Tradition oder Fortentwicklung? Wasserrecht im UGB

Zusammenfassung Das Interesse der von wasserrechtlichen Regelungen betroffenen Fachwelt richtet sich zunehmend auf den Teil “Wasserwirtschaft” des neuen Umweltgesetzbuches (UGB). Denn es wird immer wahrscheinlicher, dass nach mehr als 30-j?hrigem Anlauf nun der erste gesetzgeberische Sprung zu einem bundeseinheitlichen UGB gelingen k?nnte: Noch im November 2007 wurde vom BMU ein umf?nglicher Referentenentwurf bekannt gemacht, der zuvor in weiten Teilen bereits mit den betroffenen Kreisen er?rtert worden war. Im Anschluss daran soll im Frühjahr 2008 dem Bundestag der Regierungsentwurf eines UGB – zun?chst bestehend aus einem Allgemeinen Teil (UGB I) und den ersten Gesetzbüchern des Besonderen Teils “Wasserwirtschaft” (UGB II) und “Naturschutz” (UGB III) – zur ersten Lesung vorgelegt werden. In Vorbereitung sind erste Ausführungsverordnungen zum UGB I (Vorhaben-VO, Umweltbeauftragten-VO). Sukzessiv sollen dann weitere Umweltrechtsmaterien (UGB IV: Nichtionisierende Strahlung, UGB V: Handel mit Berechtigungen zur Emission von Treibhausgasen – Emissionshandel, UGB VI: Erneuerbare Energien) nebst dazu geh?rigen Rechtsverordnungen folgen.     

Does Sanskrit Knowledge Exist?

This paper addresses the near impossibility of writing the social history of knowledge production in India. It also considers the question of the historicity of Sanskrit traditions. It concludes with pointing at a major lacuna in the SKS project, namely the examination or ritual and religious knowledge.     

Parties’ policy adjustments in response to changes in issue saliency

Abstract

A number of studies have investigated when parties change their policy positions. However, this growing body of research has had limited interaction with the literature on issue competition. To bring these two perspectives together, this article investigates how and when parties adjust their respective policy positions on immigration, the environment and the welfare state. In the article it is argued that especially large parties in electoral terms adjust their policy positions on specific issues in response to changes in the party system saliency of these issues. When the other parties increase their focus on a given issue, large parties adjust their position in the direction preferred by a majority of the voters. In the article this argument is investigated empirically, based on CMP data from 18 West European countries from 1980 to 2014. The findings largely support the argument and show a strong potential for further integration of the two dominant perspectives on party competition.     

Does court-supervised reorganization work? Evidence from post-confirmation firm failure

Unlike the US Chapter 11, the Belgian reorganization legislation requires that distressed firms remain temporarily under court-supervision during the post-confirmation stage. Using a hand-collected sample of firms, we analyze the likelihood of business failure and the time to failure during this period. Less viable firms are more likely to fail and do faster so, indicating relatively effective reorganization proceedings. Firms that are indebted to highly secured banks or owe high sums of unpaid taxes are more likely to fail. Judicial discretion affects the likelihood of failure only in a subsample of sole proprietorships.