《首都城市环境建设考核评价办法》(试行)解读

4月20日,首都城市环境建设委员会(以下简称首都环境建设委)印发了《首都城市环境建设考核评价办法》(试行)(简称《办法》)和《首都城市环境建设考评实施细则》(简称《细则》)。     

Japan's quest for a permanent seat on the Security Council

In an age of declining American power, more Japanese are now understanding the need for multilateral diplomacy, according to Professor Reinhard Drifte, Chair of Japanese Studies in the Department of Politics at the University of Newcastle upon Tyne, UK. In this analysis of Japan's quest for a permanent Security Council seat, Drifte argues that Japan has to move beyond making simply monetary and procedural contributions to the United Nations, to a position of being ready to offer substantive policy input. For this to happen, he says the whole Japanese policy culture has to change.     

The right of withdrawal under the Consumer Rights Directive as a tool to protect consumers concluding a distance contract

Since 1997, the European legislator has aimed to protect consumers concluding a distance contract amongst others by entitling them to withdraw from the contract. First, this paper analyses the right of withdrawal as it is incorporated in the 2011 Consumer Rights Directive (CRD). This paper illustrates that, compared to the 1997 Distance Selling Directive, the CRD, contains more detailed rules, offering some useful clarifications. Further, this paper shows that the CRD slightly increases consumer protection, for example by determining that the mere beginning of performance under a services contract does not lead to the loss of the right to withdraw from the contract. However, consumers are also at risk where, without any explicit warning, they are held liable for the diminished value of the goods used during the withdrawal period. In a second part of the article, it is argued that the full harmonization approach should have been limited to the technical aspects of the withdrawal right, in order to avoid a reduction of consumer protection in some Member States. Finally, this paper shows that the CRD not always sufficiently takes into account the objectives pursued with the right of withdrawal as a tool to protect consumers concluding a distance contract.     

Verwaltungsgerichtliche Normenkontrolle Privater gegen Raumordnungs- und Flächennutzungspläne*

Aktuelle Entwicklungen in Gesetzgebung, Planungspraxis, Fachliteratur und Rechtsprechung geben Anlass, der Frage des Rechtsschutzes Privater gegen Raumordnungs- und Flächennutzungspläne nach § 47 VwGO erhöhte Aufmerksamkeit zu widmen. Es zeichnet sich derzeit ab, dass es in dieser Frage zu einem grundlegenden Wandel der bisherigen rechtlichen Beurteilung kommt. * Die Abhandlung beruht auf einem Vortrag, den der Verfasser bei dem von Professor Dr. Wilfried Erbguth geleiteten Rostocker Umweltrechtstag (30. 4. 2004) gehalten hat.     

‘I never had a political career’: Russian political actors on politics and morality

This article explores the question of moral discourse among Russian political elites. Morality is reflected in elite narratives in various forms—as an espousal of abstract principles, as a moral–pragmatic hybrid, and as loyalty to one's associates. Proximity to political power correlates with the various versions of moral discourse employed by elite members. Each version, respectively, offers an index of social relations through the prism of morality: in some instances, negatively, as that which prevents the attainment of the good; in others, problematically, as that which makes difficult that attainment; and in a third version, that which contributes to securing the good itself.     

Der Wechsel von einer Pensionskasse in eine betriebliche Kollektivversicherung bei aufrechtem Arbeitsvertrag

Der Gesetzgeber hat die Problematik eines Wechsels bei aufrechtem Arbeitsvertrag aus einer bestehenden Pensionskassen-(PK-)Zusage in eine andere PK oder eine andere Form der betrieblichen Altersvorsorge, insb in eine betriebliche Kollektivversicherung (bKV), nur partiell geregelt. Einzugehen ist im Rahmen dieser Untersuchung auf die bestehenden rechtlichen Rahmenbedingungen für einen solchen Wechsel sowie auf einen inoffiziellen Ministerialentwurf, der weitergehende Wechselm?glichkeiten schaffen soll.