For many observers, the European Union is mired in a deep crisis. Between sluggish growth; political turmoil following a decade of austerity politics; Brexit; and the rise of Asian influence, the EU is seen as a declining power on the world stage. Columbia Law professor Anu Bradford argues the opposite in her important new book The Brussels Effect: the EU remains an influential superpower that shapes the world in its image. By promulgating regulations that shape the international business environment, elevating standards worldwide, and leading to a notable Europeanization of many important aspects of global commerce, the EU has managed to shape policy in areas such as data privacy, consumer health and safety, environmental protection, antitrust, and online hate speech. And in contrast to how superpowers wield their global influence, the Brussels Effect - a phrase first coined by Bradford in 2012- absolves the EU from playing a direct role in imposing standards, as market forces alone are often sufficient as multinational companies voluntarily extend the EU rule to govern their global operations. The Brussels Effect shows how the EU has acquired such power, why multinational companies use EU standards as global standards, and why the EU's role as the world's regulator is likely to outlive its gradual economic decline, extending the EU's influence long into the future.

"This book was originally published as a monograph in the International encyclopaedia of laws/Commercial and economic law."

The Business Law Guide to Belgium is essential reading for all companies doing business in Belgium, as well as for their legal advisers. This book is a time- and money-saving companion that deals with the legal aspects of most commercial scenarios from a practical point of view. Topics covered in the book include company law, mergers and acquisitions, accounting law, taxation and tax law, customs and excise law, financial law, employment law, residence and work permits, distribution law, E-commerce rules, intellectual property law, antitrust law, unfair trade practices, property law, environmental law, state aid rules, product liability law, data-protection rules, judicial composition and bankruptcy, and litigation and arbitration. Written by a team of Belgian lawyers at Van Bael and Bellis, this book reflects their day to-day experience with respect to the complex legal issues that arise under Belgian business law. This book is the only comprehensive treatise of Belgian business law available in English. Established in 1986, Van Bael and Bellis is one of the few independent international law firms based in Brussels. It advises companies from around the world on international trade law, antitrust law and Belgian business law, including corporate transactions and litigation.

This edited volume is based on the European Law Institute's project, The Rescue of Business in Insolvency Law, which ran from 2013 to 2016. The project sought to investigate and articulate the essential features of well-functioning procedures for the "rescue" of distressed but viable businesses. Although the focus was primarily on the design and implementation of formal procedures (that is, those provided by law), the project also required consideration of the interaction between such procedures and informal solutions to distress, given the obvious cost advantages of the latter. The ELI project was not confined exclusively to restructurings, since these are only one possible route to maximising the value of a distressed but viable business (an auction procedure, in which the business is sold on a going concern basis to a new owner, is one obvious alternative). The ELI project encompasses various aspects of both public/constitutional law and insolvency law that may have a bearing on the functionality of formal restructuring procedures.

The Meaning of "Enterprise", "Business" and "Business Profits" under Tax Treaties and EU Tax Law, comprising the proceedings and working documents of an annual seminar held in Milan in November 2010, provides an in-depth analysis of the meaning of these three essential concepts in relevant tax treaties and law. The analysis starts from an EU tax law perspective, with a particular emphasis on the European Directives. The above concepts are then considered from domestic tax law viewpoints. The book then moves to tax treaty law. Most notably, an examination of the history and interpretation of the concepts of "enterprise", "business" and "business profits" is presented, starting from the works of the League of Nations to the current OECD Model Tax Convention. Next, specific tax treaty issues are considered. In particular, the controversial issues concerning the interpretation of the notions of "enterprise" and "enterprise of a Contracting State" are discussed. Also, the concepts of "profits" and "business profits" are thoroughly reviewed. The concept of "enterprise" in the context of the non-discrimination clause laid down by Art. 24 of the OECD Model Tax Convention is then examined. Individual country surveys provide an in-depth analysis of the aforementioned concepts and issues from a national viewpoint in selected European and North American jurisdictions, as well as in Australia and Japan. The book concludes with a round-table discussion among some of the most renowned international tax scholars on the desirability to change the OECD Model Tax Convention and its Commentaries. This book is essential reading for all those dealing with issues of taxation of enterprises engaged in cross-border activities and can be considered a new cornerstone in the subject matter."--Publisher's website

This note explores the interactions between new technologies with key areas of commercial law and potential legal changes to respond to new developments in technology and businesses. Inspired by the Bali Fintech Agenda, this note argues that country authorities need to closely examine the adequacy of their legal frameworks to accommodate the use of new technologies and implement necessary legal reform so as to reap the benefits of fintech while mitigating risks. Given the cross-border nature of new technologies, international cooperation among all relevant stakeholders is critical. The note is structured as follows: Section II describes the relations between technology, business, and law, Section III discusses the nature and functions of commercial law; Section IV provides a brief overview of developments in fintech; Section V examines the interaction between technology and commercial law; and Section VI concludes with a preliminary agenda for legal reform to accommodate the use of new technologies.

The World Bank Group’s Women, Business and the Law examines laws and regulations affecting women’s prospects as entrepreneurs and employees across 190 economies. Its goal is to inform policy discussions on how to remove legal restrictions on women and promote research on how to improve women’s economic inclusion.