Voluntary Agreements Research Articles

Industry responses to the UK government’s public consultation on the proposed soft drinks industry levy: Qualitative documentary analysis using the framework method and a systems perspective

The United Kingdom (UK) Chancellor of the exchequer announced a tax on sugar sweetened beverages in his March 2016 budget. A public consultation on the Soft Drinks Industry Levy (SDIL) was conducted before the levy’s implementation in 2018. We aimed to identify arguments that industry stakeholders made during the public consultation to influence the discursive environment using thematic framework analysis with a novel complex systems lens.Forty-two censored consultation responses from industry stakeholders (manufacturers, retailers, or representative trade associations) were obtained by Freedom of Information requests to Her Majesty’s Revenue & Customs and Her Majesty’s Treasury. Industry stakeholders were overall opposed to the SDIL. Key themes included unintended consequences of the levy, denying the impact of the levy, the responsibility of government to industry over health, and proposals of alternative policies. Industry stakeholders created a discursive environment that showcased the complexity of business relationships in response to the levy, in contrast to linear causal arguments and simplistic solutions (e.g., consumer education). Documented industry discursive strategies were engaged, including promoting voluntary agreements, use of industry commissioned research, and questioning the effectiveness of the policy.Industry stakeholders’ submissions presented opposition to an evidence-based policy and use of documented industry discursive strategies emphasised the need for a pro-active and transparent consultation process and stakeholder management. A complex systems approach, alongside robust evidence, can identify changing relationships and adaptations in response to a policy, and pre-empt industry positioning in future health policymaking by identifying areas of push-back in advance to allow better stakeholder management.

CUNY Settles Claim of Student with Vision Impairment

The U.S. Department of Justice, through the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, has reached a voluntary compliance agreement with the City University of New York. This agreement requires CUNY to prepare and implement systemwide policies to ensure improved accessibility of educational content, proper training of staff and facility, and effective modifications and auxiliary aids and services (https://bit.ly/3OD3icq).

College enters into voluntary resolution agreement

Case name: Letter to: American International College, No. 01‐20‐2228 (OCR 12/14/20).

Hardening corporate accountability in commodity supply chains under the European Union Deforestation Regulation

AbstractThe European Union (EU) has recently introduced the Deforestation Regulation to close regulatory gaps in the sustainability and legality of global forest and agricultural commodity supply chains. We analyze this regulatory policy change by drawing on accountability scholarship and institutionalist theories of regulation. Our results show that the Regulation aims to enhance corporate accountability mechanisms through mostly state‐based hard regulation of commodity supply chains, reducing the role of market incentives and private regulation. This policy change is found to be the result of strategic policy‐oriented learning from perceived accountability failures of existing soft market‐based instruments, voluntary trade agreements, and experience with market‐correcting EU timber legality trade rules in a politically favorable context. The institutionalization of new forest‐risk commodity supply chain accountability norms in new EU trade rules would, by design, harden foreign corporate accountability for negative socio‐environmental externalities. However, the de‐facto hardening will depend on the final regulatory design, acceptance, compliance, implementation, enforcement improvements, and avoidance of leakage effects.

Bank Interest in Islamic Law

This journal aims to examine the concept of bank interest (riba) within the framework of Islamic law (Sharia). The practice of charging and receiving interest has been a topic of significant debate and controversy among Islamic scholars and jurists. This paper provides an in-depth analysis of the philosophical underpinnings of bank interest in Islamic law, taking into account various perspectives and interpretations within the Islamic legal tradition. The journal begins by exploring the foundational principles of Islamic law and its ethical framework, highlighting the prohibition of riba as outlined in the Quran and the Hadith. It discusses the historical context and evolution of Islamic banking and finance, emphasizing the need for alternative financial mechanisms that comply with Islamic principles. The study then delves into the philosophical considerations surrounding bank interest from an Islamic legal perspective. It examines different schools of thought and the rationale behind their positions, including the arguments for and against the permissibility of bank interest. The utilitarian perspective evaluates the societal consequences of interest-based transactions, while the deontological approach emphasizes the adherence to moral principles. The contractualist viewpoint focuses on the voluntary agreements between parties, and the concept of justice and equality is examined in relation to interest-based transactions. Furthermore, the journal analyzes contemporary practices in Islamic banking and finance, including the development of Islamic financial instruments that adhere to Sharia principles. It explores the role of regulatory bodies in overseeing and ensuring compliance with Islamic law in the financial industry. The research concludes by synthesizing the diverse perspectives and providing a comprehensive understanding of the philosophical considerations surrounding bank interest in Islamic law. It emphasizes the importance of contextual interpretation and critical analysis within the Islamic legal tradition to address the challenges and complexities posed by modern financial systems.

