Rescue Assistance Research Articles

Survey of State Aid in the Lending Sector: A Comprehensive Review of Main State Aid Cases

This paper reviews a considerable number of cases concerning the application of State aid rules to the EU banking sector. The relevance of the financial crisis which hit the lending industry in the ?90s determined the Commission to a significant number of State aid reviews of national measures in support of the sector. Following the deep restructuring of the lending industry in the EU and the complete liberalisation of the financial services market, State aid to support the banking sector has become less frequent. However, State intervention has not disappeared but takes more complex forms. The Commission tackles now State intervention both in the form of capital injections and guarantees granted to restructure individual banks or an entire banking sector. The Commission also investigates fiscal advantages, guarantees and tax preferences conferred on a limited number of banks for distributing savings products. EU Member States appear engaged in a new regulatory race to the bottom in the form of preferential tax regimes for financial holdings compared to more "traditional" and direct forms of State aid to national banks and financial intermediaries involving rescue and restructuring assistance to ailing national champions, or granting of State guarantees to the national banks. We expect that in the near future the Commission will increasingly monitor the existing preferential tax regimes to eliminate possible competition distortions resulting from State aid and will also ensure that capital injections and other forms of public support to public financial institutions are immune from State intervention.

State Aid in the Lending Sector

This paper reviews a considerable number of cases concerning the application of State aid rules to the EU banking sector. The relevance of the financial crisis which hit the lending industry in the '90s determined the Commission to a significant number of State aid reviews of national measures in support of the sector. Following the deep restructuring of the lending industry in the EU and the complete liberalisation of the financial services market, State aid to national banks has become less frequent. However, State intervention has not disappeared but takes more complex forms. The Commission tackles now State intervention both in the form of capital injections and guarantees granted to restructure individual banks or an entire banking sector. The Commission also investigates fiscal advantages, guarantees and tax preferences conferred on a limited number of banks for distributing savings products. EU Member States appear engaged in a new regulatory race to the bottom in the form of preferential tax regimes for financial holdings compared to more traditional and direct forms of State aid to national banks and financial intermediaries involving rescue and restructuring assistance to ailing national champions, or granting of State guarantees to the national banks. We expect that in the near future the Commission will increasingly monitor the existing preferential tax regimes to eliminate possible competition distortions resulting from State aid and will also ensure that capital injections and other forms of public support to public financial institutions are immune from State intervention.

Survival of immersions during recreational boating events in Alaska, 1999–2004

Objective This retrospective study analyzed records of boating or other watercraft-related events in Alaska from 1999–2004, where at least one drowning occurred, to identify factors associated with survivors of these same events. Data Records of recreational boating events involving at least one fatality were obtained through the U.S. Coast Guard. Group rescue responses and rescue assistance responses by others outside the parties were categorized and analyzed. We conducted t tests and odds ratios to analyze inter-group differences. Results There were 32 immersion events involving 36 fatalities (F-group members) and 72 immersed survivors (S-group.) Analysis of behaviors during and after immersion events showed that two-thirds of the S-group avoided submersion. Most survivors (59%) demonstrated effective exit strategies. Rescue attempts by members of a traveling party resulted in the greatest number of survivors, followed by self rescue attempts. Major conclusions This study helps build a case for the need for more detailed surveillance systems to identify factors that contribute to submersion avoidance. This study also points out the need for enforcement, education, and engineering controls to help improve survival of cold water immersions.

医療・福祉施設の避難階段の平面寸法からみた一時待機場所の設置可能性について : 下肢障害者を対象とした避難計画に関する研究

Nearly one thousand of indoor escape stairs of medical and welfare facilities were collected to measure the size of staircase and landings. The findings of this survey are as follows. 1. Very few staircases satisfy the required size for area of rescue assistance in ADA. 2. More than seventy percent of staircases are arranged to adjust the typical span of wards. 3. Area of rescue assistance requires additional space in landing, which will consequently raise the total floor area. Easing restrictions of floor area ratio will be effective to make areas of rescue assistance widespread.

2P1-E8 環境分散型情報処理を用いた救助支援システム(30. マルチエージェントロボットシステムI)

2P1-E8 環境分散型情報処理を用いた救助支援システム(30. マルチエージェントロボットシステムI)