The European Citizens' Initiative: Caught between Executive Dominance and Judicial Restraint?

in Jancic, Davor (Ed.) The Changing Role of Citizens in EU Democratic Governance (2023)

Launched as a tool of participatory democracy, the European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) raised great hopes to make the Union more accessible. However from the very beginning, the procedures and conditions ... [more ▼]

Launched as a tool of participatory democracy, the European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) raised great hopes to make the Union more accessible. However from the very beginning, the procedures and conditions of the ECI have been beset with problems. Its early years are characterized by the struggle to determine the registration requirements to be fulfilled by organizers. With the recent legislative revision of Regulation No 211/2011 and the CJEU’s jurisprudence, these requirements have become more lenient - leading to an increase in registered ECIs. In recent years, it is exactly this increase that has reinforced the ultimate question of the citizens’ initiative - which actions must or should the Commission take subsequent to a successfully submitted initiative. In an attempt to contribute to the discussion, the present chapter analyses both the legislative framework in this regard as well as the Court’s interpretation thereof. It shows that the ECI in terms of its outcome is currently caught between a dominant Commission defending its holy grail of the right of initiative, and a Court, which so far has shown little activism to grant anything more than a reasoned opinion to organizers of a successful ECI. With the ongoing political debate and the call to elevate a successful ECI to a right to trigger the process of adopting Union acts, the pressure on the legislature is increasing. It is in this context that this chapter reflects on potential ways forward, their effectiveness in terms of concluding the debate, and the likeliness of being politically accepted. [less ▲]

La responsabilité civile du fait des lycanthropes

in Calcio, Mathilde (Ed.) Horreur et Droit (2023)

L’intégration monétaire européenne ou la paix des monnaies

in Potvin-Solis, Laurence (Ed.) L'Union européenne et la paix (2023)

La monnaie est le reflet du système des relations sociales des sociétés transactionnelles. Elle en porte les valeurs, en promeut les objectifs. Les traités européens fondent un processus d’union sans ... [more ▼]

La monnaie est le reflet du système des relations sociales des sociétés transactionnelles. Elle en porte les valeurs, en promeut les objectifs. Les traités européens fondent un processus d’union sans cesse plus étroite entre les peuples européens. L’Union a pour but de promouvoir la paix. Créée en 1999, la monnaie unique européenne, l’euro, contribue à ce rapprochement entre les peuples en composant une communauté monétaire. Elle met fin à l’état d’anarchie entre monnaies européennes, elle garantit la justice entre les utilisateurs de l’euro, par sa nature dénationalisée et sa stabilité. Cependant, la malingrerie des arrangements institutionnels gouvernant la projection externe du pouvoir monétaire européen confère à celui-ci un rôle modeste dans la préservation de la paix dans l’ordre monétaire international bouleversé par l’émergence des « monnaies » virtuelles. [less ▲]

The Cemetery Surveyor Application: Non-paper data Collection Methods in Luxembourg Burial Grounds

in Mytum, Harold; Veit, Richard (Eds.) Innovation and implementation. Critical Reflections and New Approaches to Historc Mortuary Data Collection, Analysis and Dissemination (2023)

Sepulchral culture-science requires detailed fieldwork, focusing on minutiae and spatial attributes, yielding cumbersomely large data sets. For a study on material cultures in the Luxembourg region’s ... [more ▼]

Sepulchral culture-science requires detailed fieldwork, focusing on minutiae and spatial attributes, yielding cumbersomely large data sets. For a study on material cultures in the Luxembourg region’s spaces of remembrance, we developed the Cemetery Surveyor Application (CSA) and Web Cemetery Surveyor (WCA) for Android devices and desktop computers respectively, aiming to streamline diverse data collection methodologies. The multi-platform applications provide varying affordances, benefits and limitations. The android application, operating off-line, allows the association of photographs to grave features directly, while the desktop version, accessed online, allows simultaneous collaboration. This paper describes how the tools responded to a need, their development and design process, the justifications for their operations, strengths, weaknesses, and makes recommendations for future implementations. [less ▲]

