This book discusses how technological innovations have affected the resolution of disputes arising from electronic commerce in the European Union, UK and China. Online dispute resolution (ODR) is a form of alternative dispute resolution in which information technology is used to establish a process that is more effective and conducive to resolving the specific types of dispute for which it was created. This book focuses on out-of-court ODR and the resolution of disputes in the field of electronic commerce. It explores the potential of ODR in this specific e-commerce context and investigates whether the current use of ODR is in line with the principles of access to justice and procedural fairness. Moreover, it examines the major concerns surrounding the development of ODR, e.g. the extent to which electronic ADR agreements are recognized by national courts in cross-border e-commerce transactions, how procedural justice is ensured in ODR proceedings, and whether ODR outcomes can be effectively enforced. To this end, the book assesses the current and potential role of ODR in resolving e-commerce disputes, identifies the legal framework for and legal barriers to the development of ODR, and makes recommendations as to the direction in which practice and the current legal framework should evolve. In closing, the book draws on the latest legislation in the field of e-commerce law and dispute resolution in order to make recommendations for future ODR design, such as the EU Platform-to-Business Regulation on Promoting Fairness and Transparency for Business Users of Online Intermediation Services (2019) and the United Nations Convention on International Settlement Agreements Resulting from Mediation (2018), which provide the legal basis for ODR's future development.

This is the first book published that focuses on competition law and policy in the Japanese pharmaceutical sector. It consists of chapters written and edited by academics who research the industry from various perspectives, including economics, competition law, pharmaceutical regulations, and intellectual property law. Competition policies involving pharmaceutical products attract attention from academics and policymakers worldwide. The pharmaceutical industry is regulated by drug laws that vary from country to country and are affected by differing practices and industrial structures. The book begins by examining drug regulations and trade practices in the industry that are peculiar to Japan and its healthcare system. It then presents the Japanese Antimonopoly Act and cases involving it, and discussions of current competition law issues in the Japanese pharmaceutical industry. The book also discusses innovation and intellectual property and economic analyses of pharmaceutical regulations and drug discovery. The chapters include comparative studies on Japanese regulations vs. those in the European Union and the United States. Japan is one of the biggest pharmaceutical markets in the world. With this in mind, the book provides "one-stop shopping" for anyone interested in pharmaceutical regulations in the country. Covering the basics but extending to in-depth explorations of complex problems, this book appeals not only to students and academics, pharmaceutical companies and regulators, but also to those dealing with real-world policy issues that encompass competition policy, intellectual property, and pharmaceutical regulation. Chapter 11 is available open access under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License via link.springer.com

With changes to the international investment law landscape and Asian countries now actively developing their network of bilateral investment treaties (BITs) and free trade agreements (FTAs), this volume studies issues relating to Asian perspectives on international investment law and forecasts the future of Asian contribution to its science and practice. The book discusses the major factors that have been driving Asian countries to new directions in international investment rule-making and dispute settlement. It also looks at whether Asian countries are crafting a new model of international investment law to reflect their specific socio-cultural values. Finally, the book examines whether there are any 'Asian' styles of international investment rule-making and dispute settlement, or if individual Asian countries are seeking specific national 'models' based on economic structure and geopolitical interests. This unique collection is exceptionally useful to students, scholars and practitioners of international investment law, international trade law and public international law.

Trade liberalization has shaped international economic relations since the conclusion of the GATT 1947. The last few decades have seen a significant shift in the focus of this process: multilateralism seems to have reached its limits, giving way to regionalism, and the focus of trade liberalization has shifted to non-tariff barriers. While these developments have attracted considerable attention, exploring them from comparative perspectives has been largely neglected. Trading systems - the WTO, regional economic integrations and federal systems - are all based on the same dichotomy of free trade and local public interest: they generally prohibit the constituent parties (states) from restricting trade, but exempt them from this limitation if the restriction is warranted by a legitimate local end. The purpose of this volume is to contribute to filling the above-mentioned research gap by exploring central issues in regional economic integrations from a comparative perspective. It provides a general economic analysis of the costs and benefits of trade liberalization and the role and function of normative values in commercial policy. This is followed by a comparative analysis of the approaches used in various regional economic integrations (in North America, Europe and Latin America) and federal markets (the United States, Australia and India) regarding the balance between free trade and local public interest. Key issues in investment law, one of the most contentious elements of next-generation free trade agreements, are also addressed.

