Academic literature on the topic 'Rule of law – European Union countries'
Create a spot-on reference in APA, MLA, Chicago, Harvard, and other styles
Consult the lists of relevant articles, books, theses, conference reports, and other scholarly sources on the topic 'Rule of law – European Union countries.'
Next to every source in the list of references, there is an 'Add to bibliography' button. Press on it, and we will generate automatically the bibliographic reference to the chosen work in the citation style you need: APA, MLA, Harvard, Chicago, Vancouver, etc.
You can also download the full text of the academic publication as pdf and read online its abstract whenever available in the metadata.
Journal articles on the topic "Rule of law – European Union countries"
1
Varga, András. "Rule of law in the 21st century." Bratislava Law Review 3, no. 1 (June 30, 2019): 163–69. http://dx.doi.org/10.46282/blr.2019.3.1.141.
Full textAbstract:
Rule of law is one of the core principles of constitutions and also the essential value of the European Union. Still, rule of law does not have a unanimous understanding either in the academic sphere or in the jurisprudence of the countries. The paper explains some theories on rule of law, then it considers how the doctrine prevails in the praxis of the Venice Commission and in the wording of the Treaty on the European Union. The paper concludes that interpretation of international fora involves the meaning of rule of law in a national level, even though the base of interpretation is unclear.
2
Galella, Patricio. "The No Drawback Rule in EU Preferential Agreements." Global Trade and Customs Journal 18, Issue 1 (January 1, 2023): 31–36. http://dx.doi.org/10.54648/gtcj2023003.
Full textAbstract:
Drawback is a tool available to countries to promote their exports but also a measure that harms trade liberalization. This article argues that the no drawback rule in European Union preferential agreements does not apply when the exemption or reduction of duties derives from an EUR.1 or an origin declaration in application of that agreement. On the other hand, this reasoning cannot always be extended when the exemption of duties derives from the application of an inward processing regime. Therefore, an operator in the European Union will find more convenient and smoother to establish trade relations with operators located in countries with which the European Union has concluded preferential trade agreements. no drawback, origin, inward processing regime, preferential treatment, Approved Exporter, EUR.1
3
Saliceti, Alessandro Ianniello. "The Protection of EU Citizens Abroad: Accountability, Rule of Law, Role of Consular and Diplomatic Services." European Public Law 17, Issue 1 (March 1, 2011): 91–109. http://dx.doi.org/10.54648/euro2011008.
Full textAbstract:
The concept of protection of distressed citizens abroad was born inside the mainstream of theories on ‘Law of Nations’ in the seventeen and eighteen centuries. For a long time, this concept has been based on the strict relation between State and ‘its’ subjects. Since 1992, the new legal order of European Union (EU) law has given zest to the novel concept of protection of European citizens abroad, so that any EU country can intervene to protect unrepresented Europeans in third countries. Rule of law and Member State accountability are two basic milestones in EU law and well-settled case law of the EU Court of Justice, so that the traditional theories on State immunity and on discretionary power of consular and diplomatic agents cannot reasonably be maintained. The present study will conduct an in-depth analysis on Article 23 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU), where the basic provision on protection of Europeans abroad is enshrined.
4
Kovačikova, Hana. "Western Balkans Regional Common Market: What lesson can be taught from EEA?: A case study of public procurement." Strani pravni zivot, no. 4 (2020): 133–45. http://dx.doi.org/10.5937/spz64-29635.
Full textAbstract:
The European Union pursues on the international scene to safeguards its values, support the rule of law, foster the sustainable economic, social and environmental development and support the integration of all countries into the world economy including through the progressive abolition of barriers on international trade. Trade agreements are used as an effective tool to this end. Within its present external action, European Union tries to cover its trade relations regionally homogenously. Through regionally homogenous trade agreements, Union can export its values, principles, and rules easier, which is also a way of strengthening its position geopolitically. This paper analyses trade agreements concluded between the European Union and candidate countries from Western Balkans. All these agreements recognise the accession to the European Union as their final goal. To achieve it, candidate countries need to fulfil various conditions, including the approximation and harmonisation of their legal orders with the EU acquis. Just recently (in November 2020), Western Balkans countries' leaders announced the creation of Regional Common Market which shall serve as a tool for approximation with European Union's Internal Market Rules. To this regard, author analysed the European Economic Area, where the export of European Union's Internal Market Rules was successfully realised, and which might therefore serve as an example for pre-accession cooperation between Western Balkans countries and European Union. Author chose the area of public procurement as a model case study.
5
Rodríguez-Gulías, María Jesús, Vítor Manuel de Sousa Gabriel, and David Rodeiro-Pazos. "Effects of governance on entrepreneurship: European Union vs non-European Union." Competitiveness Review: An International Business Journal 28, no. 1 (January 15, 2018): 43–57. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/cr-06-2016-0035.
Full textAbstract:
Purpose The purpose of this paper is to analyse the effect of six governance indicators on the rate of creation of new companies between countries that are members of the European Union (EU) and those that are not. H1 states that the various dimensions of governance help to explain the immediate creation of new businesses in European and non-European countries. H2 states that the various dimensions of governance help to explain the deferred creation of new businesses in European and non-European countries. Design/methodology/approach The paper uses two types of analyses: firstly, univariate analysis, which is a descriptive statistics of the dependent, independent and control variables, and the results of a t-test; and secondly, multivariate analysis, which estimates using the fixed-effects estimator under the specifications previously raised for the subsample of 28 EU countries and for the subsample of 103 non-EU countries during the period 2004-2014. Findings The results show that the variables of governance are not significantly higher in the EU, although the density of the enterprises is. Within the governance indicators, government effectiveness is significant in the EU. The results obtained for the EU confirmed H1and H2, with a significant positive effect of government effectiveness on entrepreneurship, while the other governance variables were not significant in the EU subsample. The results obtained for non-EU countries suggest no significant immediate effects (H1) and a slightly significant delayed effect of rule of law on the entrepreneurship (H2) concerned. Research limitations/implications Future research in this area could consider introducing another regional division or other types of methodology as variables affect models. Practical implications Governance can be defined as the ability of a government and its public institutions to provide services and design, and implement rules, which is a factor that affects the creation of new companies. However, the effect of governance could differ depending on the country and its economic environment. This paper analyses the effect of six governance indicators on the rate of creation of new companies considering two different geographic regions as countries are presumably heterogeneous. Therefore, these results indicate that the effect of governance variables on entrepreneurship differs according to the region. Social implications The effect of governance variables on entrepreneurship according to the region is also known. Originality/value This study applied panel data analysis to two samples of countries during the period 2004-2014, one formed by 28 countries of the EU and the other by 103 non-EU countries. No other paper considers this number of countries for this period. To assess the impact of governance on the creation of new companies, this paper considered the existence of immediate and deferred effects of governance on entrepreneurship.
