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This comparative study looks into the proposed “vaccine passport” initiative from various human rights aspects. It was undertaken by the Global Digital Human Rights Network, an action started under the EU’s Cooperation in Science and Technology programme. The network currently unites more than 80 scholars and practitioners from 40 countries. The findings are based on responses to questions put to the network members by the authors of this study in February 2021 (questions attached in Annex I). We acknowledge individual contributions from colleagues (listed in the table of contributors above), whose views are sometimes presented in a generalised fashion. The study concentrated on the availability of a legal framework for the proposed “vaccine passport”, whether such a “passport” would create binding obligations in the public and private sectors or, alternatively, what would be the scope of discretion allowed to public and private entities to make their decisions affecting rights holders’ access to various services. The attitudes prevalent in different states and in the media were also analysed, along with the aspects that need to be considered to avoid potential human rights violations. There has been no thorough analysis in most countries as to whether a normative national basis exists to restrict fundamental rights through the requirement of having a “vaccine passport” to access certain locations or services. Compatibility of the proposed passport with European and/or international human rights rules and principles is a marginal issue in public discourse. Conceptualisation about such compatibility remains general and theoretical, and has not reached the level of practicality and effectiveness. Most countries have not enacted concrete legislative acts or provisions to deal with a pandemic of this scale and magnitude. [Excerpt from Introduction and Synopsis], peer-reviewed

Iš Bendrojo duomenų apsaugos reglamento nuostatų darytina išvada, kad teisė į duomenų apsaugą nėra absoliuti teisė; ji turi būti derinama su kitomis teisėmis. Taip pat ir iš Europos Sąjungos Teisingumo Teismo (toliau – ESTT) jurisprudencijos aišku, kad Europos Sąjungos (toliau – ES) valstybės narės, taikydamos ar įgyvendindamos ES teisę, turi laikytis Sąjungos teisės principų, t. y. turi garantuoti, kad bus vadovaujamasi tokiu jų aiškinimu, kuris leistų užtikrinti teisingą įvairių ES teisės sistemos saugomų pagrindinių teisių pusiausvyrą. Teisminėje praktikoje neretai susiduriame su teisės į duomenų apsaugą ir saviraiškos bei informacijos laisvės kolizija. Taigi straipsnyje analizuojama, kaip derinamos bei interpretuojamos teisė į duomenų apsaugą ir saviraiškos bei informacijos laisvė ESTT bei Europos Žmogaus Teisių Teismo jurisprudencijoje bei kaip Lietuvos teismai siekia pusiausvyros tarp šių pagrindinių teisių. Šia analize norima nustatyti probleminius aspektus, kurie gali būti aktualūs nacionaliniams teismams, taip pat numatyti būdus, kaip jie galėtų būti sprendžiami. This article considers issues related to the potential conflict between the right to personal data protection and the right to freedom of information. The right to the protection of personal data is relatively new and can be described as one of the features of modern law, as the new secondary legislation intended to regulate this field in detail was adopted by the EU in 2016 only. It is an axiom that every person deserves to have access to appropriate remedies that uphold their right to personal data protection, as provided by Article 8 of the Charter. According to the Charter, this right is fundamental and necessary in order to preclude the illegal or disproportionate use of personal and private information. There is no equivalent of Article 8 in the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). The right to privacy and personal data protection share common ground, such that the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) considers both the right to privacy and personal data protection concurrently. Nevertheless, judgments such as Digital Rights Ireland, Seitlinger and others, or Tele2 Sverige would suggest otherwise; the CJEU clearly regards both of these rights as being separate. Access to information is therefore closely related to the freedom to hold opinions and to receive and impart information and ideas, as guaranteed by Article 10 of the ECHR. In the context of European Union law, access to information is held to be a common constitutional tradition. Moreover, Article 11 of the Charter sets out the right of freedom of expression and information, including the freedom to hold opinions and to receive and impart information and ideas without interference by public authority and regardless of frontiers. Yet, given that the right to privacy and the freedom of information are both essential rights in this Digital Age, being able to access public documents cannot be an absolute right. Where application is made to access personal information held by government bodies, there is a potential conflict between these rights. It is here than national courts have a special role to play, i.e. ensuring the right to personal data protection and freedom of information, and in dealing with certain cases there may be a need to assess that the fundamental rights have not been breached. How, then, do international and national courts balance the right to personal data protection and the freedom of information? Both are internationally recognized human rights with a long history and which serve important purposes. Human rights law does not subordinate one right over another, but rather, considers personal rights on a case-by-case basis, with particular emphasis on the relative importance of the interests of the various parties. Thus, international and national courts that directly apply ECHR and EU law should fill the gap by judging individual complaints or by applying and interpreting the EU law balancing these two rights. In seeking to balance the right to respect a person’s private life with freedom of expression, the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR), first assesses whether or not a national court has sought to strike a balance between these competing interests. If a national court did not seek for such balance, there is reason to find that this court did not provide effective and sufficient protection of privacy. Note that both the ECtHR and the national courts use the same criteria to justify the need for restrictions of a right or liberty when determining the balance between those competing interests. In interpreting the relationship between the right to protection of personal data and the freedom of expression in CJEU case-law, the content of the right to protection of personal data is often assessed in the context of the protection of privacy, which means adhering to the standards set by the ECHR in this area. In terms of the jurisprudence of the CJEU on what is a conflict between the right to protection of personal data and freedom of information, the Court is reluctant to give priority to the freedom of information. In fact, it carefully assesses the restriction of the right to the protection of personal data and the fulfillment of the procedural requirements which guarantees this right. In many cases the Supreme Administrative Court of Lithuania (SACL) has given priority to freedom of information by expanding the interpretation of information processing for business purposes. However, it also focuses on the fact that personal data may be processed for a legitimate purpose only, and in that case it is not sufficient to merely identify a certain legitimate purpose from the data controller‘s point of view. It is usually the case that the SACL conducts the proportionality test provided for in the jurisprudence of the ECtHR and the CJEU.

