Margin Of Discretion Research Articles

The nZEB concept and its requirements for residential buildings renovation in Southern Europe: The case of multi-family buildings from 1961 to 1980 in Portugal and Spain

Southern Europe has an old housing stock and has the challenge, as the rest of European Union Member States, to transform it into a decarbonized one, by means of transforming the existing buildings into Nearly Zero Energy Buildings (nZEB). Member States have a large margin of discretion when defining the requirements for nZEB.In this paper, the nZEB requirements for the renovation of residential buildings in Portugal and Spain are studied in detail (unlike the usual more general comparative studies) for a specific building typology with poor energy performance. This is done by checking whether an existing residential building, renovated with different combinations of improvements of the envelope and active systems in two comparable cities in each of these two countries, fulfills the requirements or not, and by comparing the results of CO2 emissions reductions. One of the improvements of the envelope considered are those necessary to fulfill the compulsory major renovation requirements in both countries to check how much we are already approaching to the decarbonization of the residential sector.The results show that nZEB standards applied to the renovation of typical multi-family buildings of 1961–1980 in both countries will significantly contribute to the descarbonization of the building stock for this type of building typology, with reductions of 80–96% of CO2 emissions for Portugal and 71–94% for Spain, if they are applied. However, some aspects of the regulations could possibly be improved such as more restrictive requirements for the current regulations for major renovations in Portugal or the way energy from renewable sources is ensured in Spain, among others.

The Referral “Power” of ICC Prosecutor according to Art. 13 StICC

Abstract The present work will be devoted to the power to activate the investigations of the Prosecutor according to art. 13 of the Statute of the International Criminal Court (StICC). The StICC tries to offer some coordination tools, whose correct and careful use should in principle favor a harmonious and effective interaction between the two organs (International Criminal Court (ICC) and Security Council (SC)) and avoid the emergence of conflicts. As we will try to highlight, despite these intent of the statutory provisions, the margin of discretion inevitably granted to ICC and SC in interpreting the extension of the powers recognized to them, can lead to tensions and contrasts of not easy solution.

S2857 Intestinal Behcet’s Disease Involving Terminal Ileum

INTRODUCTION: Behcet’s Disease (BD) is a rare, chronic, inflammatory vasculitis that affects several organ systems. Gastrointestinal involvement occurs in 3 to 25% of patients, with prevalence of 1–2/1,000,000 in the United States. We present a case of a patient with BD developing abdominal pain, diarrhea, and weight loss. CASE DESCRIPTION/METHODS: 57-year-old man with known oral and genital BD presented with fever, 1-week 15lb weight loss, abdominal pain and non-bloody diarrhea. He had been on infliximab, colchicine and prednisone. Laboratory studies exhibited iron deficiency anemia and leukopenia. Abdominal CT showed wall thickening of terminal ileum with fat stranding consistent with terminal ileitis. Tuberculosis, Cytomegalovirus and Histoplasma on serum were negative. Colorectal surgery was consulted, and in light of refractory ileitis patient underwent laparoscopic right hemicolectomy with ileocolic anastomosis. Histopathology demonstrated acute ischemic necrosis with ileal ulceration. After surgery, he was continued on low dose prednisone and infliximab infusions with resolution of intestinal symptoms. DISCUSSION: Intestinal BD presents with abdominal pain, anorexia, vomiting, diarrhea, dyspepsia, and bloody/non-bloody stools. Mucosal ulcerations are thought to be the underlying factor behind the symptoms, likely secondary to a combination of vein and venule vasculitis and large vessel involvement leading to ischemia and subsequent infarction. Diagnosis can be challenging given clinical similarities with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), however findings of vasculitis on biopsy favors intestinal BD over IBD. Imaging modalities are useful in its diagnosis including barium swallow, CT, and MRI which demonstrate colonic wall thickening. Endoscopy often reveals large deep punched out ulcers with discrete margins usually in the ileocecal region. Treatment is similar to IBD, including medical and surgical modalities. First line agents are sulfasalazine, mesalamine and corticosteroids. Second line are infliximab and adalimumab. Colectomy is indicated if medical therapy fails or with presence of bowel perforation, fistulae or GI bleeding. After surgery, recurrence is seen up to 40–80% of cases, with 80% requiring re-operation. Keep in mind that patients with history of BD can develop colitis.Image 1.: Pre-operative CT showing the coronal sequence of images. Notice the circumferentially thickened, irregular terminal ileum in the right lower quadrant. There is secondary luminal narrowing and adjacent fat stranding compatible with transmural involvement.Image 2.: Pre-operative CT as above. Image series.

