The EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region from Germany’s perspective. OSW Commentary No. 69, 2011-01-10

Germany is one of the eight EU member states which participate in the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region along with Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Sweden. Germany had a positive approach to the EUSBSR strategy (see Appendix 1) right from planning stage. This project contributed to the continuation of Germany’s co-operation with the countries in this region, which has been conducted since the mid 1980s mainly by German federal states. Germany is playing a major role as part of this strategy because it is the coordinator of its three priority areas.However, the German federal government sees the EUSBSR as a project to be implemented at the level of federal states. This has been proven by the great activity of three German federal states participating in the strategy (Hamburg, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and Schleswig-Holstein) and at the same time the low level of engagement from the Bundestag, the federal government and expert circles. Furthermore, federal states more often formulate evaluations of the effects of co-operation achieved so far as part of the EUSBSR. Still, the relatively low level of Berlin’s engagement does not mean that it is not interested in co-operation in the Baltic region as such. Germany actively participates in the work of such bodies as the Council of the Baltic Sea States or the Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission (HELCOM). All German entities engaged in the strategy make its future attractiveness and the success of individual projects as part of it dependent on including Russia in the EUSBSR. As long as Germany has the opportunity of regional co-operation with Russia at other forums (for example, the Council of the Baltic Sea States), it is unlikely to become more engaged in developing the strategy and enhancing co-operation as part of this project.

An Exercise in Legal Honesty: Re-writing the Court of Justice and the Bundesverfassungsgericht. IHS Political Science Series No. 136, February 2014

At a time of crisis – a true state of emergency – both the Court of Justice of the European Union and the German Federal Constitutional Court have failed the rule of law in Europe. Worse still, in their evaluation of the ersatz crisis law, which has been developed in response to financial and sovereign debt crises, both courts have undermined constitutionality throughout Europe. Each jurisdiction has been implicated within the techocratisation of democratic process. Each Court has contributed to an incremental process of the undermining of the political subjectivity of European Citizens. The results are depressing for lawyers who are still attached to notions of constitutionality. Yet, we must also ask whether the Courts could have acted otherwise. Given the original flaws in the construction of Economic and Monetary Union, as well as the politically pre-emptive constraints imposed by global financial markets, each Court might thus be argued to have been forced to suspend immediate legality in a longer term effort to secure the character of the legal jurisdiction as a whole. Crisis can and does defeat the law. Nevertheless, what continues to disturb is the failure of law in Europe to open up any perspective for a return to normal constitutionality post crisis, as well as its apparent inability to give proper and honest consideration to the hardship now being experienced by millions of Europeans within crisis. This contribution accordingly seeks to reimagine each Judgment in a language of legal honesty. Above all, this contribution seeks to suggest a new form of post-national constitutional language; a language which takes as its primary function, proper protection of democratic process against the ever encroaching powers of a post-national executive power. This contribution forms a part of an on-going effort to identify a new basis for the legitimacy of European Law, conducted jointly and severally with Christian Joerges, University of Bremen and Hertie School of Government, Berlin. Differences do remain in our theoretical positions; hence this individual essay. Nevertheless, the congruence between pluralist and conflict of law approaches to the topic are also readily apparent. See, for example, Everson & Joerges (2013).

Effects of ocean acidification on growth and physiology of Ulva lactuca (Chlorophyta) in a rockpool-scenario, link to supplementary data

Rising atmospheric CO2-concentrations will have severe consequences for a variety of biological processes. We investigated the responses of the green alga Ulva lactuca (Linnaeus) to rising CO2-concentrations in a rockpool scenario. U. lactuca was cultured under aeraton with air containing either preindustrial pCO2 (280µatm) or for the end of the 21st century predicted (700µatm) pCO2 for 31 days. We addressed the following question: Will elevated CO2-concentrations affect photosynthesis (net photosynthesis, rETR(max), Fv/Fm, pigment composition) and growth of U. lactuca in rockpools with limited water exchange? Two phases of the experiment were distinguished: In the initial phase (day 1-4) the Seawater Carbonate System (SWCS) of the culture medium could be adjusted to the selected atmospheric pCO2 condition by continuous aeration with target pCO2 values. In the second phase (day 4-31) the SWCS was largely determined by the metabolism of the growing U. lactuca biomass. In the initial phase, Fv/Fm and rETR(max) were only slightly elevated at high CO2-concentrations whereas growth was significantly enhanced. After 31 days the Chl a content of the thalli was significantly lower under future conditions and the photosynthesis of thalli grown under preindustrial conditions was not dependent on external carbonic anhydrase. Biomass increased significantly at high CO2-concentrations. At low CO2-concentrations most adult thalli disintegrated between day 14 and 21, whereas at high CO2-concentrations most thalli remained integer until day 31. Thallus disintegration at low CO2-concentrations was mirrored in a drastic decline in seawater DIC and HCO3-. Accordingly, the SWCS differed significantly between the treatments. Our results indicated a slight enhancement of photosynthetic performance and significantly elevated growth of U. lactuca at future CO2-concentrations. The accelerated thallus disintegration at high CO2-concentrations under conditions of limited water exchange indicates additional CO2 effects on the life cycle of U. lactuca when living in rockpools.

