an own-initiative opinion;, the German Environment Protection Agency (uba) has commissioned two comprehensive studies concerning this issue; the European Commission has suggested a Directive on certain areas relating to contracts for online and other distance sales of goods; and, a law providing explicitly for criminal prosecution of planned obsolescence has been recently enacted in France. This article uses the planned evaluation and review of Directive 1999/44/ec as an opportunity to examine what legislative measures could be adopted to counteract premature wear and tear of consumer goods. The author argues for a new system based on existing warranty rights and the norms of the European product legislation, which will generate consumer- and environment-friendly results, whilst also providing flexible measures for the industry.

By way of a brief introduction, this contribution sketches a general theoretical framework for the understanding of the Europeanisation of private law. It refers to analyses of the European Union as a multi-level system of governance, suggesting that the much criticised patchwork character of European private law initiatives reflects the lack of a hierarchical order, and that Europe's legal pluralism will inevitably result in disintegrative effects within formerly national legal systems. Accordingly, it argues that legal scholarship should try to imagine and conceptualise a 'law of Europeanisation' rather then some pan-European system that might be codified or compiled out of Europe's common legal heritage. In view of the non-hierarchical and pluralist character of the EU's politics, it assigns to the European judiciary the primary responsibility for 'supervising' this process, for responding to concerns about practical compatibility and normative coherence, and envisages an interactive adjudication process. The recent Dietzinger judgment of the ECJ is presented with a view to substantiating all of these analytical, normative and institutional suggestions about the Europeanisation process. Unlike most of the many, very critical commentators of this judgment, especially in Germany, the author defends the view that the ECJ should not be criticised for its restrained interpretation of the impact of European consumer protection legislation, and suggests that this judgment should rather be understood as instigating new reflections on normatively doubtful practices within and among Europe's legal systems and allowing for a diversity of approaches to the handling of these issues.

Modern medicine is evolving at a tremendous speed. On a daily basis, we learn about new treatments, drugs, medical devices, and diagnoses. Both established technology companies and start-ups focus on health-related products and services in competition with traditional healthcare businesses. Telemedicine and electronic health records have the potential to improve the effectiveness of treatments significantly. Progress in the medical field depends above all on data, specifically health information. Physicians, researchers, and developers need health information to help patients by improving diagnoses, customizing treatments and finding new cures. Yet law and policymakers are currently more focused on the fact that health information can also be used to harm individuals. Even after the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic (which occurred after the manuscript for this article was largely finalized), the California Attorney General Becera made a point of announcing that he will not delay enforcement of the California Consumer Privacy Act (“CCPA”), which his office estimated imposes a $55 billion cost (approximately 1.8% of California Gross State Product) for initial compliance, not including costs of ongoing compliance, responses to data subject requests, and litigation. Risks resulting from health information processing are very real. Contact tracing and quarantines in response to SARS, MERS, and COVID-19 outbreaks curb civil liberties with similar effects to law enforcement investigations, arrests, and imprisonment. Even outside the unusual circumstances of a global pandemic, employers or insurance companies may disfavor individuals with pre-existing health conditions in connections with job offers and promotions as well as coverage and eligibility decisions. Some diseases carry a negative stigma in social circumstances. To reduce the risks of such harms and protect individual dignity, governments around the world regulate the collection, use, and sharing of health information with ever-stricter laws. European countries have generally prohibited the processing of personal data, subject to limited exceptions, for which companies have to identify and then document or apply. The General Data Protection Regulation (“GDPR”) that took effect in 2018 confirms and amplifies a rigid regulatory regime that was first introduced in the German State Hessen in 1970 and demands that organizations minimize the amount of data they collect, use, share, and retain. Healthcare and healthtech organizations have struggled to comply with this regime and have found EU data protection laws fundamentally hostile to data-driven progress in medicine. The United States, on the other hand, has traditionally relied on sector- and harm-specific laws to protect privacy, including data privacy and security rules under the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (“HIPAA”) and numerous state laws including the Confidentiality of Medical Information Act (“CMIA”) in California, which specifically address the collection and use of health information. So long as organizations observe the specific restrictions and prohibitions in sector-specific privacy laws, they may collect, use, and share health information. As a default rule in the United States, businesses are generally permitted to process personal information, including health information. Yet, recently, extremely broad and complex privacy laws have been proposed or enacted in some states, including the California Consumer Privacy Act of 2018 (“CCPA”), which have a potential to render compliance with data privacy laws impractical for most businesses, including those in the healthcare and healthtech sectors. Meanwhile, the People’s Republic of China is encouraging and incentivizing data-driven research and development by Chinese companies, including in the healthcare sector. Data-related legislation is focused on cybersecurity and securing access to data for Chinese government agencies and much less on individual privacy interests. In Europe and the United States, the political pendulum has swung too far in the direction of ever more rigid data regulation and privacy laws, at the expense of potential benefits through medical progress. This is literally unhealthy. Governments, businesses, and other organizations need to collect, use and share more personal health information, not less. The potential benefits of health data processing far outweigh privacy risks, which can be better tackled by harm-specific laws. If discrimination by employers and insurance companies is a concern, then lawmakers and law enforcement agencies need to focus on anti-discrimination rules for employers and insurance companies - not prohibit or restrict the processing of personal data, which does not per se harm anyone. The notion of only allowing data processing under specific conditions leads to a significant hindrance of medical progress by slowing down treatments, referrals, research, and development. It also prevents the use of medical data as a tool for averting dangers for the public good. Data “anonymization” and requirements for specific consent based on overly detailed privacy notices do not protect patient privacy effectively and unnecessarily complicate the processing of health data for medical purposes. Property rights to personal data offer no solutions. Even if individuals - not companies creating databases - were granted property rights to their own data originally, this would not ultimately benefit individuals. Given that transfer and exclusion rights are at the core of property regimes, data property rights would threaten information freedom and privacy alike: after an individual sells her data, the buyer and new owner could exercise his data property rights to enjoin her and her friends and family from continued use of her personal data. Physicians, researchers, and developers would not benefit either; they would have to deal with property rights in addition to privacy and medical confidentiality requirements. Instead of overregulating data processing or creating new property rights in data, lawmakers should require and incentivize organizations to earn and maintain the trust of patients and other data subjects and penalize organizations that use data in specifically prohibited ways to harm individuals. Electronic health records, improved notice and consent mechanisms, and clear legal frameworks will promote medical progress, reduce risks of human error, lower costs, and make data processing and sharing more reliable. We need fewer laws like the GDPR or the CCPA that discourage organizations from collecting, using, retaining, and sharing personal information. Physicians, researchers, developers, drug companies, medical device manufacturers and governments urgently need better and increased access to personal health information. The future of medicine offers enormous opportunities. It depends on trust and healthy data protection. Some degree of data regulation is necessary, but the dose makes the poison. Laws that require or intend to promote the minimization of data collection, use, and sharing may end up killing more patients than hospital germs. In this article, I promote a view that is decidedly different from that supported by the vast majority of privacy scholars, politicians, the media, and the broader zeitgeist in Europe and the United States. I am arguing for a healthier balance between data access and data protection needs in the interest of patients’ health and privacy. I strive to identify ways to protect health data privacy without excessively hindering healthcare and medical progress. After an introduction (I), I examine current approaches to data protection regulation, privacy law, and the protection of patient confidentiality (II), risks associated with the processing of health data (III), needs to protect patient confidence (IV), risks for healthcare and medical progress (V), and possible solutions (VI). I conclude with an outlook and call for healthier approaches to data protection (VII).

