​Jan Blockx​

• 17 december 2019
  
• Promotoren: Prof. Anne-Marie Van den Bossche en Prof. Gert Straetmans

Abstract

The maxim actus non facit reum nisi mens sit rea expresses the idea that someone who committed an act prohibited by the criminal law can generally only be punished if he or she did so with a specific state of mind. The most serious offences are normally considered those that involve an intention to conduct oneself unlawfully or to cause an unlawful result. Usually the knowledge of the material elements of the offence is equated with intention. Even for strict liability and negligent offences, the perpetrator’s mental state is relevant as an aggravating or attenuating circumstance when meting out punishment. This dissertation analyses whether EU antitrust law takes this element into account and whether it should do so.

According to the case law on Article 101 TFEU, the existence of an ‘agreement’ or ‘concerted practice’ is dependent on the external manifestation of the parties’ intentions as expressed between the parties. Although anticompetitive intentions are not necessary to establish a restriction of competition, they are relevant to assess the object of the agreement or practice. Under Article 101(3) TFEU, mens rea evidence can be a tool to verify the credibility of the claims made by undertakings.

As regards the application of Article 102 TFEU, mens rea is not required to establish dominance. Depending on the type of abuse, intentions can play a more or less significant role: for some types of abuses (in particular predatory pricing but also some other pricing and exclusivity abuses), they are relevant or even determinative, whereas for other types of abuses (in particular multimarket abuses) they are hardly mentioned in the case law.

Although Regulation 1/2003 entails a mens rea element for the imposition of a fine, this requirement is interpreted in a minimal way in the case law. In only few cases have the Commission and the European courts taken into account intentions as a relevant factor to modulate the fine.

The arguments that have been made against using intent evidence in EU antitrust enforcement are not conclusive. On the contrary, because of the difficulties of conducting economic analyses of the effects of commercial conduct, it makes sense to look at the intentions of the persons engaging in that conduct to interpret their behaviour. Also for the punishment of anticompetitive behaviour, the presence or absence of anticompetitive intentions should be relevant.

​Paterne Murhula Batumike​

• 9 december 2019
  
• Promotoren: Prof. dr. Patricia Popelier (Faculteit Rechten) en Prof. dr. Stef Vandeginste (Universiteit Antwerpen, IOB)

Abstract

Dans la présente thèse, l’auteur tente d’apprécier la légitimité de la justice électorale en République Démocratique du Congo et au Burundi. La thèse comporte trois parties.

La première partie offre un cadre théorique et contextuel d’appréciation de la légitimité. Elle débouche sur la double conclusion intermédiaire que, d’une part, la légitimité de la justice électorale distribuée dans les deux Etats est largement tributaire du cadre légal et politique en place. Et de l’autre, le degré de conditionnement de la justice électorale par le cadre légal et politique peut être apprécié à l’aune d’un faisceau des critères cristallisables autour de la trilogie «input», «throughput», «output».

La seconde partie mène une analyse empirique du règlement institutionnel du contentieux électoral. Elle débouche sur l’identification des modèles de justice électorale organisés dans les deux Etats, ainsi que sur une meilleure connaissance de leurs organisation et fonctionnement. Cette double connaissance s’appuie à son tour sur une analyse jurisprudentielle approfondie et pertinente.

La troisième partie se place à la confluence des deux premières. Elle identifie et discute les principaux problèmes de légitimité posés par la justice électorale à l’aune de la trilogie sus énoncée. Elle aboutit à une mise en évidence de principaux angles morts de la justice électorale congolaise et burundaise.

Enfin, la conclusion générale impose des solutions plurisectorielles formulées comme réponses au polymorphisme inhérent aux problèmes de légitimité documentés.

