THE ORGANIZATION AND ECONOMICS OF ITALIAN SERIE A: A BRIEF OVERALL VIEW

Introduction – 1. The Institutions of Italian Football – 2. Ownership and listing of Italian Serie A Teams – 3. Management of stadia – 4. Some Economics of Italian Football League – 5. Costs out of control. Financial fragility of Italian teams – Conclusions – ReferencesCalcio, Serie A, sport institutions

Trademark protection or protectionism?

This paper explores the extent to which discrimination against foreign applicants in the trademark registration process can be used as a"behind-the-border"barrier to imports. Prima-facie evidence shows that in some developing countries the ratio of trademark registration to applications is much higher for national than for foreign applicants, which is consistent with the notion of discrimination against foreign firms. The authors develop a simple model that suggests that incentives to discriminate are stronger when foreign firms produce products that are close in quality to the product produced by domestic firms. This hypothesis is then tested and empirically confirmed in three of the four countries in their sample, suggesting that discretion and discrimination in the trademark registration process can sometimes be used as a protectionist tool.Environmental Economics&Policies,Health Monitoring&Evaluation,Markets and Market Access,Public Health Promotion,Economic Theory&Research,Environmental Economics&Policies,Economic Theory&Research,Health Monitoring&Evaluation,Access to Markets,Markets and Market Access

The global distribution of trademarks - some stylized facts

Trademarks are words, signs, symbols, or combinations thereof that identify goods as manufactured by a particular person or a company, therefore allowing consumers to distinguish between goods originating in different sources. Trademarks belong to the wider family of intellectual property rights (IPRs), and once registered benefit from legal protection against unauthorized use by entities other than the legal owner. While some suggest that cross-border registrations of IPRs may be associated with welfare transfers from developing to industrial countries, surprisingly little is known about an important component of the global IPR system, namely, the worldwide distribution of trademark registrations. This study provides the first step in filling this gap in the literature. Its purpose is to present some new stylized facts which emerge from the analysis of a dataset compiled by the authors based on the statistical information published by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). Questions of interest include the distribution of trademarks between countries of different income levels, the share of trademark registrations accounted for by foreign residents and its variation across different income groups, the extent to which poor countries participate in the international trademark system, and the distribution of registrations across different sectors of the economy.Environmental Economics&Policies,Fiscal&Monetary Policy,Payment Systems&Infrastructure,Economic Theory&Research,Income,Economic Theory&Research,Income,Environmental Economics&Policies,Fiscal&Monetary Policy,Health Economics&Finance

Implementing the Humanitarian-development-peace nexus in a post-pandemic world: Multilateral cooperation and the challenge of inter-organisational dialogue

Engaging with the UN Secretary General's call for a more effective, networked and inclusive approach to multilateralism (Our Common Agenda, 2021), this paper discusses the main challenges to the implementation of the Humanitarian-Development- Peace Nexus concept. Institutionalised by the UN in 2016, such cross-policy effort at global governance has been neglected by the IR and IPE literatures. To start filling this gap, the paper identifies strengths and weaknesses of multilateral inter-agency cooperation on the Nexus approach. Based on previous research on inter-organisational performance and regime complexity, it investigates select evidence from three organisations (UN, EU, World Bank), in pre-and post-COVID-19 contexts. Identifying tangible elements of experimentalist governance in the HDP global endeavour, the paper concludes with a synthetic overview of the comparative advantages that each organisation offers to implement the Nexus

Colletotrichum acutatum sensu lato : from diversity study to genome analysis

Colletotrichum acutatum sensu lato includes a number of important pathogens that cause economically significant losses of various crops. The C. acutatum species complex has a wide host range in both domesticated and wild plant species, and its capability to infect different types of hosts such as insects has also been described. Members belonging to this complex are able to develop three different types of interaction with plant hosts including biotrophic, necrotrophic and hemibiotrophic infections and are also capable of surviving on weeds and non-hosts without causing visible symptoms. They are mainly asexual, but some have a teleomorphic state called Glomerella and can be either homothallic or heterothallic. The sexual behaviour in Glomerella is more complicated than in most ascomycetes, and strains within the same species do not show a typical MAT1-1/2 system. The overall aim of this study was to gain an improved understanding of the relationships between the genetic diversity of global populations, host association patterns, geographic distribution and biological and pathological attributes. A database (CaITSdb) containing more than 800 rRNA sequences deposited in GenBank was created along with key biogeographic information, and the data have been analysed in order to investigate genetic diversity and distribution of sub-populations and their evolutionary relationships. The combined evidence was used to assemble a core collection of 120 isolates that are representative of the diversity in host preference, geographic origin, mating behaviour and molecular genetic variation. A multi-locus sequencing approach (based on four neutral loci) has been used to evaluate phylogenetic relationships amongst the isolates in the core collection. A strong relationship was observed between various genetic groups distinguished and their mating behaviour, geographic distribution and host association patterns. Oceania has been identified as a likely geographic origin of this pathogen, as the highest level of variability and groups related to a hypothetical ancestral population are mainly distributed in these countries. All homothallic isolates capable of producing perithecia belonged to the same genetic group A7; whereas all self-sterile heterothallic isolates were classified as either A3 or A5. Isolates derived from the same host tend to cluster together into genetic groups or sub-populations. This evidence is generally in agreement with recent published work on taxonomic re-assessment of Colletotrichum acutatum sensu lato, which indicates at least fifteen new species. This study has provided the evidence for the occurrence of three distinct genetic groups on strawberry in the UK corresponding to three species reported in the literature namely, C. nymphaeae, C. fioriniae and C. godetiae. Isolates belonging to the genetic groups that correspond to C. nymphaeae and C. fioriniae appeared to be the most aggressive on strawberry, followed by C. godetiae, and C. simmondsii (not found in the UK). Representative isolates of other species were less aggressive. The first whole genome sequence an isolate (A9 = C. simmondsii) from the C. acutatum sensu species complex was assembled and analysed using a range of bioinformatics algorithms. An isolate of C. simmondsii was chosen based on its wide host range including strawberry and the phylogeographic position. Genome analyses enabled prediction and annotation of the whole gene set at 13549 including 6 % unique to this species. The data also suggested an interesting expansion of several gene families, such as those encoding carbohydrate-active enzymes, secondary metabolites pathways and effectors which could be associated with the wide host range. The new knowledge and resources developed with the genome analyses along with the results of the population level diversity studies provide a platform for future comparative and functional genomics investigations to advance this research