The unfair contract terms protection in Slovakia is currently regulated by a system of rules in the Slovak Civil Code; the path to the current extent of consumer protection has not been very straightforward. This article analyses the legislative framework on unfair terms, and questions of law enforcement. It further outlines selected issues and empirical evidence in the context of “surprising contract terms,” transparency of a contract term, legislative power of the judiciary, it discusses the controversial of the German approach to resolve conflicts revolving around unfair clauses. The article concludes that the current Slovak regulation of unfair terms in consumer contracts seems to fulfil the requirements set by the UCTD; however, all in all, Slovakia’s national regulation remains fragmented in the Civil Code, the Act on Consumer Protection and special sectoral regulation and supplemented by special procedural regulation.

Consumer protection policy measures can enable consumer behaviour shifts in favour of more sustainable choices. Whilst government is responsible for developing consumer protection policy in a particular country, business is central in the implementation of such policy. In South Africa, there is disassociation in consumer protection policy and environmental policy where consumer protection policy is the responsibility of the Department of Trade and Industry, whilst sustainability is located under the Department of Environmental Affairs. As a result, South African consumer protection policy does not holistically incorporate sustainability. A six-step qualitative research process was adopted to develop a framework to implement sustainability into consumer protection policies. First, a theoretical framework for incorporating sustainability into consumer protection policy was developed to structure the qualitative research. Four dimensions for incorporating sustainability into consumer protection were then identified. Qualitative data was collected using an open-ended questionnaire and also content analysis of existing data. Two sets of experts further reviewed and critiqued the proposed framework. The results of the qualitative enquiry, in particular, showed that for all the countries examined, some at least had sustainability consideration elements in their policies, but this was evident to a lesser extent in African countries, particularly those with less-developed economies. On the other hand, policy mechanisms that promoted sustainability were more evident in the policies and laws of developed countries. In the case of most African countries, basic needs were foregrounded as the primary concerns of consumers, ahead of sustainability concerns. Further, poverty limited consumer choices, particularly if more sustainably produced and eco-efficient goods came at a higher price. The research also underscored the importance and centrality of consumer education and stakeholder engagement for achieving sustainability policy intentions. It further confirmed that the basic needs of poor consumers in South Africa, and the impact of poverty on sustainability policy intentions must underpin the proposed framework. Factors that created an enabling environment for the implementation of the framework were identified as policy harmonisation within government policy domains, joined-up government, good corporate governance and shared value that considered the needs of future generations and consumer education. These factors would create an enabling environment for policy implementation. Consumer policy could play a key role in the choices that consumers make and, if well-designed and implemented, could direct consumer spending in support of the goal of sustainability and sustainable consumption. The proposed framework provides a foundation on which to futher refine and develop consumer protection policy that incorporates the well-being of consumers and social justice. Using consumer spending to drive sustainability requires a deliberate intention on the part of policy makers to move away from the more conventional framing of consumer policy, which has tended to focus on the economic interests of consumers, such as price, quality, choice and redress. However, modern business is shifting towards a more holistic conceptualisation of sustainability, as a value that needs to be deliberately and consciously built into the design and essence of a business. Doing so is not only good corporate citizenship, but offers a competitive advantage, which could drive product demand and attract consumers.

The thesis covers the field of the contract law known as the consumer credit law. It deals with the legal protection afforded to the consumer under current South African law with emphasis on the legal position in specific credit agreements contained in standard-form contracts. The thesis focuses on those credit contracts in which the legal relationship between the consumer and the dominant party is contained in the standard-form contracts, specifically credit agreements relating to money lending transactions in which the credit grantor’s rights are secured either by means of mortgage agreement, a suretyship contract, or a deed of cession. In South Africa the right to equality and human dignity, as opposed to the classical theories of contract: pacta sunt servanda and the principle of freedom of contract, are supported by the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa Act 108 of 1996 which entrenched democratic values permeating all areas of the law including contract law. In this thesis the harmonisation of these classical theories of contract law and the constitutional values of human dignity and equality have been considered. As has been shown in a number of cases, notably those relating to the contracts of suretyship, cession in securitatem debiti, and mortgage, the current law regulating the relationship between the credit grantors and the credit receivers is in need of law reform to fall in line with the constitutional values of equality and human dignity. The greatest difficulty inherent in this area of the law is the reluctance of the courts to intervene at the instance of consumers. The courts would only intervene in the clearest of the cases, and would only do so in the public interest. In this thesis the current South African Law is considered in the light of the developments elsewhere. The tendency of credit providers to alter the terms of the contracts unilaterally and the growing number of conflicting decisions of the Provincial Divisions of High Court has also been considered. The writer also considers the role of the newly created Consumer Affairs Court.

