VU Research Portal

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

VU Research Portal VU Research Portal Between Rights and Market: Lawrence, J.C. 2015 document version Publisher's PDF, also known as Version of record Link to publication in VU Research Portal citation for published version (APA) Lawrence, J. C. (2015). Between Rights and Market: Governmentality in EU External Trade and Environment Policy. General rights Copyright and moral rights for the publications made accessible in the public portal are retained by the authors and/or other copyright owners and it is a condition of accessing publications that users recognise and abide by the legal requirements associated with these rights. • Users may download and print one copy of any publication from the public portal for the purpose of private study or research. • You may not further distribute the material or use it for any profit-making activity or commercial gain • You may freely distribute the URL identifying the publication in the public portal ? Take down policy If you believe that this document breaches copyright please contact us providing details, and we will remove access to the work immediately and investigate your claim. E-mail address: [email protected] Download date: 11. Oct. 2021 BETWEEN RIGHTS AND MARKET Governmentality in EU External Trade and Environment Policy © 2015, Jessica C. Lawrence Cover design by Theodore O. Lawrence ISBN 978-90-6464-861-8 VRIJE UNIVERSITEIT Between Rights and Market: Governmentality in EU External Trade and Environment Policy ACADEMISCH PROEFSCHRIFT ter verkrijging van de graad Doctor aan de Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, op gezag van de rector magnificus prof.dr. F.A. van der Duyn Schouten, in het openbaar te verdedigen ten overstaan van de promotiecommissie van de Faculteit der Rechtsgeleerdheid op donderdag 21 mei 2015 om 11.45 uur in de aula van de universiteit, De Boelelaan 1105 door Jessica Charles Lawrence geboren te Spokane, Washington, Verenigde Staten promotor: prof.dr. G.T. Davies copromotor: dr. T.E. Aalberts Acknowledgements First and foremost, my sincere gratitude to my supervisor Gareth Davies for giving me the opportunity to embark on this adventure, and allowing me the space to go my own way. Thanks, boss. Tanja Aalberts became my co-supervisor in 2013. Her detailed comments, intellectual engagement, and dedication were exactly the cocktail I needed to help me brave the final year. Thanks for reassuring me that I had a point after all. From 1 May 2010, Laurens Ankersmit has been my constant companion, co-author, and sparring partner. If this thesis is grounded in EU law in any sense, it is thanks to him. To everyone at the VU who provided support, encouragement, and entertainment over our four years together: it was great fun. To my friends in the Netherlands: thanks for being my most welcome distraction. It would be impossible to overstate the degree to which this work was influenced by Juan Amaya Castro, whose love, wit, and intellectual sparkle have sustained me for the past eight years. Everything I write is a product of how we have grown together. To T.O., Zack, and Michelle: I promise the next book will be more entertaining. To Merrie Lawrence: You’ve kept me safe and warm through everything. Thanks for all the socks, mom. And to David Lawrence: I wish you could have been here in body, as you are in spirit. Table of Contents 1 Introduction: The Evangelical EU and Environmental Norm Export 1 1 The Evangelical EU: Trade, Environment, and Environmental Norm Export 1 2 The Scholarly Landscape and its Missing Pieces 9 3 A Brief Note on Methodology 20 2 4 Setting Outline the of Stage: Foucault, the Dissertation Governmentality, and EU Environmental 22 Norm Export 25 1 Introduction 25 2 Governmentality 28 2.1 What is Governmentality? 28 2.2 Three Forms of Governmentality: Raison d’État, Liberalism, Neoliberalism 34 2.2.1 Raison d’État 36 2.2.2 The Physiocrats and the Transition to Liberalism 41 2.2.3 Liberalism 43 2.2.4 Neoliberalism 48 2.3 Governmentality and the International: Critiques 53 3 Conceptual Framework: Rationalities, Technologies, and Subjectivities 57 3.1 Conceptual Framework 57 3.2 Truth and Rationalities of Government 57 3.3 Technologies of Government 61 3 Rights 3.4 Subjectivities and The Market: and Rationalities -­‐ Self Government of EU Environmental 62 Norm Export 67 1 Introduction 67 1.1 What are Rationalities of Government? 