Europos Konventas svarstė daug svarbių klausimų, susijusių su būsimu besiplečiančios Europos Sąjungos funkcionavimu. Vienas iš kertinių aspektų – tai instituciniai pokyčiai šiuo atžvilgiu. Vienas iš svarbiausių klausimų, kaip Europos Sąjunga, turėdama 25 ar daugiau narių, galės toliau veiksmingai funkcionuoti? Straipsnyje nagrinėjamos Konstitucinės sutarties projekto nuostatos, susijusios su Europos Sąjungos institucine reforma, šios nuostatos lyginamos su Nicos ir kitų sutarčių Europos Sąjungos institucinę sistemą keičiančiomis nuostatomis.

Straipsnis skirtas įsisteigimo teisės pagal EB sutarties 43 (buv. 52) straipsnio nuostatas įgyvendinimo Lietuvos teisės aktuose problemoms. Įsisteigimo teisė sudaro Europos vidaus rinkos pamatinį pagrindą. Ši teisė yra labai svarbi ne tik Europos Bendrijų valstybėms narėms, bet ir Europos Sąjungos asocijuotoms valstybėms. Tai rodo faktas, kad įsisteigimo teisę įtvirtinančios nuostatos yra visose Europos (asociacijos) sutartyse, kurios nustato Europos Bendrijų ir asocijuotųjų šalių tarpusavio santykių pagrindus. Taip pat ir Europos sutarties su Lietuva IV skyriaus II skirsnis yra skirtas steigimuisi. Tačiau Lietuvos Derybinėje pozicijoje beveik visiš- kai nenagrinėjami Europos Bendrijų valstybių narių subjektų įsisteigimo Lietuvoje klausimai, todėl logiškai kyla klausimas, ar Lietuvos teisės aktai, susiję su užsienio subjektų įsisteigimu, yra nepriekaištingai suderinti su Europos Bendrijų įsisteigimo srities teisės aktais, ar paprasčiausiai Lietuvoje įsisteigimo teisei skiriamas per mažas dėmesys. Straipsnyje nagrinėjami Lietuvos teisės aktai ir jų projektai, susiję su įsisteigimo teise (Lietuvos Respublikos įstatymas dėl užsieniečių teisinės padėties ir jį pakeičiančio ir papildančio įstatymo projektas, Lietuvos Respublikos Vyriausybės nutarimas .Dėl užsieniečių atvykimo į Lietuvos Respubliką, gyvenimo joje, vykimo per ją tranzitu ir išvykimo iš Lietuvos Respublikos tvarkos patvirtinimo, Lietuvos Respublikos akcinių bendrovių įstatymas ir kt.), jų ir ES teisės atitikimo požiūriu. Daroma išvada, kad Lietuvoje nemažai galiojančių teisės nuostatų nesuteikia užsieniečiams iš Europos Bendrijų tokio pat statuso kaip Lietuvos subjektams, taip pat analizuojami būdai pašalinti šiuos trūkumus. The right of establishment set up in Article 43 (former 52) of the EC Treaty is a fundamental of the European common market because the latter is possible only if self-employed persons and companies have the right to move without restrictions in the economic space, including the right to choice their residence and business place in the territory of all Member States of the European Community as they deem necessary to satisfy their exclusively economic motives. Therefore, the right of establishment is very important for Member States of European Communities as well as to the States associated with the European Union. The provisions on that right are included into all European (Association) agreements designated to establish the basis of the relations between the European Union and associated countries. The European Agreement with Lithuania as well also contains the provisions that are related to the right of establishment. However, the issues concerning the establishment in Lithuania of natural persons and companies from the Member States of the European Communities are not sufficiently dealt with in Lithuania's Position Paper on the Accession Negotiations with the EU. Therefore, it is logical that the question arises if the legal acts of Lithuania related to the right of establishment are in full compliance with the EU law or the right of establishment has not yet been a subject of sufficient examination. The article deals with existing and draft Lithuania's legal acts (for instance, the Law on the Status of Foreigners and its draft amendments as well as relevant acts of the Government) related with the right of establishment. The author examines their compliance with the corresponding provisions of the EU law. Afterwards she comes to the conclusion that because of its importance the right of establishment deserves more attention in Lithuania's Position Paper on the Accession Negotiations with the EU as a lot of legal provisions of Lithuania are still not in compliance with the relevant provisions of the EU law. Therefore, it should be stressed that as soon as possible the same legal status in the field of establishment should be provided for the natural and legal persons from the Member States of the European Communities that is granted by national laws for natural and legal persons of Lithuania. The author also pays the attention to the fact that now only the establishment of legal persons from the Member States of the European Communities is not subject to practical discrimination of those persons. That is a result of the harmonisation of Lithuanian laws last with the EU law during last 10 years.