Thesis (LLD)--Stellenbosch University, 2000.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This dissertation is an attempt at reconciling the existing (and until recently predominant) private law concept of ownership and the property rights espoused by the new constitutional order. The attempts at land reform in South Africa and Germany are used as specifie examples of the manner in which the whole property law order in both these legal systems is developed through legislative and judicial initiative, on the basis of the constitutional provisions concerning property protection and regulation. The purpose of the investigation is to determine to what extent constitutional development of the private law of property will result in a property law order serving the socio-economic and political goals of economic growth and self-fulfilment and empowerment of the individual. Focus is placed on the influence of the constitutional protection and regulation of property as a mechanism for developing the private law of ownership in Germany and South Africa. In the first part of the exposition, the choice of legal comparison as course of inquiry is substantiated, and the terminological difficulties connected with an investigation into the development of the private law of property by the constitutional protection and regulation of property are discussed. Attention is given to the use of the terms "ownership" and "property" in the private law and in the constitutional context. The term "tenure" is also discussed in the context of land reform in South Africa. Further, the usc of terms such as "public interest", "common weal" and "public purposes" is discussed. The use of these terms are particularly complicated by the fact that each of them are often used in more than one sense, and that the use of these di fferent terms overlap to varying extents. The second part of the exposition contains information on the background of the constitutional property orders as they arc found in Germany and South Africa. The drafting histories of the South African and German constitutional property clauses indicate that in both these legal systems, the constitutional property clauses have hybrid ideological foundations. Both contain a compromise between, on the one hand, classical liberalism (which affords the holders of rights a high degree of individual freedom and autonomy) and, on the other hand, social democracy (which allow stronger regulatory measures, also upon private properly). Further, some of the structural aspects connected to constitutional protection and regulation of property in Germany and South Africa are discussed. The positively phrased property guarantee in art 14 GG is compared with the negatively phrased "guarantee" of s 25 Fe, whereby the transitional property guarantee in s 28 JC is also considered. Further, the basic structure and stages of an inquiry into the constitutional property clause are discussed, with reference to differences between the German and South African methods. These differences are not of such a nature that it excludes further comparison. Ilowever, it is necessary to keep the differences in the judicial system in mind when conducting a comparison of the present nature. Therefore, a brief overview of the judicial systems of Germany and South Africa is provided, with specific reference to the manner in which the courts resolved certain property questions. The principles underlying the constitutional orders of Germany and South Africa are also discussed with specific reference to their significance for the treatment of property issues. In particular, the meaning of the constitutional state (Rechtsstaat) and the social wei fare state (Sozialstaat) for the solution of problems connected to property is discussed. It is indicated that the legitimacy of the legal order in general and property law in particular, depends on the degree of success in the implementation of these values. Further, it is indicated that the implementation of these values also determines the importance of private property and/or regulation thereof in a specific legal system. In the third part of the exposition, the relevance of the constitutional protection and regulation for the private law of ownership is discussed. The expansion of the concept of property by the application of a "purely" constitutional definition thereof raises the question as to the continued relevance of the private law concept of ownership. This issue is discussed with reference to the protection of property in terms of the constitution in comparison with the scope of property in private law. It is indicated that the "exclusively constitutional" concept of property is by no means based only on Constitutional law. The role of the private law concept of ownership in a constitutional order is then elucidated. The discussion then turns to an analysis of the limitations on property endorsed by the constitutional order. Two main kinds of limitation are possible: (i) limitation of property through vertical operation of the constitution (ie a broad category of legislative and administrative deprivation (regulation), and a more specialised category, namely expropriations), and (ii) limitation through horizontal operation of the constitution (ie through the inroads allowed on property rights by the protection of other rights in the Bill of Rights). It is indicated that the application of the public interest / public purposes requirements are sometimes intended to protect individual interest above those of society in general. In other cases, the public interest / public purposes requirement is aimed at securing the interests of the society at large. Further, it is indicated that the purpose of constitutional "interference" in the area of private property law is to correct imbalances in the relations among private persons which are regarded by the law as "equals," even if they are not equal for all practical purposes. The fourth part of the exposition concentrates on the land reform programmes in Germany (after the reunification of 1990) and South Africa (since 1991) in order to analyse the attempts by the legislature and judiciary to give effect to the improved property order as anticipated by constitutional development of property. In both Germany and South Africa political changes made land reform programmes essential: In South Africa the land reform programme was introduced to reverse the injustices created by colonialism and apartheid. A tripartite programme is employed for this purpose. The new kinds of land rights created through this system of land reform are indicated. The manner in which this body of law is treated by the courts is also analysed with reference to its relevance for the development of Property Law in general. In Germany a property and land reform programme became necessary with the reunification. On the one hand, the socialist property order in the former GDR had to be replaced by the property order already existing in the FGR, and on the other hand the individual claims for restitution of the land and enterprises taken by the GDR state or its Soviet predecessor had to be balanced against the claims that present occupiers of such land have to it. The influence of legislation and litigation connected to these issues on the development of Property Law is discussed. The final part of the exposition is a summary of the conclusions drawn during the course of the analysis.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: In 'n poging om in hierdie uiteensetting die bestaande (en tot onlangs nog oorheersende) privaatregtelike begrip "eiendom" te versoen met die breër eiendomsbegrip wat deur die nuwe grondwetlike bestel gepropageer word, word die grondhervormingsprogramme in Suid Afrika en Duitsland gebruik as voorbeelde van die wyse waarop die bestaande Eiendomsreg in beide regsisteme deur die wetgewer en die howe ontwikkel word. Die doel van die ondersoek is om vas te stel tot watter mate die grondwetlike ontwikkeling van privaatregtelike Eiendomsreg sal bydra tot die totstandkoming van 'n eiendomsregtelike regsorde waarin die sosio-ekonomiese en politieke doelwitte van ekonomiese groei en die vrye ontwikkeling en bemagtiging van die individu gedien word. Die klem word geplaas op die grondwetlike beskerming en regulering van eiendom as 'n meganisme waardeur die privaatregtelike Eiendomsreg in Duitsland en Suid- Afrika ontwikkel kan word. Die eerste deel van die uiteensetting begrond die keuse van regsvergelying as metode van analise en bespreek die terminologiese probleme wat in 'n ondersoek na die grondwetlike ontwikkeling van die privaatregtelike eiendomsreg kan opduik. Aandag word gegee aan die gebruik van begrippe wat verband hou met eiendom en publieke belang in sowel die privaatreg as in die grondwetlike konteks. Die gebruik van verskillende terme, veral in Engels, kan problematies wees, en daarom word dit breedvoeriger bespreek. In die tweede deel van die uiteensetting word die agtergrond waarteen die grondwetlike bestelle van Duitsland en Suid-Afrika funksioneer, bespreek: Eers word die formulering van die eiendomsklousules in Suid-Afrika en Duitsland vanuit 'n historiese perspektief ondersoek. In beide regsisteme is die grondwetlike eiendomsklousules op 'n kompromis tussen verskillende ideologieë gebaseer. Enersyds op klassieke liberalisme, in terme waarvan eienaars en ander reghebbendes 'n hoë mate van individuele vryheid en outonomie toegeken word; andersyds op sosiaal-demokratiese denke, in terme waarvan strenger regulerende maatreëls (ook op privaat eiendom) geduld moet word. Dan word sommige van die strukturele aspekte verbonde aan die grondwetlike beskerming en regulering van eiendom in Duitsland en Suid-Afrika bespreek. Die positief geformuleerde eiendomswaarborg in art 14 GG word vergelyk met die negatiewe formulering in art 25 FG en die positiewe waarborg in art 28 lG. Verder word die basiese struktuur en fases van 'n grondwetlike ondersoek in die beskerming en regulering van eiendom bespreek, met spesifieke verwysing na die verskille in die Duitse en Suid-Afrikaanse benaderings. Hierdie verskille is nie van so 'n aard dat dit regsvergelyking kortwiek nie. Nogtans is dit noodsaaklik dat die benaderingsverskille in ag geneem word vir 'n meer diepgaande vergelyking. Daarom word 'n vlugtige oorsig oor die rol van die howe in die hantering van eiendomsvraagstukke in grondwetlike konteks verskaf. Verder word die beginsels onderliggend aan die grondwetlike bestelle in Duitsland en Suid-Afrika bespreek met spesifieke verwysing na die betekenis daarvan vir die beskerming en regulering van eiendom. Daar word veral klem gelê op die regstaat- en sosiaalstaatbeginsels. Die legitimi teit van die regsorde in die algemeen, en meer spesifiek die Eiendomsreg, hang af van die mate van sukses waarmee hierdie beginsels in die gemeenskap geïmplementeer word. Daar word verder aangedui dat die toepassing van hierdie beginsels die mate van individuele vryheid in die uitoefening van eiendomsreg en/of die graad van regulering van eiendomsreg in 'n bepaalde regstelsel bepaal. Die derde deel van die uiteensetting konsentreer op die betekenis van die grondwetlike beskerming en regulering van eiendom vir die privaatregtelike Eiendomsreg. Die uitgebreide eiendomsbegrip wat in die grondwetlike konteks aangewend word, gee aanleiding tot die vraag na die sin van 'n voortgesette enger eiendomsbegrip in die privaatreg. Hierdie kwessie word bespreek met verwysing na die beskerming van eiendom in terme van die grondwet, en word vergelyk met die omvang van die eiendomsbegrip in die privaatreg. Daar word aangedui dat die sogenaamde uitsluitlik grondwetlike eiendomsbegrip geensins eksklusief aan die Grondwetlike Reg is nie. Die rol van die privaatregtelike eiendomsbegrip in 'n grondwetlike bestel word vervolgens uiteengesit. Verder word die beperkings op eiendom in die grondwetlike konteks geanaliseer. In beginsel is twee soorte beperkings regverdigbaar: (i) Beperking van eiendomsreg deur die vertikale aanwending van die grondwet, dit wil sê deur die breër kategorie wetgewende en administratiewe ontnemings (regulerings) van eiendomsreg en deur 'n enger en meer spesifieke kategorie, naamlik onteiening; en (ii) beperking van eiendomsreg deur horisontale aanwending van die grondwet, dit wil sê deur die inbreuk op eiendomsregte wat toegelaat word as gevolg van die uitwerking van die beskerming van ander regte in die Handves vir Menseregte. Daar word aangedui dat die vereiste van publieke belang in twee teenoorstaande opsigte gebruik word: Enersyds om die individuele belang bo dié van die gemeenskap te stel, en andersyds om die gemeenskap se belange as sulks te beskerm. Daar word ook aangedui dat grondwetlike "inmenging" met privaatregtelike eiendomsreg daarop gemik is om ongebalanseerdhede in die regsverhoudings tussen persone wat deur die reg as "gelykes" bejeën word en in effek nie gelyk is nie, uit te skakel. In die vierde deel van die uiteensetting word die grondhervormingsprogramrne in Duitsland (sedert hervereniging in 1990) en Suid-Afrika (sedert 1991) bespreek. Die klem val op die pogings van die wetgewer en howe om die verbeterde eiendomsbestel, soos wat dit in die grondwet in die vooruitsig gestel word, te konkretiseer. In beide regstelsels het politieke veranderinge 'n grondhervormingsprogram onontbeerlik gemaak: Die grondhervormingsprogram in Suid-Afrika het ten doelom die ongeregtighede in die grondbesitstelsel wat ontstaan het as gevolg van kolonialisme en apartheid uit te skakel. Vir dié doel berus die grondhervormingsprogram op drie verwante, maar uiteenlopende, beginsels. Die nuwe vorme van grondregte wat uit hierdie sisteem ontstaan, word aangedui, en die wyse waarop hierdie deel van die reg deur die howe hanteer word, word bespreek met verwysing na die betekenis daarvan vir die ontwikkeling van die Eiendomsreg. In Duitsland is die noodwendigheid van 'n grondhervormingsprogram aan die hervereniging van die DDR en die BRD gekoppel. Die sosialisties-georienteerde eiendomsbestel wat in die "oostelike" deel van Duitsland aanwending gevind het, moes vervang word deur die bestel wat reeds in die "westelike" deel van die "nuwe" staat in werking was. Verder moet die grondeise van persone wat grond of besigheidseiendom verloor het gedurende die sosialistiese regeringstyd en die voorafgaande Sowjetiese besetting, opgeweeg word teen die aansprake wat huidige besitters op sulke grond het. Die invloed van wetgewing en regspraak hieroor op die Eiendomsreg word geanaliseer. Die laaste deel van die uiteensetting bevat 'n samevatting van die gevolgtrekkings wat deur die loop van die analise gemaak is.

