Strategic Standardization in Europe: A Public Choice Perspective

In October 1990, the EC Commission presented a Green Paper in which it outlined a New Approach to European standardization. In particular, standardization was interpreted as a means of furthering the completion of the Internal Market. This paper discusses the impact of the modifications to the process of standard setting, as they have been proposed by the Commission, with respect to the incentives and goals of the major players in the European standardization game, i.e., national and European standardization bodies, industry and the EC Commission. Selected economic models of standardization are applied to investigate the policy impact of the New Approach.     

Meeting the Offender Re-integration Challenge

In this article the author – member of the European Offender Employment Forum – gives his view on the problems of re-integrating ex-offenders. He describes the pan-European growth of the prison population, the vocational training offered in prisons and the demands of the labour market. He also discusses promising programmes and initiatives to counter the problems faced by ex-offenders. The 'solution' should be multi-dimensional, provide for continuity between pre-release and after-care and counter problems like employment, housing and finances. Governments must make it their business to ensure that the programmes they support are meeting the range of offenders' needs, are linking properly with the labour market and are providing continuity from sentence to community.     

The regular article tracking developments at the national level in key European countries in the area of IT and communications – Co-ordinated by Herbert Smith LLP and contributed to by firms across Europe

This column provides a concise alerting service of important national developments in key European countries. Part of its purpose is to compliment the Journal's feature articles and Briefing Notes by keeping readers abreast of what is currently happening “on the ground” at a national level in implementing EU level legislation and international conventions and treaties. Where an item of European National News is of particular significance, CLSR may also cover it in more detail in the current or a subsequent edition.     

法律监督在我国监督体系中的地位与作用

我国的监督体系是一个对权力进行多角度监督制约的有机统一体。法律监督是检察机关依法对法律的执行和适用情况进行的有法定效力的监察、督促工作,其本质属性是权力制约。检察机关的宪政地位决定了法律监督在我国监督体系中的独特地位,具有其他监督形式不可比拟的优势,在监督体系中发挥着独特的、不可或缺的作用。     

公共财政体制的宪政之思——公共财政体制的正义品性、民主品质和法治品格

公共财政是国家权力公共化的基础,失去了公共财政的公共性,就不能保证国家权力的公共性,更不能确保国家权力仅用于提供公共服务。为此,必须确保公共财政体制具有正义品性、民主品质和法治品格。财政正义体现为国家与公民财产征收关系的合理、适度。财政民主就是政府依法按照民众意愿,通过民主程序,运用民主方式来理政府之财。财政法治要求遵循法律保留原则,实行财政法定。     

关于西方宪法史研究的几点思考

关于西方宪法史的研究,很大程度上就是对于西方宪法历史的阐释。它涉及如何理解宪法的涵义,如何理解历史上宪法事件或者具有宪法意义的事件,如何理解宪法性事件之间的因果关系等等。这些先决性命题,决定了西方宪法的历史图景及其线索。古代希腊以降的早期宪法思想与宪制实践,为西方宪法的成熟奠定了良好的基础。近东一带的政治法制实践,对于西方宪法思想的形成和发展产生过重要的影响,这些早期的宪政因子对于西方宪法制度和宪法思想提供了重要的知识渊源。     

反思欧盟制宪实践——哈贝马斯式的视角

在质料意义上而言,欧盟已经存在有宪政雏形。哈贝马斯认为,制宪将会促成欧洲范围内全方位、多层次的大辩论,为各国协商对话和沟通创造契机,产生政治公共领域,培育共同政治文化。文章指出,一部形式和规范意义上的欧盟宪法是社会治理系统工程的开端和象征,代表着一种新秩序,无论是在欧盟内部还是在世界舞台上。     

Case law of the EPO Boards of Appeal in 2006

Legal context: The article reviews significant decisions handed down by theBoards of Appeal of the European Patent Office (EPO) in 2006,concentrating on decisions of the Enlarged Board and the Boardsof Appeal issued in 2006 and published or to be published inthe OJ EPO. Key points: The article discusses the application of Art. 24 EPC on exclusionand objection to members of the boards of appeal in the lightof the following decisions: G 1/05, T 281/03 and J 15/04; referralspending before the EBA on the subject of divisional applications(Art. 76 EPC and R. 25 EPC) and exclusion from patentabilityunder R. 23d(c) in conjunction with Art. 53a EPC; and decisionsof technical boards of appeal on exclusions from patentability(Arts. 52 (2)(3) and (4) EPC), the requirement of industrialapplicability (Art. 57 EPC) and re-establishment of rights (Art.122 EPC). Practical significance: The article provides an overview of the 2006 case law of theboards of appeal which is particularly useful since most ofthe decisions discussed have not yet been published in the OJEPO. The author is critical of the recent case law on the applicationof Art. 24 EPC (exclusion and objection to members of the boardsof appeal) and reports on several decisions of particular legalinterest.     

欧盟法的基本自由与劳工权利保护

欧盟法规定的基本自由包括共同市场内的商品流通自由、劳动力迁徙自由、服务业流通自由和资本流动自由四个部分,可以直接适用于欧盟国家的公民。这种规定为欧盟范围内劳工权的保护提供了全面、深入的法律保障,并赋予国际人权保护新的思想内涵。同时,对劳工权的保护促进了基本自由的完善。欧盟法基本自由对中国劳工权利保护也有一定的借鉴意义。     

从相互协助到相互承认——欧盟刑事取证立法变迁探析

欧盟刑事取证立法建立在两个不同原则上,一是传统的相互协助基础上的立法,一是1999年坦佩雷会议后,相互承认基础上的立法;这两种立法在欧盟范围内并存。从未来发展看,相互承认基础上的立法将逐步取代相互协助基础上的立法。欧盟理事会2008年12月通过的《欧盟证据令》是欧盟在相互承认基础上取代原有刑事取证立法的第一步,对原有立法进行了制度性革新。欧盟刑事取证立法在取得显著进步的同时,在相互承认原则和公民基本权利保障等方面也面临着诸多挑战。