67 1.2 ‘Rights’ Rationalities 69 1.3 ‘Market’ Rationalities 71 1.4 Chapter Outline 74 2 Market and Rights Rationalities in EU Environmental Norm Export 74 2.1 The EU through the Market and Rights Lenses 74 2.1.1 EU History 74 2.1.2 Contemporary EU Trade & Environment Policy 82 2.2 Environmental Norm Export through the Market 88 and Rights Lenses 2.2.1 Introduction 88 2.2.2 EU Environmental Norm Export in ‘Market’ Rationality 89 2.2.3 EU Environmental Norm Export in ‘Rights’ Rationality 93 2.2.4 Conclusion 96 3 The EU Emissions Trading Scheme for the Airline Industry 98 3.1 The EU ETS for Air Transport and its Discontents 98 3.2 Market Rationality in the EU ETS Debates 103 3.3 Rights Rationality in the EU ETS Debates 108 3.4 Rationalities and their Effects in the EU ETS Debates 111 4 4 Government Conclusion and Governance: The Technologies of EU Environmental 113 Norm Export 115 1. Introduction 115 1.1 What Are Technologies of Government? 115 1.2 Rights Technologies 117 1.3 Market Technologies 119 1.4 Chapter Outline 128 2. The EU’s Trade and Environment Toolbox 130 2.1 Multilateral Agreements 130 2.2 Unilateral Import Restrictions 134 2.3 Environmental Conditionality 137 2.4 Sustainability Impact Assessments 141 2.5 Horizontal and Voluntary Partnerships 143 2.6 Market and Rights Technologies ion in Act 146 3. Environmental Norm Export in the EU—Colombia Peru FTA 148 3.1 The EU—Colombia Peru FTA 148 3.1.1 The EU, the Andean Community, — and the EU Colombia Peru FTA 148 3.1.2 Trade and Environment — in the EU Colombia Peru FTA 150 3.2 Market and Rights Technologies in the EU—Colombia Peru FTA 157 3.2.1 Rights Technologies in — the EU Colombia Peru FTA 157 3.2.2 Market Technologies in — the EU Colombia Peru FTA 159 3.3 Technologies and their Effects he in t EU—Colombia Peru FTA 160 5 4. Citizens Conclusion and Stakeholders: The Subjectivities of EU Environmental 164 Norm Export 167 1 Introduction 167 1.1 What are Subjectivities? 167 1.2 The Subject of Rights: the Citizen 171 1.3 The Market Subject: the Stakeholder 174 1.4 Chapter Outline 177 2 Citizens and Stakeholders in EU policy 180 2.1 Subjectivity as Multiple -­‐ and Multi Level 180 2.2 Subjectivity as Relational: the Production of ‘Others’ 189 2.3 Construction and Contestation 195 3 The EU Ban on Trade in Seal Products: Subjectivities in Context 198 3.1 Morals, Traditions, and Science: the EU Ban on Trade in Seal Products 198 3.3 Citizens and Stakeholders in the Seal Products Ban 213 3.3.1 The EU as Democratic ve Representati of European Citizens 213 3.3.2 The EU as a Leader of Global Citizens 214 3.3.3 The EU as Setting the Rules of the Game for Global Stakeholders 216 3.3.4 The EU as Ensuring Free Competition among Stakeholders 217 3.4 Power, Strategy, and Resistance: Subjectivities and EU Environmental Norm Export 218 6 4 Conclusion: ConclusionGovernmentality and EU Environmental Norm Export 225223 List of Abbreviations 235 Bibliography 239 1 Legislation 239 1.1 International Treaties 239 1.2 EU Treaties 240 1.3 EU Agreements 240 1.4 EU Legislation 241 1.4.1 Decisions 241 1.4.2 Directives 242 1.4.3 Regulations 243 1.4.4 Other Documents 244 1.5 WTO documents 248 1.6 Other legislation & documents 249 2 Cases 250 2.1 ECJ 250 2.2 GATT/WTO 250 2.3 ICJ 250 2.4 Other Courts 251 3 Books, Chapters, Journal Articles & Reports 251 Samenvatting4 News Articles, Press Releases & Internet Sources 277272 Chapter 1 INTRODUCTION: The Evangelical EU and Environmental Norm Export 1 The Evangelical EU: Trade, Environment, and Environmental Norm Export The preamble of the Treaty on European Union (TEU)—one of the two constitutional documents of European Union (EU)1 law—begins with a provocative definition of the relationship between Europe and the world. As the TEU would have it, the European project “Draw[s] inspiration from the cultural, religious and humanist inheritance of Europe, from which have developed the universal values of the inviolable and inalienable rights of the human person, freedom, democracy, and the rule of law.” This casual preambular equation of European values and universal values is supplemented by a substantive provision, sometimes known as the TEU’s “missionary principle,”2 that obligates the EU to spread these European/universal values and interests beyond its borders: In its relations with the wider world, the Union shall uphold and promote its values and interests and contribute to the protection of its citizens. It shall contribute to peace, security, the sustainable development of the Earth, solidarity and mutual respect among peoples, free and fair trade, eradication of poverty and the protection of human rights, in particular the rights of the child, as well as to the strict observance and development 1 For reasons of consistency and clarity, the term EU will be used throughout this dissertation, including in places where the acronym EC (“European Community”) might be more technically appropriate. 