Association Agreements Between the EC and Central and Eastern European States

Association agreements that establish increased trade, dialogue and cooperation between the EC and the countries of Central and Eastern Europe have proliferated in recent years. Yet still the relationship between the EC and countries in this region has been characterized by a significant degree of mutual misunderstanding and dissatisfaction. On one side, the high expectations of the Central and East European countries are reflected in their equally high disappointment levels vis-a-vis the EC. And on the other side, one senses that the EC grows weary of what it perceives as complaints and ingratitude. Against this background, I propose to examine two related issues. First, I will describe the nature and assess, the strengths and weaknesses of the association agreements themselves. And second, I will examine some recent developments in the relations between the EC and the countries of Central and Eastern Europe, notably the Memorandum submitted by the Visegrad Group of countries to the EC in October 1992, and the EC\u27s response to the demands raised therein, in order to assess the current state of relations

Belonging: Citizenship and Migration in the European Union and in Germany

This article investigates the evolving notion of belonging through the lens of Germany\u27s new frameworks for nationality/citizenship and migration. Given the quantity of EU activity in the fields under consideration here, European developments are also analyzed, though less for their own sake than for the sake of staking out the parameters within which Germany remains sovereign to act. Throughout this article, the question of how concrete developments bear on larger questions about belonging will recur. I make two main arguments. First, however welcome Germany\u27s dramatic legal reforms may be, they will not necessarily solve the problems such legislation was intended to address. With regard to the new German law governing nationality/citizenship, the experience of German Jews teaches, among other lessons, that the legal status of citizenship does not automatically resolve the question of belonging. Tolerance cannot be legislated, but must-and can-be learned, albeit with difficulty. While public opinion data from the 1990s showed an overall high degree of convergence between the values held by Germans and other Europeans, the data also provide some evidence that Germans may be less tolerant of diversity. Second, despite even the best intentions, some aspects of recent legal reforms in Germany have the potential to exacerbate rather than alleviate social tensions. While many affected persons in Germany welcome the new integration requirements, Germany\u27s revamped legal regime has simultaneously set off a storm of debate that is unlikely to dissipate any time soon. This article proceeds by first providing a conceptual framework and addressing European-level developments pertaining to nationality/citizenship (Part II.A) and migration (Part II.B), then turns to consider the recent changes in German law on nationality/citizenship (Part III.A) and on migration (Part III.B). The discussion of integration in Part IV provides the common thread that ties the two strands of analysis in Parts II and III together. The emerging integration paradigm evidences a pragmatic approach to both the internal and external dimensions of belonging, but also contains the seeds of future conflict

Association Agreements Between the EC and Central and Eastern European States

Association agreements that establish increased trade, dialogue and cooperation between the EC and the countries of Central and Eastern Europe have proliferated in recent years. Yet still the relationship between the EC and countries in this region has been characterized by a significant degree of mutual misunderstanding and dissatisfaction. On one side, the high expectations of the Central and East European countries are reflected in their equally high disappointment levels vis-a-vis the EC. And on the other side, one senses that the EC grows weary of what it perceives as complaints and ingratitude. Against this background, I propose to examine two related issues. First, I will describe the nature and assess, the strengths and weaknesses of the association agreements themselves. And second, I will examine some recent developments in the relations between the EC and the countries of Central and Eastern Europe, notably the Memorandum submitted by the Visegrad Group of countries to the EC in October 1992, and the EC\u27s response to the demands raised therein, in order to assess the current state of relations

The New New International Economic Order: Private International Law

The domain of international law has expanded to encompass matters traditionally thought to be within domestic jurisdiction via private international law (PIL) conventions and related phenomena. I wish to refer broadly to the unification and harmonization of legal rules and procedures governing the relations between private parties. This is by no means a new phenomenon; it is not only going strong, but growing stronger. My goal today is not to survey current developments in this field so much as to reflect upon some pervasive themes

Qualified Disclaimers of Joint Tenancies: A Policy and Property Law Analysis

In light of the present position of the Service on the issue of joint tenancy disclaimers and the importance of this issue in many estates, a thorough analysis of this issue is warranted. The following sections of this Article will examine: 1) whether such a disclaimer should be treated as a qualified disclaimer on policy grounds; and 2) whether a disclaimer or the accretive portion of a joint tenancy interest by a surviving joint tenant meets the technical requirements of a qualified disclaimer under federal law in light of contemporary property law

Closed-Loop Insulin Delivery during Pregnancy in Women with Type 1 Diabetes.

BACKGROUND: In patients with type 1 diabetes who are not pregnant, closed-loop (automated) insulin delivery can provide better glycemic control than sensor-augmented pump therapy, but data are lacking on the efficacy, safety, and feasibility of closed-loop therapy during pregnancy. METHODS: We performed an open-label, randomized, crossover study comparing overnight closed-loop therapy with sensor-augmented pump therapy, followed by a continuation phase in which the closed-loop system was used day and night. Sixteen pregnant women with type 1 diabetes completed 4 weeks of closed-loop pump therapy (intervention) and sensor-augmented pump therapy (control) in random order. During the continuation phase, 14 of the participants used the closed-loop system day and night until delivery. The primary outcome was the percentage of time that overnight glucose levels were within the target range (63 to 140 mg per deciliter [3.5 to 7.8 mmol per liter]). RESULTS: The percentage of time that overnight glucose levels were in the target range was higher during closed-loop therapy than during control therapy (74.7% vs. 59.5%; absolute difference, 15.2 percentage points; 95% confidence interval, 6.1 to 24.2; P=0.002). The overnight mean glucose level was lower during closed-loop therapy than during control therapy (119 vs. 133 mg per deciliter [6.6 vs. 7.4 mmol per liter], P=0.009). There were no significant differences between closed-loop and control therapy in the percentage of time in which glucose levels were below the target range (1.3% and 1.9%, respectively; P=0.28), in insulin doses, or in adverse-event rates. During the continuation phase (up to 14.6 additional weeks, including antenatal hospitalizations, labor, and delivery), glucose levels were in the target range 68.7% of the time; the mean glucose level was 126 mg per deciliter (7.0 mmol per liter). No episodes of severe hypoglycemia requiring third-party assistance occurred during either phase. CONCLUSIONS: Overnight closed-loop therapy resulted in better glucose control than sensor-augmented pump therapy in pregnant women with type 1 diabetes. Women receiving day-and-night closed-loop therapy maintained glycemic control during a high proportion of the time in a period that encompassed antenatal hospital admission, labor, and delivery. (Funded by the National Institute for Health Research and others; Current Controlled Trials number, ISRCTN71510001.)