6
Okuyucu-Ergün, Güne. "Anti-Corruption Legislation In Turkish Law." German Law Journal 8, no. 9 (September 1, 2007): 903–14. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s2071832200006040.
Full textAbstract:
Corruption poses an increasingly serious threat against Turkey as well as the rest of the world in many respects. The fight against corruption is crucial, in particular, to achieve an economic and political stability, to attract foreign investors and to establish the rule of law. In addition to those interests, which are common for almost all countries, anti-corruption has a particular importance for Turkey in the achievement of its goal of becoming a European Union member, since anti-corruption is expected to feature prominently in Turkey's talks on European Union accession.
7
Safjan, Marek. "Domestic Infringements of the Rule of Law as a European Union Problem." osteuropa recht 64, no. 4 (2018): 552–60. http://dx.doi.org/10.5771/0030-6444-2018-4-552.
Full textAbstract:
In some countries of central Europe the rule of law is directly threatened by a new type of legislation based on the zeal of the political majority to establish a completely different political system than the one that was built after the collapse of the communist system. From that perspective, there is little place for the principle of separation of powers and the independence of the judiciary is threatened. This contribution discusses the multilevel dimension of the rule of law principle in the EU, issues in the context of the disrespect for the rule of law as a case of systemic deficiencies, followed by a brief discussion of the Copenhagen accession criteria. The article concludes that the rule of law principle as recognised under EU law is by no means of a merely symbolic nature, and that domestic legislation abolishing key safeguards of the rule of law can be scrutinized not only under the EU Charter of fundamental rights, where applicable, but also under the TEU. Without the solidarity of all Europeans, however, the preservation of our basic values and the future of the EU are in serious danger.
8
Mokrá, Lucia. "European Union’s Value-Based Approach to Sustainability of Accession Process." Slovak Yearbook of European Union Law 2 (December 31, 2022): 75–82. http://dx.doi.org/10.54869/syeul.2022.2.334.
Full textAbstract:
The Union cornerstones are respect for the rule of law and the fundamental rights on which it is founded - as stipulated in Article 2 of the Treaty on European Union. EU law is supreme to national law and has direct effect, as evidence of the significance of mutual trust among its member states and their respective legal systems. The EU promotes a broad and substantive understanding of the rule of law whereby this concept is viewed as intertwined with and mutually reinforcing of the principles of democracy and respect for human rights, all of which underpin political stability and sustained economic and social development. The EU Charter of Fundamental Rights is binding on European institutions’ internal and external policies when implementing EU law: it includes a legal obligation to ensure that all EU actions promote and respect human rights and fundamental freedoms, including external policies. Mirroring its internal policies, the EU seeks to prevent violations of human rights and related rule of law throughout the world. This paper analyses the EU’s approach to supporting rule of law reforms and human rights protection in candidate countries base on analysis of particular agreements. It first situates European fundamental values to demonstrate how values are embedded in the association agreement and then focus on the assessment of the goals which aimed to be achieved. The paper also examines EU tools applicable in concrete cases. We argue that the EU has consistently putting the rule of law and human rights at the centre of its action and contribute to more effective protection of these values in candidate countries.
9
Veebel, Viljar, and Raul Markus. "European Normative Power During Ukrainian-Russian Conflict." Baltic Journal of Law & Politics 11, no. 1 (June 1, 2018): 1–20. http://dx.doi.org/10.2478/bjlp-2018-0001.
Full textAbstract:
Abstract During last two decades the European Union as “normative power Europe” has been associated with the export of certain universal norms, rules and practices to the other countries. Rule of law, democracy, strong commitment to human rights and fundamental freedoms, and social justice — these principles form the core of the identity of the European Union. Relying on shared political, economic and cultural ties among member states, the EU has sought to promote these norms also in the neighbouring countries, including Russia. However, the outbreak of the violent conflict between Russia and Ukraine at the end of 2013 clearly demonstrates that the EU has failed in its efforts in Russia despite extensive mutual relations and comprehensive financial support provided by the EU. The aim of the current article is to analyse how consistent the EU has been in defending and promoting European values and norms in the international arena and with Russia during the Ukrainian-Russian conflict.
10
Julesz, Máté. "Aktív eutanázia Kolumbiában és asszisztált öngyilkosság Kaliforniában." Orvosi Hetilap 157, no. 5 (January 2016): 174–79. http://dx.doi.org/10.1556/650.2016.30358.
Full textAbstract:
The institution of active euthanasia has been legal in Colombia since 2015. In California, the regulation on physician-assisted suicide will come into effect on January 1, 2016. The legal institution of active euthanasia is not accepted under the law of the United States of America, however, physician-assisted suicide is accepted in an increasing number of member states. The related regulation in Oregon is imitated in other member states. In South America, Colombia is not the first country to legalize active euthanasia: active euthanasia has been legal in Uruguay since 1932. The North American legal tradition markedly differs from the South American one and both are incompatible with the Central European rule of law. In Hungary and in most European Union countries, solely the passive form of euthanasia is legal. In the Benelux countries, the active form of euthanasia is legal because the supranational law of the European Union does not prohibit it. Notwithstanding, European Union law does not prescribe legalization of either the active form of euthanasia, or the physician-assisted suicide. Orv. Hetil., 2016, 157(5), 174–179.
Dissertations / Theses on the topic "Rule of law – European Union countries"
1
Xu, Mu Chi. "Flexibility versus certainty : a comparative study of choice of law rules regarding contractual liabilities in the European Union and Mainland China." Thesis, University of Macau, 2009. http://umaclib3.umac.mo/record=b2112293.
Full text
2
Gajic, Sandra. "Le jeu des négociations entre l'Union européenne et la Serbie : les critères politiques (2000-2018)." Thesis, Bordeaux, 2018. http://www.theses.fr/2018BORD0463.
