Cleaner, greener data centres

John Booth MBCS, Data Centre Energy Efficiency and Sustainability Consultant at Carbon3IT, explores the detrimental trajectory of data centre energy use, against a backdrop of COP26, climate change and proposed EU directives.

PROCES DALjE HARMONIZACIJE EVROPSKOG POTROŠAČKOG PRAVA

At the time of the establishment of the European Communities in 1957, there was no special provision on consumer policy for the whole of Europe. At the time, individual consumer policies of member states reflected different national cultures, traditions, administrative systems and priorities. Consumer policy at European level has become necessary for them in order to have adequate protection when trading in the single market. The first special consumer protection program was adopted in 1975, which was the basis for a growing body of directives and regulations in the field of consumer protection. Currently, about 90 EU directives cover consumer protection issues. Key EU policy areas related to consumer protection are the protection of life, health and safety of consumers; consumer information; protection of economic interests of consumers; protection of legal interests of consumers.

Identifying a system-neutral meaning of a title transfer financial collateral arrangement in the Financial Collateral Directive

European Union (EU) directives adopt a functional method. This implies that they are drafted on the assumptions that implementing laws are functionally equivalent and, crucially, that the concepts they contain are system neutral without doctrinal commitment. This article primarily tests these assumptions by exploring the definition of title transfer financial collateral arrangements (TTFCA) in the Financial Collateral Directive. It is argued that the Directive offers a stable meaning of a TTFCA that can be identified in most systems, although, in some cases, there are slight conceptual tensions that require a more contextual, rather than a functional, perspective.

New modes of transport and their impact on international transport

Various alternative transport options are currently being developed. The business environment as well as legislation must respond to these. It is possible that in a few years we will encounter modes of transport that were unknown until recently. Whether it is air transport by drones or autonomous vehicles, these are just concepts that are at a more advanced stage of implementation. The task of the legislation will be to respond to these stimuli to avoid uncertainty. These changes will have a major impact on the international transport of goods. The advantage of these alternative modes of transport is the lower impact on the environment, when alternative modes are usually used to power them. The aim of this article is to identify opportunities of new modes of transport on international trade relations. The international legal environment must face new challenges and respond in advance to possible modes of alternative transport. The practice is known that if an adequate legal framework is not created, these alternative modes of transport will develop uncontrollably and after that it will be very difficult to introduce any changes or rules. One way to do this is to implement any changes to the Incoterms. There is also a variant of introducing uniform international standards or, in the case of EU directives, that would address this issue.

Natura 2000 Network vs. Tourism and Investment Potential of Communes—A Case Study of Czarnkowsko-Trzcianecki County

The Natura 2000 is a network of protected areas established in the European Union on the basis of EU Directives. Simultaneously it is the youngest form of protected areas in Poland. Hence conflicts between conservation objectives and opportunities as well as needs of community economic development are quite common. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the tourism and investment potential of Czarnkowsko-Trzcianecki County and determine whether the Natura 2000 network is a factor in increasing the tourism and investment development of the commune or limiting it. We evaluated the tourism and investment potential based on modification of the Gołembski method (i.e., multidimensional comparative analysis) and measured the proportion of the Natura 2000 network in the total area of the commune. The Trzcianka commune was found to have the greatest tourism development and investment potential, but the Wieleń commune was the most attractive in terms of tourism, and Czarnków (municipal commune) was found to have the highest investment attractiveness. Moreover, there was no correlation between the Natura 2000 network and tourism and investment potential of communes. However, these areas had a negative impact on the investment attractiveness of communes, due to socio-economic and technical aspects, which may cause future potential limitation of development.

Opportunities and Threats for Polish Power Industry and for Polish Coal: A Case Study in Poland

This article analyses opportunities and threats for the Polish power industry resulting from the EU climate and energy policy. The main assumptions of the policy and directives resulting from it with regard to climate protection and the use of renewable energy sources (RES) in the production of electricity and heat are presented. The negative effects (threats) for Poland in meeting the EU requirements are discussed. The paper also discusses the opportunities for Polish coal, proposing solutions to meet EU directives and to maintain energy security without having to give up Polish coal. Reference is made as well to the plans to liquidate the Polish mining industry, indicating solutions opposing such actions.

Book Review: Jelena Madir (Ed.), Healthtech Law and Regulation

While telemedicine and M Health Apps have been credited with increasing life expectancy and quality of life, the Coronavirus pandemic has illustrated many challenges in the efficient application of healthcare technology. For example, digitisation has been a successful addition to healthcare services but has also brought new and unforeseen problems such as outdated anti-virus or anti-malware software issues. Healthtech Law and Regulation addresses these new challenges, providing an overview of international treaties and European Union (EU) directives and regulations, as well as domestic European and United States (US) legislation; identifying gaps in existing laws and policies. Though primarily covering EU and US health law and regulation, this edited collection will be of interest to regulators and researchers in all jurisdictions.