We investigate in a horizontal product differentiation model with North-South trade the implications of a home bias in consumers' demand for labelled goods. We compare mutual recognition and international harmonisation of ecological labels with respect to firms' profits and welfare. Northern...

In economies with perfect competition, environmental tax rates should be set equal to the equilibrium marginal damage. There are two basic reasons to depart from this first best rule: incomplete competition and the possibility of using environmental policy as a strategic trade instrument in open...

This paper provides a theoretical framework that can explain the empirical observation that foreign banks from industrialized countries tend to increase their involvement in emerging markets in periods of market instability. In this model, domestic banks have (through past lending operations)...

Im April lehnte das Europäische Parlament den Vorschlag der EU-Kommission ab, vorübergehend CO2-Emissionszertifikate vom Markt zu nehmen, um so den Preisverfall für Emissionsrechte zu stoppen und Anreize für die Industrie, in klimafreundliche Technologien zu investieren, zu setzen. Steht die...

Der Welthandelsorganisation (WTO) wird immer wieder vorgeworfen, ein Hindernis für eine wirksame Umweltpolitik zu sein. Die Handelsregeln, so der Kernvorwurf, hätten Vorrang vor ökologischen Belangen. Die WTO hält dem entgegen, dass das Regelwerk den WTO-Mitgliedern erhebliche Spielräume in...

Ökologische Kennzeichen gehören zu den marktorientierten Instrumenten der Umweltpolitik und finden international zunehmend Anwendung. Sie enthalten Kriterien über die Herstellungsweise von Produkten, welche bei einer Anwendung auf ausländische Produkte zu Konflikten mit Exportländern...

The ad valorem versus unit taxes debate has traditionally emphasized tax yield. For this criterion, ad valorem taxes outperform unit taxes in terms of welfare for a wide range of imperfect competition settings, including Dixit-Stiglitz monopolistic competition. Yet, in a number of policy fields,...

This paper addresses German energy policy instruments and their compatibility with WTO rules. Germany and the EU are forerunners in international climate change policy and driving forces behind the 1997 Kyoto Protocol. German energy policy includes approaches to foster electricity generation...