Municipalisation in Australia: The Case of Launceston 1880–1914

This article expands upon the crucial role of the state in the provision of infrastructure in late‐nineteenth century Australia by examining the hitherto overlooked role of local government, and in particular, the provision of municipal services in Launceston, Tasmania's second largest city. From the 1890s, socialist groups across Europe actively sought to control councils, believing “good” local government the key to social reform. Municipalisation in Tasmania had more pragmatic origins. Colonial governments encouraged local‐level service provision to prevent the draining of their own finances. In Launceston an ideological element occasionally surfaced. But municipalisation was driven by resentment of a neglectful Tasmanian government, by the desire to modernise the town, by intent to secure new sources of revenue, and by the strong civic pride of businessmen.     

危机中的俄罗斯:一个超级能源大国的终结

叶利钦时期俄罗斯的掠夺式资本主义导致了后苏联时期俄罗斯经济转型的灾难性后果。普京当政后对这一政策进行了大幅修正,转而奉行传统俄罗斯式的反市场经济模式。强力部门人士进入权力核心,国家控制取代市场运营成为主要战略。重组能源部门并借此巩固新的政治权力基础,进而恢复俄罗斯超级大国地位,构成了普京当局的优先政策。俄罗斯经济在普京作为俄罗斯总统任内的强势复苏似乎标志着俄构建能源超级大国的战略进展顺利,但金融危机的冲击暴露了现存俄罗斯制度的危险性。俄已经错过了调整经济结构的宝贵机会,克里姆林宫将能源同时作为财富增长和外交杠杆的时代已经结束。在这一背景下,梅普共治体制的改革以及经济政策的调整也许将成为可能。但历史的惯性和重负经常使俄在经历混乱失序后回归原点。俄罗斯市场经济的转型必将是一个漫长的过程。     

The Optional European Code on the Basis of the Acquis Communautaire—Starting Point and Trends

Abstract:  The idea of creating a European Code for contract law, though recent, has gathered pace. Although most work towards this goal has so far assumed that the principles should be constructed through critical comparative law studies of the existing contract laws of Member States, it is argued here that the acquis communautaire provides a modern and democratically endorsed collection of principles, which can be quite well systematised, that should provide the starting-point for scholarly endeavours towards the construction of a code of contract law.     

Der Umweltbericht in der Strategischen Umweltprüfung nach dem neuen UVPG

Das neue Gesetz über die Umweltvertr?glichkeitsprüfung (UVPG) setzt die Anforderungen der Richtlinie über die Umweltprüfung von Pl?nen oder Programmen (Plan-UP-RL) mit etwa einem Jahr Versp?tung in bundesdeutsches Recht um. Für die Strategische Umweltprüfung (SUP) besteht damit nun zumindest auf Bundesebene ein einheitlicher gesetzlicher Rahmen. Die Inhalte der Strategischen Umweltprüfung sind in einem sog. Umweltbericht zu dokumentieren. Der Beitrag gibt einen überblick über die Anforderungen, die an einen solchen Umweltbericht vor dem Hintergrund des neuen § 14g UVPG zu stellen sind.     

Proportionality and balancing in WTO law: a comparative perspective

This article discusses the concepts of proportionality, necessity and balancing in the World Trade Organization (WTO) legal framework. These concepts are increasingly important in the context of services and establishment regulated by the General Agreement on Trade in Services. The role and meaning of proportionality, necessity and balancing are not clear. The emerging WTO case law is analysed in this article, which adopts a comparative approach, drawing upon proportionality and balancing tests in different national and international legal orders. It discusses how these tests could influence the interpretation and application of WTO law. A main argument is that trade-offs among competing norms and values are unavoidable in WTO dispute settlement, and that the proportionality analysis could contribute to making this process more transparent, rational and predictable.