Full textAbstract:
La Serbie n’est certainement pas ce que l’on pourrait désigner comme étant un Etat typique de l’Europe centrale et du Sud-Est. Alliée fidèle de la Russie et de la Chine, elle a subi les plus longues sanctions internationales en Europe et des bombardements de l’OTAN en 1999. Depuis la chute du régime de Milošević en 2000, l’ « enfant terrible » du continent a vocation à adhérer à l’Union européenne, or la tendance n’est clairement pas à l’élargissement. Face aux nombreuses crises (économique, migratoire et démocratique), l’UE parait impuissante à plusieurs égards. Symbole pendant longtemps du développement, de la paix et de la démocratie, elle doit faire face à une perte d’attractivité ces dix dernières années. Toutefois, malgré les doutes de part et d’autre, Bruxelles ne peut pas se permettre de ne pas tendre la main à la Serbie qui a une place centrale dans les Balkans, de par son poids démographique et sa position géostratégique. Le 1er mars 2012, la Serbie a officiellement obtenu son statut de candidat à l’UE. En signant l’accord d’association et de stabilisation, Belgrade s’est engagé à aligner sa législation sur l’acquis communautaire et donc à effectuer de nombreuses réformes. Or, sur fond d’acculturation et de déculturation juridique, des voix s’élèvent contre les réformes en chaîne dans le seul but d’intégrer l’institution européenne. L’un des objectifs de cette thèse est d’éclairer la nature et l’avancée de ces réformes à travers les critères politiques, définis lors du Conseil européen de Copenhague en 1993. Elle étudie les difficultés que la Serbie partage avec tous les Etats du Sud-Est de l’Europe et les difficultés qui lui sont propres, tout en questionnant sur la nécessité et les conséquences de ces changements. L’étude des négociations entre Bruxelles et Belgrade est aussi l’occasion d’apporter un éclairage sur le fonctionnement de l’institution européenne et de constater les limites de l’ambigüité constructive chère à l’UE. Finalement, le comportement de l’Union européenne à l’extérieur de ses frontières est symptomatique de son comportement à l’intérieurSerbia is certainly not a typical state of Central and Southeastern Europe. A loyal ally of Russia and China, it suffered the longest international sanctions in Europe and NATO bombings in 1999. Since the fall of the Milošević regime in 2000, the "enfant terrible" of the continent is destined to join the European Union. However, the trend is clearly not toward a enlargement. Facing multiple crises (economic, migratory and democratic), the EU seems powerless in many ways. Although the EU has been regarded as a symbol of development, peace and democracy, it has suffered a loss of attractiveness in the last ten years. However, despite doubts on both sides, Brussels cannot afford not to reach out to Serbia, which has a central position in the Balkans, because of its demographic weight and its geostrategic position. In March 2012 Serbia was granted EU candidate status. By signing the Stabilisation Agreement, Belgrade is committed to a gradual harmonization of legislation with the acquis of the European Communities and thus implement many reforms. However, in a context of legal acculturation and deculturation, some voices are rising to denounce a chain of reforms for the sole purpose of joining the European institution. One of our aims is to clarify the nature and progress of these reforms through the political criteria, defined at the Copenhagen European Council in 1993. We will hence study the difficulties that Serbia shares with all the states from Southeast Europe and its own problems, by questioning the necessity and consequences of these changes.The study of the negotiations between Brussels and Belgrade is also an opportunity to examine the functioning of the European institution and to note the limits of constructive ambiguity cherished by the EU. Finally, the behavior of the European Union outside its borders is symptomatic of its behavior inside
3
Wennerström, Erik. "The rule of law and the European Union /." Uppsala : Iustus, 2007. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:uu:diva-7877.
Full text
4
Wennerström, Erik O. "The rule of law and the European Union /." Uppsala : Iustus Förl, 2007. http://www.gbv.de/dms/spk/sbb/recht/toc/534294081.pdf.
Full text
5
Shi, Feng. "Principles of European Union water law." Thesis, University of Macau, 2007. http://umaclib3.umac.mo/record=b1944040.
Full text
6
FELD, Leonard. "From soft law to hard law : the concept and regulation of human rights due diligence in the EU legal context." Doctoral thesis, European University Institute, 2022. http://hdl.handle.net/1814/74341.
Full textAbstract:
Defence date: 14 March 2022Examining Board: Professor Stefan Grundmann (Humboldt University Berlin); Professor Mathias Siems (European University Institute); Professor Karin Buhmann (Copenhagen Business School); Professor Robert McCorquodale (University of Nottingham)
This dissertation examines the concept of human rights due diligence (HRDD) under international soft law and its transposition into business regulation, with a particular focus on the European Union context. It traces the evolution of HRDD – starting from the work of the United Nations to the recent contributions of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development. The inquiry finds that HRDD is a concept of remarkable depth, whose features make it suitable to address human rights abuse in the globalised economy. Yet, there are also a number of practical and conceptual concerns. For instance, it is argued that the concept of HRDD features a high level of abstraction, which leads to ambiguities at the stage of implementation. In view of these findings, the transposition of HRDD into business law provides an opportunity, not only to build on the strengths of the concept, but also to counter some of its weaknesses. In addition, the thesis addresses two questions of international law concerning, first, the legality of HRDD legislation in view of its extraterritorial implications and, second, the relationship between relevant legal acts and the duties of states under international human rights law. It is held that regulators enjoy considerable leeway under international law to facilitate or require HRDD even beyond their own borders. Yet, states are presently under no international obligation to regulate HRDD processes – even though new developments are in sight. Finally, drawing on the findings of this research, the dissertation reviews Directive 2014/95/EU and Regulation (EU) 2017/821 as two precedents of HRDD legislation in the European Union. The two legal acts pursue very different strategies to promote HRDD processes with, it is argued, a varying degree of success. Through these assessments, the thesis provides a set of recommendations that may inform the transposition of the concept into business law.
7
Widerström, Sofie. "The Rule of Law : A Founding Value of the European Union." Thesis, Örebro universitet, Institutionen för juridik, psykologi och socialt arbete, 2021. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:oru:diva-94637.
Full text
8
Fee, Emma. "'A Europe without dividing lines': the normative framework of the European neighbourhood policy - emergent jus gentium or consolidation of jus civile?" Thesis, McGill University, 2005. http://digitool.Library.McGill.CA:80/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=83952.
Full textAbstract:
The primary focus of this work is Article 57 of the Draft European Constitution, concerning the constitutionalisation of a new aspect in EU external relations law, 'the European Neighbourhood Policy'. No comprehensive study of this constitutional article has yet been undertaken in EU legal research. Through the medium of the title of my thesis I wish to examine whether it amounts to an emergent jus gentium for the EU or its antithesis, the consolidation of jus civile. In parallel with the nature of the subject, this study is necessarily a legal-political one. Key points identified are the strategic use of human rights, extraterritoriality of law, foreign direct investment and legal imperialism. A number of recent developments, both judicial and legislative, have provoked this study.
9
BARANSKI, Marcin. "Constitutional pluralism in the European Union : a critical reassessment." Doctoral thesis, European University Institute, 2021. https://hdl.handle.net/1814/72280.