2 See, e.g., Morten P. Broberg, “Don’t Mess with the Missionary Man! On the Principle of Coherence, the Missionary Principle and the European Union’s Development Policy,” in EU External Relations Law and Policy in the Post-Lisbon Era 181 (Paul James Cardwell ed.
Recommended publications
  • A Brief Guide to the European Union and Its Legislative Processes
    A BRIEF GUIDE TO THE EUROPEAN UNION AND ITS LEGISLATIVE PROCESSES June 2011 Contents List of acronyms used in this document....................................................................................................... 4 1. Introduction .......................................................................................................................................... 5 1.1 What is the European Union (EU)?...........................................................................................5 1.2 The Development of the EU through the Treaties.....................................................................8 1.3 Objectives of the EU ...............................................................................................................10 2. The EU Institutions ............................................................................................................................ 11 2.1 The European Commission (the Commission)........................................................................11 2.1.1 The Commission's main tasks ...................................................................................12 2.1.2 Plan for improving the regulatory environment ........................................................12 2.2 The European Parliament (EP)................................................................................................12 2.2.1 The EP's principal roles.............................................................................................14 2.3 The Council of the EU (
    [Show full text]
  • The Act of Carabobo
    Law and Business Review of the Americas Volume 8 Number 1 Article 16 2002 Documentation: The Act of Carabobo Follow this and additional works at: https://scholar.smu.edu/lbra Recommended Citation Documentation: The Act of Carabobo, 8 LAW & BUS. REV. AM. 309 (2002) https://scholar.smu.edu/lbra/vol8/iss1/16 This Document is brought to you for free and open access by the Law Journals at SMU Scholar. It has been accepted for inclusion in Law and Business Review of the Americas by an authorized administrator of SMU Scholar. For more information, please visit http://digitalrepository.smu.edu. Winter/Spring 2002 309 Documentation: The Act of Carabobo* Table of Contents I. Political Cooperation in the Sphere of Integration II. Andean Social Agenda IIl. Andean Common Market IV. Common Foreign Policy V. Border Integration and Development Policy The Presidents of Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, and Venezuela, and the Chairman of Peru's Ministerial Council, gathered in the city of Valencia, Venezuela on June 23 and 24, 2001 to meet in the Thirteenth Andean Presidential Council, underscored the impor- tance to the five Andean countries of holding this Council during the celebration of the 180th anniversary of the Battle of Carabobo, the event that consecrated Venezuela's inde- pendence, and provided the motivating force for the great Latin American independence campaign. In reaffirming their unswerving commitment to continue moving toward more advanced forms of integration in order to fulfill the historic vocation of their nations, the Presidents: 1. Noted with satisfaction that the Andean Community has continued to intensify its economic integration and strengthen its international presence; has broad- ened its Community agenda to encompass new spheres of action, like the polit- ical and social; and that the Andean business and labor sectors are becoming increasingly committed to the integration process.