Defence date: 06 July 2021
Examining Board: Professor Giorgio Monti (Tilburg University); Professor Michal Gal (University of Haifa); Professor Orla Lynskey (London School of Economics); Professor Peter Drahos (European University Institute)
This thesis addresses the problem of individuals’ lack of control over personal data in the digital world. It sheds light on market and regulatory failures that lie behind the status quo and proposes a framework to improve regulatory responses. The two regulatory regimes that are at the core of this thesis are EU data protection regulation, which protects individuals’ fundamental rights over data, and EU competition law, which safeguards the sound functioning of the market and consumers’ economic interests. Despite the existence of these two regulatory regimes, individuals do not have sufficient control over personal data collected by digital firms, whose control over large datasets is a factor contributing to market monopolisation. The thesis argues that one reason for the shortcomings of today’s regulatory framework is that the market failure is composed of a combination of factors, which are currently addressed by the different regimes relatively independently. This dichotomy hinders the development of an effective strategy to tackle the market failure in its entirety. The approach taken in this thesis is that by integrating the two regimes, it might be possible to close the gaps deriving from a narrow perception of their regulatory spaces. Hence, the thesis formulates a holistic approach, encompassing data protection regulation and competition law, designed to increase the effectiveness of the regulatory framework as a whole. Different dimensions of the regimes’ interrelation are analysed, to uncover new ways to harness their complementarity and minimise their inconsistencies and overlaps. The thesis looks at how the regimes can incorporate elements from each other to inform their policies and application of their rules, as well as developing a complementary enforcement strategy. The holistic framework ultimately allows both regimes to better tailor their regulatory responses to the functioning of the digital market and take account of the diverse elements that constitute the market failure they seek to correct.

