Buy national campaigns promotionin the EU and EAEU countries

It is determined in the article that the promotion of the “Buy National” policy is of a protectionist nature and often may not comply with international trade rules, including within the framework of integration associations. It was determined that this approach of the states participating in integration associations (the EAEU is no exception) is a certain brake on the development of integration processes. As a result of the analysis of studies on this issue, it was revealed that consumers in certain countries support the policy “Buy national, but their purchasing habits are not fundamentally changed. The study analyzes individual ways of using the Buy National campaigns in the countries of the European Union and the Eurasian Economic Union and shows that countries are actively using this policy, explaining these measures by supporting the national economy, but such actions threaten the development of integration. Based on the results obtained, possible recommendations for cooperation of the EAEU member states have been developed for an equal representation of goods from the five countries in retail facilities. In particular, it was proposed to develop and adopt a model code of good practices for retail chains as norms of "soft" law, enshrining in it the principle of non-discrimination towards goods from the EAEU member states.

Lessons from UNCITRAL for Reforming the South African Legal Framework Concerning Security Rights in Movable Property

This article analyses the South African legal framework governing security rights in movable property with the view to inspire law reform. The analysis is based on a comparison of the current South African framework with the UNCITRAL Legislative Guide on Secured Transactions, a soft-law instrument containing international best practice. The problematic aspects of the South African framework benchmarked against the UNCITRAL Guide are: (1) not having a common legal framework that equally applies to all types of (including quasi-) real security transactions; (2) the scope of the current framework not being comprehensive (inclusive) enough; (3) not having an efficient enough method of creating the security right; (4) the current publicity method, particularly concerning special notarial bonds, being overly cumbersome and not providing effective public notice to third parties; and (5) the current enforcement measures potentially not being the most efficient. Regarding each of these problem areas, the article makes proposals on how the South African legislature could reform the current framework into one that is legally efficient and in step with international best practice.

La naturaleza jurídica del alta mar en materia de responsabilidad por daños ambientales

A la luz del derecho internacional ambiental se estudiaron los regímenes jurídicos, jurisprudenciales y doctrinarios que engloban a la institución de alta mar, ya que tanto la Convención de las Naciones Unidas sobre Derecho de Mar de 1982 como la Declaración de Río sobre Medio Ambiente y Desarrollo de 1992 congregan una desnaturalización a los derechos y obligaciones de protección establecidos en beneficio de alta mar; porque dentro de estos instrumentos internacionales sus efectos y aplicación radican dentro de la teoría soft law, debido al carácter soberano de los Estados y por la escasa técnica legislativa contemplada en su desarrollo normativo; cuestiones que inducen a la formación de vacíos legales que provocan que los casos en materia de contaminación y sobreexplotación de recursos naturales no renovables que yacen en alta mar queden en la impunidad. Por ende, este trabajo invita a la comunidad internacional a modificar la estructura jurídica de la Convención de las Naciones Unidas sobre Derecho de Mar de 1982, en la medida que incorpore una protección efectiva en la Parte VII sobre alta mar; y, además incluya en cierto modo al medio ambiente con el objeto de prevenir y reducir potenciales actividades antrópicas que provocan el deterioro del ambiente por los nuevos usos y costumbres instigados en el siglo XXI.

An Overview of National and International Environmental Laws pertaining to Arctic States and Their Work with the Arctic Council

The latest International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report published in August 2021 demonstrated that the Arctic region drastically feels the impacts of climate change. Several laws and policies contribute to the governance of the reduction of emissions which impact the Arctic polar region. This work will analyse the inclusion of language relating to the Arctic region in several key Arctic countries’ climate policies and in their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) submitted in requirement of being parties to the Paris Agreement. Arctic policies of these same countries will then be analysed to determine the degree to which they stipulate action relating to the Arctic environment. Finally, the several research projects and initiatives conducted by the Arctic Council’s two working groups, the Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme (AMAP) and the Arctic Contaminants Action Programme (ACAP), will be overviewed to demonstrate their contributions to the best available science and practice in the region. This paper will look into how, and to what extent, the research of the Arctic Council working groups can be considered a mechanism of soft law in Arctic environmental governance. Consideration will also be given to how this relates to soft law governance stemming from the Law of the Sea (LOSC).

Philosophy of “Soft Law” as a Universal Regulator of International Relations Management

Soft law is a set of rules and guidelines, the legal force of which is at the “negotiation” stage. It has ap- peared in international law since the 1970s as one alternative to international treaties, used in cases where, for various reasons, the parties do not want or cannot commonly decide or to sign an international treaty. Agreements of this kind do not create legal obligations between the contracting parties (under the princi- ple, contracts must be respected) but only set political obligations, observing which is at the discretion of the parties. The primary purpose of the study is to analyze the philosophy of “soft law” in the context of international management of relations. The principal object of the research is the essence and significance of the philosophy of “soft law” as such. The major results of our research are to determine the essence and significance of the philosophy of “soft law” in the context of international relations.