The energy industry is a key source of growth stimulation for developing states. Understandably, developing states are eager to enter into petroleum investment contracts with international investors, with the expectation that this will benefit their countries. The domestic law of some developing states provides a welcoming investment environment in the form of guarantees and stability, while other states provide these opportunities by agreeing to investment contracts or treaties drafted by international organisations established to facilitate such agreements. This book identifies the political risks, particularly of indirect expropriation, that arise from the unilateral actions of host governments during the lifespan of energy investment projects. Focusing on stabilisation clauses as a political risk management tool, this research-based study draws on comparative empirical evidence from Turkey and Azerbaijan to determine what influences host states to consent to the insertion of stabilisation clauses in long-term host government agreements. Proposing a framework for the role to be played by both internal forces and external forces, it examines political regimes and state guarantees to foreign investors in Azerbaijan and Turkey from a comparative perspective, assessing how effective internal factors in Azerbaijan and Turkey are in facilitating contractual stability in their energy investment projects. Providing a comprehensive analysis of stabilisation clauses and the internal and external factors that compel host states to commit to them, this book will appeal to practitioners, students and scholars in international investment law and energy law.

This anthology highlights the theoretical foundations as well as the various applications of Behavioural Law and Economics in European legal culture. By the same token, it fosters the dialogue between European and American Law and Economics scholars. The traditional neo-classical microeconomic theory explains human behaviour by using Rational Choice. According to this model, people tend to maximize the difference between expected utility and cost ("expected utility theory"). This theory includes three assumptions: (1) unbounded rationality, (2) unbounded self-interest, and (3) unbounded willpower. Behavioural Economics questions these assumptions and endeavours to render economic analysis more realistic by underpinning it with psychological insights. In recent years, the influence of Behavioural Economics on the Economic Analysis of Law has gained momentum. Behavioural Law and Economics generates a better theoretical understanding of legal phenomena and offers a multitude of applications in legislation and legal adjudication. This volume is testament to the growing and thriving Law and Economics movement in Europe. The European Law and Economics community has steadily grown and the yearly Law and Economics Conference at the law faculty of the University of Lucerne has successfully become a guiding star in the vast sky of Law and Economics.

The current institutional framework for economic co-operation was designed in the 1940s, in the context of war, to promote the peaceful coexistence of nations. Many of the institutions, such as the International Monetary Fund and the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, have served the international community well over the years. However, changes in the quantity and quality of capital flows, and, in particular, criticism of the manner in which these institutions handled the East Asian and Russian financial crises, have triggered a debate about the need for reform of the international financial and monetary system. This work offers a comprehensive legal overview of various aspects of the reform debate, analyzing the proposed parameters of the new financial architecture, the legal infrastructure in emerging economies, and the challenges that the international institutions face in the 21st century. The three main parts of the book focus on the reform of the international institutional framework, the prevention and resolution of liquidity crises, and the approaches taken by European Union institutions. The book brings together a panel of experts from practice and academia and should be of interest to academics, policy-makers, and practitioners in the financial world. This volume is one of a number of works containing the results of a global series of high-level conferences held in 1999, on the topic of "Financial Crises and the New International Financial Architecture".

This book presents comprehensive information on a range of issues in connection with the Fair and Equitable Treatment (FET) standard, with a particular focus on arbitral awards against host developing countries, thereby contributing to the available literature in this area of international investment law. It examines in detail the interpretation of the FET standard of key arbitral awards affecting host developing countries, demonstrating the full range of interpretation approaches adopted by the current investment tribunals. At the same time, the book offers valuable practical guidance for counsels/scholars representing host developing countries in investment arbitration, where balancing the competing interests of the foreign investors and the host developing countries in investment disputes poses a complex challenge. The book puts forward the pressing need for a re-conceptualized interpretation of the FET standard in tune with the developmental issues and challenges faced by host developing countries, recognizing these countries' particular perspectives as an important and relevant aspect of investment disputes (often ignored by the current investment tribunals), while continuing to ensure reasonable protections for foreign investors and therefore serving the needs of the system as whole. The findings presented here will greatly benefit host developing countries engaged in investment arbitration. In addition, the book offers an insightful guide for all researchers whose work involves investment law and investment arbitration issues.

