? The Hon. Michael Kirby AC CMG This splendid book performs the heroic task of introducing readers to the large canvas of the commercial law of the European Union (EU). The EU began as an economic community of six nations but has grown into 27 member states, sharing a signi?cant political, social and legal cohesion and serving almost 500 million citizens. It generates approximately 30% of the nominal gross world product. The EU is a remarkable achievement of trans-national co-operation, given the history (including recent history) of national, racial, ethnic and religious hatred and con?ict preceding its creation. Although, as the book recounts, the institutions of the EU grew directly out of those of the European Economic Community, created in 1957 [1.20], the genesis of the EU can be traced to the sufferings of the Second World War and to the disclosure of the barbarous atrocities of the Holocaust. Out of the chaos and ruins of historical enmities and the shattered cities and peoples that survived those terrible events, arose an astonishing pan- European Movement.
Today, global competition obliges companies dealing in international trade to modernize their procedures of delivery in order to minimize the customs burden and simplify the relation with customs authorities. Customs planning is the current option to be effective in the worldwide marketplace. However, customs officials are facing new challenges: they must ensure the smooth flow of trade while applying necessary controls on the one hand, while protecting the health and safety of the Community's citizens on the other. To achieve and maintain the correct balance between these demands, control methods are constantly evolving raising major challenges to those charged with planning and compliance. This book is a highly practical work dealing with the ins and outs of European Union (EU) customs law. Cases of study, jurisprudence and comparative law support the analysis of the different legal tools. The consolidated principles ruling the transactions within WTO Member States applied in EU law offer the readers the opportunity to understand how customs rules can be applied in any customs jurisdiction. Authored by an international tax lawyer with extensive experience enforcing EU customs law as a former member of Italy’s financial police, this handy resource is designed to help the reader stay in compliance with the laws controlling EU importing and exporting while structuring transactions in a business-friendly manner. “This book is a reference work in the customs law field. It deals thoroughly and practically with all the matters that a customs law practitioner would need to know. This book works well both for beginners and experts, since both will find needed information and insight in it.” EU Law Live – Book Review by Darya Budova, Senior Associate, Uría Menéndez
Despite the machinations accompanying the British decision to leave the European Union, the EU still remains a potent economic and political force on the international stage. American businesses, and their lawyers, cannot afford to ignore its institutions and law, because the Union is America's largest trading partner. While the book places the Union in its historical and jurisprudential context and parses its institutional and constitutional structure, its focus is squarely upon the exposition of business law. It introduces American law students and lawyers to substantive law of the Union focusing upon free movement (of goods, workers, the self-employed, cross-border service providers, business entities, and capital), competition law, merger control, state subsidies, and cross-border investment regulation. Although the presentation excerpts seminal cases in each area of business law, its format does not resemble the traditional law school casebook. The focus is upon exposition and explanation, with the authors (academics and practitioners) offering synthesis, analysis and context in each substantive area of law under observation.
This publication contains selected legal texts and instruments on areas of judicial co-operation in European civil law, including the recognition and enforcement of judgements in civil and commercial matters, insolvency proceedings, contractual obligations, the service of documents, the taking of evidence, legal aid, and the European Judicial Network.
This comprehensive book provides a thorough analytical overview of the European Union’s existing law and policy in the field of international trade. Considering the history and context of the law’s evolution, it offers an adept examination of its common commercial policy competence through the years, starting with the Treaty of Rome up until the Treaty of Lisbon, as a background for understanding the EU’s present role in the World Trade Organization (WTO) framework.
The book provides students of European company law courses, scholars and practitioners with an overview. Although company law remains mainly regulated at the level of national laws, it has become important to obtain a systematic view of the main directives in the field of company law, the EU Court of Justice’s jurisprudence, the European Model Company Act and the state of implementation of these directives in the member states of the Union. The book therefore contains, in addition to the illustration of the law laid down by EU legislative bodies and the related soft laws, detailed references to the most important domestic legislations and case laws, in order to make them known and usable as much as possible. Moreover, the book allows identifying the most relevant current legislative trends and the main historical reasons for divergences.