The tourism industry is critically important for the economic well-being of South Africa. This realisation elicited a greater focus on the industry, including greater government regulation thereof. Although the concept of a tourist (consumer of tourism services) will not readily conjure up someone in need of protection, tourists are often exposed to exploitation through unfair business practices. Tourists, by definition, are outside their normal places of residence and often strangers to the environment within which they find themselves. For the important tourism industry to achieve its economic potential the protection of the tourist must be paramount. The introduction of the Consumer Protection Act, 2008 in 2010 was heralded as a new dawn for consumers. The CPA provides consumers, including domestic and foreign tourists, with extensive consumer rights. As the CPA is the first comprehensive legislation aimed at consumer protection the impact of the Act is far from known. The CPA caused considerable uncertainty in the tourism industry establishing a clear need to determine its impact on the segments of the industry. This study focuses on the accommodation segment. The aim of the study therefore is to ascertain the impact of selected consumer rights on the accommodation segment of the tourism industry. An overview of the tourism industry reveals that tourists are becoming more experienced, demanding and discerning. The regulation of the industry is explained. Particularly relevant are latest developments in South Africa, particularly the Draft Tourism Bill, 2011 and the National Tourism Sector Strategy. The consumer protection regime applicable prior to the coming into effect of the CPA was characterised more by ad hoc legislative arrangements than any systematic programme of consumer protection. Consumers were reliant on the common law. However, as part of a larger scheme to improve the socio-economic well-being of the people of South Africa, the government introduced a number of statutes including the CPA. The CPA introduced wide-ranging rights for the protection of consumers and mechanisms to provide effective redress. Selected consumer rights are critically analysed to assess the impact of these rights on the accommodation segment. These include the consumer’s right to equality in the market place; the right to privacy; the right to cancel advance bookings; the right to documentation in plain language; the right to quality service; and the right that a supplier having possession of the property of guest must account for such property. Another important aspect relates to the use of exemption provisions. The use of exemption provisions by suppliers is severely curtailed by the CPA. The use of prepaid vouchers, trade coupons and similar promotions, and customer loyalty programmes are also considered and the rights and obligations for consumers and suppliers respectively are elucidated. Many of the rights considered will have a significant impact on accommodation establishments. Elsewhere the impact may not appear to be as significant as the CPA is merely codifying an existing right or remedy. However, codifying the right, providing examples of the conduct prohibited and providing enforcement mechanisms will increase the efficacy of these rights.

The free movement of goods constitutes one of the fundamental principles of the European Union and entitles goods entrance to the internal market. Sweden had before 1995 few monopolies concerning the import, export, manufacturing, distribution and retail on alcohol, and had to as a result of entering EU abolish four of these. The monopoly on retail, Systembolaget, was retained, and is still today strictly controlled by limited number of stores as well as restricted openly-hours. Systembolaget contributes an important part of the Swedish Alcohol Policy, which main purpose is to limit the accessibility of alcohol in Sweden. Another essential purpose is to prevent alcohol to reach people under the age of twenty, and this is upheld by strict age-controls when purchasing alcohol from Systembolaget.

Lately it has been argued that the Swedish prohibition of private import of alcohol con-stitutes a restriction of the free movement of goods and in breach of Article 28 EC. The exception of such restriction is presented in Article 30 EC and allows Member States to obtain national trade barriers if a justification based on the protection of the public health could be made. The Commission is of the opinion that the Swedish prohibition constitute such a restriction referred to in Article 28 and is not willing to accept the justification to protection of the public health. The Swedish government however, is reluc-tant to remove the prohibition and argues that consumers that require a certain product can import alcohol through Systembolaget. An elimination of the ban would undermine the core purpose with Systembolaget which is to protect the public health and prevent alcohol to be distributed to people under the age of twenty.

According to the Alcohol Act a person who has turned twenty can legally import alco-hol to Sweden when he is travelling with the goods if those products are for his personal use. A proposal has been presented to a redefinition of private import, which would in-clude situation where the buyer is not personally travelling with the goods, yet the transportation is carried out on the buyer’s behalf. Such purchases are often referred to distance purchase, and in those situations should the excise duty be laid down in the coun-try where the good was released for consumption. In distance sales the seller is respon-sible for the transportation of the goods but also to pay excise duty on the products in the country of destination.

A redefinition of private import to include transportation made on the buyer’s behalf could create problems since there is no actual contract between the seller and the transporting-company. Problems can then arise since the seller has no possibility to control that the buyer is of the legal age or guaranteeing that the alcohol is for that person’s use

Den fria rörligheten av varor utgör en grundstomme inom den Europeiska Unionen, vilken erkänner varor från medlemsstaterna tillträde till den gemensamma marknaden. Sverige hade fram till 1995 fem olika monopol som reglerade importen, exporten, tillverkningen, distributionen och försäljningen av alkohol, men var tvungen som ett led i inträdet till EU att avveckla fyra av dessa. Kvar återstod försäljningsmonopolet, Systembolaget, vilket än idag är strikt reglerat genom begränsat antal butiker och öppet-tider. Systembolaget utgör in viktigt beståndsdel i den svenska alkoholpolitiken, vilken har till syfte att begränsa alkoholen och dess skadeverkningar i Sverige. Ett viktigt mål är också att motverka att alkoholen når ut till ungdomar under 20år, varvid strikta kon-troller av ålder sker vid köp på Systembolaget.