    [Show full text]
  • Secure Passports from De La Rue
    SECURE PASSPORTS FROM DE LA RUE DE LA RUE IDENTITY SYSTEMS Complete solutions to design, produce, personalise and program passports, conforming to all the recommendations of ICAO, the European Union and the US visa waiver programme. If you would like to receive a copy of our ‘Secure Passports’ brochure then please call +44 (0)1256 605259, or send an email to [email protected] A trusted partner in major projects worldwide ICAO MRTD REPORT • 1 ICAO MRTD Report Vol. 1, No. 1, 2006 Table of contents Editor: Mary McMunn Content Coordinator: Mauricio Siciliano Graphic Art Design: Sylvie Schoufs, Editor’s welcome . .2 FCM Communications Inc. Published by: Message from the President of the Council, International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Dr. Assad Kotaite . .5 999 University Street Montréal, Québec Canada H3C 5H7 Message from the Secretary Telephone: +1 (514) 954-8219 ext. 7068 General, Dr.Taïeb Chérif . .7 E-mail: [email protected] Web: www.icao.int/mrtd ICAO Hosts Symposium on The objective of the ICAO MRTD Report is to pro- MRTDs and Biometrics . .8 vide a comprehensive account of new develop- ments, trends, innovations and applications in the field of MRTDs to the Contracting States of ICAO ICAO Doctrine on Travel and the international aeronautical and security Documents . worlds. 12 Copyright © 2006 International Civil Aviation TAG-MRTD 16th Meeting . .16 Organization. Unsigned material may be repro- duced in full or in part provided that it is accom- panied by reference to the ICAO MRTD Report; for Machine Readable Travel Documents rights to reproduced signed articles, please write to the editor.
    [Show full text]
  • European Parliament Decision of 14 January 2014 on Amendment of Rule 81 of Parliament's Rules of Procedure on the Consent Procedure (2012/2124(REG)) (2016/C 482/26)
    23.12.2016 EN Official Journal of the European Union C 482/157 Tuesday 14 January 2014 P7_TA(2014)0003 Rules on voting and contents of reports in the consent procedure European Parliament decision of 14 January 2014 on amendment of Rule 81 of Parliament's Rules of Procedure on the consent procedure (2012/2124(REG)) (2016/C 482/26) The European Parliament, — having regard to the letter from the Chair of the Conference of Committee Chairs of 9 December 2011, — having regard to Rules 211 and 212 of its Rules of Procedure, — having regard to the report of the Committee on Constitutional Affairs (A7-0412/2013), 1. Decides to amend its Rules of Procedure as shown below; 2. Decides that the amendments will enter into force on the first day of the next part-session and will apply to those consent procedures for which the committee responsible has not yet adopted a recommendation; 3. Instructs its President to forward this decision to the Council and the Commission, for information. Amendment 1 Parliament's Rules of Procedure Article 50 — interpretation — paragraph 2 Present text Amendment For the purposes of examining international agreements under The procedure with associated committees set out in this Rule Rule 90, the procedure with associated committees set out in may not be applied in relation to the recommendation to be this Rule may not be applied in relation to the consent procedure adopted by the committee responsible under Rule 81. under Rule 81. Amendment 2 Parliament's Rules of Procedure Article 81 — paragraph 1 — subparagraph 1 Present text Amendment Where Parliament is asked to give its consent to a proposed act, Where Parliament is asked to give its consent to a proposed act, it shall take a decision on the basis of a recommendation from it shall, when adopting its decision, take into account a the committee responsible to approve or reject the act.
