The energy system of the future is smart and sustainable, with IT applications making it possible to efficiently match supply of and demand for sustainable energy. It will turn consumers into active players, responding to financial incentives to either or not use energy at specific moments, or...

Over the past three decades, Member States have created a variety of regulatory authorities, generally in response to the adoption of liberalization directives by the European Union. Because of the substantial power they enjoy and the importance of their tasks, it is widely recognized that it is...

This paper discusses whether the principles of good regulation and good market supervision could play a role in developing a more consistent approach towards the regulation of the energy sector and, more in particular, in dealing with the challenges of regulating the heat sector. It is concluded...

Investments in energy infrastructure are one of the key energy policy priorities of the European Union. However, due to inherent high costs, these investments cannot be made without the Member States' support, notably in the form of State aid. This implies notifying the State aid to the European...

Due to legislative and judicial developments, standard-setting has come to the forefront of public debates. Being for a long time considered as a 'no passing zone' for everyone but engineers and technical experts, standard-setting organizations (SSOs) have produced a rowing solid body of...

This article is the first that discusses how national enforcement authorities have been using bundling, meaning tying or rolling up a number of things together, to settle with corporations over multiple bribery allegations. These settlements rely on some allegedly illegal acts that defendants...

Agreed commitments under GATS — both general and specific — amount to substantial qualifications to the exercise of sovereignty and powers in shaping domestic regulation of services. Members therefore agreed to introduce security exceptions aimed to preserve Members’ freedom of action in...

This contribution offers a comprehensive analysis of Art. XIX GATS, entitled “Negotiation of Specific Commitments”, which clarifies the manner in which negotiations under the GATS should proceed in order to progressively achieve higher levels of liberalization. This provision also identifies...

There is a considerable urgency in addressing the impact stemming from the production of certain agricultural commodities on ecosystems and local communities. Forest-risk commodities (FRCs) such as cocoa, coffee, palm oil, rubber, soy, maize and beef generate negative impacts on deforestation,...

This paper takes stock of the many private and public instruments enacted transnationally to tackle the pressing problem of deforestation, ecosystem conversion and associated human rights violations caused by international demand and trade in agricultural commodities. The paper argues that...