The interplay of various legal systems in the European Union (EU) has long triggered a debate on the tension between uniformity and diversity of Member States' (MS) laws. This debate takes place among European legal scholars and is also paralleled by economic scholars, e.g. in the ambit of the...

German Abstract: Weltweit haben verschiedene Regierungen sogenannte "Nudging Units" eingerichtet, die Erkenntnisse aus der Verhaltensökonomie für die Gesetzgebung nutzbar machen sollen. Mit der Einrichtung eines „Nudging-Units“ – der Regierungsgruppe „Wirksam regieren“ – im...

The paper identifies a policy inconsistency between the EU's asylum and the EU's labour migration policies and makes a call for stronger convergence. The analysis starts off by setting out the EU's current and future economic challenges with a view to its ageing population and low fertility...

German Abstract: Trickbetrügereien entwickeln sich über die Jahre mit. Die Beziehung zwischen Verbrauchern und Anbietern hat vor allem im letzten Jahrzehnt beträchtliche Veränderungen erfahren. Insbesondere hat sich der Online-Handel zu einem alltäglichen Phänomen entwickelt. Geschäfte...

This paper looks at the effectiveness and usefulness of establishing a self-regulatory entity (SRE) in the advertising sector. In different countries one finds different forms of this type of institution. It may play a role in ensuring that misleading and aggressive advertisements are stopped...

The European legislator has adopted a new Directive on ADR which sets out minimum requirements for ADR entities throughout the European Union. From a law and economics point of view law enforcement is crucial to induce compliance. ADR can be viewed as a means of strengthening consumer law...

Consumer law enforcement is high on the European legislator's agenda. The German consumer law enforcement landscape is not unaffected by these European developments. Traditionally, law enforcement in Germany has primarily been carried out by way of civil litigation relying on active consumer...

Many of today’s products and services fall into the category of products and services that are, as such, legal but still unhealthy. Think of smoking as an example. This paper deals with the question of which mix of legal instruments should ideally be used in the light of such products and...