    [Show full text]
  • The European Parliament: Powers
    THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT: POWERS Parliament asserts its institutional role in European policy-making by exercising its various functions. Parliament’s participation in the legislative process, its budgetary and control powers, its involvement in treaty revision and its right to intervene before the Court of Justice of the European Union enable it to uphold democratic principles at European level. LEGAL BASIS Articles 223 to 234 and 314 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU). OBJECTIVES As an institution representing the citizens of Europe, Parliament forms the democratic basis of the European Union. If the EU is to have democratic legitimacy, Parliament must be fully involved in the EU’s legislative process and exercise political scrutiny over the other EU institutions on behalf of the public. CONSTITUTIONAL-TYPE POWERS AND RATIFICATION POWERS (1.2.4) Since the Single European Act (SEA)[1], all treaties marking the accession of a new Member State and all association treaties have been subject to Parliament’s assent. The SEA also established this procedure for international agreements with important budgetary implications for the Community (replacing the conciliation procedure established in 1975). The Maastricht Treaty introduced it for agreements establishing a specific institutional framework or entailing modifications to an act adopted under the codecision procedure. Parliament must also give its assent to acts relating to the electoral procedure (since the Maastricht Treaty). Since the Amsterdam Treaty, its assent has been required if the Council wants to declare that a clear danger exists of a Member State committing a serious breach of the EU’s fundamental principles, before addressing recommendations to or imposing penalties on that Member State.
    [Show full text]
  • 1349345* Cmw/C/Per/1
    United Nations CMW/C/PER/1 International Convention on the Distr.: General 4 December 2013 Protection of the Rights of English All Migrant Workers and Original: Spanish Members of Their Families Committee on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families Consideration of reports submitted by States parties under article 73 of the Convention Initial reports of States parties due in 2007 Peru* [14 August 2013] * The present document is being issued without formal editing. GE.13-49345 (EXT) *1349345* CMW/C/PER/1 Contents Page I Introduction................................................................................................................................... 4 II. Information of a general nature..................................................................................................... 5 A. Constitutional, legislative, judicial and administrative framework governing the implementation of the Convention, and any bilateral, regional or multilateral agreements in the field of migration made by the State party.................................................................. 5 B. Information about the nature and character of migration flows (immigration, transit and emigration)..................................................................................................................... 16 C. Present situation regarding the practical application of the Convention in the reporting State .....................................................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Understanding the EU Rule of Law Mechanisms
    Briefing January 2016 Understanding the EU Rule of Law mechanisms SUMMARY The European Union is founded on values common to all Member States. These are supposed to ensure a level of homogeneity among Member States, while respecting their national identities, and so facilitate the development of a European identity and their integration based on mutual trust. Article 7 of the Treaty on European Union provides mechanisms to enforce EU values, based on a decision by the Council with the participation of the Commission and Parliament. The current mechanism is said to be unusable due to the high thresholds needed to adopt a decision in the Council, as well as Member States' political unwillingness to use it. Various new approaches have been proposed by academics and by political actors, from a new independent monitoring body – the 'Copenhagen Commission', through extending the mandate of the EU Fundamental Rights Agency (FRA), to introducing the possibility for the EU to suspend national measures suspected of infringing EU law. In 2014, the Commission adopted a new 'Rule of Law Framework' featuring a structured dialogue between the Commission and the Member State concerned and Commission recommendations and follow-up. On 13 January 2016, the Commission decided for the first time to initiate such an assessment of the situation in a Member State, with regard to two Polish laws – on the powers of the constitutional court and on the management of state TV and radio broadcasters. The European Parliament launched the idea of a 'European fundamental rights policy cycle' with the cooperation of the EU institutions, Member States and the FRA, as a 'new Copenhagen mechanism' to monitor the situation in Member States.