Citizenship of the European Union, enshrined in the Maastricht Treaty and now governed by Article 20 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, is a fundamental status for citizens of all Member States, shaping their legal status and giving them social, economic and political rights to travel, work, study freely in the territory of the Union and the right to participate in political life. Such privileges are guaranteed to all citizens of EU Member States, as the possession of national citizenship per se confers a person citizenship of the Union and its legal content. As Member States have exclusive competence in the field of citizenship, the relationship and dependence between the EU and the Member States is an important criterion for deciding on the rights and privileges granted to EU citizens and their participation in the Union's internal market. Directive 2004/38/EC also has a significant impact on EU citizens' rights and their application, which is seen as a major political breakthrough in transposing all the rules formulated by the ECJ into EU secondary law and guaranteeing the right of economically inactive people to move freely. However, EU citizens are not the only category of people who can enjoy EU citizenship and the rights that come with it. Other persons, in particular third-country nationals who are family members of an EU citizen falling within the scope of Directive 2004/38/EC, persons falling outside the definition of a family member but favored by the ECJ in relation to the EU citizen, and the third-country nationals, who went through normal or discretionary naturalization process, may exercise their rights derived from EU citizen status or become EU citizens and enjoy all the legal content available to them. Therefore, the aim of this master's thesis is to analyze the legal content of EU citizenship and to reveal the broad treatment of Union citizenship status and the scope ratione personae of the rights it confers on EU citizens, their family members and third-country nationals.

The Court of Justice of the European Union ensures the uniform application and interpretation of European Union law and fills legal gaps. The national courts of the European Union apply European Union law and this stems from membership of the Union and the rule of law. When a national court faces a question about the application of European Union law, they have to refer to Court of Justice for a preliminary ruling. The aim of this thesis is to examine the interaction between the Court of Justice and national courts as well as its significance. The Court of Justice hears references for a preliminary ruling from the courts of the Member States. The concept of a court or tribunal under Article 267 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union includes courts of general and special jurisdiction of all instances, constitutional courts and arbitrations that have certain characteristics. This procedure demonstrates judicial cooperation and a relationship of trust, since a national court that is faced with a question of a European Union act has the right and the obligation to refer to the Court of Justice for a preliminary ruling. It also demonstrates the desire of national courts to maintain a uniform interpretation of Union law in all Member States. In order for national courts to apply European Union law correctly, which includes human rights guaranteed by Union law, they must meet the necessary requirements. The independence of the judiciary is one of them: only an independent judiciary will be able to effectively guarantee the constitutional rights of the people, which are protected by Union law such as the European Convention of Human Rights and the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union. This is a court obligation that derives from the Treaty on European Union. The case of the Court of Justice of the European Union Commission v. Republic of Poland provides excellent evidence that when a court loses part of its independence, it can no longer effectively guarantee human rights. The Court of Justice of the European Union therefore states that it may intervene in the national law of Member States in order to ensure the correct functioning of Union law and human rights, but Poland does not agree and states that what is its national law belongs to it alone.