Full textAbstract:
Defence date: 26 July 2021Examining Board: Professor Dennis M. Patterson (European University Institute); Professor Gábor Halmai (European University Institute); Professor Jan Komárek (University of Copenhagen); Professor Alexander Somek (University of Vienna)
The aim of this thesis is to offer a comprehensive and critical analysis of one of the most popular and prolific strands in European legal scholarship, i.e., constitutional pluralism. Specifically, the thesis seeks to challenge the central claim advanced by pluralist scholars with regard to the legal structure of the European Union: namely that the relationship between the EU and national legal orders is best conceptualized and understood as a heterarchical rather than hierarchical one. To that purpose, the thesis examines the work of leading scholars of pluralism– –Neil MacCormick, Kaarlo Tuori, Mattias Kumm, and Miguel Poiares Maduro–– all of whom advanced such heterarchical rather than hierarchical understandings of the aforesaid relationship. In so doing, the thesis attempts to address two main questions: first, does pluralism succeed in offering a descriptively and analytically sound account of the common European legal ordering; and second, how do the traditional, positivist, and hierarchical accounts of law fare in comparison with their pluralist contenders? The thesis concludes that while pluralist scholars should be given credit for bringing to light certain distinctive features of the European legal ordering, upon closer examination, their analyses appear to confirm (rather than deny) some crucial insights of said positivist theories, along with their allegedly outdated and distorting, hierarchical understanding of law and legality. Furthermore, it is argued that the pluralist attempts to set aside the positivist questions about the ultimate grounds of law, final authority and constitutional supremacy in the European Union prove unsuccessful in view of the growing constitutional disagreement therein. Finally, the thesis suggests that the nature of the current European legal or constitutional setting is better captured by the notion of national constitutional supremacy, rather than the core pluralist idea of heterarchy.
10
Grogan, Joelle. "An EU-centric account of the rule of law." Thesis, University of Oxford, 2016. https://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:6bb77db1-d4bd-4eb0-952d-6beae2976bf6.
Full textAbstract:
The rule of law is declared to be a foundational and guiding value of the European Union in Article 2 Treaty on European Union. The European Commission claims to be the 'guardian of the rule of law', and the concept has been determinative in judgments in the Court of Justice of the EU. However, the EU has not defined what exactly is meant by 'the rule of law'. This leads to the question: how can the EU claim to be guided by the rule of law, 'common to all Member States', but not provide an account of what that means in practice? To determine such an account, I examine contemporary accounts of the rule of law and identify the specific nature of the EU. I conclude that while the rule of law is a shared value across legal systems, distinct accounts develop within, and adapt to, each one. I advance an EU-centric account of the rule of law (EUCA) which is apt for the EU legal order. I advocate the value of EUCA first in abstract by providing reasons for why it is to the benefit of the EU Institutions, the Member States and individuals to endorse EUCA compliance. I then show the practical use of EUCA as a source of legitimacy from the perspective of Member States and individuals in the context of issues of contemporary and pressing concern in the areas of international trade, corporate taxation and the criminal law. I seek to bridge the gap between a theoretical account of the rule of law apt for the EU legal order, and the practical guidance it can provide in the resolution of crisis issues. I conclude on the essential importance of guarding, strengthening, and enhancing the rule of law throughout the EU, not just as a means of resolution in times of crisis, but as a guarantee of the future of the European Union.
Books on the topic "Rule of law – European Union countries"
1
Accountability in the European Union. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2002.
Find full text
2
Esteban, Maria Luisa Fernández. The rule of law in the European Constitution. The Hague: Kluwer Law International, 1999.
Find full text
3
Judicial accountabilities in new Europe: From rule of law to quality of justice. Farnham, Surrey: Ashgate Pub., 2009.
Find full text
4
Prohibition of abuse of law: A new general principle of EU law? Oxford: Hart, 2011.
Find full text
5
A, Magen Amichai, Risse-Kappen Thomas, and McFaul Michael 1963-, eds. Promoting democracy and the rule of law: American and European strategies. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2009.
Find full text
6
Sanoussi, Bilal, Nicolaides Phedon, and European Institute of Public Administration., eds. Understanding state aid policy in the European community: Perspectives on rules and practice. Cambridge, Mass: Kluwer Law International, 1999.
Find full text
7
Sandmann, Tina. Kommunale Unternehmen im Spannungsfeld von Daseinsvorsorge und europäischem Wettbewerbsrecht. Frankfurt am Main: Lang, 2005.
Find full text
8
Immenga, Ulrich. Unlimited liability of state-owned banks under the EC-rules of state aids. Berlin: Springer, 1998.
Find full text
9
Taking a case to the European Court of Human Rights. 3rd ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2011.
Find full text
10
author, Webb Julian S., ed. Learning legal rules: A students' guide to legal method and reasoning. Oxford, United Kingdom: Oxford University Press, 2013.
Find full textBook chapters on the topic "Rule of law – European Union countries"
1
Matthes, Claudia-Y. "Safeguarding Democracy and the Rule of Law by Civil Society Actors? The Case of Poland." In Palgrave Studies in European Union Politics, 263–81. Cham: Springer International Publishing, 2020. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-54674-8_11.
Full textAbstract:
Abstract A growing body of literature examines the EU’s reactions to illiberal trends in ECE countries. These studies predominantly focus on political instruments such as Article 7 and the Commission’s new rule of law mechanism, and there is a broad consensus on the view that these tools are too weak to combat breaches of liberal principles. This chapter therefore explores the potential of alternative strategies, namely the involvement of civil society actors in backsliding countries. By looking at the Polish case, it explores how much Polish civil society interacts with the European institutions in order to address violations of the rule of law and which strategies these actors unfold. It examines whether this cooperation may help to safeguard democracy in a bottom-up manner. The overall goal of the chapter is to investigate how much the EU’s instruments against democratic backsliding could and should be accompanied effectively by strategies aiming at collaboration with liberal forces within the backsliding member states.
2
Tomini, Luca, and Seda Gürkan. "Contesting the EU, Contesting Democracy and Rule of Law in Europe. Conceptual Suggestions for Future Research." In Palgrave Studies in European Union Politics, 285–300. Cham: Springer International Publishing, 2020. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-54674-8_12.
Full textAbstract:
Abstract In ECE countries, democratisation and Europeanisation seemed to exist in a mutually reinforcing relationship and both concepts provided the main analytical lenses for studying these states. In the light of recent illiberal and anti-EU politics, two different concepts have started to receive increasing scholarly attention, namely the concepts of de-Europeanisation and autocratisation. Their exact meaning, however, remains unclear and the causal link between these specific processes and the rule of law has largely remained understudied. Against this backdrop, this chapter first summarises the state-of-the-art research on autocratisation and de-Europeanisation, and then examines the interaction and causal link between these two phenomena in times of declining democracies in Europe and rule of law problems.
3
Naef, Tobias. "The Restrictive Effect of the Legal Mechanisms for Data Transfers in the European Union." In European Yearbook of International Economic Law, 115–230. Cham: Springer International Publishing, 2022. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-19893-9_3.
