Contested policymaking in Russia: industry,environment, and the “best available technology” debate

The centralized nature of the Russian political system and the dominance of the executive can obscure the role played by other actors in the policymaking process. This article aims to further our understanding of the Russian policy process by examining the ability of industry to determine policy outcomes. An example from the environmental policy process concerning the introduction of the “best available technology” will be presented. This highly contested policy led to significant opposition from industry groups and disputes between government actors. The case demonstrates that industrial interests in Russia are able to exert considerable influence on the policy process; however, this influence is not absolute and requires closer scrutiny. Political leadership was found to be an important factor in achieving policy outcomes. However, for the most part, the policy process was found to be heavily bureaucratized, and dominated by a range of competing interests.     

行政公益诉讼制度探析

行政公益诉讼制度是行政法治的必然要求,而我国的行政公益诉讼在理论与实践上均有欠缺。因此,应借鉴西方国家的行政公益诉讼制度,结合我国的现状,建设符合我国国情的行政公益诉讼制度,重点应解决原告资格、受案范围等问题。     

论“手机吸费”现象及其法律规制

当前我国存在严重的"手机吸费"现象,不少手机用户的账单中多出无线增值业务费。这是一些不法手机厂家、经营者和软件作者利用手机内置扣费代码或者扣费程序所造成的,并严重损害了消费者的利益。同时,"手机吸费"暴露出目前我国的电信领域监管不严和相关法律措施不完善等弊端。分析我国存在的"手机吸费"现象,对"手机吸费"行为进行法律解析,提出应加强电信领域的法律规制,建立"冷静期"制度,加强电信市场监管,全面打击"手机吸费",维护消费者的合法权益。     

国家利益与社会利益:社会主义和谐社会下的中国政府改革创新

中国特色社会主义政府创新的基本经验和未来启示在于:政府改革创新必须依据本国国情,国家利益为重;必须遵循渐进原则,综合利益平衡;必须反对官僚主义,倡导公利压倒私利;必须高度关注民生,人民利益至上。     

Bargaining When the Future of an Industry Is at Stake: Lessons from UAW–Ford Collective Bargaining Negotiations

The 2007 American automobile industry labor negotiations involved fundamental challenges for labor and management, including a historic shift of responsibility in the management of retiree health care, a need for new approaches to core employment security issues, identification of ways to create new unionized jobs in the industry, and a joint commitment to the competitive viability of U.S. operations. Less visible, but no less important in the United Auto Workers–Ford case, has been unprecedented levels of information sharing and unique innovations in the bargaining process designed to enable problem solving even when tough issues were on the table. More than 300 people were directly involved in the negotiations, serving at the main table and on twenty‐four subcommittees. This case study covers the context for the negotiations, key events leading up to the bargaining, a unique process of “bargaining over how to bargain,” the actual negotiation process, and the results achieved. Implications are generalizable to the broader concept of pattern bargaining and many other types of negotiations when transformation is on the table.     

中国公益诉讼：概念、理念与发展展望

公益诉讼作为一种广受社会关注的新的社会现象和法律现象,是当下中国法学理论界与实务界的热点问题。由于研究者视野和角度的不同,公益诉讼尚存诸多争议。需要深刻反思的是：表面上看,目前关于公益诉讼的研究与实践呈现出一派繁荣景象,但公益诉讼大多还停留在观念促销的层面,它还没有触及那些应当被认真对待的实质性问题：公益诉讼的概念如何界定,公益诉讼的定位如何安排,公益诉讼的理念如何塑造,公益诉讼的制度如何发展。可以说,上述问题不仅构成一个健全公益诉讼制度应有的基本内容,也是有效构建我国公益诉讼制度亟待破解的带有基础性和根本性的问题。     

新《消费者权益保护法》主要革新内容的得失及完善

伴随着社会经济的发展,新的消费理念、消费模式等新兴事物的出现不断对《消费者权益保护法》带来冲击。为了切实维护消费者的权利,丰富消费者权利保护的内容,强化经营者的社会责任,有必要针对新《消费者权益保护法》中对消费者权利保护方面的主要修正内容作出探讨,并浅析相关制度的进一步完善措施。     

一种值得商榷的立法倾向——对《民事诉讼法》公益诉讼立法规定方式的质疑

新修《民事诉讼法》对于公益诉讼程序的基本内容、程序规则,采用原则、粗疏的规定方式,不仅体现出了十分明显的简要、概括的立法倾向,而且从民事司法实务、立法与司法解释权限、国家有关立法与司法解释权力的设置、程序保障,以及大陆法系国家民事诉讼程序立法规则的角度上看,这种立法规定形式及其立法指导思想以及立法倾向的科学性、合理性与正确性,都是值得商榷,也是存在问题的。     

不当得利之“利”的界定

研究不当得利制度需要考虑当事人的主观愿望,从民法"利益"的概念入手,不当得利应是财产利益,而且要求受益人保有"利益"时不具有正当性。在存在给付关系的不当得利返还中,应当依据给付目的不能实现和善意保护为判断不当得利返还关系当事人的依据,不能直接依据得失之间的因果关系。适用《涉外民事法律关系适用法》第47条时,需要从不当得利之"利"的主观性考虑,对"共同经常居所地"和"不当得利发生地"做适当解释。     

民事公益之基本类型与程序路径

民事诉讼所要承载之"公益"价值目标可一分为二:"集合性公益"与"纯粹性公益"。基于其间的本质差异,承载二者的制度逻辑和程序原理必须有所区别。传统的"群体性诉讼"制度,如代表人诉讼、选定当事人诉讼、集团诉讼、示范性诉讼(亦称实验性诉讼)等,足以承载"集合性公益"之救济需求。"纯粹性公益"之价值目标,则必须由"公益侵害阻断程序"加以承载。我国新《民事诉讼法》第55条所要建立的民事公益诉讼制度是以德国为代表的"团体诉讼"(verbandsklage)制度为模本的。该项制度在一定程度上开始突破传统民事诉讼之私益属性原理,在广义上属于公益侵害阻断程序的范畴,其制度功能处于"集合性公益"与"纯粹性公益"的临界点上。