The Relationship Between Initial Tender and Mini-Competition: EU and Lithuanian Perspectives on Framework Agreements

The article conducts a comprehensive scholarly analysis of framework agreements – a public procurement technique often used across different European jurisdictions. Besides examining the general legal framework of the EU and Lithuanian law on framework agreements, the article also examines the newest EU case law. The authors analyse the relationship between the initial tender procedure establishing the framework agreement and the subsequent mini-competition that follows under the former to award the public contract. In contrast to the Lithuanian legal regulation and related case law, the authors argue that these two stages are interconnected and must be viewed as a unified part of the same procurement process in line with European legal doctrine. Finally, the article highlights the differences between framework agreements and public contracts.

CHINESE BELT AND ROAD INITIATIVE IN THE COUNTRIES OF THE GULF COOPERATION COUNCIL

China's relations with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries have expanded significantly in recent years, especially in the areas of geopolitics, economics, trade, finance, banking, infrastructure, energy and security. China is deepening its economic cooperation with the GCC monarchies through the China-Arab Cooperation Forum (CASCF) and the China-GCC Framework Agreement. A mechanism that can strengthen trade relations is the FTA between China and the GCC. The Chinese New Silk Road Initiative (NSRI) was accepted by all GCC countries that became members or perspective members of the Chinese-led Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB). The NSRI project called "Industrial Park - Connecting ports, Two-Wheel and Two-Wing Approach" would provide the basis for consolidating China-built industrial parks in key cities of the GCC with regional ports to create business clusters, increase trade flows, and connect supply chains across the region. The future of relations between China and the GCC oil-producing countries will be based on strong, less fluid building blocks, which has facilitated alignment of the NSRI with the national development concepts of the GCC countries. All, are designed to diversify their economies from a single-resource rentier model to a post-oil model, with the necessary transition to manage their dependence on foreign labor, public sector employment and heavily subsidized utilities.

Why Should The Role Of The Peace Implementation Council And OHR Continue In Bosnia And Herzegovina?

After the dissolution of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) gained its independence with a referendum held in 1992. Bosniacs, Bosnian Croats, and Bosnian Serbs were the main sides of war in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The war caused more than 100,000 deaths and hundreds of thousands of injuries, War ended with the agreement reached and initialed on 21 November 1995... The General Framework Agreement for Peace (GFAP) in Bosnia and Herzegovina created a delicate balance between constituent peoples. Due to a unique state system involving complex procedures, it was envisaged to appoint a High Representative with the authority to resolve the civil matters of GFAP.. A Peace Implementation Council (PIC) and its Steering Board were also constituted., Turkey is a member in the PIC Steering Board.. PIC in its meting held in Bonn in 1997 welcomed the High Representative’s intention to use their final authority regarding interpretation of the Agreement on the Civilian Implementation of the GFAP to facilitate the resolution of difficulties by making binding decisions, as they judge necessary. These powers were called as "Bonn Powers".. The analysis defends the view that to preserve the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the BiH the PIC and the High Representative Office should continue with the Bonn Powers.. It suggests that Turkey, as a member of the PIC Steering Board, has the ability as well as the responsibility as a Balkan state with exceptional ties with BIH, to influence the shaping of the decisions to be taken regarding the continuation of OHR.. The analysis also proposes that Turkey, as it did in the past, should staunchly defend the sovereignty and territorial integrity of BiH and must strongly oppose the approaches that aim to dismember BiH.

Climate Change and Trade Facilitation: Estimating Greenhouse Gas Emission Savings from Implementation of Cross-Border Paperless Trade in Asia and the Pacific

The Framework Agreement on Facilitation of Cross-Border Paperless Trade in Asia and the Pacific entered into force in February 2021. While economic benefits associated with paperless trade facilitation are well known, little attention has been paid to measuring the potential environmental benefits. Accordingly, this article sets out to quantify the amount of greenhouse gas emissions that could be saved if all trade-related paper documents in the region are ultimately replaced by digital documents and data exchange, as foreseen in the regional framework agreement. This is carried out by combining detailed descriptions of trade transactions, data on trading volumes and relevant emission factors. Even with conservative assumptions, the emissions saved by fully digitalising a single end-to-end trade transaction are equivalent to planting 1.5 trees. For the Asia-Pacific, this implies savings of about 13 million tons of CO2e annually, equivalent to the carbon absorbed by 400 million trees. The results are driven by efficiency gains from handling data digitally rather than by the direct savings of paper and ink. JEL Classification: F18, H83, Q56

Strategi Pemerintah Taiwan dalam Meningkatkan Ekspor Agrikultur melalui Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA)

The relationship between China and Taiwan since separating in 1949 continues to fluctuate, particularly with the One China Policy. However, despite the political tension between the two, they have close bilateral economic ties relations, where China is Taiwan's largest trading partner. China and Taiwan signed an agreement entitled "Cross-Straits Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement" (ECFA) in 2010. The ECFA challenges Taiwan's agricultural sector. This paper evaluates how the Taiwanese government response to boost the competitiveness of their agricultural exports through three channels: 1) foreign policies, 2) trade regulations, and 3) supports to domestic firms.

North Macedonia after the Ohrid Framework Agreement

Independence movements triggered by the end of the Cold War ended in state collapse and the creation of new states across the European continent. The decade coloured with violent wars in the Balkan region did not leave the Republic of Macedonia immune from ethnic conflict, which occurred in 2001. The outcome in the form of the so‑called Ohrid Framework Agreement (OFA) was the intended improvement of the rights of minorities and the sharing of power in decision making, both on local and central levels. The purpose of this paper is to determine whether theoretical approach patterns to state instability match the causes for the outburst of the Macedonian conflict of 2001. It will also try to detect if the conflict resulted from minority discrimination, state institutions’ inability to control the territory, poor economic situation, uneven regional development after independence, or it was a combination of factors that – fully or partially – contributed to its emergence. The paper will also seek to confirm if addressing these factors two decades later decreased the divisions across ethnic lines in the state.

Possibilities of the Contracting Authority to Amend the Public Procurement Contract/Framework Agreement

The experience gained in the field of public procurement leads me to the statement that the activity of amending the public procurement contract / framework agreement is a challenging activity for the contracting authority. Maybe not from the perspective of elaborating the documents necessary to operate the change or changes that may be required during the development of the public procurement contract / framework agreement, but rather from the perspective of the solutions offered by the law, solutions that cover only certain areas. Starting from the normative acts in force, this paper aims to identify the situations and the way in which the contracting authority can modify the public procurement contract / framework agreement, the documents to be elaborated and the effects that the modifications might entail. In order to increase transparency, predictability and coherence in relation to the operation of contractual changes, contracting authorities should carry out analyses after each public procurement process as well as of the various practical situations encountered during the execution of contracts.

Health and Happiness in the New Urban Agenda: The Central Role of Public Space

The New Urban Agenda—the global urbanization framework agreement adopted by acclamation by all 193 countries of the United Nations—contains no fewer than eight paragraphs on the importance of public space, three of which outline its role in achieving “human health and well-being”, “attractive and liveable cities”, and “physical and mental health”. However, there is an urgent need to translate these and other quality of life aspirations contained in this landmark document into measurable targets, tools, and strategies to achieve outcomes. This paper examines the core theories that connect health and well-being to public space as reflected in the document, surveying some of the most relevant research in the field. It then analyzes the document text to identify a number of potentially useful indicators. Finally, it proposes a framework for data gathering, assessment, and iterative progress in achieving the stated goals, concluding with an overview of emerging research and practice, and proposed next steps.