Full textAbstract:
AbstractThe right to data protection in Article 8 CFR has an extraterritorial dimension, which requires continuous protection for personal data that is essentially equivalent to the protection guaranteed within the EU. This right to continuous protection of personal data is an unwritten constituent part of the right to data protection in Article 8 CFR. Primary Union law in Article 16(2) TFEU instructs the European Parliament and the Council to establish rules relating to the protection of individuals regarding the processing of their personal data. This mandate also extends to the extraterritorial dimension of the right to data protection. Accordingly, Chapter V GDPR sets out the system for the transfer of personal data from the EU to third countries. The first section of this chapter defines the legal concept of “data transfers” and introduces the three legal mechanisms for the transfer of personal data in Chapter V GDPR (Sect. 3.1). The following sections address the three legal mechanism and their role in guaranteeing the right to continuous protection for personal data. Each section entails a fundamental rights analysis for the transfer of personal data on the basis of a legal mechanism in Chapter V GDPR. The second section is dedicated to data transfers based on adequacy decisions for third countries following Article 45 GDPR (Sect. 3.2). The third section is dedicated to data transfers based on the instruments providing appropriate safeguards in Article 46 GDPR such as standard data protection clauses and binding corporate rules (BCRs) (Sect. 3.3). Finally, the fourth section is dedicated to data transfers subject to contract-based and consent-based derogations in Article 49 GDPR (Sect. 3.4).
4
Todino, Michele Domenico, Giuseppe De Simone, Simon Kidiamboko, and Stefano Di Tore. "European Recommendations on Robotics and Related Issues in Education in Different Countries." In Makers at School, Educational Robotics and Innovative Learning Environments, 255–60. Cham: Springer International Publishing, 2021. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-77040-2_34.
Full textAbstract:
AbstractThis short paper describes the preliminary phase in an innovative line of research comparing educational robotics in Italy and other countries, from the perspective of media education, and based on the European Parliament recommendations to the Commission on civil law rules on robotics. More specifically, all decision processes that affect digital citizenship should have the support of children and teenagers. For these reasons, this paper looks at the work of a group of Italian high school students in the fifth year of upper secondary school, who formulated a SWOT analysis to highlight their attitudes to robotics issues in relation to the European Union recommendations. This research started in 2018 and will be repeated this academic year with Italian and Congolese students—from the Institut Supérieur des Techniques Appliquées—with a qualitative analysis to establish student attitudes to robotics issues. Qualitative analysis was selected because the SWOT analysis is already divided into information categories, revealing a variety of concepts that are grouped together from the collected data. These results will be compared with any obtained in future years in Italy and other countries, to find further potential patterns.
5
Hemels, Sigrid. "Social Enterprises and Tax: Living Apart Together?" In The International Handbook of Social Enterprise Law, 77–100. Cham: Springer International Publishing, 2022. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-14216-1_5.
Full textAbstract:
AbstractThis chapter examines the complex relationship between social enterprises and taxation. The focus is not on a specific country, although various examples are mentioned. As specific tax measures for social enterprises are a form of tax incentives, the chapter discusses this public finance concept. In addition, an important legal constraint on introducing such incentives for social enterprises in the European Union (EU) is discussed: the prohibition of state aid. From an analysis of the taxation of profits of social enterprises, it turns out that only a few countries have implemented tax incentives to further social enterprise models. Some social enterprises may meet the charity definition and thus benefit from tax incentives for charities. The drawback might be that it may require social enterprises to use next best legal forms. The chapter also discusses the relevant tax aspects for funders of social enterprises. Tax rules can especially be detrimental to the funding of high-risk social enterprises. Social enterprises also encounter value-added tax (VAT) issues. The VAT that applies in the EU has been copied (with variations) by many non-EU Member States. For that reason, this chapter focusses on the EU VAT legislation as included in the VAT. Problems emerging from the impossibility to deduct input VAT can best be solved outside the VAT framework.
6
Meyer-Ladewig, Jens. "The Rule of Law in the Case Law of the Strasbourg Court." In The European Union after Lisbon, 233–49. Berlin, Heidelberg: Springer Berlin Heidelberg, 2011. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-19507-5_8.
Full text
7
Czuczai, Jenő. "Constitutional Preparation for Eu Accession in the New Central and Eastern European Member States: Is The Rule of Law Better Than the Rule of Politics?" In The European Union, 269–83. The Hague: T.M.C. Asser Press, 2004. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-90-6704-423-3_21.
Full text
8
Timmermans, Christiaan. "How to Define the European Union?" In Democracy and Rule of Law in the European Union, 81–90. The Hague: T.M.C. Asser Press, 2015. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-94-6265-066-4_7.
Full text
9
Joosen, Bart, and Matthias Lehmann. "Proportionality in the Single Rule Book." In The Palgrave Handbook of European Banking Union Law, 65–90. Cham: Springer International Publishing, 2019. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-13475-4_4.
Full text
10
Keukeleire, Stephan, and Robin Thiers. "Eulex Kosovo: Walking a Thin Line, Aiming for the Rule of Law." In The European Union and Peacebuilding, 353–74. The Hague: T.M.C. Asser Press, 2010. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-90-6704-691-6_16.
Full textConference papers on the topic "Rule of law – European Union countries"
1
Pejović, Aleksandar-Andrija. "“WOULD MONEY MAKE A DIFFERENCE?”: HOW EFFECTIVE CAN THE RULE-OF-LAW-BASED PROTECTION OF FINANCIAL INTERESTS IN THE EU STRUCTURAL AND ENLARGEMENT POLICY BE?" In EU 2021 – The future of the EU in and after the pandemic. Faculty of Law, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, 2021. http://dx.doi.org/10.25234/eclic/18362.
Full textAbstract:
In recent years, the rule of law and, especially, its “proper” implementation has become one of the most debated topics in Europe in recent years. The “Big Bang Enlargement” marked the beginning of dilemmas whether the new EU Member States fulfil the necessary rule of law criteria and opened the way for divergent views on how to implement TEU Article 2 values in practice. Furthermore, constant problems and difficulty of the candidate countries to fulfil the necessary rule of law criteria added to the complexity of the problem. In turn, the European institutions have tried to introduce a series of mechanisms and procedures to improve the oversight and make the states follow the rules - starting from the famous Treaty on the European Union (TEU) Article 7, the Rule of Law Mechanism, annual reports on the rule of law and the most recent Conditionality Regulation. The Conditionality Regulation was finally adopted in December 2020 after much discussion and opposition from certain EU Member States. It calls for the suspension of payments, commitments and disbursement of instalments, and a reduction of funding in the cases of general deficiencies with the rule of law. On the other hand, similar provisions were laid out in the February 2020 enlargement negotiation methodology specifying that in the cases of no progress, imbalance of the overall negotiations or regression, the scope and intensity of pre-accession assistance can be adjusted downward thus descaling financial assistance to candidate countries. The similarities between the two mechanisms, one for the Member States, the other for candidate countries shows an increased sharing of experiences and approaches to dealing with possible deficiencies or breaches of the rule of law through economic sanctioning, in order to resolve challenges to the unity of the European union. The Covid-19 pandemic and the crisis it has provoked on many fronts has turned the attention of the Member States (i.e. the Council) away from the long running problematic issues. Consequently, the procedures against Poland and Hungary based on the Rule of Law Mechanism have slowed down or become fully stalled, while certain measures taken up by some European states have created concerns about the limitations of human rights and liberties. This paper, therefore, analyses the efforts the EU is making in protecting the rule of law in its Member States and the candidate countries. It also analyses the new focus of the EU in the financial area where it has started to develop novel mechanisms that would affect one of the most influential EU tools – the funding of member and candidate countries through its structural and enlargement policy. Finally, it attempts to determine and provide conclusions on the efficiency of new instruments with better regulated criteria and timing of activities will be and how much they would affect the EU and its current and future member states.