På senare tid har det diskuterat huruvida det svenska förbudet mot privat införsel av alkohol skall anses vara förenligt med den fria rörligheten av varor och den uppställda artikel 28 i EG-fördraget. Där stadgas det att inga importrestriktioner skall hindra varor tillträde till den gemensamma marknaden. Det uppställda undantaget i artikel 30 berättigar medlemsstaterna att behålla en sådan restriktion om det kan anses nödvändigt till skyddet för den allmänna hälsan. Kommission har i ett motiverat yttrande upplyst Sve-rige att förevarande förbud utgör en sådan restriktion som avses i artikel 28 och att förutsättningarna att behålla ett sådant förbud inte kan anses uppfyllda. Den svenska regeringen anser att förbudet fyller en viktig funktion genom att begränsa tillgängligheten av alkoholen på den svenska marknaden, samt upplyser att en konsument som önskar importera särskilda produkter kan göra detta genom Systembolaget. Att tillåta konsumenter att importera fritt skulle försvaga det ursprungliga syftet med Systembolaget, vilket är att skydda den allmänna hälsan och minska risken för att alkohol blir tillgänglig för ungdomar.

Enligt Alkohollagen kan en person som har fyllt 20 fritt importera alkohol till Sverige under förutsättning att denne reser in med varorna till Sverige och att dessa varor är för hans personliga nyttjande. En föreslagen utvidgning av definitionen privat import kan komma att inkludera varutransporter vilka sker för köparens räkning, ofta kallade distans köp. Detta skiljer sig då nämnvärt från distansförsäljning där säljare står för transporten, och är skyldig att betala punktskatt i destinationslandet för dessa varor. Vid distans köp skall ingen beskattning ske i destinationslandet, under förutsättning att dessa avgifter har betalts i varans ursprungsland.

En utvidgning av definition av privat import till att innefatta varutransporter organiserade av köparen kan skapa problem då inget riktigt kontrakt föreligger mellan säljaren och transportbolaget. Svårigheter kan då uppstå för säljarens då denne saknar möjlighet att kontrollera att köparen är av påstådd ålder och att alkoholen är avsedd för dennes personliga konsumtion.

Defence date: 21 December 2021
Examining Board: Professor Hans – W. Micklitz, European University Institute (Supervisor), Professor Martijn W. Hesselink, European University Institute, Professor Anna Beckers, Maastricht University, Professor Fernanda Nicola, Washington College of Law.
This doctoral dissertation examines the EU consumer perspective on externalities of production in global value chains (GVCs). Whether as part of the discourse on development or global economic governance, externalities of production are a long-standing issue that has been problematised not only by lawyers but also by economists, anthropologists, sociologists and social scientists at large. In the legal field, the analysis has struggled to contextualise consumer law and policy together with the peculiarities of GVCs as a distinct model of business organisation characterised by contractualisation of processes of production. The thesis argues that contractualisation of production establishes a relationship between consumers and processes of production, also in relation to externalities. Such a relation is not mirrored either by the voluntary self-regulation through which enterprises regulate externalities nor by EU consumer law. The present dissertation addresses this matter and argues that EU consumer law limits the involvement of consumers in the process of self-regulation that leading enterprises of GVCs undertake to prevent and/or remedy externalities of production and that results into a unilateral exercise of epistemic authority. The exercise of epistemic authority is favoured by a ‘communication paradigm’ framing EU consumer law, according to which consumer claims’ on sustainability and externalities of production depend on the content of the communication consumers receive prior or via the contract. This paradigm prevents consumers involvement, in all phases of the contractual relationship, in the definition of a legal episteme of sustainability in line with the core constitutional principles and values as enshrined in the EU Treaties and constitutional charters of member states. The final part of the thesis suggests that the limits deriving by the communication paradigm can be overcome by the CJEU that, by relying on the principle of effectiveness can integrate the communication paradigm with a consumer perspective on externalities of production in the post-contractual phase.

Abstract Migration patterns in Germany have changed considerably during the post-war period. The active recruitment of “guest workers” stopped during the 1970s and was replaced by family reunification. Two big crisis-driven immigration waves swept Germany, following the collapse of Yugoslavia and the crises in the countries from Syria to Afghanistan. These immigration waves triggered legislation aimed at reducing immigration incentives, especially in the asylum law. From the early 2000s on, German policy turned more liberal following the EU Directives on freedom of movement and for highly qualified persons from non-EEA countries. Migration patterns changed dramatically, with EEA countries becoming the leading source of German immigration. EEA countries replaced the Anglo-Saxon immigration countries as the leading sources and destinations of migration. It is reassuring for economic policy that EU migrants, notably from Bulgaria and Romania, display high levels of employment and have boosted German employment, while unemployment rates reached historic lows. During the past decades, migration obstacles for EEA citizens have been lowered or abolished. Main obstacles to immigration of non-EEA citizens persist due to the restrictive law on residence permits. As a result, student visas, academic credentials, or family reunification are the main legal pathways to Germany. Given the difficulty to proof the equivalence of a foreign non-academic degree, it is far more promising for persons from third countries to apply for asylum with the chance to get a permanent residence permit after several years as a tolerated migrant.

AbstractThis chapter together with Chaps. 3 and 4, will address the protection of personality rights in archives in the broader context of the issue of access to archival records, and in some respects also on the general level of the protection of information not only of personal nature. In doing so, it will focus on several selected specific situations, models, or special procedural settings that can be encountered in the archival systems of some countries, namely the United Kingdom, Germany, and France, and it will also touch on the situation in the USA and some other countries that may also serve as inspirational moments that could potentially be used in other archival systems. Special attention will be paid to post-mortem protection of personality and privacy. This chapter will introduce several illustrative examples from some countries and show how archival legislation can complement the scope of law regulating the field of post-mortem privacy protection. The chapter will focus on introductory general international comparison, the case law of the European Court of Human Rights regarding the archival sector and its relation to the protection of personal data and personal information of living persons, the right to be forgotten together with the freedom of expression, right to access to information and will conclude with an analysis of the specific situation in Germany.