    [Show full text]
  • The European Parliament As a Driving Force of Constitutionalisation
    DIRECTORATE GENERAL FOR INTERNAL POLICIES POLICY DEPARTMENT C: CITIZENS' RIGHTS AND CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AS A DRIVING FORCE OF CONSTITUTIONALISATION STUDY Abstract This report analyses the increasing role played by the European Parliament (EP) in the EU decision-making process. In the first part (Sections 2, 3, 4 and 5), it describes how the EP acquired more power in legislation, comitology, in the appointment of the European Commission and in the budgetary field. In the second part (Sections 6 and 7), the report illustrates the EP’s role in two relevant policy fields: economic governance and external trade agreements. The report demonstrates that EP’s formal and informal powers in legislation, comitology, Commission investiture, the budgetary process, economic governance and international agreements have increased strikingly since the Treaty of Rome. This empowerment is partially explained by the concern for democratic legitimacy on the part of some member states’ (and the Commission). To another important part the empowerment may be explained by the fact that treaties frequently contain ambiguous provisions and thus allow room for informal rules to emerge through bargaining specifying the details of treaty provisions. PE 536.467 EN This study was commissioned by the policy department for Citizen's Rights and Constitutional Affairs at the request of the AFCO Committee. AUTHOR(S) Adrienne Héritier (Project leader), Catherine Moury, Magnus G. Schoeller Katharina L. Meissner, Isabel Mota. RESPONSIBLE ADMINISTRATOR Mr Petr Novak Policy Department Citizens' Rights and Constitutional Affairs European Parliament B-1047 Brussels E-mail: [email protected] LINGUISTIC VERSIONS Original: EN ABOUT THE EDITOR To contact the Policy Department or to subscribe to its monthly newsletter please write to: poldep- [email protected] Manuscript completed in October 2015.
    [Show full text]
  • Andean Community of Nations
    5(*,21$/675$7(*<$1'($1&20081,7<2)1$7,216 1 $FURQ\PV1 ACT Amazonian Cooperation Treaty AEC Project for the establishment of an common external tariff for the Andean States AIS Andean Integration System (comprises all the Andean regional institutions) ALADI Latin American Integration Association (Member States of Mercosur, the Andean Pact and Mexico, Chile and Cuba) ALALC Latin American Free Trade Association, replaced by ALADI in 1980 ALA Reg. Council Regulation (EEC) No 443/92 of 25 February 1992 on technical and financial and economic cooperation with the countries of Asia and Latin America ALFA Latin American Academic Training Programme ALINVEST Latin American investment programme for the promotion of relations between SMEs @LIS Latin American Information Society Programme APEC Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (21 members)2 APIR Project for the acceleration of the regional integration process ARIP Andean Regional Indicative Programme ATPA Andean Trade Preference Act CACM Central American Common Market: Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Nicaragua and Honduras CAF Andean Development Corporation CALIDAD Andean regional project on quality standards CAN Andean Community of Nations: Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela + AIS CAPI Andean regional project for the production of agricultural and industrial studies CARICOM3 Caribbean Community DAC Development Assistance Committee of the OECD DC Developing country DFI Direct foreign investment DG Directorate-General DIPECHO ECHO Disaster Preparedness Programme EC European Community ECHO
    [Show full text]
  • Trade, Regional Integration, and Free Movement of People
    A New Atlantic Community: The European Union, the US and Latin America, ed. Joaquín Roy (Miami: European Union Center of Excellence/Jean Monnet Chair, University of Miami, 2015) 111-21 Trade, Regional Integration, and Free Movement of People Willem Maas York University / European University Institute1 Abstract A building block of regional integration in Europe has been the development of supranational rights, particularly the rights of citizens of member states to live elsewhere in the community. Since the first free movement rights in the early 1950s, the concept of a common EU citizenship has hardened into law, most fa- mously in the Court of Justice’s oft-repeated assertion that “Union citizenship is destined to be the fundamental status of nationals of the Member States.” By con- trast, efforts to foster the free movement of people in groupings such as CARICOM, the Andean Community, MERCOSUR, and UNASUR have so far been relatively modest. Nevertheless, actors within each of those organizations have or are considering supranational rights, thus it is useful to ask about the pro- spects of common free movement rights and perhaps eventually citizenship, fo- cused foremost on the right of member state nationals to live and work elsewhere within the community. The paper’s underlying argument is that successful and stable regional integration efforts must include free movement rights for people. Introduction In a speech at Yale University about the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) currently being negotiated between Europe and the United States, the European Commission Vice-President Viviane Reding argued that “a single market requires fundamental changes in which nation states cooperate.