This open access book provides the first-ever comparative study on criminal policy concerning the illicit trade of tobacco, conducted among four comparatively new EU Member States (Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia and Romania) and two "old" EU countries (Germany and Italy). The book addresses the national legal frameworks, current criminological situation regarding illicit trade of tobacco, and the practical challenges faced by national law enforcement authorities in the countries examined. It also considers the international framework, and concludes with a horizontal report. The objective of the book is to highlight legislative and practical challenges in the fight against illegal tobacco products at the national and transnational level, and to formulate recommendations for overcoming them more effectively in Europe.

Agriculture has been the unruly horse of the GATT/WTO system for a long time and efforts to halter it are still ongoing. This Research Handbook focuses on aspects of agricultural production and trade policy that are recognized for their importance but are often kept out of the limelight, such as the implication of national and international agricultural production and trade policies on national food security, global climate change, and biotechnology. It provides a summary of the state of the WTO agriculture negotiations as well as the relevant jurisprudence, but also, and uniquely, it focuses on the new and emerging issues of agricultural trade law and policy that are rarely addressed in the existing literature. With contributions from a multi-disciplinary team of leading analysts from around the world, this Research Handbook will appeal to trade negotiators, international trade law and policy academics as well as postgraduate students in the field. Contributors include: K. Anderson, D. Blandford, M. Cardwell, I. Carreno, M.G. Desta, G. Dutfield, C. Haberli, L.A. Jackson, T. Josling, E. Laurenza, A. Matthews, J.A. McMahon, F. Smith, S. Switzer

This book analyses the emerging jurisprudence of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), and seamlessly knits together all the disparate texts, policies and judicial decisions into a single, coherent resource. The work is deliberately crafted to address the lack of a comprehensive resource on the subject, and guide lawyers, policy-makers, Community citizens, researchers, students and civil society organisations through the labyrinth of the Community's laws and policies. From a socio-legal perspective, it unearths political, socio-economic and legal structures that impinge on the integration cause on the one hand, and dilute the efficacy of the Community legal regime on the other hand. Also, it exposes contemporary terrorism and conflict in West Africa and the legal interventions that the Community has adopted to respond to these challenges. In sequence, it traces and expounds the legal development of the Community norms with respect to sources of law, human rights, supra-nationalism and laws of the member states, reference procedure, action for damages, freedom of movement, discrimination and competition policy.The book particularly evaluates the extent of the human rights jurisdiction of the Community Court of Justice, as well as jurisdictional limitations to the protection of Community rights either at national or Community level. Also, it sheds light on the jurisdictional chasm existing between Community law and member states' national laws, and offers proven constitutional, legislative and judicial solutions to plug the gap. It explains vividly the common market, free movement of goods and the impact of Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) on the entire ECOWAS free trade policy. In all these analyses, evaluation and examination of norms and policies, the work draws on the European Union's rich case law on similar points to explain recondite issues of law which may arise or have arisen from the application of any of the ECOWAS texts.

This book examines the conditions under which PPM measures may be adopted under WTO law de lege lata and de lege ferenda. It analyses in detail the complex case law in this field and its evolution in the last 25 years, as well as the many doctrinal debates around PPM measures and their relevance in the light of the evolution of case law, both under the GATT and the TBT Agreement. Further, it also suggests an original approach to the interpretation of the relevant provisions of the GATT and the TBT Agreement in the context of PPM measures. The PPM issue has been one of the most debated topics in the trade and environment debate. Even though the US-Shrimp case showed that PPM measures are not prohibited per se under the GATT, many questions remain unanswered when it comes to the precise conditions under which environmental PPM measures are justifiable under WTO law, for example in the field of trade measures relating to climate change mitigation efforts, natural resources management policies and biodiversity conservation measures.

This open access book is the outcome of a Global Forum on Innovation, Intellectual Property and Access to Medicines held in December 2019 at the Max Plank Instititute in Munich, organised by the South Centre and the Max Plank Institute. The academics and experts from international organisations participating have contributed chapters to this book. The book is for policy makers (in Ministries of Health, Ministries of Trade, Ministries of Foreign Affairs, patent offices), but also relevant for academics (law, trade, public health), on the flexibilities available in the Agreement on Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) of the World Trade Organization to promote access to medicines.