Sur le plan théorique et scientifique, la thèse affiche son originalité à trois points de vue principaux. Premièrement, elle réaffirme la complémentarité plutôt que la dichotomie ou la disjonction entre légalité et légitimité. Elle recale la thèse du caractère “métajuridique” collé à la légitimité afin de mieux l’opposer à la légalité. Elle prend position en faveur de la thèse de l’enrichissement mutuel et de l’interdépendance entre les deux concepts. En second lieu, l’analyse de la légitimité de la justice électorale congolaise et burundaise à l’aune de la trilogie prédite fonde la thèse de la sempervirence du contentieux électoral dans les deux Etats et, partant, nuance celle de la temporalité de celui-ci. Cette nuance résulte de l’extension du contenu théorique du contentieux électoral, désormais décliné au tour de la bipolarité « contentieux interprétatif » et « contentieux électoral sensu stricto ». Enfin, pour le cas précis du Burundi, l’étude soutient la thèse du consociationalisme judiciaire en tant que la dérivée non formelle d’un consociationalisme politique formel.

​Maja Sahadžić​

• 3 oktober 2019
  
• Promotoren: Prof. dr. Patricia Popelier (UAntwerpen) en Prof. dr. Josef Marko (Universität Graz)

Abstract

One common feature of recently emerged systems with federal features is the bringing of constitutional asymmetry into play and introducing intermediary tiers of government in response to difficulties created by facets of multinationalism. For the most part, this front-page subject suffers from the lack of structured and comprehensive legal debate.

In particular, the thesis was designed to examine the link between constitutional asymmetries and multi-tiered multinational systems and to investigate the effects of constitutional asymmetries on legitimacy and stability in these systems. The thesis has argued that constitutional asymmetries are closely linked to multi-tiered multinational systems, as well as that constitutional asymmetries undermine legitimacy and stability in these systems.

To address the objectives, the thesis combines an empirical and qualitative approaches by using the index of the indicators of constitutional asymmetries, a qualified respondent's questionnaire, the csQCA analysis as a data analysis technique, and country studies assembled into the edited volume „Constitutional Asymmetry in Multinational Federalism, Managing Multinationalism in Multi-tiered Systems“ (Patricia Popelier and Maja Sahadžić, eds.).

The most obvious finding to emerge from this thesis is that constitutional asymmetries link exclusively to multi-tiered systems that are multinational in their essence. The second major finding was that multi-tiered multinational systems exhibit legitimacy deficiencies and stability shortcomings when burdened with asymmetrical constitutional solutions.

The findings from this thesis make several contributions to the current literature in federalism.

First, the thesis establishes a contemporary theoretical framework that is better adjusted to the discussion on constitutional asymmetries. The framework uses the dynamic federalism approach to connect the concepts of constitutional asymmetry, multi-tiered system, and multinationalism. Second, the thesis builds an innovative methodological approach to studying constitutional asymmetries by providing the index of the indicators of constitutional asymmetries. The index is a comprehensive and versatile resource in researching constitutional asymmetries as it can be applied in empirical and qualitative analyses by using it as a basis for surveys, correlational research, case studies, observational method, grounded theory, text analysis, etc. Third, the thesis updates contemporary federal literature on political asymmetries with two new factors that influence the emergence of constitutional asymmetries: historical and separatist. Fourth, the thesis offers an original conceptual framework to legitimacy and stability in multi-tiered multinational systems with asymmetrical features based on the dynamic interaction between and among multiple tiers of government and multinationalism burdened with asymmetrical constitutional solutions.

​Yuliang Pang​

• 6 september 2019
  
• Promotoren: Koen De Feyter (UAntwerp) en Alexia Herwig (Wageningen University)

Abstract

The PhD thesis aims to answer three fundamental questions: what kinds of policy space for import protection do Members have under the AoA? How they use their policy space to protect their sensitive agricultural products or key defensive interests? Is the policy space enough for Members, particularly for Recently Acceded Members (RAMs)?  With these questions in mind, the thesis adopts a comprehensive and comparative approach to examine the broad landscape of WTO Members’ legal policy space in market access and domestic support. A social-legal approach is also adopted to examine the three dimensions of this substantial issue: what, how and why. A few case studies are given in order to better understand the relevant WTO rules and their applications. The thesis also examines the legality of the “WTO plus” obligations and “WTO minus” rights allegation for RAMs from both the procedural and the substantive aspect of the claim. Based on detailed analyses, the thesis draw conclusions on the definition of policy space for import protection and Members’ policy space in border protection and in domestic support. It also gives some recommendations on future negotiations.