O adolescente autor de ofensa sexual: da denúncia à responsabilização jurídica

Este artigo analisa o processo de responsabilização jurídica de adolescentes que cometeram ofensa sexual. Trata-se de pesquisa documental, contendo 223 processos judiciais de adolescentes denunciados formalmente por cometerem ofensa sexual, entre 2013 e 2015, no Distrito Federal. As informações foram organizadas num banco de dados e as análises estatísticas de frequência efetuadas pelo programa estatístico IBM SPSS Statistics, versão 24. Identificou-se que 40,3% dos adolescentes envolvidos tiveram processos arquivados ou extintos, seguidos de 21,3% que receberam a remissão. Quanto à responsabilização, 35,3% dos adolescentes receberam medida socioeducativa, sendo priorizadas as medidas de meio aberto. Destes, 67,5% conseguiram cumprir a medida socioeducativa. De um lado, a pesquisa confirmou a morosidade e ampla margem de discricionariedade dos juízes em relação à responsabilização do adolescente ofensor sexual. De outro, a prevalência das medidas de meio aberto traz a possibilidade de uma responsabilização potencialmente mais educativa.

COMPETITIVENESS OF PUBLIC PROCUREMENT UP TO EUR 30,000 (ON THE EXAMPLE OF THE DĄBROWA GÓRNICZA COMMUNE)

A wide margin of discretion by a given contracting authority to shape competition rules in procedures not covered by The Provisions of The Public Procurement Law shall give the possibility to strengthen its actions aimed at ensuring competitiveness and transparency. This is reflected in the internal rules set up by the contracting authorities, the design of which shall provide a theoretical framework aimed at ensuring the competitiveness in question. The author, based on the Ordinance of the Mayor of the City introducing the Order Regulations, excluding the Act, has attempted to identify areas that build competitive in procurement. Moreover, he proposed and described the copyright dimensions of the competitiveness, as well as, pointed out measures and indicators enabling the measurement of competitiveness of public procurement.

Radiographic anatomy of the equine distal tibia.

The radiographic anatomy of the equine distal tibia is complex and is not widely described in the current literature. Superimposition and radiographic similarities between the different osseous structures of the equine distal tibia can make it difficult for anatomic localization of pathology. The purpose of this prospective, descriptive, anatomic study was to detail the normal anatomy of the equine distal tibia using routine radiographic projections and CT of the equine tarsus. Radiographic identification of the different osseous protuberances of the distal tibia on three cadaveric limbs was achieved using radiopaque markers and evaluation of multiplanar and 3D CT reconstructions to create anatomical maps. It was found that the lateral malleolus is composed of cranial and caudal protuberances that are superimposed over the intermediate cochlear ridge of the distal tibia on the lateromedial, dorsal 45° lateral-plantaromedial, and dorsal 65° medial-plantarolateral oblique views, thereby hindering visualization of the cranial protuberance of the lateral malleolus. The medial malleolus is a simple rounded protuberance with discrete margins. On the dorsal 65° medial-plantarolateral oblique, the medial malleolus is ill-defined due to superimposition with the talus. The intermediate cochlear ridge of the distal tibia extends in a craniolateral to caudomedial direction, with its cranial protuberance largely superimposed with the calcaneus and talus on the dorsoplantar view. In summary, the distal tibial anatomy is complex and a thorough anatomical reference is necessary when reviewing radiographs of the equine tarsus for pathology. A plantaro 15° distal 85° lateral-dorsoproximomedial oblique projection is proposed to isolate all distal tibial protuberances.

