How relevant is the public private distinction in the case of voluntary sustainability standards?

This paper argues that the distinction between public and private standards only make sense if one looks at the legal status of specific standard-setting organisations. If one switches the unit of analysis the distinction between public and private begins to blur and fade. In this context, two different unit of analysis are analyzed. One unit of analysis focuses on specific standards, while another unit of analysis looks at a more aggregated level and analyzes broader ‘public’ regulatory approaches in which private standards are embedded. Concerning the former, the paper shows that private standards are often based on internationally agreed (public) rules and norms. Concerning the latter, the paper argues that governments on purpose or in the design of their policies take these private initiatives on board. Hence, they become an integral part of ‘public’ governance. These arguments are developed on the basis of an analysis of Voluntary Sustainability Standards which constitute a leading example of so-called private standards. The paper first introduces the emergence, proliferation and importance of VSS. Next, the paper assesses how private standards in VSS. Next, the attention turns to the link between public policy and VSS. The paper ends with a conclusion

Abundance and vicariance of epigeic opilionids of an inundation forest in the 'Mainzer Becken', Germany (Arachnida: Opiliones)

Zwischen November 2003 und Januar 2004 wurde in einem Auwald bei Ingelheim am Rhein mittels Bodenfallen die Weberknechtfauna untersucht. Hierbei konnten insgesamt 1643 Individuen determiniert werden, welche sich auf 6 Arten aus 3 Familien verteilten. Besonders bemerkenswert sind die thermophilen Arten Astrobunus laevipes, Nemastoma dentigerum und Trogulus martensi. Zusätzlich wurden Bodenfallen eines benachbarten Auwaldes von Juni bis Oktober 2004 ausgewertet, die zusätzliche Daten zur Phänologie einiger stenochroner Arten erbrachten. Biotopansprüche, Vikarianzen und Konkurrenzvermeidung werden diskutiert.From the beginning of November 2003 to January 2004 the opilionid fauna was collected in a floodplain forest of the Rhine valley west of Mainz. Altogether 1643 individuals were captured in pitfall traps; these belong to six species representing three families. The thermophilous species Astrobunus laevipes, Nemastoma dentigerum and Trogulus martensi are noteworthy for this habitat. Results on the phenology of three stenochronous species over the sample periods are presented, and both activity abundance and dominance were measured. Additionally survival strategies for flooding periods are proposed and vicariance and concurrence with related species are discussed

Transparency in EU Trade Policy: A Comprehensive Assessment of Current Achievements

The EU trade policy is increasingly confronted with demands for more transparency. This article aims to investigate how transparency takes shape in EU trade policy. First, we operationalize the concept of transparency along two dimensions: a process dimension and an actor dimension. We then apply this framework to analysis of EU Free Trade Agreements (FTAs). After analyzing transparency in relation to FTAs from the perspective of the institutional actors (Commission, Council and Parliament), the different instruments and policies that grant the public actors (civil society and citizens) access to information and documents about EU FTAs are explored by discussing Regulation 1049/2001, which provides for public access to European Parliament, Council and Commission documents, and the role of the European Ombudsman. The article is based on an analysis of official documents, assessments in the academic literature and case-law of the Court of Justice of the European Union. The ultimate aim is to assess current initiatives and identify relevant gaps in the EU’s transparency policies. This article argues that the EU has made significant progress in fostering transparency in the negotiation phase of FTAs, but less in the implementation phase

Dispute Settlement for Labour Provisions in EU Free Trade Agreements: Rethinking Current Approaches

While labour provisions have been inserted in a number of EU free trade agreements (FTAs), extant clauses are widely perceived as ineffective. This article argues that there is a need to rethink the dispute settlement mechanisms related to labour provisions if their effectiveness is to be increased. It proceeds in three steps. First, we look at the current state of the art of labour provisions in EU FTAs in terms of legal design and practice and argue that the current arrangements are ill-equipped to foster compliance with labour standards. Second, we explore avenues to enhance the design of FTA labour provisions by reconsidering basic elements of the dispute settlement structure. Examining US FTA labour provisions, we highlight the importance of a formal complaint mechanism, on the one hand, and the availability of economic sanctions, on the other. Based on a review of existing practice, we contend, however, that these elements alone are not sufficient to effectively enforce FTA labour provisions. We argue that for FTA labour provisions to be effective, the current state-to-state model of dispute settlement needs to be complemented by a third-party-state dimension and that, additionally, there are good reasons to consider a third party–third party dispute settlement component. We ground these reflections in experiences with already existing instruments in other areas, namely investor-state dispute settlement and voluntary sustainability standards. Thirdly, we discuss options to better connect the dispute settlement mechanisms of FTA labour provisions to other international instruments for labour standards protection with a view to creating synergies and avoiding fragmentation between the different regimes. The focus here is on the International Labour Organization’s supervisory mechanism and the framework of the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises

Increased surface expression of CD18 and CD11b in leukocytes after tourniquet ischemia during elective hand surgery

The surface expression of β2-integrins was investigated in leukocytes from patients undergoing ischemia induced by tourniquet application for elective hand surgery. Blood samples were obtained before initiation, at the end of ischemia, and after 15 minutes of reperfusion from ischemic and contralateral arms of five patients. Comparable expression of CD18, CD11a, CD11b, and CD11c could be detected by immunofluorescence in leukocytes from samples drawn from either arm before tourniquet application. In contrast, a significant increase in the expression of CD18 was detectable in monocytes, granulocytes, and lymphocytes from the ischemic arm compared with that in the nonischemic contralateral control, at the end of the ischemia time (80 ± 16 minutes). A significantly increased expression of CD11b, but not CD11a or CD11c, determinants was also observed in granulocytes and monocytes. Concomitantly, a significant reduction in the percentages of granulocytes in samples from ischemic areas was detectable. After 15 minutes of reperfusion, differences in the expression of these adhesion molecules were no longer significant. The expression of the genes encoding interleukins IL-1α, IL-1β, and IL-6 and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα) proinflammatory cytokines was also studied by reverse polymerase chain reaction (rPCR) in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) obtained from the same samples in three patients. IL-1β or IL-6 gene expression was never observed. Expression of IL-1α and TNFα genes, as detected in two patients, was not related with induction of ischemia. However, in these patients expression of one or both these genes was observed in samples derived from the ischemic but not the control arm after 15 minutes of reperfusion. These data document that overexpression of adhesion molecules and sequestration of leukocytes take place following short ischemia times, as routinely applied clinically for minor surgical procedure