2
Tavits, Gaabriel. "Protection of the Weaker Party – to Whom is Labour Law Still Applicable?" In The 8th International Scientific Conference of the Faculty of Law of the University of Latvia. University of Latvia Press, 2022. http://dx.doi.org/10.22364/iscflul.8.2.33.
Full textAbstract:
National law is affected by a number of different international regulations and agreements. International agreements provide for rules aimed at harmonizing certain requirements and understandings that different countries should follow. In labour relations, international standards are set at two different levels – on the one hand, by the International Labour Organization (ILO), and on the other by regional standards – by the Council of Europe and the directives and regulations adopted by the European Union. All these international rules have important implications for national labour law. However, such international norms do not provide a clear personal scope – that is, it is not clearly defined to whom such international norms apply. Although the various international rules do not directly define the persons to whom those norms apply, – the implementation of international rules remains a matter for national law. Thus, the concept of both employee and employment relationship is shaped by national law. The exception here is the European Union, where the European Court of Justice has given an autonomous meaning to the concept of worker (particularly in the context of freedom of movement for workers). Although the concept of a worker and of an employment relationship has been developed by the Court of Justice of the European Union, Member States retain the right to define the employment relationship in accordance with the law in force in the respective Member State. The main factor in shaping employment relationships is the employee's dependence on the person providing the work, and the person providing the work also has an obligation to pay remuneration for the work performed. Although the scope of those rules is defined differently by different international rules, the characteristics generally applicable to the definition of an employee and the employment relationship are similar to those used in national law.
3
Niftiyev, Ibrahim. "A comparison of institutional quality in the South Caucasus." In The European Union’s Contention in the Reshaping Global Economy. Szeged: Szegedi Tudományegyetem Gazdaságtudományi Kar, 2022. http://dx.doi.org/10.14232/eucrge.2022.9.
Full textAbstract:
Much has happened in the three countries of the South Caucasus-namely, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Armenia-since the collapse of the Soviet Union. Political events, institutional reforms, and economic development have resulted in greater economic welfare in these countries after the painful transition period of the 1990s. However, it remains to be seen whether they have achieved any solid results or whether they still have much to accomplish. While the answer is ambiguous, each country has followed a different political, geopolitical, economic, and institutional path and achieved different economic outcomes despite their close geographical proximity to each other. This paper compares the available data on economic and institutional quality in Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Armenia to portray the overall situation in terms of changes in institutional patterns. Then, special attention is given to Azerbaijan, as the country is considered to be oil-rich and thus resource-dependent. A comparative perspective on institutional quality suggests that Georgia has been a leading country in terms of institutions and effective bureaucracy-building, despite having lower economic indicators compared to Azerbaijan. Moreover, while Armenia is positioned between Georgia and Azerbaijan in terms of institutional quality, its economic growth is similar to Georgia's. Lastly, institutional variables (e.g., control of corruption, rule of law, and government effectiveness, and human rights) in Azerbaijan are negatively correlated with oil-related variables. This result aligns with the natural resource curse and Dutch disease theories, which posit that oil boom periods in mineral-rich countries are associated with a deterioration in institutional quality, thereby leading to slower growth. Also, the results are important to build up analytical frameworks to address the Dutch disease or resource curse studies in the case of Azerbaijan in a comparative manner with oil-poor countries even if the scope is limited to the South Caucasian former Soviet Union countries.
4
Karluk, S. Rıdvan. "Eurasian Customs Union and Turkey’s Membership." In International Conference on Eurasian Economies. Eurasian Economists Association, 2015. http://dx.doi.org/10.36880/c06.01343.
Full textAbstract:
Leaders of Russia, Belarus, and Kazakhstan which are the countries of disintegrated Soviet Union signed an agreement in order to establish a Union named Eurasian Economic Union on the date of 29 May 2014. With this attempt Russia wants to protect its former penetration on former Soviet geography by providing economic integration. Positive messages upon the membership of Turkey to Eurasia Economic Union were given at Eurasia Economic Union meeting which was held in Ankara in January mid-2015 and hosted by Andrey Karlov, Ambassador of Russia. Nursultan Nazarbayev, who is the pioneer of this idea, has stressed that Turkey should be a member of the Community several times before now. The idea of Sergey Markov, who is the point man of Putin as “Turkey should enter Eurasia Union not European Union, it can gain strength in this way”, is void within the scope of international agreements which Turkey signed with European Union and of the rules of WTO. Erdoğan, Prime Minister of the relevant term said Putin that “Take Turkey into Shanghai Cooperation Organization and ease our difficulty”; in Russian- Turkey peak held on 23 November 2013 in St. Petersburg province of Russia. This explanation is not possible in terms of international law. Explanation of Zeybekçi, Minister of Economy as “Eurasia Customs Union is a must for Turkey. We have to be there” is not realistic. In our paper we will deal and explain why Turkey cannot enter Eurasia Customs Union and why an axial dislocation cannot occur in Turkey.
5
Beutel, Jochen, Edmunds Broks, Arnis Buka, and Christoph Schewe. "Setting Aside National Rules that Conflict EU law: How Simmenthal Works in Germany and in Latvia?" In The 8th International Scientific Conference of the Faculty of Law of the University of Latvia. University of Latvia Press, 2022. http://dx.doi.org/10.22364/iscflul.8.2.10.
Full textAbstract:
At the centre of this article is the Simmenthal line of cases of the Court of Justice of the European Union, which establish the duty of every national court or administrative authority not to apply any national law that conflicts with the EU law. The article provides a brief overview of the evolution of the Simmenthal case law at the EU level. It then proceeds to assess how Simmenthal is applied at national level through comparative analysis of experience from Germany and Latvia. A particular emphasis in that regard is placed on the role of constitutional courts, as well as on the role of administrative authorities. Research from both countries points to a general adherence to the obligation established by Simmenthal. However, it also indicates certain discrepancies in national legislation, which obscure strict application of Simmenthal, especially for national administrations. Particularly in Latvia administration is not entitled to disapply national law on its own motion, whereas – explicitly following the Simmenthal doctrine – it would (theoretically) be entitled to do so in Germany.
6
Urbane, Marta. "The Future of the Employee’s Right to Disconnect in the European Union and Latvia." In 13th International Conference on Applied Human Factors and Ergonomics (AHFE 2022). AHFE International, 2022. http://dx.doi.org/10.54941/ahfe1002285.