The influence of the margin of appreciation doctrine on the resolution of the conflict between the freedom of expression and the freedom of religion within the judicial practice of the European Court of Human Rights

The aim of the paper hereto is to conduct analysis regarding the influence of the margin of appreciation doctrine on the solution of the collision between the freedom of expression and the freedom of religion within the Strasbourg system of human rights protection. The main research question focuses on the issue whether the margin of discretion equally affects both considered freedoms and how it impacts their conflict. The paper will rely on dogmatic analysis of the provisions of the European Convention on Human Rights and selected judgments of the European Court of Human Rights in relation to the collision of the aforesaid freedoms. In this article, the author will also implement the historic method. The main thesis of the article is the primacy of the freedom of religion which causes illegitimate limitation of the freedom of expression due to lack of uniform European consensus regarding the qualification of the blasphemous speeches which constitutes a threat for legal certainty.

Some National Security Issues under the European Convention on Human Rightscase-Law

Abstract This article explores some national security issues within the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) case-law. At this juncture, there have been numerous challenges facing national security, especially whether it should contradict or guarantee individual rights. The paper mainly scrutinizes Article 6 and 8 ECHR focusing on two significant cases of the European Court of Human Rights: Rotaru v. Romania and Leander v. Sweden. The first case deals with the violation of the right to a fair trial and an effective remedy as well as breaching the right to privacy. The second case concerns the storage of data regarding the private life of an individual and if this collection might be used for employment research aims for grounds of national security. The study shows that states have a wide margin of discretion when choosing the manners in which they make decisions to protect their national security. The few indications identified in the jurisprudence of a number of states in connection with the right to privateness covered by the paper feasibly fail to meet the criteria of legal certainty necessary to guarantee the proper functioning of the rule of law.

Evaluation of the Convergence of International Markets for Agricultural Enterprises of Ukraine under International Diversification Conditions

It is proposed the classification of indicators of convergence assessment of international markets for determining their marketing attractiveness for the enterprise, which includes absolute and relative indicators of measurement of general statistical data, evaluation of factors of production, information on products and services, dynamic indicators and convergence indicators used by enterprises for the search of new international markets. In the expert assessment of convergence indicators, the markets of foreign countries, the indicators of which are as close as possible to the Ukrainian economy, are distinguished, the result of the assessment allowed to draw conclusions about the marketing opportunities of domestic enterprises in the conditions of the export of goods to the markets of these countries. As the analysis of practical aspects of the functioning of agricultural enterprises and their associations results, a scientific and methodical approach to a comprehensive convergence of agricultural enterprises activities of Ukraine assessment under the conditions of international diversification has been developed. The proposed approach is based on the method of summing up the ranks to rank foreign markets according to the system of dynamic indicators application, which allowed to determine the marketing attractiveness of new international markets for the domestic enterprises activity in these markets and to assess their convergence. As the application of the proposed approach result, foreign markets have been identified which demonstrate favorable conditions for doing business on them, indicating the convergent conditions existence, which is a prerequisite for domestic agricultural enterprises to the markets of these countries release, and also determines the factors and criteria for making managerial decisions regarding realization of domestic agrarian enterprises activity under international diversification conditions. It is proved that the markets of Belgium, Italy, Ireland, Switzerland, and Japan have demonstrated favorable conditions for doing business with them, indicating a significant convergence of markets in these countries. It is determined that the markets of Greece and China are promising for domestic enterprises in the presence of opportunities to overcome a significant margin of discretion. Keywords: convergence, international diversification, international markets marketing attractiveness, convergence evaluation of international markets

Where in the World Did You Get That Rash?

