The author argues that the mega-regionals are incorporating WTO standards on the removal of techn... more The author argues that the mega-regionals are incorporating WTO standards on the removal of technical barriers to trade (TBT), but do not go much further. Consequently, domestic policies on consumer or environmental protection are inevitably affected. However, in this regard, the mega-regionals would not result in a substantive change. By contrast, the relationship between the removal of TBT and investment protection standards is qualified as poorly balanced, unclear, and creating fresh problems. This includes the possibility that damages might be awarded even in cases where the party to the agreement has correctly used its ‘right to regulate’. Moreover, a critical account of the investor-state dispute settlement system foreseen is offered. It is presented as unnecessarily complex, and creating unbalanced advantages for investors. The better alternative would be integrating national courts into the system.
Should the UK indeed leave the EU, there is a fair chance that the dynamics of EMU-deepening coul... more Should the UK indeed leave the EU, there is a fair chance that the dynamics of EMU-deepening could change, including the Banking Union. Of course, there is no guarantee for that. But a heavyweight with the tendency of decelerating progress will disappear. After a 'No-Deal-Brexit' any directly enforceable right to establishment for British financial institutions under EU law would be dependent on secondary EU legislation. This should not be too high a hurdle given that secondary legislation allows for the establishment of financial institutions owned by third country nationals of third country enterprises. A specific issue concerns Clearing Houses. It would be preferable if at least those of them providing services of systemic relevance would be established within the Euro area. However, there is need for a transitory arrangement. An ESMAdecision would be advisable in order to guarantee the smooth transition of clearing services into the post Brexit era. Introductory Remarks These comments are brief, for the simple reason that I fully concur with Jean-Victor Louis' analysis, be it the identification of the most salient issues or be it his respective observations. Some complementary aspects shall nevertheless be added. Given that, at the time of writing, still no agreement under Article 50 TEU could be reached, my working hypothesis is that there will be no such agreement and that the UK would on 31 October 2019, find itself as a third country without specific treaty arrangement with the EU ('no deal Brexit'); 1 but that it would, with some adjustments of its WTO-commitments, remain a WTO-member, and that, consequently, its trade relations
This chapter examines the extent to which mega-regional agreements constitute new orientations fo... more This chapter examines the extent to which mega-regional agreements constitute new orientations for EU external relations. It focuses on CETA, TTIP, and TiSA, which are the most important instruments in the context of mega-regional initiatives from the viewpoint of the EU, placing them, however, in the broader context of other mega-regional initiatives such as TPP and the RCEP. This chapter explains the main motivations underlying the worldwide move to regional agreements in the course of the last ten to fifteen years and expounds the main functions of mega-regional agreements. Furthermore, it sketches out the principal (geo-)political implications of today’s prime mega-regional projects. Finally, this introductory chapter argues that the reorientation attempted with these initiatives calls for a re-evaluation in view of the problematic experiences made during the negotiations on CETA and TTIP, in particular.
Seit Marz 1996 tagt die in Art N Abs 2 des Vertrages uber die Europaische Union (EUV) vorgesehene... more Seit Marz 1996 tagt die in Art N Abs 2 des Vertrages uber die Europaische Union (EUV) vorgesehene Regierungskonferenz. Neben einer Fulle von Detailreformen steht dort auch ein Umbau der Fundamente der westeuropaischen Integrationsentwicklung seit dem 2. Weltkrieg auf der Tagesordnung. Demokratisierung der Union, Erhohung der Transparenz und Effizienz der Entscheidungsmechanismen, nicht zuletzt zur Vorbereitung auf eine mogliche Verdopplung der Mitgliederzahl - das sind die Kristallisationspunkte der Debatte. Darin eingeschlossen sind die Fragen: Braucht die EU eine Verfassung? Soll sie zu einem Bundesstaat weiterentwickelt werden? Soll das Europaische Parlament zusammen mit oder statt dem Rat der EG zum zentralen Rechtsetzungsorgan werden? Fehlt nicht ein Europaisches Volk als zentrale Voraussetzung solcher Veranderungen? Es erscheint in Anbetracht der hochst unterschiedlichen Ausgangspositionen der Mitgliedstaaten heute sehr zweifelhaft, ob in diesen Punkten weitreichende Ergebniss...
