Suchergebnisse

Using a static microsimulation model based on a link between survey and administrative data, this article investigates the effects of the pandemic on income distribution in Italy in 2020. The analysis focuses on both individuals and households by simulating through nowcasting techniques changes in labour income and in equivalized income, respectively. For both units of observations, we compare changes before and after social policy interventions, that is, automatic stabilizers and benefits introduced by the government to address the effects of the COVID-19 emergency. We find that the pandemic has led to a relatively greater drop in labour income for those lying in the poorest quantiles, which, however, benefited more from the income support benefits. As a result, compared with the 'No-COVID scenario', income poverty and inequality indices grow considerably when these benefits are not considered, whereas the poverty increase greatly narrows and inequality slightly decreases once social policy interventions are taken into account. This evidence signals the crucial role played by cash social transfers to contrast with the most serious economic consequences of the pandemic.

Summary
Due to rapid technological development, the sector of energy law is very specific. In many aspects, energy law is strongly linked to the application of competition law rules. The aim of this paper is to evaluate the terminology used in the Czech Energy Act and its compliance with the terminology used in the Czech Act on the Protection of Competition, as well as its compliance with the EU terminology, namely the REMIT Regulation. Problems may be caused by inconsistencies in the terminology used, for example, when defining the relevant market and subsequently identifying a competitor/an undertaking with a significant market power or when deciding on offenses under the Czech Energy Act.

Summary
Protection of individual rights arising from EU law is to a great extent in the hands of national courts. Their role is underlined in cases of imperfect implementation of a directive, where individuals are left at mercy of a euro-conform interpretation. Euro-conform interpretation is not limitless, as, for instance, it shall not be contra legem. However, when exactly is the interpretation contra legem, i.e. impossible? This article shows how intricate euro-conform interpretation may be, using the example of Directive 2008/48/EC on consumer credit agreements, a piece of law much discussed by the ECJ in preliminary rulings. Even if the proper way of interpretation is shown by the Supreme Court of a Member State, individuals may still find it difficult, even impossible, to enforce their rights arising from EU law. The aim of this article is to show how the euro-conform interpretation works in practice.

Summary
This article discusses the Streisand effect in Right to be forgotten. Since this is a highly undesirable phenomenon, the article seeks to answer questions that reveal its frequency and the chance of its manifestation, thus answering the questions of how common the Streisand effect in right to be forgotten is; and it seeks and analyzes the variables that affect the chance of the Streisand effect. To find answers, the article draws on court decisions and also uses the insights of authors working on similar topics. Thus, each variable is justified and shown in a specific real case. The article concludes with a look at the possible increase in the Streisand effect in the future.

This contribution investigates public attitudes toward providing financial help to the self-employed, a less well-researched area in the otherwise vibrant literature on welfare state attitudes. We analyse to what extent the self-employed themselves soften their general anti-statist stance in times of need, and how the public thinks about supporting those who usually tend to oppose government interventions. To answer these questions, we study public attitudes towards providing financial aid to the self-employed during the lockdowns adopted in response to the COVID pandemic in Switzerland, using survey data collected in the spring and in the autumn of 2020. The results show that most respondents favour the provision of financial support. In addition, the self-employed are the staunchest supporters of the more generous forms of help, like non-refundable payments. We conclude that, when exposed to significant economic risk, need and interests override ideological preferences for less state intervention.

In Europe, the consequences of temporary employment are at the centre of a social policy debate about whether there is a trade-off between efficiency and equity when deregulating labour markets. However, despite decades of research, there is confusion about the consequences of temporary employment on wage and career mobility. It is often stated that the consequences are 'mixed'. We review the literature with a focus on synthesizing the evidence and analysing the theories. Our review shows that we know a lot more than is often understood about the consequences of temporary employment on wage and career mobility. We create clarity by organizing the evidence by geographic region, demographic group and reference group. While outcomes vary across these factors, there is less variation within these factors. At the same time, we know a lot less than is often understood about the mechanisms through which temporary employment affects mobility. Some common theories are not well specified in their application to temporary employment. We create new opportunities for development in the field by increasing the scope of the debate about some questions and decreasing the scope of the debate about other questions.