1. Panteha Eshtiaghi, HBSc* 2. Miriam Weinstein, MD, FRCPC† 1. *Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada 2. †Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada * Abbreviations: ACD: : allergic contact dermatitis CD: : cercarial dermatitis CL: : cutaneous leishmaniasis CLM: : cutaneous larva migrans DF: : dengue fever HFMD: : hand, foot, and mouth disease HSV: : herpes simplex virus KD: : Kawasaki disease PCR: : polymerase chain reaction PR: : pityriasis rosea RT-PCR: : reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction The challenge to diagnose cutaneous eruptions and lesions in patients who have spent time in foreign countries is increasingly common. With the advent of increased global travel, foreign adoptions, immigration, and refugee seekers, rashes that were once relegated to the realm of the exotic and likely to show up in a tropical diseases clinic may now present to a general pediatrician. Furthermore, the pediatric traveler is at increased risk for dermatoses. (1) It behooves the practitioner to be aware of these skin findings, to be able to recognize them and distinguish them from other skin conditions. After completing this article, readers should be able to: 1. Identify and classify rashes by main morphologic patterns. 2. Develop a broad differential diagnosis and diagnostic approach for a rash in a returned pediatric traveler based on initial morphology, history, epidemiology, and other clinical features. 3. Consider both infectious and noninfectious causes of skin disorders presenting in a patient with a travel history. 4. Outline the basic investigations and principles of management for travel-acquired and non–travel-acquired dermatologic illnesses. 5. Discuss …

Licenziamento ingiustificato e rimedi: spazi e limiti alla discrezionalità dell'interprete

This article deals with the system of remedies provided by the legislator to sanction unjustified dismissal (i.e. dismissal without giusta causa or justified reason). Reintegration is the excep-tion in this system, while compensation is the rule. Hence some indications for the interpreta-tion of the criteria set by the legislator to identify the applicable sanction on each occasion. These criteria have been elaborated by the legislator by isolating within the case of the giusta causa or the justified reason the essential nucleus constituted by the contested in the disciplinary dismissal and by the fact constituting the justified objective reason to apply rein-statement only in case of non-existence (or manifest absence) of this fact. A survey that, unlike the one aimed at ascertaining the existence of the giusta causa or justified reason, presents very limited margins of discretion and excludes the assessment of the proportionality between the infringement and the sanction applied (art. 2106 of the Italian civil code).

The Necessity for Alternative Legal Pathways: The Best Practice of Humanitarian Corridors Opened by Private Sponsors in Italy

AbstractThe scope of this Article is to understand to what extent a recent and fruitful private initiative sponsoring a safe alternative legal pathway spread from Italy, called “humanitarian corridors,” may in the future become a general and uniform alternative model for all the European Union States. Such a practice—which currently represents an exceptional route for vulnerable migrants to enter the country without harm after a security screening and to be materially supported by the same sponsors in the crucial initial phase of integration—is at present restricted to a relatively small number of beneficiaries, but it could potentially be extended to other States.In order to achieve this goal, it is argued that the present model should be slightly adjusted—especially with regard to the actual reference to Article 25 of the Visa Code as its legal basis. The latter seems difficult to be formally maintained after the much criticized 2017 judgment X and X v. Belgium, in which the Court of Justice of the European Union conferred to Member States a wide margin of discretion when requested to grant humanitarian visas by vulnerable people exposed to serious irreversible harm. Against this background, clear obligations to grant humanitarian visas to vulnerable people at risk already exist. This obligation stems from international law—both general and conventional—and constitutes the adequate legal basis both for States and civil society to act in a “multi-stakeholder alliance” to find solutions to the challenges and opportunities deriving from international migration, as indicated in the Global Compact for Migration.

