Multi-objective model for optimizing railway infrastructure asset renewal

Trabalho inspirado num problema real da empresa Infraestruturas de Portugal, EP.A multi-objective model for managing railway infrastructure asset renewal is presented. The model aims to optimize three objectives, while respecting operational constraints: levelling investment throughout multiple years, minimizing total cost and minimizing work start postponements. Its output is an optimized intervention schedule. The model is based on a case study from a Portuguese infrastructure management company, which specified the objectives and constraints, and reflects management practice on railway infrastructure. The results show that investment levelling greatly influences the other objectives and that total cost fluctuations may range from insignificant to important, depending on the condition of the infrastructure. The results structure is argued to be general and suggests a practical methodology for analysing trade-offs and selecting a solution for implementation.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Chinese State-Owned Enterprises and International Investment Law

Not only do Chinese SOEs play a key role in China’s domestic economy, but they are also a major force in implementing the Government of China’s ambitious Belt and Road Initiative. The expansion of Chinese SOEs’ global footprint has caused widespread concerns in host countries about their implications for national security, fair competition, transparency and even the function of free market at home. Since the multilateral trade and investment regimes that took shape in the post-war period did not anticipate many of the special features of Chinese SOEs, states have resorted to unilateral or bilateral measures to counteract Chinese SOEs’ competitive advantages in international investment and subject them to heightened national security scrutiny. The objective of this article is to critically examine the alleged challenges that the expansion of Chinese SOEs’ outbound foreign investment has posed to the liberal international investment order and to analyze whether the current international investment regime is resilient enough to accommodate the systemic friction between heterogenous economic systems. It argues that international investment law is poorly designed to deal with Chinese SOEs because it is premised on some untenable assumptions and these assumptions tend to break down when applying to Chinese SOEs. The lack of effective international rules pushes nation states to become norm entrepreneurs in international investment law. However, the new SOE norms not only risk either overshooting or undershooting the Chinese SOE problem, but also result in greater fragmentation of the international investment regime

Eu-china negotiations on investor state dispute settlement within the cai framework: are we on the right track?

This paper begins by presenting some of the main assessments of this controversial EU-China “agreement in principle”, and also weighs up the text’s chances of coming into force. The fact that, according to scholars, the bidirectional FDI flows between the EU and the PRC are still underdeveloped does not seem to be a good enough reason for all EU institutions to endorse its CAI approval on a political level. Section III reflects on the possible reasons why the Comprehensive Agreement, despite its name, did not cover an issue as essential as ISDS from the outset, instead relegating it to later negotiations between the two parties. Seven very diverse hypotheses are addressed by this paper on the above referred absence (ranging from a mere question of time to problematic unilateral strategies, and including bilateral decisions reached on the basis of various possible grounds). Section IV reflects on the possible content of the EU-China Agreement on Investment Dispute Settlement. A very wide range of possibilities opens up again at this point (a permanent standing two-tier mechanism with full-time adjudicators; a multilateral permanent appellate mechanism; a Sino-European mechanism for settling investment disputes; an Asia-centred dispute settlement mechanism linked to the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank; existing Chinese-led arbitration mechanisms, and the enhancement of other ADR mechanisms). Section V deals with the fact that the BITs that China has signed with almost all EU countries in recent decades are applicable to the claims that Chinese and EU investors could raise before the entry into force of the EU-China IDS Agreement. This section also explains the negative consequences of this supposedly transitory situation and makes a case for completing the IDS negotiations promptly and effectively

Standards e valores europeus num mundo multipolar : o caso do acordo global de investimento UE-China

Mestrado Bolonha em Economia Internacional e Estudos EuropeusEsta dissertação analisa o papel que a União Europeia (UE) deve ocupar no contexto da multipolaridade mundial. Não obstante o contexto adverso, procura analisar-se se a União Europeia conseguirá projetar os seus standards e valores fundamentais, de modo a ocupar uma posição cimeira em matéria de influência internacional. Este trabalho discute e compara os meios ao dispor da UE para exercer influência regulatória e projetar preferências sociais noutras zonas geográficas de influência. Pode fazê-lo através de mecanismos de mercado - "efeito Bruxelas" -, de acordos bilaterais e de jurisprudência emanada do Tribunal de Justiça da União Europeia (TJUE). Existe consenso quanto à importância do “efeito Bruxelas” e da jurisprudência do TJUE na influência da União a nível global. Contudo, no tocante aos Acordos bilaterais coexistem opiniões discordantes. A análise pormenorizada, comparativa e crítica efetuada acerca do conteúdo do Acordo Global de Investimento UE-China, permite identificar e compreender em que questões a UE, ao utilizar Acordos bilaterais, consegue afirmar-se enquanto líder global. Conclui-se que a UE consegue “exportar” muito da sua regulamentação interna através do “efeito Bruxelas”, mas apenas algumas preferências sociais por meio dos acordos bilaterais.This dissertation focuses on both global multi-polarity and the role the European Union (EU) should play in it, despite adverse conditions. To what extent does the EU succeed in exporting its standards and core values, in order to achieve an upper position in the international sphere of influence. This research paper analyses and compares available tools the EU may use to exercise regulatory influence and project social preferences: market mechanisms (i.e., the “Brussels effect”), bilateral agreements and the European jurisprudence from the Court of Justice. The relevance of both the “Brussels effect” and the jurisprudence of the European Union Court on EU influence at a global level are consensual. However, regarding bilateral agreements, dissenting opinions coexist. A detailed, comparative and critical analysis of the EU-China Comprehensive Agreement on Investment is performed at several levels, aiming to identify and understand in which matters the European Union can assert itself as a world leader through bilateral agreements. It is concluded that the European Union manages to “export” much of its regulation through the “Brussels effect”, but only a few social preferences through its bilateral agreements.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Effects of the SARS-Cov-2 pandemic into the China-EU trade: geographical and economical alternatives

