Intra-EU investment protection in a post-Achmea world

In Commission v Hungary, the CJEU found that Hungary failed to fulfil its obligations under EU law by restricting EU investors’ rights. This Perspective considers what the judgment means for the future of intra-EU investment protection, and whether it will approximate the level of protection currently enjoyed under investor-state arbitration

国家—投资者争端解决机制何时适合于解决投资争端？ ——关于“法治评级机制”的构想

This Perspective considers the idea of a rule-of-law ratings mechanism by a designated agency, rating the degree of respect for the rule of law by domestic courts in a given country or region, in order to determine whether investor-state disputes should be resolved by national courts or investor-state dispute settlement

Achmea判决后的欧盟内部投资保护

In Commission v Hungary, the CJEU found that Hungary failed to fulfil its obligations under EU law by restricting EU investors’ rights. This Perspective considers what the judgment means for the future of intra-EU investment protection, and whether it will approximate the level of protection currently enjoyed under investor-state arbitration

A 100 year review of electricity policy in Ireland (1916–2015)

Over the past century, Ireland's electricity sector has undergone a significant transformation. This paper documents the nation's struggle to build an electricity system, to improve security of electricity supply through portfolio diversification and to promote indigenous energy sources. This was a challenge for an (electrically) isolated island with little natural resources. The paper also identifies the ineffective policy decisions that left Ireland exposed to the 1970s energy crises. The crises did, however, provide a clear impetus for focusing Irish energy policy going forward. The successful deployment and integration of large-scale wind power was due to strong national and supranational policy decisions. In 2015, Ireland had the third highest wind energy share of national electricity demand (22.8%) of all IEA Wind Member Countries. The paper also traces Ireland's transition through market reform, regional fragmentation, and looks onwards to the EU internal market for electricity. In essence, this paper provides a holistic view of the implications of various policy decisions on the electricity sector along with the stresses of external factors on the electricity market and should be useful for policy makers elsewhere faced with similar decisions

Consumption-based approach to RES-E quantification: Insights from a Pan-European case study

The nexus between renewable electricity (RES-E) generation and interconnection is likely to play a large part in future de-carbonised power systems. This paper examines whether RES-E shares should be measured based on consumption rather than production with a European case study presented for the year 2030. The case study demonstrates the volume and scale of RES-E transfers and shows how countries have differing RES-E shares when comparing those derived based on the traditional production-based approach to the alternative. The proposed consumption-based approach accounts for RES-E being imported and exported on an hourly basis across 30 European countries and highlights concerns regarding uncoordinated support mechanisms, price distortions and cost inequality. These concerns are caused by cross-border subsidisation of electricity and this work proposes that an agency be appointed to administer regional RES-E affairs. This agency would accurately quantify RES-E shares and remunerate producers from the country that consumed their electricity instead of where it has been produced â policy would be enhanced by enabling more equitable and optimal electricity decarbonisation

Political leadership and the politics of performance:France, Syria and the chemical weapons crisis of 2013

This article draws upon developments in UK research on political rhetoric and political performance in order to examine the incident in 2013 when French President François Hollande committed French forces to a US-led punitive strike against Syria, after the use of chemical weapons in a Damascus suburb on 21 August. The US-led retaliation did not take place. This article analyses Hollande's declaration on 27 July and his TV appearance on 15 September. His rhetoric and style are best understood as generic to the nature of the presidential office of the Fifth Republic. The article concludes by appraising how analysis of the French case contributes to the developing literature on rhetoric, celebrity and performance

Biofluorescence in Catsharks (Scyliorhinidae): Fundamental Description and Relevance for Elasmobranch Visual Ecology

Biofluorescence has recently been found to be widespread in marine fishes, including sharks. Catsharks, such as the Swell Shark (Cephaloscyllium ventriosum) from the eastern Pacific and the Chain Catshark (Scyliorhinus retifer) from the western Atlantic, are known to exhibit bright green fluorescence. We examined the spectral sensitivity and visual characteristics of these reclusive sharks, while also considering the fluorescent properties of their skin. Spectral absorbance of the photoreceptor cells in these sharks revealed the presence of a single visual pigment in each species. Cephaloscyllium ventriosum exhibited a maximum absorbance of 484 ± 3 nm and an absorbance range at half maximum (λ1/2max) of 440–540 nm, whereas for S. retifer maximum absorbance was 488 ± 3 nm with the same absorbance range. Using the photoreceptor properties derived here, a “shark eye” camera was designed and developed that yielded contrast information on areas where fluorescence is anatomically distributed on the shark, as seen from other sharks’ eyes of these two species. Phylogenetic investigations indicate that biofluorescence has evolved at least three times in cartilaginous fishes. The repeated evolution of biofluorescence in elasmobranchs, coupled with a visual adaptation to detect it; and evidence that biofluorescence creates greater luminosity contrast with the surrounding background, highlights the potential importance of biofluorescence in elasmobranch behavior and biology