scholarly journals Societal and Economic Elements of Trafficking in Human Beings into the European Union

2016 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 831-852
Author(s):  
Alfred Wong ◽  
Roxanne Gomes

The European Union (EU) is an early signatory of the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime. During the past decade, the EU has been undertaking various measures to conform to the "Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons". The mitigating strategy has been largely based on the enforcement of existing and new laws, inside as well as outside of the EU. To date, the results have been largely ineffective. Addressing the societal and economic elements of home and host countries could be a more enduring means to alleviate the problem of trafficking in human beings.

Author(s):  
Kreuschitz Viktor ◽  
Nehl Hanns Peter

This concluding chapter explores EU's anti-subsidy instruments, which are designed to address subsidization by other WTO members. After a hesitant start, the EU since 1995 has progressively used the AS instrument to act against subsidization by third-country governments. While initially focusing on relatively clear-cut export subsidies, over time the EU has more and more also countervailed domestic subsidy programmes. This is clearest in the AS cases initiated against China during the past five years, where the majority of the countervailed programmes have consisted of domestic subsidies. In this context, it is important to note that the findings of specificity reached by the EU in cases concerning China are largely based on the use of facts available, resulting from the imposition of very high burdens of proof on the Chinese government that domestic subsidies in fact are not specific.


2021 ◽  
pp. 27-47
Author(s):  
Renaud Dehousse ◽  
Paul Magnette

EU institutions have frequently been reformed since the origins of what is now the European Union (EU), and particularly so over the past twenty years. This chapter explains why and how this quasi-constant change has taken place. It begins by identifying five phases in this history: the founding, consolidation, relaunch, adaptation, and the current phase of reaction to functional challenges. The chapter then assesses the respective weight of state interests, ideas, and institutions in the evolution of EU institutions. In retrospect, institutional change in the EU appears to have followed a functionalist logic, leading to complex compromises that, in turn, prompt regular calls for ‘simplification’ and democratization.


2020 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 188-209
Author(s):  
Andrew S. Ross ◽  
Aditi Bhatia

The sweeping tide of populism across the globe has given rise to isolationist sentiments that call for the closing of national borders and a return to nativist roots. This has been most evident in Britain in terms of the controversial vote to exit the European Union (EU) during the 2016 referendum (to Leave or Remain) and more recently with the lead up to a general election and mounting pressure on the government to implement an exit strategy. The most vocal proponent of the “leave” movement was the United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP), reframing the debate on EU membership in terms of invasion and oppression. This paper focuses on precisely this discursive construction of the EU by analyzing UKIP campaign posters through application of Bhatia’s Discourse of Illusion framework on three levels: historicity (use of the past to justify the present or predict the future), linguistic and semiotic action (subjective conceptualizations of reality made apparent through metaphorical rhetoric), and degree of social impact (emergence of delineating categories through ideological narrative).


2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 300-307
Author(s):  
George Pavlidis

In order to enhance the existing legal framework on asset recovery, the European Union (EU) will have to apply a ‘no safe haven’ policy to the proceeds of corruption and use all appropriate legal tools. We argue that a new EU instrument on asset recovery, modelled after the Swiss Law on Asset Recovery, would be a valuable addition to the EU’s legal arsenal against corruption, in compliance with its commitments under the United Nations Convention against Corruption. Such an EU instrument will deal specifically with the EU’s power to block the assets of foreign politically exposed persons (PEPs) and eventually facilitate restitution of these assets. Following the model of the Swiss law, a reversal of the burden of proof as to the origin of PEPs’ assets could be introduced in the new EU instrument. Judicial review should be wide enough to ensure fairness to the affected PEPs, balancing the new powers of the Council of the EU.


2017 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 208-222
Author(s):  
Heidi Stockhaus

The new free trade agreement with the European Union will bring Vietnam’s economic integration to a new level once it enters into force. In the past, the associated economic growth has led to environmental deterioration due to inappropriate regulations and poor enforcement. Currently, environmental problems are visible everywhere and attract the attention of citizens as well as lawmakers. The new free trade agreement establishes a framework for sustainable development in the context of trade and investment. The relevant provisions aim to maintain Vietnam’s right to regulate for the targeted protection level, require the country to take measures to mitigate the pressure on the environment, and open the door for cooperation with the European Union. However, it remains to be seen, whether these provisions balance the risks associated with the increase in trade and investment through the free trade agreement.