Wybryk publicznego prezentowania zdjęć martwych płodów a ochrona wolności wypowiedzi w świetle orzecznictwa ETPC

Przedmiot badań: Przedmiotem badań jest orzecznictwo Europejskiego Trybunału Praw Czło­wieka dotyczące wykładni art. 10 Europejskiej Konwencji o Ochronie Praw Człowieka i Podsta­wowych Wolności w tych przypadkach, w których ingerencja państwa następuje z powołaniem na przesłankę ochrony moralności publicznej. Przedmiotem badań jest również stanowisko dzia­łaczy pro-life wobec tego orzecznictwa oparte na tezie, zgodnie z którą wolność wypowiedzi nie podlega jakimkolwiek ograniczeniom. Zdaniem działaczy pro-life każda ingerencja w wolność słowa stanowi pogwałcenie art. 10 Konwencji.
 Cel badawczy: Celem artykułu jest zbadanie, czy wolność słowa według wykładni Trybunału jest wolnością absolutną, czy podlega ograniczeniom na ogólnych zasadach, z powołaniem na przesłanki wskazane w samym art. 10 Konwencji. W przypadku dopuszczalności ingerencji ce­lem jest zbadanie jej legalnej głębokości wówczas, gdy następuje z powołaniem na przesłankę ochrony moralności publicznej. Należy odpowiedzieć na pytanie, czy margines swobody oceny państwa jest wówczas taki sam, jak w przypadku innych przesłanek. Czy istnieje w orzecznictwie Trybunału wykształcony wzorzec moralności publicznej, pozwalający ocenić dopuszczalność ewentualnej ingerencji w wolność słowa. Następnie należy zbadać, czy ewentualne skazanie kar­ne sensu largo działaczy pro-life stanowiłoby naruszenie art. 10 Konwencji w świetle dotychcza­sowego orzecznictwa Trybunału.1
 Metoda badawcza: Badania przeprowadzono, analizując orzecznictwo Trybunału i dokonując jego odniesienia do ocenianych stanów faktycznych.
 Wyniki: Wolność słowa nie jest wolnością absolutną i podlega ograniczeniom na ogólnych za­sadach, z powołaniem na przesłanki wymienione w art. 10 Konwencji. W przypadku ingeren­cji z powołaniem na konieczność ochrony moralności publicznej państwom przysługuje szerszy margines swobody oceny konieczności ingerencji niż w przypadku pozostałych przesłanek ogra­niczania wolności słowa. Jednocześnie nie istnieje jednolity standard ochrony moralności pu­blicznej wspólny dla państw-stron Konwencji. Państwa mogą, nie naruszając art. 10 Konwencji, w szerszym zakresie ograniczać wolność słowa, chroniąc moralność publiczną, powołując się na swoją historię, tradycję i oceny społeczne. Analiza orzecznictwa Trybunału prowadzi do wniosku, że skazanie karne sensu largo działaczy pro-life nie stanowiłoby naruszenia art. 10 Konwencji. Istnieją liczne analogie pomiędzy sprawami rozpatrywanymi przez Trybunał, w których nie dopatrzył się on naruszenia wolności słowa, a inkryminowanymi zachowaniami działaczy pro-life, które mogą i powinny być ścigane karnie bez ryzyka naruszenia Konwencji.

HUMANITARIAN VISAS AND DISCRETIONARY CHOICES IN THE EU: POLICIES ON VISAS AND ON INTERNATIONAL PROTECTION

In its current form, the European area of Freedom, Security and Justice lacks safe entry channels for asylum seekers facing persecution or serious inhuman or degrading treatments in their countries of origin. Leaving aside the experiences of organizing a limited number of admissions based on resettlement, the EU and its member states have instead developed normative, operational and physical obstacles in order to prevent the entry and the admission of foreigners into their territories. This paper examines the extent to which in this context it would be possible to consider that member states have a legal duty to issue humanitarian visas to asylum seekers presenting themselves before their consulates or embassies in transit countries and applying to obtain a visa. This will be assessed taking into account how the Court of Justice has interpreted the margin of discretion of the statesin other areas of international protection policy.

