Réunir et faire dialoguer chasseurs et protecteurs de la nature tel est l’objectif de « la chasse en droit comparé ». Malgré quelques divergences, il apparaît que de nombreux objectifs communs au niveau européen peuvent être poursuivis dans les domaines de la conservation de la biodiversité et de la protection des habitats.

In recent years, many countries have significantly revised their existing legislation or adopted new legal frameworks for the protection and management of wildlife. This study assesses the current status of national wildlife laws around the world, with a particular emphasis on legal innovations that have emerged over the last decade. The study focuses on domestic legislation, but also briefly examines the main features of international wildlife treaties, highlighting the linkages between global, national and local instruments. While retaining many of the basic elements of earlier legislation, recent laws address new issues and reflect new strategies for wildlife protection and management. They provide for better protection of biodiversity, deal with broader threats to wildlife within and outside protected areas, place clearer emphasis on management planning, pay more attention to sociocultural dimensions of wildlife management, enhance the involvement of affected persons and stakeholders in decision-making, and allow greater scope for local communities to participate in the benefits of wildlife use.

This book is the result of doctoral studies that I started in October 2004. At the outset, I only knew that I wanted to work on interest groups and litigation in the context of the European Union. At that time, I would not have believed that I would find myself some time later touring half Western Europe to interview environmental organisations, nor that I would read French, German and Dutch court rulings on the protection of endangered species whose names were completely unknown to me. Yet I never regretted my choice of topic, and hopefully the following chapters will convince the reader that it is indeed a topic that merits our attention. I would not have been able to cope with all the pitfalls of a long research project without the strong and enduring support of my friends and colleagues. Both personally and academically, I have profited enormously from my three years as a doctoral student at the department of political science at the Institute for Advanced Studies (Institut für Höhere Studien) in Vienna, Austria. I am very much indebted to Gerda Falkner, Oliver Treib, Sylvia Kritzinger and Irina Michalowitz for organising such a great programme which allowed me and my colleagues to engage in intensive discussions with outstanding academic scholars such as Alec Stone-Sweet, Paul Pierson, James Caporaso, Frank Schimmelfennig, Klaus Goetz, Andrea Lenschow, Katharina Holzinger and Hellen Wallace.

The impact of businesses on a country’s economy extends beyond just the monetary effects of the company. The ethical standard to which a business upholds itself can have a crucial impact on the development of a country’s economy. Empowering Organizations through Corporate Social Responsibility addresses the implementation of businesses’ ethical standards in both emerging and advanced economies, interpreting the social impact of this issue in a global context. Highlighting case studies, interdisciplinary perspectives, and strategies in business management, this book is a pivotal reference source for academics, researchers, post-graduate students, and professionals concerned with the development of the business sector.