Normative Juridical Review Regarding Bank Interest in Islamic Law

This journal aims to examine the concept of bank interest (riba) within the framework of Islamic law (Sharia). The practice of charging and receiving interest has been a topic of significant debate and controversy among Islamic scholars and jurists. This paper provides an in-depth analysis of the philosophical underpinnings of bank interest in Islamic law, taking into account various perspectives and interpretations within the Islamic legal tradition. The journal begins by exploring the foundational principles of Islamic law and its ethical framework, highlighting the prohibition of riba as outlined in the Quran and the Hadith. It discusses the historical context and evolution of Islamic banking and finance, emphasizing the need for alternative financial mechanisms that comply with Islamic principles. The study then delves into the philosophical considerations surrounding bank interest from an Islamic legal perspective. It examines different schools of thought and the rationale behind their positions, including the arguments for and against the permissibility of bank interest. The utilitarian perspective evaluates the societal consequences of interest-based transactions, while the deontological approach emphasizes the adherence to moral principles. The contractualist viewpoint focuses on the voluntary agreements between parties, and the concept of justice and equality is examined in relation to interest-based transactions. Furthermore, the journal analyzes contemporary practices in Islamic banking and finance, including the development of Islamic financial instruments that adhere to Sharia principles. It explores the role of regulatory bodies in overseeing and ensuring compliance with Islamic law in the financial industry. The research concludes by synthesizing the diverse perspectives and providing a comprehensive understanding of the philosophical considerations surrounding bank interest in Islamic law. It emphasizes the importance of contextual interpretation and critical analysis within the Islamic legal tradition to address the challenges and complexities posed by modern financial systems.

School enters into voluntary resolution agreement

Case name: Letter to: Hunter Business School, No. 02‐22‐2289 (OCR 11/29/22).

Keabsahan Perjanjian Pra Nikah dan Akibat Hukumnya Ditinjau dari Perspektif Hukum

. A marriage is an agreement based on personal voluntary agreement between a man and a woman to become husband and wife. In Indonesia, the contract or agreement is called a marriage contract (nuptial agreement or marriage). Pre-nuptial agreement is an agreement made by the prospective bride and groom before the marriage takes place so that it becomes a legal couple. Properly the contract The prenuptial agreement is also binding on both the bride and groom and contains issues of dividing the assets of the two parties or relating to the personal assets of both parties so that they can be separated, if one day there is a separation. An agreement is an event where a person promises to another person or where two people promise each other to do something. When compared to an engagement with an agreement, apart from the agreement being a source of engagement other than the law, the engagement is also an understanding that is still abstract, because the parties are said to carry out something, while the agreement is already a concrete understanding, because the parties are said to carry out something certain events. This research is a type of legal research that uses a normative juridical approach. The implementation of the marriage agreement so that the agreement is valid in the eyes of the law, the agreement must be made authentically before a notary. The prenuptial agreement is made for the benefit of legal protection of each other's innate assets, namely the property of the prospective husband or the property of the prospective wife. By making a Pre-Marriage Agreement, it will provide a sense of security to the prospective husband and wife in carrying out their household ark. Prenuptial agreements are made to confirm assets, rights of husband/wife, obligations of husband/wife and responsibilities of each party.

The case of the Brazilian Alliance Program: a voluntary energy efficiency agreement based on industrial process analysis

The case of the Brazilian Alliance Program: a voluntary energy efficiency agreement based on industrial process analysis

Retailer Remittance Matters: Evidence from Voluntary Collection Agreements

Recent reforms have shifted tax-remittance responsibility for online purchases from consumers to sellers, thereby eliminating an important disparity between tax treatments of online and brick-and-mortar commerce. Despite the attention these reforms received, we know little about how shifting the responsibility to remit affects consumption or the tax system. To remedy this, we study US states’ staggered adoption of voluntary collection agreements, which committed large online retailers to remit sales taxes. We find that this change stemmed sales-tax base erosion and shifted consumption toward brick-and-mortar retailers. The increased tax burden resulting from the effective tax increase fell mainly on consumers, but it did not significantly alter the distributional burden of US sales taxes.