​Daniel Ogunniyi​

• 27 juni 2019
  
• Promotor: Prof. dr. Wouter Vandenhole

Abstract

Child labour is regulated by a variety of international and regional legal instruments. The plurality of norms also implies the likelihood of conflict in certain thematic areas. From an international human rights law perspective, the areas of convergence and/or divergence in the governing instruments have not been comprehensively studied, even though they have great implications for the protection and promotion of children’s rights. Also, at the national level in Nigeria, the manner in which the relevant governing instruments have been incorporated is yet to be comprehensively studied.

This study therefore assesses child labour norms both from international and national perspectives to understand their relevance in the broader agenda to protect children. The study demonstrates the complexities of incorporating children’s rights (child labour) treaties in Nigeria and further reveals that numerous children in Nigeria remain trapped in the web of child labour as defined in existing treaties. Given the scope of the problem, the study offers specific recommendations on how to address the legal as well as the economic dimensions of the challenge. The study further explores the potential roles of international development cooperation as a mechanism for combating poverty, and indirectly, child labour, in Nigeria and elsewhere in the developing world.

​Cedric Jenart​

• 17 juni 2019
  
• Promotor: Prof. Jan Velaers

Abstract

Parliaments have always been regarded as playing a pivotal role in the creation of rules within democratic European states. Through its composition, Parliament is taken to represent the opinions and interests of society, which it serves through the legislative process.

However, what if Parliament is dead? In an increasingly globalized world, nation-states are confronted with issues that require international cooperation, expert knowledge and flexibility to resolve. Rather than taking the lead, parliaments are increasingly settling for a managerial position. They are outsourcing their rulemaking powers (and other constitutional responsibilities) rather than exercising them themselves.

Traditionally, rulemaking powers have been conferred to the executive. More recently, independent agencies, hybrid or private actors are receiving rulemaking powers from both the legislature and the executive via various techniques. Whereas the legislature and executive are still controlled by voters via democratic elections, these 'non-politically accountable actors' are not, or to a lesser extent.

Which powers can be outsourced to such non-politically accountable actors and under which conditions? What mechanisms are in place to guarantee the quality of their rules? European constitutions remain mostly silent on these fundamental questions.

This research first uncovers the shared constitutional principles that determine the limits to outsource rulemaking powers. Second, the research argues that there should be minimal legal safeguards that rules, especially those made by non-politically accountable actors, must heed. The comparative, doctrinal study examines Belgium, France, Germany and the United Kingdom with a specific case study of the World Anti-Doping Agency.

Ultimately, the author draws three main insights and three main recommendations from the analysis. He introduces a new constitutionally relevant category of actors, proposes a constitutional provision and suggests a good practice to pair primary motives with their most suitable outsourcing technique.

​Steffi Illegems​

• 11 juni 2019
  
• Promotoren: Prof. dr. Thierry Vansweevelt en Prof. dr. Britt Weyts

Abstract

Het overheidstoezicht op de verzekeringssector ("het verzekeringstoezicht") door de Nationale Bank van België en de FSMA is op zeer korte tijd bijzonder grondig gewijzigd. De grootste innovatie van de voorbije – en komende – jaren kwam er door de Solvency II-hervorming. Het introduceerde een maximaal geharmoniseerd, Europees en principles-based prudentieel toezicht. Drie pijlers van toezicht schrijven respectievelijk kwantitatieve vereisten, kwalitatieve vereisten en rapporteringsvereisten voor. Dit onderzoek analyseert de omzetting hiervan in de wet van 13 maart 2016 (“Toezichtswet”).

Doorheen de analyse is het proportionaliteitsbeginsel als een denkkader gebruikt. De centrale onderzoeksvraag luidde daarom als volgt: doorstaat de Toezichtswet het perspectief van het proportionaliteitsbeginsel? Hierop is een genuanceerd antwoord nodig. Verscheidene onderdelen van de Toezichtswet zijn proportioneel in het licht van de doelstelling van cliëntenbescherming. Het Solvency II-proportionaliteitsbeginsel is op veel punten correct en voldoende ingebed in het prudentieel toezicht. De Toezichtswet onderschrijft een robuust en geavanceerd toezicht dat in sterke mate bijdraagt tot de doelstelling van cliëntenbescherming. Deze bescherming is wel degelijk toegenomen door de Solvency II-hervorming.