Full textAbstract:
The right to disconnect refers to a worker's right to be able to disconnect from work and refrain from engaging in work-related electronic communication, like emails and other messages, during non-work hours and holidays. The Latvian Labor Law does not directly determine the right to disconnect from digital devices, however, such rights arise from certain legal norms. Examples of the provisions of the Labor Law relate to the general rules on rest periods and breaks in work. The recent research results of remote work during Covid-19 pandemic conducted by the author show that for 69.3% of respondents working remotely possibility to disconnect from digital devices outside working hours (when the assigned work tasks have been completed) is extremely crucial. If the rights to disconnect are not explicitly regulated, the risk of disbalance between work and private life is at stake. The increase in workload during the emergency caused by COVID-19 was indicated by 42.7% of respondents in Latvia. That shows that another problem of lack of regulation of rights to disconnect could be unpaid overtime. The research shows that 14.7% of respondents were not paid for overtime work when working from home. The practice shows a critical need for sustainable and predictable changes in the legal system to protect employees’ rights and thus ensure stable employment in general in Latvia. It was also recently decided by Employment Committee MEPs that EU countries must ensure that workers are able to exercise the right to disconnect effectively. Some of the member states in the European Union have recently implemented the right into their legal system (Portugal, Spain, France), but each member state takes a different approach. That means that discussion is no longer if there is a need to implement the “right to disconnect” in national legal acts, but how to implement the right efficiently not only at a national level but at the EU level as well.The goal of the research is to provide an in-depth analysis of the legal status of the “right to disconnect” in the legal system of the European Union and Latvia. In order to reach the goal, the author is using various scientific research methods. The paper is based on a quantitative research method and analytical, comparative, case law analysis method to provide valid conclusions on the current role of the “right to disconnect” in Latvia and the European Union. The author also offers recommendations on how to implement the “right to disconnect” efficiently to avoid violation of employees’ rights and ensure a sustainable work environment.In the result, the author has concluded that the biggest impediment of the employee's right to disconnect is the lack of clear legislative preconditions that would encourage businesses to preserve employees' freedom to disconnect, resulting in a more sustainable working environment - both in the office and remotely.Finally, the author concludes that there is a need to adjust regulation in Latvia to meet the needs of widespread use of remote work. The author also concludes that a significant role to protect employees’ right to disconnect is for governmental authorities to explain the right to disconnect to employees and employers.
7
Bodul, Dejan. "WILL THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE DIRECTIVE ON RESTRUCTURING AND INSOLVENCY HELP THE RECOVERY OF THE CROATIAN MARKETS AND STRENGTH THE ABILITY OF THE DEBTORS TO RESPOND TO NEW CHALLENGES?" In The recovery of the EU and strengthening the ability to respond to new challenges – legal and economic aspects. Faculty of Law, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, 2022. http://dx.doi.org/10.25234/eclic/22409.
Full textAbstract:
It must be pointed out that the issue of bankruptcy proceedings in countries with a long market tradition is a dynamic area where new solutions are sought that will follow the trend of change in the international economy. The European Union, which in 2019 adopted the Restructuring and Insolvency Directive, is also making an exceptional contribution to this issue. With the adoption of the Directive, the European Union has joined the general trend of deviation from traditional, formal bankruptcy proceedings by opening a wide area to private regulation, with all the associated opportunities and risks. From the current point of view of Croatian law, the Directive does not provide “revolutionary” solutions, especially in terms of preventive restructuring, given that Croatian rules on prebankruptcy proceedings are essentially in line with the solutions contained in the Directive. Therefore, the subject of the analysis are valid norms as well as those from the Final Proposal of the Bankruptcy Law from 2022 (February 2022) related to collective legal protection in (pre) bankruptcy proceedings, having in mind the possible consequences of incomplete and inadequate regulation on the rights and interests of participants. The analysis starts from the fact that the issue of legal protection is regulated by each state independently and that such autonomy of member states is limited by EU rules. Therefore, in addition to the legal analysis of legal protection, as it is according to the existing (valid) legal framework (de lege lata), this paper also includes the question of what such protection should be in view of the requirements of European law (de lege ferenda). A limiting factor in the context of this analysis is the lack of well-established judicial practice, given that the implementation of new legislation is in process of public debate. Therefore, the analysis is not based on practical problems, but on detecting possible problems that could cause difficulties in practical implementation of (pre)bankruptcy proceedings.
8
Popa, Luminita. ""ELECTRONIC SHEET OF PRACTICE" USED IN ROMANIAN STUDENTS' INTERNSHIP ACTIVITIES." In eLSE 2017. Carol I National Defence University Publishing House, 2017. http://dx.doi.org/10.12753/2066-026x-17-072.
Full textAbstract:
Practice in Romania universities is regulated by the Education Law, which stipulates the students' obligation to perform it. In the case of students' specialty professional practice at economic agents, the Labor Code has also provisions that apply to them. The Labor Code is completed by the other provisions of labor legislation in Romania, in harmony with EU norms and rules of international labor law. The orders of the Ministry of Education on professional practice stipulates that conducting internship in university programs is developed under the Framework Convention between the organizer of practice (university), practice partner (economic agent) and practitioner (student). The Electronic Sheet of Practice (ESP) requires also three different perspectives for student practitioner, faculty member (practice mentor) and economic agent. Using Electronic Sheet of Practic instrument, faculty members practice mentors can post their programs including students' practice results. The existence of such assessment tools and their use in accordance with the law governing the practice of students ensure professional assessment and uniformity of training, fostering their careers accessibility. Such tools, appropriate to each stage of specialty practice development, could be judiciously organized in the European Union countries. The need for such tools, which represent a support unit for the specialty practical training of students, is felt during this period in Romania, which, as its membership of the European Union, must find solutions to meet both commitments and to resolve social problems they face. The educational activities and products of the project, are evaluated favourably by the students who intend to continue their implementation, including in new projects development of the some aspects of the project developed.
9
Dauster, Manfred. "Criminal Proceedings in Times of Pandemic." In The 8th International Scientific Conference of the Faculty of Law of the University of Latvia. University of Latvia Press, 2022. http://dx.doi.org/10.22364/iscflul.8.2.18.