Report of the Commissioners appointed to inquire into the several matters relating to coal in the United Kingdom.

Duke of Argyll, chairman.

The last months of Chaucer's earliest patron,

Chaucer served as page to Lionel, Duke of Clarence, third son of Edward III. of England.

Sir David Lyndesay's Works ...

Henry Charteris's preface to 1568 ed. of Lindsay's Works, with reproduction of original t.-p.: 13* p. appended.

Geschichte des Militär-erziehungs- und Bildungswesens in den Landen deutscher Zunge.

1. bd. Allgemeine übersicht, Baden, Bayern, Braunschweig, Colmar. 1889.--2. bd. Hannover, Hessen-Cassel, Hessen-Darmstadt, Hessen-Hanau, Mecklenburg-Schwerin, Münster, Nassau, Oldenburg. 1891.--3. bd. Österreich. 1893.--4. bd. Preussen. 1896.--5. bd. Sachsen, Schaumburg-Lippe, Schleswig-Holstein, Schweiz, Königreich Westfalen, Württemberg. 1897.--[6. bd. ] Namen-und sachregister. 1900.

Der Vogelhändler : Operette in drei Akten (nach einer Idee des Biéville) /

"Paroles françaises de Georges Garnir et Gustave Lagye"--Caption.

Archaelogic and historic fragments. Containing, inter alia, a facsimile of a rare ms. page dated 1638, having reference to two of Shakespeare's most famous plays, with notes thereon.

On a ms. list of plays of the year 1638. -- Sir Anthony Browne, standard bearer to king Henry VIII, and his descendants. -- On the source and nomenclature of the river Thames. -- On Sir Philip Sidney and his father, Sir Henry Sidney, in relation to Ludlow castle. -- Episodes in the career of Humphrey duke of Gloucester, and his first duchess, and their connection with the abbey of St. Albans. -- On the involuntary visit of Philip of Austria and Juana of Spain to Weymouth in 1506, and its consequences. -- Recuiver, the Regulbium of the Romans. -- Appendix.

The Bridgewater Gallery : one hundred and twenty of the most noted paintings at Bridgewater House /

The collection originally belonged to the Duke of Bridgewater and was inherited by and later added to by the Earls of Ellesmere.

The cases of polygamy, concubinage, adultery, divorce, &c. seriously and learnedly discussed. : Being a compleat collection of all the remarkable tryals and tracts which have been written on those important subjects. /

Reissued 1736 with title: Select and curious cases of polygamy.

Foreign missions their relations and claims /

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Portraits of the seventies /

Includes bibliographical references.

Narrative of services in the liberation of Chili, Peru, and Brazil, from Spanish and Portuguese domination,

The author was commander of the Chilean navy 1818-1823, and held a like position in Brazil, 1823-1825.

Romantic biography of the age of Elizabeth; or, Sketches of life from the bye-ways of history.

v. 1. Introduction. Margaret of Valois, Queen of Henry IV. Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester. Castelnau, Ambassador from France. La Mothe Fenelon. La Mothe Fenelon and Castelnau. Thomas Howard, fourth duke of Norfolk. Hugh, Earl of Tyrone, and notices of Walter, 1st Earl of Essex. Dr. Dee.--v. 2. Calvin and the church of Geneva. William Whittingham and the Puritans. Archbishop Whitgift and Dr. Cartwright. John Darrel, the exorcist. Loyola and the order of the Jesuits. Robert Parsons, Edmund Campian, and the Jesuits in England. Pope Sixtus V. Charles de Valois, Duc d'Angoulême. Henry de la Tour d'Auvergne, Viscount Turenne and Duke de Bouillon.