The concept of state sovereignty is increasingly challenged by a proliferation of international economic instruments and major international economic institutions. States from both the south and north are re-examining and debating the extent to which they should cede control over their economic and social policies to achieve global economic efficiency in an interdependent world. International lawyers are seriously rethinking the subject of state sovereignty, in relation to the operation of the main international economic institutions, namely the WTO, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The contributions in this volume, bringing together leading scholars from the developed and developing worlds, take up the challenge of debating the meaning of sovereignty and the impact of international economic law on state sovereignty. The first part looks at the issues from the perspectives of general international law, international economic law and legal theory. Part two discusses the impact of trade liberalisation on the sovereignty of both industrialised and developing states and Part three concentrates on the challenge to state sovereignty created by the proliferation of investment treaties and the significant recent growth of investment treaty based arbitration cases. Part four focuses on the domestic and international effects of international financial intermediaries and markets. Part five explores the tensions and intersections between the international regulation of trade and investment, international human rights and state sovereignty

This open access book focuses on public actors with a role in the settlement of investment disputes. Traditional studies on actors in international investment law have tended to concentrate on arbitrators, claimant investors and respondent states. Yet this focus on the "principal" players in investment dispute settlement has allowed a number of other seminal actors to be neglected. This book seeks to redress this imbalance by turning the spotlight on the latter. From the investor's home state to domestic courts, from sub-national governments to international organisations, and from political risk insurance agencies to legal defence teams in national ministries, the book critically reviews these overlooked public actors in international investment law.

Does a right to property exist under international law? The traditional answer to this question is no: a right to property can only arise under the domestic law of a particular nation. But the view that property rights are exclusively governed by national law is obsolete. Identifiable areas of property law have emerged at the international level, and the foundation is now arguably being laid for a comprehensive international regime. This book provides a detailed investigation into this developing international property law. It demonstrates how the evolution of international property law has been influenced by major economic, political, and technological changes: the embrace of private property by former socialist states after the end of the Cold War; the globalization of trade; the birth of new technologies capable of exploiting the global commons; the rise of digital property; and the increasing recognition of the human right to property. The first part of the book analyzes how international law impacts rights in specific types of property. In some situations, international law creates property rights, such as rights in aboriginal lands, deep seabed minerals, and satellite orbits. In other areas, it harmonizes property rights that arise at the national level, such as rights in intellectual property, rights in foreign investments, and security interests in personal property. Finally, it restricts property rights that may be recognized at the national level, such as rights in celestial bodies, contraband, and slaves. The second part of the book explores the thesis that a global right to property should be recognized as a general matter, not merely as a moral precept but rather as an entitlement that all nations must honour. It establishes the components of such a right, arguing that the right to property at the international level should be seen in the context of five key components of ownership: acquisition, use, destruction, exclusion, and transfer. This highly innovative book makes an important contribution to how we conceptualize the protection of property and to the understanding that much of this protection now takes place at the international level.

Unimpeded world trade is still a dream. We may have virtually eliminated borders, but persistent discriminatory measures within borders - in the shapes of restrictive investment policies, inappropriate regulatory interference, and restraints on competition - still have the power to stifle foreign entrants to domestic markets. This work proposes to confront these trade-distorting forces at a new round of the World Trade Organization (WTO) talks. Drawing on experience of international trade law practice and policymaking, the authors present a detailed agenda designed to: deepen market access for all goods, services, and intellectual property; facilitate and protect investment by foreign enterprises; overcome disparities of national regulatory schemes; ensure nondiscriminatory business operation in foreign markets; and reinforce and support evolving international economic realities. This study also shows how major regional trading arrangements have in fact achieved deeper economic integration than the WTO regime. Incorporating this evidence - as well as other proposals from the academic and policy communities - the text crystallizes the most important trends in international trade law.

The Services Directive is one of the cornerstones for the realization of the EU internal market and is fundamental to economic and legal experts, as well as to the general public. This book analyses in detail the different steps taken by each of the 27 EU Member States in the implementation process of the Services Directive. It provides not only detailed information about the changes in national law adopted by the Member States, but also facilitates a comparison of the different implementation strategies. It gives an insight in the heterogeneity or homogeneity of implementation concepts and shows how European legislation affects legislation that were originally nationally dominated, such as the law of national administration. Valuable for academics interested in European and administrative law and the transposition of European lawmaking into domestic law, as well as for civil servants in ministries, chambers of commerce, local governments and other comparable institutions having to implement the Directive.