This chapter examines EU consumer law. It discusses the negative impact of EU law on national consumer protection rules; rules on information duties (including the duty to not mislead) and the right of withdrawal; rules establishing consumer expectations; rules on product safety and product liability; and rules on unfair terms and sale of goods. The chapter also covers EU legislation providing general substantive rights; enforcement of consumer protection rules; and consumers’ right of private redress.

This chapter examines EU consumer law. It discusses the negative impact of EU law on national consumer protection rules; rules on information duties (including the duty to not mislead) and the right of withdrawal; rules establishing consumer expectations; rules on product safety and product liability; and rules on unfair terms and sale of goods. The chapter also covers EU legislation providing general substantive rights; enforcement of consumer protection rules; and consumers’ right of private redress.

European legislation often has a significant impact on private laws in the Member States, especially consumer legislation. In the absence of national, strong consumer protection traditions, consumer protection legisla- tion in Central and Eastern European countries has been largely defined by European consumer law. In the chapter, I am looking for answers as to the specificities of these countries, their ability to enforce these in the EU’s main legislative trends, and how these countries have contributed to European Union consumer law.

Consumer protection by European private international law rules have acquired a new dimension that has led to a new paradigm. This change arises from amendments to legislation and new ECJ case law in the field of e-commerce. Firstly, the BIR recast establishes universal rules of jurisdiction in consumer contracts. The reform has eliminated the existence of two different jurisdictional regimes in matters relating to consumer contracts in order to create a unified European system, eliminating the possibility for the national courts to apply the so-called residual jurisdiction rules. Secondly, European Court of Justice case-law concerning e-commerce transactions has shifted its focus to the conduct of suppliers instead of the traditional distinction between active and passive consumers. This new focus covers a wider range of cases in which the consumer is protected. Both changes have greatly increased the protection of the consumer when entering into an international contract. From a European perspective, this should be seen as a step further in the evolution of European consumer policy and its goals. However, more difficulties arise when explaining such an extension from an international perspective.

If in the case of consumer law, as protected persons are the consumers, then in the case of competition law, the protected entities are the competitors. A combination of actions in competition law presupposes that the same commercial offer satisfies several individual interests of consumers. In the strictest sense, such a combination implies the same legal fact, simultaneously opening up more possibilities for the consumer to choose due to loyal offers from a professional, if he is monopolistic or dominant in the market. More broadly, it can also be accepted that offers can be combined from several competing professionals relating to the same product or service and concerning the same individual interest of a consumer. The possible complementary effects of common law, which would justify the non-limitation of a specific piece of legislation, can never lead to a new monopoly. In some cases this will make competition law more effective and, in other cases, provide marginal and non-exclusive protection to consumers who do not have a direct right guaranteed by competition law. The purpose of this article is to demonstrate the interdependent relationship between competition law and consumer law, from the perspective that both have the same common goal, namely to limit abuses by professionals in their economic activity, especially during pandemic times.

Bosnia and Herzegovina, having an extremely complex state system and at the same time being a developing country and economy in transition with a commitment to membership in the European Union, faces numerous challenges in adapting national legislation to the acquis communautaire. One of the key segments of the introduction of European standards is the establishment of an effective mechanism for the protection of competition in legislative and institutional terms. With the adoption of the Competition Law in 2005, which brings new solutions and is largely in line with the acquis, Bosnia and Herzegovina has made a significant step forward from the previous state of legal irregularity in this important segment. However, sixteen years of the enforcement of the BiH Competition Law have shown certain shortcomings regarding the particular solutions contained in it. These shortcomings concern the part of the provision of the law that regulates procedural issues, but also the functioning of the authority responsible for the protection of competition in Bosnia and Herzegovina and it can be assumed that these are obstructive elements in response to the challenges of COVID-19 pandemic. In order to follow the international trends, companies in BiH have entered into a process of business digitalization, which, however, being accelerated due to COVID-19 pandemic, has created many challenges before the Council of Competition of BiH as the authority responsible for public enforcement of the competition law. The aim of this paper is to question the extent to which COVID-19 pandemic has affected the work of the Council of Competition BiH, as well as to address some of the particular issues it has faced before the pandemic, including growing market concentration, growing power of digital platforms, protectionism, consumer vulnerability and consequent loss of public confidence. In order to meet the set research goals, the first part of the paper will present an analysis of the legal solutions in the context of the legal and institutional aspect of competition protection and will provide an overview of the situation regarding the digitalization of business operations in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The second part of the paper will provide an analysis of the work of the Council of Competition of BiH with special reference to the period of declaring the pandemic COVID-19.

Clearance levels (CL) in Germany have been implemented in the Radiation Protection Ordinance (RPO / Strahlenschutzverordnung StrlSchV) of July 2001 which transforms the EURATOM Basic Safety Standards (BSS) into national legislation. Separate clearance options exist e.g. for metals, building rubble, liquids, buildings, wastes and sites. Meanwhile, the CL have found extensive application at a number of operating nuclear installations in Germany, in particular at those under decommissioning or those which will enter the decommissioning phase soon. The CL are based on extensive studies and have been approved by the competent bodies. Yet there has been and is an ongoing discussion in the interested public whether the basis for the CL is correct. In order to establish a scientific basis for this discussion, a Working Group on Clearance within the German Commission on Radiological Protection (SSK) has been established and studies have been launched by the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety. Key issues comprise inter alia: • comparison of German and international CL (scope, values, method of their derivation, etc.); • review and update of German CL for clearance for disposal as a consequence of changes in the (conventional) waste law; • leaching behaviour of relevant radionuclides from cleared building rubble, especially for the long-term behaviour of radionuclides relevant in contaminated concrete of NPPs; • the possibility of multiple exposure for a single individual from various clearance options; • evaluation of the collective dose which may be caused by clearance in Germany and comparison with the reference value of 1 manSv/a.