Framework for the Promotion of Accountability in the Social Economy: The Specific Case of Private Social Solidarity Institutions

Given the extreme importance of improving the accountability of Private Social Solidarity Institutions (IPSS), both for reasons of legal compliance (hard law) and for reasons of improving legitimacy and notoriety among their stakeholders (soft law), this paper aims to present a framework designed under a more comprehensive research project, for the assessment of IPSS accountability and, consequently, its improvement. This study also present results of the indicators conceived, identifying the main trends of the framework dimensions and sub-dimensions from a pilot test for the years 2018, 2019 and 2020 in Portugal. Given the results, we believe that the framework designed answers the research question: How to promote accountability (social, financial and economic) in the social economy sector, in particular: the case of the IPSS?, however, as this is an exploratory article, it incorporates the limitation that this is a pilot test with only 7 entities.

Impacto de la agenda 2030 y los objetivos de desarrollo sostenible en la Unión Europea, España y México

La Agenda 2030 para el Desarrollo Sostenible, aprobada por los 193 Estados miembros de la Organización de las Naciones Unidas (ONU) en su Asamblea General en 2015, tiene como meta para alcanzar en el período 2015-2030 los denominados Objetivos de Desarrollo Sostenible. Se trata de normas cuya naturaleza jurídica es la del “Soft Law”, que están desarrollando una decisiva influencia en las políticas y legislaciones nacionales y se han convertido en el modelo mundial para el desarrollo sostenible y la erradicación de la pobreza. En el trabajo se analiza el impacto de estos Objetivos de la Agenda 2030 en ámbitos tan decisivos como el medio ambiente, la lucha contra el cambio climático y otros temas relacionados. También son objeto de estudio las principales medidas adoptadas en los ordenamientos jurídicos de la Unión Europea, España y México para dar cumplimiento y aplicar la Agenda 2030 y los Objetivos de Desarrollo Sostenible.

論人體胚胎研究“軟法”修改之正當性

LANGUAGE NOTE | Document text in Chinese; abstract also in English. This commentary briefly discusses the substantive and procedural justifications for amending the longstanding 14-day rule, a soft-law limitation on the culturing of human embryos. The 14-day rule was established on the basis of general recognition of the human embryo's special status, accompanied by widespread public conversation and engagement. In principle, amending this rule would require the same substantive and procedural justifications. However, such justifications were absent prior to the lifting of the rule by the ISSCR in its 2021 guidelines. This article also discusses the value and importance of the 14-day rule to the development of human embryo research in the last three decades. Discarding the rule without the proper substantive and procedural justifications is likely to damage public trust and confidence in future human embryo research.

Przedsiębiorcy odpowiedzialni społecznie wobec reżimów totalitarnych i autorytarnych

Increasingly, there are voices of dissatisfaction in the public opinion towards the actions of entrepreneurs who indirectly support authoritarian or totalitarian authorities. The aim of this article is to find an answer to the question whether a socially responsible entrepreneur, obliged to respect and protect human freedoms and rights, can undertake actions supporting totalitarian and authoritarian regimes. When looking for answers, I will refer to business ethics, the concept of corporate social responsibility, soft law, as well as to normative obligations under national law.

To be or not to be (legally binding)? Judicial review of EU soft law after BT and Fédération Bancaire Française

El soft law de la UE es como una criatura mitológica de la gobernanza de la UE: si un sátiro es mitad hombre y mitad cabra, así la ley blanda de la UE es mitad derecho y mitad no-derecho. Su doble naturaleza irrestricta por el procedimiento legislativo ha facilitado su proliferación, pero sigue surgiendo la controversia sobre su papel en la UE y en los Estados miembros. Dos casos recientes se suman a la saga sobre los efectos del soft law de la UE: BT contra Balgarska Narodna Banka y Fédération bancaire française contra Autorité de contrôle prudentiel et de résolution. Estas dos sentencias, fruto de dos cuestiones prejudiciales, son en cierta medida extraordinarias: el Tribunal de Justicia de la Unión Europea ha analizado por primera vez la validez de las recomendaciones y directrices de la UE, medidas de soft law de la UE por excelencia, en el contexto de las solicitudes de cuestiones prejudiciales. Pero además de sus resultados, estas decisiones también han arrojado dudas sobre los efectos del soft law de la UE. Tras exponer las conclusiones de los abogados generales y las sentencias del Tribunal de Justicia, el trabajo aborda tres cuestiones: las lagunas en el concepto de «efectos jurídicamente vinculantes» en el derecho de la UE, las orientaciones (poco claras) sobre el uso del soft law de la UE en los tribunales nacionales y la evolución de la revisión de la validez del soft law de la UE. Ser o no ser (¿jurídicamente vinculante?) Esa es la cuestión del soft law de la UE.