When a mark acquires a reputation, it becomes a means of attracting consumers by communicating to them various messages going beyond the indication of commercial origin of goods or services. Thus, trade marks familiar to the general public enjoy a special legal protection regime above and beyond that afforded trade marks in general, allowing them to benefit from enhanced protection against reproduction or imitation detrimental to, or taking unfair advantage of, the distinctive character of the mark or its repute. This richly researched book, the first comprehensive guide to current European Union (EU) law and practice concerned with reputed trade marks, conducts an in-depth analysis of this extended protection provided by Regulation 2017/1001 on EU trade marks and Directive 2015/2436 under which it is mandatory across all Member States. Using a practical approach, focused on identifying and analysing the criteria for infringement of trade marks with a reputation in proceedings before civil courts and in administrative proceedings before the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) or national trade mark offices, the author addresses such elements of the special protection regime as the following: prerequisites for infringement of the right to a reputed mark common to all recognised forms of infringement; how to demonstrate each type of infringement of the right to the trade mark with a reputation (blurring, tarnishment and unfair advantage); proof of reputation; distinguishing the concept of well-known trade mark; legitimate versus questionable justifications of the ‘due cause’ exception within the meaning of EU law provisions; use of a disputed sign falling under freedom of expression; identifying the role of likelihood of confusion under the special regime; and how to prove the existence of a link between the signs in dispute. The author pays detailed attention to the case law of the Court of Justice and General Court of the EU, as well as cases before the EUIPO and national courts. He takes into account research from a number of Member States (plus Switzerland), thus widening prior work in the field from its predominant English-language context. With this book practitioners will confidently approach cases before courts, the EUIPO and national EU trade mark offices involving enhanced protection of trade marks with a reputation. In addition, the book will help judges and trade mark offices examiners to interpret the EU provisions and assess claims regarding such reinforced protection. For scholars and students of intellectual property law, this book will prove a cornerstone volume in the field.
This timely book explores the developing nature of international trade law,with particular emphasis on World Trade Organization law and its effects within the European Union. In the aftermath of the Seattle upheaval, vital questions are being raised as to the future course of global economic law; its overall legitimacy, implications for democracy, for national social and environmental policies, and for the well being of the world's people. This highly technical subject is rigorously analysed, yet the main legal developments and the major trade disputes are discussed in an accessible narrative style. The first section covers the common historical roots of the GATT and the EC, systems of integration that were part of an idealistic post-war heritage. The book goes on to demonstrate the idiosyncratic development of GATT law, leading to the launch of the WTO in 1995 and the controversial Uruguay Round Agreements which represented the beginning of an enormous proliferation of causes of action and a greatly enhanced legalism for the global trading system.
Présentation de l'éditeur : "Law and Practice of the Common Commercial Policy provides a critical analysis of the European Union (EU)'s trade law and policy since the Treaty of Lisbon. In particular, it analyses the salient changes brought by the Treaty of Lisbon to the Common Commercial Policy (CCP), focussing on the relevant case law of the Court of Justice of the European Union (ECJ), EU free trade agreements, investment protection, trade defence, institutional developments and the nexus between the CCP and other EU policies. The volume brings together a group of distinguished authors, including former and current members of the ECJ, practitioners, officials from EU institutions and Member States and leading scholars in the area of EU trade and external relations law."
This book covers the most important legal issues when conducting business abroad. The first part covers European law with a focus on the institutions of the European Union, the four freedoms and competition law. The second part focuses on individual international contracts. This part starts with the legal environment of the business transaction. The political and policy risks of doing business abroad are explained, as well as how they should be addressed. It continues with entry strategies in foreign markets and then goes on to focus on the individual contract of sale. A wide range of subjects are covered, including general conditions of sale, retention of title, the CISG, product safety and product liability, Incoterms, contract of carriage, jurisdiction, choice of law and arbitration, standard contract clauses and payment conditions. This book takes a practical approach and contains examples and exercises. The book does not pretend to be the ultimate guide: the field of international commercial law in particular is vast, and has many different angels. However, it does try to explain the main pitfalls of doing business in foreign countries and how to avoid them.