Originally published in 1996. The Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer is one of the most effective multilateral environmental agreements currently in existence. Established to control the production and consumption of CFCs and other ozone-depleting chemicals, the Protocol is an important example of an agreement which places restrictions on international trade in the interests of the global environmental - a feature which may become common in future treaties. This report examines the development, effectiveness and future of the trade provisions of the ozone regime, concluding that they have contributed significantly to its success in attracting signatories and in limiting ozone depletion. Issues considered include the compatibility of the trade provisions and the GATT, trade restrictions and developing countries, and the new problems of non-compliance and illegal trade in CFCs.

International Natural Resources Law, Investment and Sustainability provides a clear and concise insight into the relationship between the institutions that govern foreign investment, sustainable development and the rules and regulations that administer natural resources. In this book, several leading experts explore different perspectives in how investment and natural resources come together to achieve sustainable development in developing countries with examples from water, oil and gas, renewable energy, mineral, agriculture, and carbon trading. Despite varying perspectives, it is clear that several themes are central in considering the linkages between natural resources, investment and sustainability. Specifically, transparency, good governance and citizen empowerment are vital conditions which encourage positive social, economic and environmental outcomes for developing countries. In addition, this book provides new insights into key concepts which underpin international law, including sovereign rights and state responsibility principles. It is clear from this book that in the attempt to reconcile these concepts and principles from separate legal regimes, complex policy questions emerge whereby it is difficult to attain mutually beneficial or succinct outcomes. This book explores how countries prioritise their policy objectives to achieve their notion of sustainable natural resource use, which is strongly influenced by power imbalances that inform North-South cooperation, as well as South-South cooperation in the international investment regime. This book will be of great interest to students, academics and researchers of international environmental law, international human rights law, international investment law and international economic law. This book may also be of relevance to environmentalists, policy-makers, NGOs, and investors working in the natural resources field.

Nationalization disputes in natural resources development are among the most disputed issues of international investment law. This book offers a fresh insight into the nature of nationalization disputes in natural resources development and the rules of international investment law governing them by systematically analyzing (1) the content of investment contracts in natural resources development, and (2) the results of nationalization disputes in natural resources development from the perspective of dynamic bargaining theory. Based on the comprehensive and systematic empirical analyses, the book sheds new light on contractual renegotiation and renewal as a hardly known but practically normal solution of nationalization disputes and presents a set of soft law rules governing contractual renegotiation and renewal.

Public procurement regulation is the body of law dealing with the way in which public bodies award contracts. Procurement by public bodies has implications for a number of areas of law, in particular trade and competition law, and administrative law. This book will provide an essential international and comparative perspective on the foundations of procurement for academics, practitioners and policy makers.

Die Beitrage in diesem Sammelband befassen sich mit den rechtlichen Rahmenbedingungen fur Wettbewerb und Markt in China und Europa. Dies umfasst die gesellschafts-, arbeits- und wettbewerbs- bzw. kartellrechtlichen Bedingungen, das Wirtschaftsstrafrecht sowie die Ausgestaltung des Rechts des geistigen Eigentums sowie des Verbraucherschutzes. In- und auslandische Marktteilnehmer mussen sich dabei nicht nur auf stabile rechtliche Verhaltnisse verlassen koennen, sondern haben groesstes Interesse an einem funktionierenden und verlasslichen Gerichtssystem bzw. aussergerichtlichen Mechanismen der Konflikt- und Streitbeilegung. Die Beitrage analysieren Unterschiede und Entwicklungstendenzen in rechtsvergleichender Perspektive.

This book considers how emerging economies around the world face the challenge of building good institutions and effective governance, since so much of economic development depends on having these in place. The promotion of shared prosperity and the battle against poverty require interventions to reach out to the poor and the disadvantaged. Yet time and again we have seen such effort foild or diminished by corruption and leakage. The creation of good governance and institutions and structures to combat corruption require determination and passion but also intricate design rooted in data, analysis, and research. In this book, leading researchers from around the world bring to the table some of the best available ideas to help create better governance structures, design laws for corruption control, and nurture good institutions.

This is part of a comprehensive, three-volume set which focuses on the legal and business aspects of sports in the USA and abroad. It is presented from a practical and pragmatic perspective, yet with attention to detail. The work is composed of five parts, which deal respectively with: the law and business of sports in the United States, with the primary emphasis on the legal aspects of professional sports; the internationalization of sports from various perspectives, principally North American team sports; the law and business of sports in 18 other jurisdictions; the legal and business aspects of broadcasting and sports, both in the United States and in selected foreign jurisdictions; and sports marketing in its variegated forms in the USA, as well as its international perspectives.