SEGRO and its Aftermath


 
 
 The Court ofJustice ofthe European Union’s (CJEU, Court) SEGRO judgment is more than just a recent addition to the debate on the so-called rule of law crisis in the European Union. As this case note shows, SEGRO touches on the most fundamental aspects of the European Union and its relation to the Member States. From an economic perspective, the Court in SEGRO’s treatment ofproperty rights and the ability ofeconomic actors to rely on their lawfully concluded contracts forms the undercurrent of economic investment in the Union. From a functional perspective, the case is perhaps indicative of a wider change in the role of the Court with respect to national courts’ margin of discretion. From a normative perspective, SEGRO gives rise to an important discussion on the difference between fundamental rights and economic freedoms in the EU since the entering into force of the Lisbon Treaty in 2009, as well as ‘constitutional homogeneity’ in the EU after Hungary’s legislative reforms. Finally, from an evolutionary perspective, SEGRO marks another iteration in perhaps a wider shift in the trajectory of the Court with respect to questions that menace the integrity of the functioning of the European Union. This case note first examines the background (I) and facts of the case (II). Then it analyses the Opinion of the Advocate General (III) and the findings of the Court (IV). It concludes with a discussion based not only on an analysis of the SEGRO case (V), but also going beyond the case by analysing the most recent jurisprudential developments concerning Hungary and the issue of the (non-respect) of the Rule of Law in the European Union(VI).
 
 

Article 106 (2) TFEU in Case Law: Internalization and Customized Balancing of Welfare and Market Interests

Das Unionsrecht offentlicher Dienstleistungen ist dadurch gepragt, dass es unterschiedliche Interessen der EU und der Mitgliedstaaten ebenso in Einklang bringen muss wie Markt- und Wohlfahrtsinteressen. Dieser Beitrag untersucht wie diese mehrdimensionale Interessenabwagung im Kontext des Artikel 106 Abs 2 AEUV vom Gerichtshof der EU und der Kommission durchgefuhrt wird. Neben der Abwagung, die sich unmittelbar aus der Anwendung der Ausnahmebestimmung ergibt, kommt insofern auch der Ausgestaltung ihres Anwendungsbereichs Bedeutung zu. Insgesamt scheint die Union die potenziellen Interessenkonflikte internalisiert zu haben. Einerseits hat sich die EU, vertreten durch den EuGH und die Kommission, zum Hauptakteur entwickelt, dem das letzte Wort in der Ausgestaltung dieser Dienstleistungen zukommt und der dadurch den Spielraum der Mitgliedstaaten hinsichtlich ihrer Bereitstellung, Auftragsvergabe und Finanzierung zunehmend beschrankt. Andererseits erlaubt Artikel 106 Abs 2 AEUV nur eine masgeschneiderte und begrenzte Abweichung von den Wettbewerbsregeln, die im Einklang mit der „allgemeinen Vertraglichkeitsprufung“ zur Identifizierung wirtschaftlicher Tatigkeiten auszulegen ist. Im Ergebnis liegt Artikel 106 Abs 2 AEUV ein System zu Grunde, das es erlaubt, potenziell widerspruchliche Interessen zugunsten funktionierender offentlicher Dienstleistungen miteinander in Einklang zu bringen. Dabei ist jedoch entscheidend, dass die diesem System immanenten Pramissen und Grenzen respektiert werden.

Compound zero-truncated Poisson normal distribution and its applications

Here, we first propose three-parameter model and call it as the compound zero-truncated Poisson normal (ZTP-N) distribution. The model is based on the random sum of N independent Gaussian random variables, where N is a zero truncated Poisson random variable. The proposed ZTP-N distribution is a very flexible probability distribution function. The probability density function can take variety of shapes. It can be both positively and negatively skewed, moreover, normal distribution can be obtained as a special case. It can be unimodal, bimodal as well as multimodal also. It has three parameters. An efficient EM type algorithm has been proposed to compute the maximum likelihood estimators of the unknown parameters. We further propose a four-parameter bivariate distribution with continuous and discrete marginals, and discuss estimation of unknown parameters based on the proposed EM type algorithm. Some simulation experiments have been performed to see the effectiveness of the proposed EM type algorithm, and one real data set has been analyzed for illustrative purposes.