Kölner Kommentar zum Aktiengesetz, Band 9/1 - §§ 18 to 120a Aktiengesetz

Book published by WoltersKluwer - 4 (2023)

ATM: Black-box Test Case Minimization based on Test Code Similarity and Evolutionary Search

in IEEE/ACM International Conference on Software Engineering (2023)

Inside out: A relational perspective on Luxembourg

Report (2023)

The paper adds to the synthesis of the 2922 INURA-Annual Meeting held in Luxembourg and includes a reflection on the practice of comparative analysis and exchange of experience in urban policy and ... [more ▼]

The paper adds to the synthesis of the 2922 INURA-Annual Meeting held in Luxembourg and includes a reflection on the practice of comparative analysis and exchange of experience in urban policy and planning. The informed statements made by INURA-members on related issues in Luxembourg are considered rather different (and very much to the point), compared to the often less informed praise by visitors from outside. This peculiar outcome of 'relationality' from outside may hinder a more effective policy response to be developed within the country. [less ▲]

Cancer-Associated Fibroblast Diversity Shapes Tumor Metabolism in Pancreatic CancerCancer-Associated Fibroblast Diversity Shapes Tumor Metabolism in Pancreatic Cancer

in Cancers (2023)

Despite extensive research, the 5-year survival rate of pancreatic cancer (PDAC) patients remains at only 9%. Patients often show poor treatment response, due partly to a highly complex tumor ... [more ▼]

Despite extensive research, the 5-year survival rate of pancreatic cancer (PDAC) patients remains at only 9%. Patients often show poor treatment response, due partly to a highly complex tumor microenvironment (TME). Cancer-associated fibroblast (CAF) heterogeneity is characteristic of the pancreatic TME, where several CAF subpopulations have been identified, such as myofibroblastic CAFs (myCAFs), inflammatory CAFs (iCAFs), and antigen presenting CAFs (apCAFs). In PDAC, cancer cells continuously adapt their metabolism (metabolic switch) to environmental changes in pH, oxygenation, and nutrient availability. Recent advances show that these environmental alterations are all heavily driven by stromal CAFs. CAFs and cancer cells exchange cytokines and metabolites, engaging in a tight bidirectional crosstalk, which promotes tumor aggressiveness and allows constant adaptation to external stress, such as chemotherapy. In this review, we summarize CAF diversity and CAF-mediated metabolic rewiring, in a PDAC-specific context. First, we recapitulate the most recently identified CAF subtypes, focusing on the cell of origin, activation mechanism, species-dependent markers, and functions. Next, we describe in detail the metabolic crosstalk between CAFs and tumor cells. Additionally, we elucidate how CAF-driven paracrine signaling, desmoplasia, and acidosis orchestrate cancer cell metabolism. Finally, we highlight how the CAF/cancer cell crosstalk could pave the way for new therapeutic strategies. [less ▲]

From Branches to Subsidiaries: Post-brexit Enforcement of Subsidiarisation in the European Union

in Böffel, Lukas; Schürger, Jonas (Eds.) Digitalisation, Sustainability, and the Banking and Capital Markets Union (2022)

A Review of Radio Frequency Based Localisation for Aerial and Ground Robots with 5G Future Perspectives

in Sensors (2022), 23(1), 188

Efficient localisation plays a vital role in many modern applications of Unmanned Ground Vehicles (UGV) and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), which contributes to improved control, safety, power economy ... [more ▼]

Efficient localisation plays a vital role in many modern applications of Unmanned Ground Vehicles (UGV) and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), which contributes to improved control, safety, power economy, etc. The ubiquitous 5G NR (New Radio) cellular network will provide new opportunities to enhance the localisation of UAVs and UGVs. In this paper, we review radio frequency (RF)-based approaches to localisation. We review the RF features that can be utilized for localisation and investigate the current methods suitable for Unmanned Vehicles under two general categories: range-based and fingerprinting. The existing state-of-the-art literature on RF-based localisation for both UAVs and UGVs is examined, and the envisioned 5G NR for localisation enhancement, and the future research direction are explored. [less ▲]