Full textAbstract:
COVID-19 caught humanity off guard at the turn of 2019/2020. Even when the Chinese government sealed off Wuhan, a city of millions, for weeks to contain the epidemic, no one in other parts of the world had any idea of what specifically was heading for the countries. The ignorant and belittling public statements and tweets of the former US president are still fresh in everyone's memory. Only when the Italian army carried the coffins with the COVID-19 victims in northern Italy, the gravesites spread in the Bergamo region, as well as the intensive care beds filled in the overcrowded hospitals, the countries of the European Union and other parts of the world realised how serious the situation threatened to become. Together with the World Health Organisation (WHO), the terms changed to pandemic. Much of the pandemic evoked reminiscences originating in the Black Death raging between 1346 and 1353 or in the Spanish flu after the First World War. Meanwhile, life went on. The administration of justice in criminal cases could not and should not come to a standstill. Emergency measures, such as those that began to emerge in February 2020, are always the hour of the executive. In their efforts to stop the spread of the virus, in Germany, governments particularly reflected on criminal proceedings. Neither criminal procedural law nor the courts and court administrations applying this procedural law were adequately prepared for the challenges. Deadlines threatened to expire, access to court buildings and halls had to be restricted to reduce the risk of infection, public hearings represented a potential source of infection for both the parties to the proceedings and the public, virtual criminal hearings via conference calls had not yet been tested in civil proceedings, but were legally possible, but not so in criminal cases. The taking of evidence in criminal cases in Germany is governed by the rules of strict evidence and is largely not at the disposal of the parties to the proceedings. Especially in criminal cases, fundamental and human rights guarantees serve to protect the accused, but also the victims and witnesses. Executive measures of pandemic containment might impact these guarantees. Here, an attempt will be made to discuss at some neuralgic points how Germany has attempted to balance the resulting contradictory interests in the conflict between pandemic control and constitutional requirements for criminal court proceedings.
10
Macerinskiene, Irena. "INTANGIBLES ASSESSMENT IN EUROPEAN UNION COUNTRIES." In SGEM 2014 Scientific SubConference on POLITICAL SCIENCES, LAW, FINANCE, ECONOMICS AND TOURISM. Stef92 Technology, 2014. http://dx.doi.org/10.5593/sgemsocial2014/b24/s7.050.
Full textReports on the topic "Rule of law – European Union countries"
1
Lodge, Junior, and Jan Yves. The Promise of a Recalibrated Caribbean-European Union Partnership. Fundación Carolina, March 2022. http://dx.doi.org/10.33960/issn-e.1885-9119.dtff03en.
Full textAbstract:
The Caribbean and the European Union (EU) have been enjoined in a formal bi-regional relationship since the signing of the Lomé Convention in 1975, and are firm proponents of multilateralism, strong advocates of regional integration, democracy and rule of law, and reflect vibrant multi-ethnic and multilingual polities. The bi-regional relationship has evolved considerably over the intervening 45 years, and is reflected in formal agreements between the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) States and the EU, and in the sphere of economic cooperation, has been strengthened with the signing of the Cariforum-EU Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) in 2008. The EU also remains a significant source of development cooperation for the Caribbean, complemented by a sui generis project management regime that includes multi-annual programming. Beyond this, the bi-regional ties have expanded into new areas of joint multilateral endeavour such as the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) and the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. Despite the long and formal engagement, the Cariforum-EU partnership has not engendered either deep understanding of, or universal support in, each other’s conduct of multilateral negotiations. To the contrary, the partnership displays regular flashes of unease and arguably low-level tension. This paper seeks to assess the Caribbean-EU partnership in terms of its contribution of bi-regional trade and economic cooperation to Caribbean development, and possibilities for a renewed partnership considering new impulses shaping the Cariforum-EU relationship, including the post-Cotonou Agreement, Brexit, EU-LAC Political Dialogue and COVID-19 responses. A Cariforum-EU development agenda to fuel post-pandemic Caribbean recovery is mooted with the additional value of harnessing the promise of the revised partnership.
2
Kira, Beatriz, Rutendo Tavengerwei, and Valary Mumbo. Points à examiner à l'approche des négociations de Phase II de la ZLECAf: enjeux de la politique commerciale numérique dans quatre pays d'Afrique subsaharienne. Digital Pathways at Oxford, March 2022. http://dx.doi.org/10.35489/bsg-dp-wp_2022/01.
Full textAbstract:
Realities such as the COVID-19 pandemic have expedited the move to online operations, highlighting the undeniable fact that the world is continuing to go digital. This emphasises the need for policymakers to regulate in a manner that allows them to harness digital trade benefits while also avoiding associated risk. However, given that digital trade remains unco-ordinated globally, with countries adopting different approaches to policy issues, national regulatory divergence on the matter continues, placing limits on the benefits that countries can obtain from digital trade. Given these disparities, ahead of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Phase II Negotiations, African countries have been considering the best way to harmonise regulations on issues related to digital trade. To do this effectively, AfCFTA members need to identify where divergencies exist in their domestic regulatory systems. This will allow AfCFTA members to determine where harmonisation is possible, as well as what is needed to achieve such harmonisation. This report analyses the domestic regulations and policies of four focus countries – South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya and Senegal – comparing their regulatory approaches to five policy issues: i) regulation of online transactions; ii) cross-border data flows, data localisation, and personal data protection; iii) access to source code and technology transfer; iv) intermediary liability; and v) customs duties on electronic transmissions. The study highlights where divergencies exist in adopted approaches, indicating the need for the four countries – and AfCFTA members in general – to carefully consider the implications of the divergences, and determine where it is possible and beneficial to harmonise approaches. This was intended to encourage AfCFTA member states to take ownership of these issues and reflect on the reforms needed. As seen in Table 1 below, the study shows that the four countries diverge on most of the five policy issues. There are differences in how all four countries regulate online transactions – that is, e-signatures and online consumer protection. Nigeria was the only country out of the four to recognise all types of e-signatures as legally equivalent. Kenya and Senegal only recognise specific e-signatures, which are either issued or validated by a recognised institution, while South Africa adopts a mixed approach, where it recognises all e-signatures as legally valid, but provides higher evidentiary weight to certain types of e-signatures. Only South Africa and Senegal have specific regulations relating to online consumer protection, while Nigeria and Kenya do not have any clear rules. With regards to cross border data flows, data localisation, and personal data protection, the study shows that all four focus countries have regulations that consist of elements borrowed from the European Union (EU) General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). In particular, this was regarding the need for the data subject's consent, and also the adequacy requirement. Interestingly, the study also shows that South Africa, Kenya and Nigeria also adopt data localisation measures, although at different levels of strictness. South Africa’s data localisation laws are mostly imposed on data that is considered critical – which is then required to be processed within South African borders – while Nigeria requires all data to be processed and stored locally, using local servers. Kenya imposes data localisation measures that are mostly linked to its priority for data privacy. Out of the four focus countries, Senegal is the only country that does not impose any data localisation laws. Although the study shows that all four countries share a position on customs duties on electronic transmissions, it is also interesting to note that none of the four countries currently have domestic regulations or policies on the subject. The report concludes by highlighting that, as the AfCFTA Phase II Negotiations aim to arrive at harmonisation and to improve intra-African trade and international trade, AfCFTA members should reflect on their national policies and domestic regulations to determine where harmonisation is needed, and whether AfCFTA is the right platform for achieving this efficiently.