    [Show full text]
  • The Competence of the European Union to Legislate in Relation to Certain Amendments Endorsed by the European Parliament in Conne
    THE COMPETENCE OF THE EUROPEAN UNION TO LEGISLATE IN RELATION TO CERTAIN AMENDMENTS ENDORSED BY THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT IN CONNECTION WITH A COMMISSION PROPOSAL FOR AN IN VITRO DIAGNOSTIC DEVICE REGULATION OPINION Lawford Davies Denoon, London & Axon Lawyers, Amsterdam 19 February 2014 Alliance of European Life Sciences Law Firms EU Competence to legislate: amendments to proposed IVD Regulation THE COMPETENCE OF THE EUROPEAN UNION TO LEGISLATE IN RELATION TO CERTAIN AMENDMENTS ENDORSED BY THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT IN CONNECTION WITH A COMMISSION PROPOSAL FOR AN IN VITRO DIAGNOSTIC DEVICE REGULATION 1. Introduction Lawford Davies Denoon and Axon Lawyers, members of the Alliance of European Life Sciences Law Firms, are instructed by the European Society of Human Genetics (“ESHG”) to provide a legal assessment of the competence of the European Union to legislate in connection with certain amendments to the draft In Vitro Diagnostic Devices Regulation1 (the “IVD Regulation Proposal”). These amendments2, which were endorsed in the draft report3 of the Committee of the European Parliament with responsibility for the IVD Regulation Proposal, the Committee for Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (“ENVI”) and subsequently adopted (with immaterial further amendments) by the European Parliament on 22 October 2013, were proposed by Professor Dr. Michael Schweitzer and Professor Dr. Hans-Georg Kamann of the Centre for European Law at the University of Passau in an opinion (the “Passau Opinion”) of January 2013, which was written “on behalf of”4 the Group of the European People’s Party (“EPP”)5. The Passau Opinion was commissioned by the Rapporteur of the European Parliament for the IVD Regulation Proposal, EPP MEP Dr Peter Liese6.
    [Show full text]
  • Horizontal Equal Treatment Directive (Fifth Directive) – the State of Play
    June 2015 Horizontal Equal Treatment Directive (Fifth Directive) – The state of play Ladies and Gentlemen, Frau Lüders, colleagues of the German Federal Anti-discrimination Agency and our distinguished NGO partners and stakeholders from Germany and from all over Europe. It is an honour to be here with you today in Berlin to discuss the state of play and possible ways forward to facilitate the adoption of the so-called Horizontal Directive. As Executive Director of Equinet - the European Network of Equality Bodies, I am pleased to co-host this Information and discussion session and wish to congratulate the Federal Anti-discrimination Agency for organising it. Allow me also to express my special gratitude to Niklas Hofmann for kindly translating my speech into German. I am delighted for this opportunity to address you in this language, reminding me of the fantastic study year I spent in Berlin quite some time back. A few words about the organisation I represent: you might know that Equinet is the European Network of 42 national equality bodies from 32 European countries (including all 28 European Union Member States). We are proud to count the German Federal Anti-discrimination Agency among our Members, and much value your key support and engagement in the sharing of expertise and building capacity through exchange with peers in other countries from the very early days of the Network. Equinet works toward a vision of a more equal Europe and promotes equality through supporting and enabling the work of national equality bodies. We support equality bodies to be independent and effective as valuable catalysts for more equal societies, including through the effective application of national equality legislation and facilitating access to rights to all citizens.
    [Show full text]