Rechtsfragen der Implementierung des Vertrags von Lissabon, 2011
Der Vertrag von Lissabon zur Anderung des EU Vertrags und des Vertrags zur Grundung der EG samt P... more Der Vertrag von Lissabon zur Anderung des EU Vertrags und des Vertrags zur Grundung der EG samt Protokollen, Anhangen zur Schlussakte der Regierungskonferenz sowie Erklarungen („Reformvertrag“) wurde am 30. November 2009, also einen Tag vor seinem Inkrafttreten, in Teil III des osterreichischen Bundesgesetzblatts unter der Nummer 132 veroffentlicht. Er war auf der Grundlage des Anfang 2008 geanderten Art 50 B-VG uber den Abschluss von Staatsvertragen vom Parlament genehmigt und dann vom Bundesprasidenten ratifiziert worden.
Schriftenreihe der Österreichischen Gesellschaft für Europaforschung (ECSA Austria) / European Community Studies Association of Austria Publication Series, 2003
ABSTRACT Economic and financial crisis measures stretched the legal fundaments of the EMU Treaty ... more ABSTRACT Economic and financial crisis measures stretched the legal fundaments of the EMU Treaty framework to their utmost boundaries and provoked watering down, mutating or even circumventing the existing Treaty limits. Instead of continuing with this pattern when pursuing further reforms, we advise to not only adjust the underlying constitutional EMU framework substantively but address first and foremost the deadlock given by the rigid EU Treaty framework as such by de-constitutionalizing EMU law.
* Überarbeitete und geringfügig veränderte und erweiterte Fassung eines Gutachtens, das der Autor... more * Überarbeitete und geringfügig veränderte und erweiterte Fassung eines Gutachtens, das der Autor im Juni/Juli 2012 für den Grünen Klub im Parlament erstellt hat.
The author argues that the mega-regionals are incorporating WTO standards on the removal of techn... more The author argues that the mega-regionals are incorporating WTO standards on the removal of technical barriers to trade (TBT), but do not go much further. Consequently, domestic policies on consumer or environmental protection are inevitably affected. However, in this regard, the mega-regionals would not result in a substantive change. By contrast, the relationship between the removal of TBT and investment protection standards is qualified as poorly balanced, unclear, and creating fresh problems. This includes the possibility that damages might be awarded even in cases where the party to the agreement has correctly used its ‘right to regulate’. Moreover, a critical account of the investor-state dispute settlement system foreseen is offered. It is presented as unnecessarily complex, and creating unbalanced advantages for investors. The better alternative would be integrating national courts into the system.
Should the UK indeed leave the EU, there is a fair chance that the dynamics of EMU-deepening coul... more Should the UK indeed leave the EU, there is a fair chance that the dynamics of EMU-deepening could change, including the Banking Union. Of course, there is no guarantee for that. But a heavyweight with the tendency of decelerating progress will disappear. After a 'No-Deal-Brexit' any directly enforceable right to establishment for British financial institutions under EU law would be dependent on secondary EU legislation. This should not be too high a hurdle given that secondary legislation allows for the establishment of financial institutions owned by third country nationals of third country enterprises. A specific issue concerns Clearing Houses. It would be preferable if at least those of them providing services of systemic relevance would be established within the Euro area. However, there is need for a transitory arrangement. An ESMAdecision would be advisable in order to guarantee the smooth transition of clearing services into the post Brexit era. Introductory Remarks These comments are brief, for the simple reason that I fully concur with Jean-Victor Louis' analysis, be it the identification of the most salient issues or be it his respective observations. Some complementary aspects shall nevertheless be added. Given that, at the time of writing, still no agreement under Article 50 TEU could be reached, my working hypothesis is that there will be no such agreement and that the UK would on 31 October 2019, find itself as a third country without specific treaty arrangement with the EU ('no deal Brexit'); 1 but that it would, with some adjustments of its WTO-commitments, remain a WTO-member, and that, consequently, its trade relations
This chapter examines the extent to which mega-regional agreements constitute new orientations fo... more This chapter examines the extent to which mega-regional agreements constitute new orientations for EU external relations. It focuses on CETA, TTIP, and TiSA, which are the most important instruments in the context of mega-regional initiatives from the viewpoint of the EU, placing them, however, in the broader context of other mega-regional initiatives such as TPP and the RCEP. This chapter explains the main motivations underlying the worldwide move to regional agreements in the course of the last ten to fifteen years and expounds the main functions of mega-regional agreements. Furthermore, it sketches out the principal (geo-)political implications of today’s prime mega-regional projects. Finally, this introductory chapter argues that the reorientation attempted with these initiatives calls for a re-evaluation in view of the problematic experiences made during the negotiations on CETA and TTIP, in particular.
Seit Marz 1996 tagt die in Art N Abs 2 des Vertrages uber die Europaische Union (EUV) vorgesehene... more Seit Marz 1996 tagt die in Art N Abs 2 des Vertrages uber die Europaische Union (EUV) vorgesehene Regierungskonferenz. Neben einer Fulle von Detailreformen steht dort auch ein Umbau der Fundamente der westeuropaischen Integrationsentwicklung seit dem 2. Weltkrieg auf der Tagesordnung. Demokratisierung der Union, Erhohung der Transparenz und Effizienz der Entscheidungsmechanismen, nicht zuletzt zur Vorbereitung auf eine mogliche Verdopplung der Mitgliederzahl - das sind die Kristallisationspunkte der Debatte. Darin eingeschlossen sind die Fragen: Braucht die EU eine Verfassung? Soll sie zu einem Bundesstaat weiterentwickelt werden? Soll das Europaische Parlament zusammen mit oder statt dem Rat der EG zum zentralen Rechtsetzungsorgan werden? Fehlt nicht ein Europaisches Volk als zentrale Voraussetzung solcher Veranderungen? Es erscheint in Anbetracht der hochst unterschiedlichen Ausgangspositionen der Mitgliedstaaten heute sehr zweifelhaft, ob in diesen Punkten weitreichende Ergebniss...
Rechtsfragen der Implementierung des Vertrags von Lissabon, 2011
Der Vertrag von Lissabon zur Anderung des EU Vertrags und des Vertrags zur Grundung der EG samt P... more Der Vertrag von Lissabon zur Anderung des EU Vertrags und des Vertrags zur Grundung der EG samt Protokollen, Anhangen zur Schlussakte der Regierungskonferenz sowie Erklarungen („Reformvertrag“) wurde am 30. November 2009, also einen Tag vor seinem Inkrafttreten, in Teil III des osterreichischen Bundesgesetzblatts unter der Nummer 132 veroffentlicht. Er war auf der Grundlage des Anfang 2008 geanderten Art 50 B-VG uber den Abschluss von Staatsvertragen vom Parlament genehmigt und dann vom Bundesprasidenten ratifiziert worden.
Schriftenreihe der Österreichischen Gesellschaft für Europaforschung (ECSA Austria) / European Community Studies Association of Austria Publication Series, 2003
ABSTRACT Economic and financial crisis measures stretched the legal fundaments of the EMU Treaty ... more ABSTRACT Economic and financial crisis measures stretched the legal fundaments of the EMU Treaty framework to their utmost boundaries and provoked watering down, mutating or even circumventing the existing Treaty limits. Instead of continuing with this pattern when pursuing further reforms, we advise to not only adjust the underlying constitutional EMU framework substantively but address first and foremost the deadlock given by the rigid EU Treaty framework as such by de-constitutionalizing EMU law.
* Überarbeitete und geringfügig veränderte und erweiterte Fassung eines Gutachtens, das der Autor... more * Überarbeitete und geringfügig veränderte und erweiterte Fassung eines Gutachtens, das der Autor im Juni/Juli 2012 für den Grünen Klub im Parlament erstellt hat.
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