The main objectives of this project are to analyse how the SARS-CoV2 has affected the industries in the different parts of the world, which is the forecast for the following months and to see if in the long term it is possible to perform a relocation of the supply chain in order to reduce the dependence of the western world on the Chinese production and the fragility against unpredictable events. First of all, the pre-pandemic context has been analysed to see how the supply chains were and to assess how strong is the dependence of the EU in the Chinese industry. Secondly, the macroeconomic effects of the pandemic have been looked into, and it will be seen if the countries pre-pandemic positions changed. In the third place, the effects that the final consumers suffered have been quantified. Then, a more particular view will be taken analysing the effects of the pandemic in four cases of Catalan companies of different industrial sectors. As the final part of the project, the focus has been placed in the future both in the short and long term. First, a short-term vision has been taken to see which is the forecast for production and costs for the remaining part of 2022 and 2023. Then, a more long-term look has been taken to analyse if there are real alternatives to China that can handle the scale of production of China in a way that offers less costs or reduced unpredictabilit

Evolution of the Chinese Labor Problem in Trade and Investment Agreements: Notional Gap and Normative Necessity for Accession to CPTPP

China’s perspective on labor regulation has impeded its integration into the global market. Although evidence indicates an attempt to assimilate to the dominant global markets’ perspectives, major challenges in labor exist. This article will assess the manner and likelihood that China will overcome these challenges to join critical trade agreements and partnerships, with the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (“CPTPP”) as the latest analytical sample. The main issue is how China can prove its compliance with CPTPP labor provisions rather than bargaining over the division of relevant rights or obligations. China’s linkage efforts with free trade agreements and bilateral investment treaties since 2005 have used some initial normative labor elements, such as the “not lowering requirement,” the “effective domestic enforcement,” and the use of a “panel of experts in inter- governmental labor disputes settlement” for negotiation. However, critical divergences on the interpretation of freedom of association, effective recognition of collective bargaining, and the right to strike, are predicted to dominate the accession negotiation in labor topic. Further, these are ideas that are rooted in notional gaps that have formed for years from the dynamic interaction between China and external parties under the framework of the International Labor Organization (“ILO”), the World Trade Organization (“WTO”), and trade and investment agreements. These gaps occurred through the difference in viewing the freedom of association, the effective recognition of collective bargaining, and the right to strike as “politically sensitive issues [versus] trade-related social issues”, “internal affairs [versus] international labor cooperation” or “priority of domestic regulation [versus] with C87 and C98 as the minimum basis of international legitimacy for trade cooperation.” Based on these challenges, critical points for China’s accession negotiation in labor topics as an Aspirant Economy of CPTPP lie in whether the implementation of required provisions will be before or after accession, and a possible choice of compliance strategies that emulate the Vietnamese mode or Mexican mode. Recognizing that the final result is up to the complicated compromise and consensus between China and the eleven original Signatories of CPTPP, it is an opportunity for the accession negotiation to act as a lever to push forward China’s bottom-up labor law reform

Pros and Cons of the EU-China Comprehensive Agreement on Investment

The main objectives of the present paper are to elaborate on the EUChina Comprehensive Agreement on Investment (CAI), its provisions, advantages and potential risks, and to detach various standpoints of relevant actors, related to this agreement. The ad referendum CAI, complemented by additional documents by the European Commission, underscores that it goes well beyond the investment protection issues, usually addressed in bilateral investment treaties and it additionally includes rules for: a better market access for the EU companies, a fairer investment environment in China and sustainable development. Despite its support by the European Commission, there has been formulated a strong criticism of the deal from various directions, both European and non-European. Besides, the conclusion of the pact induced not only tensions at the extra-EU level, but also intra-EU. The largest two obstacles to the adoption of the treaty are the conflicting interests of the EU Member States and the opposition of the European Parliament. Therefore a common position is needed inside the EU. The research is complemented by an analysis of the broader circumstances of rising FDI protectionism worldwide, under the increased complexity of the system of international relations and recent trends, harmful to multilateralism

The sustainability of cotton : consequences for man and environment

This project aimed to summarise literature that compares conventional, IPM, and organic cotton production systems in terms of environmental impact; to select indicators which can be used to compare the environmental impact of conventional, IPM, and organic cotton production systems and to start a discussion on the social aspects relevant for trade in sustainable cotton

Energy for a Shared Development Agenda: Global Scenarios and Governance Implications

This report combines a global assessment of energy scenarios up to 2050, case studies of energy access and low-carbon efforts around the world, and a review of the technological shifts, investments, policies and governance structures needed to bring energy to all. How can the world meet energy needs for human and economic development in a way that is compatible with sustainable development? What is required is nothing less than a massive transformation of energy systems and rapid turnovers of infrastructure and technology, all of which must be achieved while staying within climate and resource constraints. Though the challenge is great, the energy and sustainability scenarios in this report show that it can be met. However, while these scenarios sketch out transformation pathways in broad strokes, the devil is in the detail. This study also explores how to successfully implement change, via case studies of energy transformation and reviews of policy mechanisms and governance frameworks. Over the coming decade, policymakers around the world need to build a shared development agenda to address these challenges. It is hoped that this study will help to lay the foundations for such an effort