How to License Article 17? Exploring the Implementation Options for the New EU Rules on Content-Sharing Platforms

How can the EU Member States license Article 17 of the new Directive on copyright and related rights in the Digital Single Market? This is the central question that this paper addresses. To answer it, we first analyse the nature of the right included in Article 17. We argue that the nature of the right has a number of serious consequences for its licensing. First, it determines whether the right is mandated by public international law, and hence what licensing modalities are allowed under the 1994 WTO TRIPS Agreement and 1996 WIPO treaties. Second, it clarifies what other conditions European Union law itself imposes on the newly established right and its implementation into national law. These restraints shape the margin of discretion of EU Member States. Third, it may imply changes to existing licensing practices, including the need for collective rights management organisations to obtain new mandates. Fourth, it influences how Member States can incorporate users’ rights into the legal framework. We argue that Article 17 is a special or sui generis right. We identify how this right fits the existing international and EU law, and explain why the Member States have a broad margin of discretion when implementing the corresponding licensing regimes. Perhaps most importantly, and counter-intuitively, we show that the legal arguments against Article 17 licensing via modalities of statutory licensing and mandatory collective management schemes are weaker than one might initially think.

O PAPEL DAS COMPLEMENTARIDADES E HIERARQUIAS NO PROCESSO DE MUDANÇA INSTITUCIONAL: O CONTROLE EXTERNO E A ASSIMILAÇÃO DAS REFORMAS DOS ANOS 1990

As instituições exercem um papel fundamental na configuração e operação de um modelo de desenvolvimento econômico. No Brasil, desde os anos 1930 até os dias atuais, o dirigismo do Poder Executivo e a sua ampla margem de discricionariedade política constituem um traço marcante na estruturação e operação do ambiente institucional correlato ao desenvolvimento. As reformas dos anos 1990, enquanto tentativa de reconfigurar um modelo de desenvolvimento por meio da intervenção no ambiente institucional, reproduzem esta característica marcante. Todavia, a capacidade política de reformular um modelo de desenvolvimento sofre uma série de condicionantes. Acreditamos que, no âmbito dessa discussão, o exame do papel desempenhado pelas instituições de controle em um contexto de reformas pode ajudar a melhorar nossa compreensão dos mecanismos de mudança institucional. Que papel uma instituição relevante de controle externo, como o Tribunal de Contas da União (TCU), teria jogado no processo de endogeneização de novas instituições trazidas com a agenda reformista? No enfrentamento de tais questões, tomaremos como objeto de exame empírico algumas das respostas do TCU – seja no plano de sua reorganização administrativa, seja no exercício de sua atividade-fim – a determinadas reformas do ambiente institucional entre a segunda metade da década de 1990 e o início dos anos 2000. Avaliamos em que medida o caso examinado apresenta as características de um processo de síntese, no contexto do qual se revela a influência que complementaridades e hierarquias podem exercer na assimilação de reformas no arcabouço institucional.

EU Citizens, Foreign Family Members and European Union Law

Abstract While international human rights law enshrines family life as a cornerstone of society, when it intersects with migration, issues and problems arise in countries where migration is high on the political agenda. This is true in a number of EU states. Both EU law and European human rights commitments, however, require states to provide for family reunification subject to a margin of discretion to the state. While family reunification for refugees and beneficiaries of international protection has been at the top of some political agendas in Europe, this article looks at family reunification (generally known as family reunion) for another group—nationals of the Member States. In particular it poses two questions: do EU Member States accept their own nationals to come back to their home state with third country national family members they have acquired while abroad? Secondly, to what extent do EU Member States discriminate against their own nationals in comparison with the generous EU rules of family reunion for nationals of other Member States who have exercised a free movement right in their country. This article is based on reports by experts from all EU Member States in light of the 2014 judgment in O & B (C-456/12) by the Court of Justice of the European Union.