The present paper explores the multi-layered relationship between plant patents, the right to food and competition law. The present contribution takes the view that the growing tendency to appropriate agricultural crops through intellectual property (IP) – thereby making a pivotal shift from...

The development of a sustainable food system involves the coordinated efforts of all actors in the value chain. In this context, environmental, social, and governance (ESG) practices of companies play a key role, being closely related to their economic and financial resilience. The study uses...

In this article the author explores the role private international law (‘PIL’) could play in addressing human rights violations committed by a multinational company operating outside Europe − possibly in a conflict zone − in a civil action in Europe. The article examines the feasibility...

Imposing legal liability on corporations for their involvement in human rights violations remains problematic. In the United States, civil liability in such circumstances developed in a series of Alien Tort Statute cases. This evolution came to an abrupt end with the cases of Kiobel v. Royal...

This report, submitted by the Independent Expert to the Human Rights Council for its March 2015 session, describes good practices of governments, international organizations, civil society organizations, corporations and others in the use of human rights obligations relating to the environment,...

This book, through various differently oriented chapters, tries to give an insight on how the European Union and its multilevel model of governance must try to strike a balance between diverging interests and priorities. In particular, the EU and the European states (including the CoE's Members)...