In recent years, legislative authorities in the US, Europe and Japan have steadily reduced engine exhaust emissions, i.e., carbon monoxide (CO), hydrocarbons (HC), sulphur, particulate matter (PM) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) to improve air quality. To meet these requirements engine manufacturers have had to make significant design changes and as a consequence new engine lubricant specifications from Industry bodies (ACEA, EMA, JAMA) and individual OEMs have had to be introduced to ensure adequate lubrication of these new engines. This has led to significant changes to heavy-duty diesel engine oil (HDDEO) oil formulation composition. Engine design modifications to increase fuel combustion efficiency such as increased peak cylinder pressure and increased fuel injection pressures have placed higher stress on piston rings and liners, bearings and valve train components [1], and improved oil consumption has meant longer oil residence time in the piston ring belt area. The practice of retarded fuel injection timing and exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) as measures to reduce NOx levels by reducing peak combustion temperature has had a considerable impact on lubricant performance. Retarded injection leads to higher soot levels which can cause valve train wear and piston ring liner wear and soot-induced thickening, whilst EGR leads to increased corrosive acids and wear in the combustion chamber. Currently in Europe, Euro 3 heavy-duty engines predominantly use retarded fuel injection as the primary NOx emission control strategy although there are cases where EGR is used. In the US, cooled EGR is used by most engine manufacturers to meet US 2002 emissions. HDDEO’s contain a combination of performance additives such as overbased metal detergents, dispersants, antiwear agents and antioxidants designed to provide wear protection, engine cleanliness, and control of soot contaminants and oxidation. Other additive components include selected viscosity index (VI) improvers and pour point depressants to provide necessary viscosity characteristics and shear stability, and also anti-foam agents for oil aeration control. To meet the increased demands from low emission engines, the chemical composition of the performance additives has been modified and levels increased. Current HDDEOs optimized to meet US and European specifications contain typically between 1.3 and 1.9%wt sulphated ash, 0.1–0.14%wt phosphorus and 0.3–1.1.wt sulphur. To meet the next generation emission standards, engines will require the use of exhaust after-treatment devices. In Europe, Euro 4 emission reductions for NOx and PM, scheduled for introduction in 2005, will require the use of either selective catalytic reduction, or the use of EGR in combination with a diesel particulate filter (DPF). To meet the US 2007 requirements, higher levels of EGR than currently used, in combination with DPFs, is envisaged by most engine builders. Exhaust after-treatment devices are already used extensively in some applications such as DPFs on city buses in Europe and the US. Further NOx restrictions are scheduled for Euro 5 in 2008 and USA in 2010. NOx absorber systems, although used in gasoline engines, are still under development for heavy-duty diesel engines and may be available for 2010. Some lubricant base oil and additive components from oil consumed in the combustion chamber are believed to adversely affect the performance of after-treatment devices. Ash material from metal detergents and zinc dithiophosphates (ZDTP) can build up in the channels within particulate filters causing blockage and potentially loss of engine power, leading to a need for frequent cleaning maintenance. The role of sulphur and phosphorus in additive components is less clear. Sulphur from fuel can either oxidize to sulphur dioxide and react through to sulphuric acid, which manifests itself as particulate, or can have a poisoning effect on the catalyst itself. However, the role of sulphur containing additives is yet to be established. Phosphorus from ZDTP antiwear components can lead to a phosphate layer being deposited on catalyst surfaces, which may impair efficiency. Concerns from OEMs regarding the possible effects of ash, sulphur and phosphorus has led to chemical limits being introduced in some new and upcoming engine oil specifications. The ACEA E6 sequence restricts sulphated ash to 1.0%wt max, phosphorus to 0.08%wt max and sulphur to 0.3%wt max, while the PC-10 category scheduled for 2007 will have maximum limits of 1.0%wt sulphated ash, 0.12%wt phosphorus and 0.4%wt sulphur. The resulting constraints on the use of conventional overbased metal detergent cleanliness additives and zinc dithiophosphate antiwear additives will necessitate alternative engine oil formulation technologies to be developed in order to maintain current performance levels. Indeed, performance requirements of engine oils are expected to become more demanding for the next generation engines where emissions are further restricted. If absorbers become a major route for NOx reduction, limits on sulphur and phosphorus are likely to be more restrictive. Oil formulations meeting ACEA E6 and PC-10 chemical limits have been assessed in several key critical lubricant specification tests, looking at valve train and piston ring/cylinder liner wear, corrosive wear in bearings, piston cleanliness and soot-induced viscosity control. It is demonstrated that it is possible to achieve MB 228.5 extended oil drain performance and API CI-4 wear, corrosion and piston cleanliness requirements for current US engines equipped with EGR [2], at a sulphated ash level of 1.0%wt, and phosphorus and sulphur levels, (0.05 and 0.17%wt, respectively), considerably lower than these chemical limits. This is achievable by the use of selected low sulphur detergents, optimized primary and secondary antioxidant systems and non-phosphorus containing, ashless supplementary antiwear additives blended in synthetic basestocks. Field trials in several city bus fleets have been conducted to assess engine oil performance and durability using one of these low sulphated ash, phosphorus and sulphur (SAPS) oil formulations and to examine lubricant effects on particulate filter performance. Engine oil durability testing was conducted in bus fleets in Germany and Switzerland. These trials, involving over 100 vehicles, cover a range of engine types, e.g., Daimler Chrysler and MAN Euro 1, 2 and 3 and different fuel types (low sulphur diesel, biodiesel, and compressed natural gas) in some MAN engines. The fleets are fitted with continuously regenerating particulate filters either from new or retrofitted. Oils were tested at standard and extended drain intervals (up to 60 000km). Used oil analysis for iron, copper, lead and aluminium with the low SAPS oil in these vehicles have shown low wear rates in all engine types and comparable with a higher 1.8% ash ACEA E4, E5 quality oil. Soot levels can vary considerably, but oil viscosity is maintained within viscosity grade, even at 8% soot loading. TBN depletion and TAN accumulation rates are low showing significant residual basicity reserve and control of acidic combustion and oxidation products. Buses in Stuttgart and Berlin have been used to investigate lubricant ash effects of engine oil on particulate filter durability. Exhaust back-pressure is routinely measured and DPF filters removed and cleaned when back pressure exceeds 100 mbar. Comparison of rate of back pressure build up as a function of vehicle distance shows reduced back pressure gradients for the low SAPS oil relative to the 1.8%wt ash oil in both engine types looked at. An average reduction in back pressure gradient of 40% was found in buses equipped with OM 906LA engines in Berlin and 25% with OM 457hLA engines at both locations. Examination of the ash content in DPFs has shown a 40% reduction in the quantity of ash with the low SAPS oil. This investigation shows that it is possible to meet current long oil drain requirements whilst meeting chemical limits for future lubricants and provide benefits in DPF durability.