Hosts of Colletotrichum

The taxonomy of Colletotrichum has undergone profound changes over the past decade, with ca. 340 species now recognised, and grouped into 20 species complexes (16 previously described and four proposed in this work). Over that period, the volatility of the taxonomic framework posed difficulties to the aetiology of anthracnose diseases along with uncertainty on cross-infection potential, quarantine rules, pesticide management and plant breeding strategies. Now that the Colletotrichum taxonomy is stabilising (still several new species being named, but no longer representing major pathogens), there is a point on reviewing the knowledge on the aetiology of anthracnose diseases in a global way, pointing out the relative importance of each Colletotrichum species for each host/crop and identifying areas/crops where information is missing (and there are several crops for which nothing is known regarding Colletotrichum species in modern terms). Based on 3400 host species-Colletotrichum species occurrence records (considering only records of Colletotrichum spp. identified in modern terms), we have listed over 760 host (plants) species and analysed the information available on the Colletotrichum species reported from them, the symptoms caused and the geographic distribution and pathological relevance. Whereas some of these hosts are wild plants, this work is mostly focused on cultivated plants and therefore on the aetiology of anthracnose diseases globally. In the context of Colletotrichum fungi, this compilation provides downstream users of Mycology, namely those in areas such as Plant Pathology, Plant Protection and Plant Breeding, with updated information on the main causal agents of anthracnose in each crop/plant species in each location, or alternatively with an alert on the lack of information on the identity of the species of Colletotrichum relevant for a given crop in a given location.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Molecular diversity of anthracnose pathogen populations associated with UK strawberry production suggests multiple introductions of three different Colletotrichum species.

Fragaria × ananassa (common name: strawberry) is a globally cultivated hybrid species belonging to Rosaceae family. Colletotrichum acutatum sensu lato (s.l.) is considered to be the second most economically important pathogen worldwide affecting strawberries. A collection of 148 Colletotrichum spp. isolates including 67 C. acutatum s.l. isolates associated with the phytosanitary history of UK strawberry production were used to characterize multi-locus genetic variation of this pathogen in the UK, relative to additional reference isolates that represent a worldwide sampling of the diversity of the fungus. The evidence indicates that three different species C. nymphaeae, C. godetiae and C. fioriniae are associated with strawberry production in the UK, which correspond to previously designated genetic groups A2, A4 and A3, respectively. Among these species, 12 distinct haplotypes were identified suggesting multiple introductions into the country. A subset of isolates was also used to compare aggressiveness in causing disease on strawberry plants and fruits. Isolates belonging to C. nymphaeae, C. godetiae and C. fioriniae representative of the UK anthracnose pathogen populations showed variation in their aggressiveness. Among the three species, C. nymphaeae and C. fioriniae appeared to be more aggressive compared to C. godetiae. This study highlights the genetic and pathogenic heterogeneity of the C. acutatum s.l. populations introduced into the UK linked to strawberry production

What kind of judicial review for the European Central Bank?: All institutions are equal but some are more technical than others

This article examines the judicial review used by the CJEU in assessing the ECB's non-standard monetary policy measures and the dispute between the German Constitutional Court and the CJEU over the standard of review to be used. In addition, it discusses the possibility of a future clash between the two courts in the post Covid-19 era. It first analyses the type of judicial control carried out by the CJEU during the Euro crisis in the Gauweiler and Weiss cases. It then explores the reasons for criticism of the CJEU reasoning by the doctrine. During the pandemic period the ECB has taken unprecedented steps and increased its monetary policy instruments, such as the Pandemic Emergency Purchase Programme (PEPP). The potential confrontation between the GCC and the ECB over PEPP is, however, deemed limited. It concludes analysing the possibility to add a court-appointed expert to the CJEU's decision-making process. Indeed, the presence of an expert could improve judicial review and increase the depth of the judgments also against national courts that have asked for preliminary ruling. However, the independence of the ECB should not be affected

Constitutional principles and ethno-regional parties

Introduction: This paper surveys the norms and procedures adopted in a number of European countries to facilitate representation and participation of ethnic minorities in the political process. The emergence of regional parties is the result of a process of mobilization of new constituencies in places in which local ethnic realities possessed little political weight or national influence. Ad hoc political parties were created to redress a strong majoritarian bias and allow minorities into the political process

Telecom Italia: Merging five companies into one

This article reports the results of an in-depth study of the merger integration process involving five operating companies in the Italian telecommunications industry. The article has important implications for research and practice. Specifically, it suggests that mergers and acquisitions results are related to the quality of the post-acquisition restructuring and integration process. The article also describes how the Italian Telecom merger was carried out and shows that integration and business redesign took place simultaneously. © 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved