Limiting Arbitration – Protecting Democracy?
This article is available only in German.
Articles for category: Focus
Investor-state dispute settlement – Pulling the chain tighter
Since the 1970s, almost any bilateral and regional investment treaty has provided for investor-state dispute settlement (“ISDS”). Based on these agreements, foreign investors can commence international arbitration against their host states, claiming administrative, regulatory, or judicial measures are in violation of substantive investment protection standards. At a global level rising numbers of investor-state disputes and newly signed investment agreements suggest the continuous importance and attractiveness of this dispute settlement mechanism. Yet, we also see contestations. A few countries did not renew or even terminated existing investment instruments. Others have withdrawn from the ICSID-Convention. What does this mean for the European Union? Simply carrying on appears no sustainable option anymore. Since the 1970s, almost any bilateral and regional investment treaty has provided for investor-state dispute settlement (“ISDS”). Based on these agreements, foreign investors can commence international arbitration against their host states, claiming administrative, regulatory, or judicial measures are in violation of substantive investment protection standards. At a global level rising numbers of investor-state disputes and newly signed investment agreements suggest the continuous importance and attractiveness of this dispute settlement mechanism. Yet, we also see contestations. A few countries did not renew or even terminated existing investment instruments. Others have withdrawn from the ICSID-Convention. What does this mean for the European Union? Simply carrying on appears no sustainable option anymore.
The TTIP Negotiating Position of the EU Commission – a Convincing Reform Approach with some Weak Details
This article is available only in German.
Wie „Habeas Corpus“ die Speziesgrenze transzendieren könnte
Ist „Person“ eine abgeschlossene rechtliche Kategorie, die außer dem Homo sapiens keiner weiteren Spezies mehr offen steht? Schon seit einigen Jahren empfehlen sich Schimpansen und andere Non-Homo-sapiens-Menschenaffen als mögliche Kandidaten. Der Diskurs um deren Rechtsstatus wird nicht nur de lege ferenda geführt. Und er ist nicht nur theoretisch.
Hoffnung jenseits der Illusion: Global Animal Law
„Global Animal Law“ glänzte bis vor wenigen Jahren primär durch seine Absenz. Trotz der Tatsache, dass sich dieses Rechtsgebiet in statu nascendi befindet, vermochten die ReferentInnen des Panels bemerkenswert komplexes und packendes Wissen zu vermitteln. Der „Animal Turn“ wurde in diesem Panel nicht nur im klassischen Sinne als Wendepunkt aufgefasst, sondern ist als Ausgangspunkt einer ganz neuen Debatte zu verstehen.The "animal turn" in this panel was not only understood in its traditional sense as a turning point, but to some extent also as the starting point of completely new debates. Until few years ago, global animal law was notable primarily for its absence. Despite the fact that this field of law is still in its nascent state, the panelists successfully transmitted remarkably complex and thrilling knowledge.
Tiere im Recht – ein neues Rechtsgebiet in Europa?
Am 4. und 5. April kamen an der juristischen Fakultät der Universität Basel Rechtswissenschaftlerinnen und Rechtswissenschaftler und Vertreterinnen anderer Disziplinen zur ersten jährlichen europäischen Tierrechtskonferenz zusammen. Ein breiter interdisziplinärer Ansatz versprach den Animal Turn in the Law aufzugreifen. Am Anfang stand dabei die rechtsphilosophische Frage, wie sich das Thema Tiere im Recht zu der seit einigen Dekaden bestehenden Tierrechtefrage der Tierethikdiskussion verhält. Gibt es eine Mensch-Tier-Grenze? Wie betrachten wir eigentlich andere Tiere?On 4 and 5 April 2014 the first European Annual Animal Law Conference took place in Basel´s law faculty, Switzerland. The first panel involved the human animal boundary from a biological – philosophical approach, the second panel concerned global animal law, the third panel was called “Are animals the New Women?” and the fourth panel finally discussed ground-breaking cases in animal law.
The Animal Turn – what is it and why now?
After the linguistic turn and the iconic turn, we have been witnessing an animal turn in the social sciences and the humanities. What do we mean by animal turn? We mean an increasing scholarly interest in animals, in the relationships between humans and other animals, and in the role and status of animals in (human) society. The animal turn is an academic focus on animals in new terms and under new premises.After the linguistic turn and the iconic turn, we have been witnessing an animal turn in the social sciences and the humanities. What do we mean by animal turn? We mean an increasing scholarly interest in animals, in the relationships between humans and other animals, and in the role and status of animals in (human) society. The animal turn is an academic focus on animals in new terms and under new premises.
„The Eurozone Crisis“: Reply by the Authors
Our book on Eurozone Crisis has been reviewed and commented by four distinguished experts in the field, profs Joerges and Ruffert as well as Drs Georgosouli and Jaros. The reviews show considerable variation in style and focus, but they all are based on a careful reading of our book and contain thoughtful comments. For this we want to express our gratitude. We comment first on some common themes of the reviews and then move on to a few more specific questions. Our conceptualization of the two layers of the European Economic constitution, the microeconomic and macroeconomic one, seems to have ... continue reading
The Eurozone Crisis: Some reflections on economic sustainability and the issue of legitimacy
The Eurozone Crisis: A Constitutional Analysis by Kaarlo and Klaus Tuori is a welcome addition to the vast literature on the recent financial turmoil, the Eurozone crisis and the policy, legal and institutional reform of the European Union in their aftermath. The book consists of three parts. Part one introduces the reader to the main themes of the book, namely, the macroeconomic and the microeconomic layers of the European economic constitution, the causes of the recent financial crisis and the European response. Against this backdrop, part two focuses on the issue of constitutional mutation, exploring, in particular, the constitutionality of ... continue reading
In Defence of „Good Intergovernmentalism“
Kaarlo Tuori’s and Klaus Tuori’s account of the the Eurozone crisis is an excellent analysis of all of its major constitutional issues. In the first chapters, the authors set the field in all necessary detail, embedding constitutional history in its economic context. They strongly focus on the distinction between two layers of Europe’s economic constitution, the microeconomic (laid down in the Treaty of Rome, and developed by the ECJ) on the one hand, and the macroeconomic layer (introduced with the Maastricht treaty) on the other hand. They correctly depict the macroeconomic constitution as a logical development of the microeconomic one ... continue reading