Nochtans is er ook duidelijk ruimte voor verbetering. Hiertoe zijn er aanbevelingen geformuleerd, al naargelang het geval gericht aan de wetgever, de toezichthouder en/of de verzekeringssector. Deze aanbevelingen zijn terug te brengen tot zeven overkoepelende thema’s: (i) nood aan een sterker en duidelijker Solvency II-proportionaliteitsbeginsel; (ii) nood aan een versterkt principles-based kader; (iii) meer aandacht voor de incentives en doelstellingen; (iv) meer aandacht voor de impact op het bedrijfsmodel; (v) uitdagingen voor de toezichthouder; (vi) afstemming tussen prudentieel toezicht en gedragstoezicht; en (vii) een meer doordacht level playing field met het bankentoezicht.

​Arina Gorbatyuk​

• 31 mei 2019
  
• Promotoren: Prof. dr. Geertrui Van Overwalle (KU Leuven) en Prof. dr. Esther van Zimmeren (UAntwerpen)

Abstract

Contextualization
Due to the increased complexity of new technologies and rapid technological developments, organizations often cannot independently keep up with the technological progress and engage in open innovation (OI) activities by setting up (international) R&D partnerships. In negotiating such R&D partnerships, the allocation of intellectual property (IP) ownership of jointly developed knowledge is a difficult task, in particular in case of international partnerships. Parties may safeguard generated knowledge using patent and/or trade secret protection. The allocation of patent ownership and trade secret control within such international partnerships can be extremely problematic due to the lack of regulation and harmonization of IP legislation. This entails the need to consult a considerable number of legal systems that may be involved in large-scale international partnerships.

While many legal patent systems suggest co-ownership as a default regime, in practice organizations often avoid it due to the complexity related to further joint exploitation. The principle of freedom of contract allows collaborating organizations to establish their own applicable rules (“contract-based regime”) governing the allocation of ownership and further exploitation of jointly developed knowledge. This contract-based regime provides more flexibility but also implies considerable transaction costs in negotiating the contract. Moreover, the legislators fail to address the issue of joint trade secret control in any jurisdiction. Thus, collaborating parties cannot rely on default rules and have to contractually allocate control of jointly developed trade secrets.

Objectives
First, this research aims at developing a better understanding of the current legal framework concerning the allocation of IP ownership of jointly developed knowledge by conducting a comparative analysis of legislation. Second, the application of that legal framework in practice is assessed by analyzing data obtained through 56 semi-structured interviews. Third, the analysis of the interface between IP default regimes and contract-based regimes is undertaken to find legal mechanisms that could facilitate the allocation of IP ownership generated in R&D partnerships and reduce costs associated with the negotiation of R&D partnerships. Finally, the research provides a set of recommendations addressed to collaborating parties, legislators and policymakers that would (a) facilitate the establishment of international R&D partnerships and (b) increase the openness and transparency of IP to aid further engagement in OI processes.

​Aleksandrs Fillers​

• 21 maart 2019
  
• Promotor: Prof. dr. Johan Meeusen

Abstract

Traditionally, private international law and conflict of laws as one of its elements were part and parcel of domestic law. Due their domestic pedigree, conflict-of-laws rules varied from one state to another as every state espoused its own approach to the determination of the law applicable to cross-border relations, with only a marginal number of conflict-of-laws rules being unified by international conventions. Things changed as the European integration strengthened and also left its traces in areas traditionally governed by domestic conflict of laws. The Europeanisation of conflict of laws, which initially was slow, has accelerated in the last two decades. Currently, the European Union (EU) has adopted extensive secondary legislation that replaces entire layers of domestic conflict-of-laws rules, making conflict of laws to a great extent a branch of EU law. However, it is not only the EU legislature that has rendered many domestic conflict-of-laws rules obsolete. The Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) as well has intervened and rendered many judgments that interpreted the European fundamental freedoms in a way that they strongly interact with some of the remaining domestic conflict-of-laws rules, hence substantially modifying their functioning within the EU.