Энергосбережение и повышение энергетической эффективности: баланс государственного надзора и саморегулирования

The article presents an analysis of the theory and practice of state regulation and market selfregulation in the field of energy saving and energy efficiency improvement, their evolution and balance changes, the periodization of the development of domestic legislation and control, analysis of the practice of implementing control and supervisory measures in Russia and the Volgograd region. The current trend in the field of energy saving and energy efficiency improvement is characterized by a shift in priority from state supervision and administrative regulation to digital monitoring and market self-regulation, in which appropriate measures can achieve the set goals faster and at a lower cost. The coverage of the self-regulation processes of the entire business community, rather than its individual representatives, will not only ensure more reliable and high-quality fulfillment of contractual obligations but also increase the competitiveness of the domestic energy sector as a whole. The tasks of self-regulatory organizations in the energy sector may include participation in the development of a regulatory framework, information support, consulting in the field of personnel training, and voluntary agreements in the field of ecodesign. It is revealed that in Russia and the EAEU countries, there is a significant potential for energy saving and energy efficiency improvement through the formation and development of a largely self-regulating ecodesign system for energy-consuming goods.

College enters voluntary resolution agreement

Case name: Letter re: Quincy College, No. 01‐22‐2190 (OCR 10/28/22).

University enters into voluntary resolution agreement

Case name: Letter to: Oregon State University, No. 102022028 (OCR 08/19/22).

Social obligations in the logging sector in Cameroon, Ghana, Liberia and Republic of Congo

This paper offers a critical review of the social obligations (revenue redistribution, direct payments, payments in kind, and access to justice or compensation) of logging concessionaires to affected communities in Cameroon, Ghana, Liberia and Republic of Congo. The research draws on a full desk-review of relevant legal texts, and consultation with leading non-governmental organisations working in the forest sector in the four countries. It appears that the legal foundation of social obligations is mainly shaped by national context, and therefore important differences can be observed across countries. However, they are complex, incomplete and precarious, providing opportunities for elite capture, and communities – and the State – not reaping the benefits they are owed by law. A key conclusion is that legality-licensing schemes such as under a Voluntary Partnership Agreement (VPA) with the European Union (EU) tend to downplay social obligations compared to other aspects of legal compliance.

Налоговое стимулирование инвестиций в зеленые технологии: опыт отдельных стран

The relevance of the research topic is due to the need to solve the problems of fiscal support for investment in the context of increasing environmental and climate risks that push countries to form the fiscal policy under the influence of the climate agenda, capable of ensuring the financial interests of governments and investors. The main objective of the article is to characterize the processes of transformation of national fiscal policy under the influence of the global climate agenda and tax incentives for investments in green technologies. The authors analyze the sources of investment financing mobilized by developed countries, the main of which are carbon taxes and energy taxes. Changes in the tax policy of the Russian Federation aimed at stimulating the best available technologies and R&D are exposed. The following conclusions are made. Developed countries are actively implementing fiscal measures to support investment in green technologies; the topic of tax transformation has moved from a discussion format to the plane of practical application, although not always successful. Today countries introduce new incentives, use preferential environmental taxation of innovative activities of the energy-intensive sector and voluntary tax agreements of authorities with investment companies, form ratings based on unified comparable indicators. The Russian Federation lags behind developed countries in mobilizing financial resources for green economic growth and in the development of fiscal tools that have proven effective. The problem today is tax regulation of technological development, which covers investment incentives and disincentives to environmental pollution. The next promising action could be the formation of a financial basis for green economic growth, investment in green technology.

A Study on the Calculation of the Standard Recycling Cost of PVC Profiles and Flooring Waste in Korea

The Voluntary Agreement for Collecting and Recycling Plastic Waste (VA), including polyvinyl chloride (PVC) profiles and flooring materials, will be converted to an Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) system from 2023. The objective of this study is to calculate the standard recycling cost and the recycling market size for preparing the new system. Among the total recycling companies participating in the VA, a cost analysis was conducted for 11 profile businesses (35% of the total businesses) and seven flooring businesses (58% of the total businesses). As a result, the standard recycling cost was calculated as 0.45 USD/kg for PVC profiles and 0.36 USD/kg for PVC flooring materials. As of 2020, the total market size is 1135 million USD (5.86 million USD for PVC profiles and 5.49 million USD for PVC flooring materials). Our research shows that few countries have nationally managed accurate data regarding PVC profiles and flooring waste. Compared to the European Union (EU), the total amount of recycled PVC products in Korea seems lower, but the recycling rate per capita is higher. This study can provide basic data about the recycling industry for the recycling academia and the manufacturing field.

University enters into voluntary resolution agreement

Case name: Letter re: University of Texas, No. 06222063 (OCR 08/22/22).

School enters into voluntary resolution agreement

Case name: Letter to: Hunter Business School, No. 02‐22‐2289 (OCR 11/29/22).

University enters into voluntary resolution agreement

Case name: Letter re: University of Texas, No. 06222063 (OCR 08/22/22).

School enters into voluntary resolution agreement

Case name: Letter to: Hunter Business School, No. 02‐22‐2289 (OCR 11/29/22).