The Impact of EU Norms and Policies on Consumer Protection Enforcement in Serbia

Pursuant to its 2008 Stabilization and Association Agreement governing the process of EU integration, Serbia is obliged to align its consumer protection standards (including those related to enforcement) with those of the EU. This article considers the overall approach to enforcement of consumer law in Serbia, focussing in particular on the extent to which EU enforcement principles have been successfully exported to Serbia and whether the goals of EU consumer policy have been achieved. It argues that the incorporation of EU norms has brought fundamental changes to Serbian enforcement mechanisms at a formal level, such as in relation to mediation processes as well as the introduction of injunctions for the protection of collective consumer interests. In practice, however, the impact of this incorporation is quite limited. A number of factors that restrict the practical effectiveness of the mediation processes and injunctions required by EU law are explored in the article, including weak sanctions, excessive reliance on poorly resourced consumer organizations, absence of a business culture of compliance or a sophisticated and determined consumer protection enforcement culture sufficiently grounded in expertise, as well as an overarching political, legislative, and institutional instability. These factors also undermine the general aim of EU policy to achieve effective consumer protection enforcement in the Serbian context

Effects of fibre content and textile structure on dynamic-mechanical and shape-memory properties of ELO/flax biocomposites

Biocomposites were prepared using epoxidized linseed oil (ELO) and flax fibre reinforcements in different assemblies. ELO was cured by two different anhydrides to check how its thermomechanical properties can be influenced. As reinforcements nonwoven mat, twill weave and quasi-unidirectional textile fabrics with two different yarn finenesses were used. Their reinforcing effect was determined in dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) in flexure. DMA served also to determine the glass transition temperature (Tg). Shape memory properties were derived from quasiunconstrained flexural tests performed near to the Tg of the ELO and its biocomposites. Flax reinforcement reduced the Tg that was attributed to off-stoichiometry owing to chemical reaction between the hydroxyl groups of flax and anhydride hardener. The shape memory parameters were moderate or low. They were affected by both textile content and type

Achieving Safety and Affordability in the UK Payday Loans Market

In the aftermath of the global financial crisis, financial regulation and supervision has been significantly reformed in the UK. As an important part of this reform, consumer credit, including payday loans, has been transferred to the new conduct of business regulator and supervisor, the Financial Conduct Authority. This paper considers the key rules on responsible lending and product regulation, introduced to protect the payday loans consumers. It shows that the responsible lending regime now reduces the risk that payday loans will be given to those who cannot afford the high costs involved, although responsible lending will only be fully effective if credit reference agencies hold up-to-date and correct information. Product regulation, in the form of a rollover restriction and a price cap, should make payday loans cheaper and safer for those who do use them, although, for the price cap to be most effective, steps must be taken to enhance price competition in the space below the cap. Finally, it is shown that firms are now subject to interventionist, rigorous, and consumer-centric supervision, which seems to stand a good chance of securing compliance with the new rules

Enantiomeric separation of tapentadol by capillary electrophoresis-Study of chiral selectivity manipulation by various types of cyclodextrins

The chiral recognition of the centrally acting analgesic agent tapentadol and its isomers with various cyclodextrins (CDs) was studied by capillary electrophoresis, focusing on the migration order of four stereoisomers. In the case of non-charged hydroxypropylated CDs (2-hydroxypropyl-β-CD, 2-hydroxypropyl-γ-CD) the beta derivative was able to discriminate the S,R- and R,S-isomers in acidic background electrolyte, whereas the gamma allowed the separation of S,S- and R,R-tapentadol, respectively. Dual CD system containing both hosts was used to separate all of four isomers. Negatively charged sulfated-α-CD at 1.0% (w/v) concentration in 100. mM sodium borate buffer (pH 9.5) was capable of separating the isomers with favorable enantiomer migration order and the optimized method was able to determine 0.15% of chiral impurities of tapentadol in the presence of the last migrating clinically important R,R-isomer