The unparalleled development of European conflict of laws poses an obvious question: is it fundamentally different from domestic conflict of laws and, if so, then what is its specific identity? The objective of the Ph.D. thesis is to study the specific identity of EU conflict of laws in two particular areas. Firstly, the thesis aims to answer whether and in what sense Article 81 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, which serves as the basis for EU secondary legislation regarding judicial cooperation in civil matters, determines the specific identity of EU conflict-of-laws rules adopted by means of secondary legislation. Secondly, the thesis aims to answer whether the EU conflict-of-laws regime that the CJEU has created regarding the free movement of companies and of Union citizens carries any specific identity that would distinguish it from traditional conflict-of-laws rules.

​Shana Meys​

• 28 februari 2019
  
• Promotor: Prof. dr. Alois Van Oevelen

Abstract

De artikelen 7 en 8 van de Belgische Hypotheekwet vormen een van de basisbeginselen van het Belgische privaat vermogensrecht en poneren de regel dat het vermogen van de schuldenaar als onderpand voor zijn schuldeisers fungeert. Waarop de schuldeiser precies zal kunnen uitvoeren, wordt bepaald op het ogenblik waarop hij effectief overgaat tot executie.

Zolang een schuldeiser niet overgaat tot tenuitvoerlegging blijft een schuldenaar beschikkingsbevoegd om zijn vermogen te beheren en kan de samenstelling van dat vermogen wijzigingen ondergaan. Schuldenaars die er weinig voor voelen om hun schuldeisers te betalen, beschikken zo over de mogelijkheid om het onderpand van hun schuldeisers volledig uit te hollen.  

In dit proefschrift werd onderzocht in hoeverre een schuldeiser kan overgaan tot gedwongen tenuitvoerlegging wanneer hij geconfronteerd wordt met een geval van bedrieglijk onvermogen. Twee aspecten staan hierbij centraal. In de eerste plaats onderstelt een efficiënte uitvoering dat een schuldeiser zich kan wenden tot een uitvoeringsorgaan dat over voldoende onderzoeksbevoegdheden beschikt om het vermogen van de schuldenaar te kunnen lokaliseren en de samenstelling ervan te kunnen bepalen. Een schuldeiser moet met andere woorden toegang hebben tot patrimoniale informatie. In de tweede plaats moet de wetgever ook een aantal middelen ter beschikking stellen voor het geval waarin de schuldenaar zich onvermogend heeft gemaakt. Beide aspecten mogen bovendien niet los van elkaar worden gezien. Inzage in het vermogen kan de kans op handhaving doen toenemen, maar omgekeerd, kan een goede opsporing de handhaving minder noodzakelijk maken.

​Federica Baldan​

• 22 januari 2019
  
• Promotor: Prof. dr. Esther van Zimmeren

Abstract

After decades of negotiations, in 2012 EU Member States finally agreed to establish a centralised and highly specialised patent judiciary, the Unified Patent Court (UPC). The establishment of the UPC is part of the Unitary Patent Package, which also includes the creation of the unitary patent. Although one of the main aims for the establishment of the UPC is to ensure the consistent interpretation of European patent law, some of the features of the new judicial system have the potential to jeopardise coherence. In fact, once established, the UPC will constitute an additional layer of jurisdiction to the already complex and fragmented European patent system. This will result in a risk of incoherent interpretation of patent law and inconsistent decisions by the different actors involved in the European patent system. Another challenge to judicial coherence relates to the highly specialised nature of the UPC. As the Court will exclusively deal with patent cases, it may develop an isolated body of case law and a pro-patent bias.

The aims of this Ph.D. thesis are threefold. The first aim is to analyse and evaluate the available mechanisms in the current European patent system for safeguarding judicial coherence. The second aim is to investigate the potential challenges to judicial coherence which may arise after the establishment of the UPC. Finally, thanks to a comparative research of the US and the Japanese patent systems, this thesis identifies coherence-enhancing mechanisms and recommendations for the key actors in the new European patent system.