2005 ◽  
Vol 54 (2) ◽  
pp. 445-458 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tom Obokata

Trafficking of human beings is a widespread practice in the modern world. It has been estimated that up to 800,000 people, especially women and children, are trafficked all around the world each year.1Virtually all States are affected,2and traffickers are believed to make between $7 and $10 billion annually from the trafficking business.3In order to combat trafficking, the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children (Trafficking Protocol) was adopted in December 2000, within the framework of the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (Organized Crime Convention).4


2021 ◽  
pp. 135-160
Author(s):  
Joanna Michalak-Dawidziuk

This article was written on the basis of the text created by the author as part of the Polish component of the Reducing Early School Leaving in the EU project carried out within the 7th Framework Program of the European Union for the years 2013-2018. The text was prepared when the author followed a research apprenticeship program at the Faculty of Education of the University of Warsaw. The article describes the teacher’s profession over the past fifteen years, placing special emphasis on teachers’ education, teachers’ careers, rules for and structure of employment.


2020 ◽  
Vol 42 (1) ◽  
pp. 69-76
Author(s):  
G.G. Geletukha ◽  
T.A. Zheliezna ◽  
S.V. Drahniev ◽  
A.I. Bashtovyi

Purpose of the work is to analyze the perspective directions for the development of transport biofuels sector in Ukraine. Current state and prospects for the production and utilization of transport biofuels in the EU are presented. It is shown that the consumption of transport biofuels in the European Union increased quite dynamically during 2004-2012, experienced a stagnation period for the next four years and started to rise again from 2017. Directive (EU) 2018/2001 (RED II) sets the mandatory target of achieving 14% of renewable energy in the EU transport sector by 2030, with a mandatory share of second generation biofuels. Analysis of the situation in Ukraine shows that the production of bioethanol and biodiesel, unfortunately, has not reached wide development. Over the past twenty years, several relevant programs were developed and approved in the country, but their implementation was not successful in terms of achieving the goals. Today, there are about 20 bioethanol producers in Ukraine with a total capacity of more than 300 kt/yr, but only 8 enterprises with a total capacity of 128 kt/yr are operating. It is known that 14 biodiesel plants with a total capacity of 300 kt/yr have been built in Ukraine, but at present they are actually idle. In addition, there are about 50 smaller enterprises capable of producing up to 25 kt of biodiesel per year, but no reliable information on the actual activity of these enterprises is available. It is obvious that the sector of transport biofuels is currently in a state of stagnation in Ukraine. To improve the situation, it is necessary to implement the consistent state policy and appropriate incentive instruments.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jaime A. Teixeira da Silva

Hungary is geographically central in the European Union (EU). Being linguistically and culturally distinct, Hungary is ideally positioned and somewhat unique, being surrounded by seven other nations. In academics, the challenges facing Hungarian scholars are no different than other scholars in the EU, or globally. In the past few years, research ethics has become more stringent, in part as a result of fortified post-publication peer review. This letter provides one perspective about the state of Hungarian research and academia relative to other EU nations through the prism of research ethics, and in the form of literature corrections, including retractions. Using the Retraction Watch database, 24 retractions, corrections or expressions of concern were observed. One third of those emerged from the University of Debrecen. Five of the corrections were in Elsevier journals, followed by four in Springer Nature journals. Compared with the remaining 26 EU nations, excluding the UK (i.e., considering Brexit), Hungary ranks 17th in terms of number of corrections (range: Malta = 2; Germany = 751). These numbers suggest either that research ethics may be more stringent in Hungary, or that the Hungarian literature has not been sufficiently scrutinized through post-publication peer review.


Climate Law ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 3 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 265-281
Author(s):  
Gudo Borger

The EU ETS lays down distinctions between the aviation sector and other covered sectors with regard to the determination of the emission cap and the manner in which allowances are allocated to operators in different sectors. The choices made by the legislature could infringe upon the principle of equality. I rely upon the criteria set out by the Court of Justice of the European Union to assess whether the principle is respected under the EU ETS. The decision to use different base years for the aviation sector in the calculation of the emission cap can be justified by the undue burden that would be placed on the sector if the base year were set to 1990, in view of its rapid growth over the past two decades. The use of a different allocation method for aviation is not so easily explained. Whether the principle of equality is respected as between different sectors and within the aviation sector will depend on the material effect that the EU ETS will have. In turn, this depends on the development of the price of EUAs. The treatment of aviation under the EU ETS in phase three could give rise to a challenge in a national court once the effects of it become clear.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document