Įvadas -- Karo samdinių istorija: nuo seniausių laikų iki šių dienų. Karo samdiniai XX amžiuje -- Šiuolaikinių privačių karinių kompanijų sąvoka ir veiklos modelis. Privačių karinių kompanijų ir klasikinės samdinystės atskyrimas ; Kontraktorių santykis su valstybinių ginkluotųjų pajėgų kariais, kombatanto statusu -- Privačių karinių kompanijų teisinė problematika, apibrėžtumas tarptautinėje ir nacionalinėje teisėje. Montrė doktrina ; Jungtinių Amerikos valstijų PKK reglamentavimas ; Jungtinėse Amerikos Valstijoje kylantis iššūkiai ; Nacionalinis reglamentavimas pietų Afrikoje ; PKK reglamentavimas Lietuvoje -- Išvados. Karo samdinių veikla prasidėjo dar antikos laikais, o bėgant laikui šis fenomenas toliau vystėsi. XX a. antroje pusėje karo samdiniai pakeitė savo formą siekiant adaptuotis prie teisinio reglamentavimo. Kylant naujiems konfliktams vidurio rytuose bei Afrikoje, valstybės pradėjo samdyti privačių karinių kompanijų specialistus, atlikti įvairias karinio pobūdžio užduotis, kurias įprastai atlikdavo valstybinių kariuomenių personalas. Vis dėlto, vykstant minėtiems pokyčiams naujoji karo samdinių forma aplenkė tarptautinį teisinį reglamentavimą, dėl ko šiuo metu egzistuoja daug neišspręstų juridinių klausimų. Todėl šio darbo pagrindinis tikslas yra moderniųjų karo samdinių - privačių karinių kompanijų (PKK) kontraktorių veiklos ir teisinės problematikos apžvalga, atkreipiant dėmesį į bandymus sureglamentuoti PKK tarptautiniu lygmeniu, bei atskirų valstybių kaip JAV ir PAR nacionalinius teisės aktus susijusius su šia veiklos forma. War mercenaries can be traced back to the ancient era and it still survives to this day, though its form and means of use have significantly changed in the second part of the 20th century in response to changes in international law. Numerous countries nowadays are employing these modern mercenaries to replace their soldiers in many military roles. Due to the rapid spread of private military companies (PMC) and the number of contracts granted to them every year, a major concern has been raised, and until this day there are no clear international law documents that regulate the activities and define the legal status of these military contractors. Because of this, the question of PMC's is seemingly in a grey zone of law. The main aim of this paper is to examine the trends of PMC’s, and the existing efforts to properly regulate them both on international and national levels.

This Master‘s thesis presents and analyzes problematic aspects of enforcing the rights of third-country nationals in the European Union. In the course of globalization the protection of third-country nationals and regulation of their rights is becoming increasingly important in the EU. At present, a significant number of secondary legislation documents defining the status of third-country nationals in the Community have been adopted at EU level and they address the problems encountered in this area. Ongoing refugee crisis also creates new problematic issues in this area. Third countries in the sense of the EU are almost non-EU countries. Although not the members of EU, the EFTA countries are are both economically and politically closely related to EU. With the help of jurisprudence of Court of Justice of the European Union Master‘s thesis also analyzes the integration measures and conditions for third-country nationals allocated by EU member states. It is also analyzed whether the members of Community have the right to locate the place of residence of third-country nationals internally. Particular attention is paid to the grounds of the expulsion of third-country nationals from the EU states and the legality of this action. This aspect is analyzed from the point of view of third-country nationals with a different status: holders of residence permits in a Member State, EU citizens who do not have a residence permit, but who are parents of young children, long-term resident status holders.

Summary The purpose of this master academic work is to analyse the main aspects of returning illegally staying third-country nationals from the Member States to their home or other third countries based on the Directive 2008/115/EC regulation, observe the basic detention measures set for third country nationals as a prevention of an absconding risk and the proportionality aspect of it. The main foundation of this master work was made by analysing CJEU cases at the same time combining not only judicial point of view but also doctrinal aspects. On the first part, the main focus was to crystallise the definition of what the third country national is and also selecting the main criterias stated in Shengen Borders Code when the stay in the EU of third country nationals in the Member State is illegal. On the second part, the main attention was pointed out to the essence of voluntary and forced return and the balance of it. On the third part, the main focus was dedicated to the necessity of the use of detention when there is a risk of absconding. The biggest issue considering detention as a remedy to send third country national back home is that the Member States usually do not consider other less strict or alternative measures for the same purpose, also the period of detention in almost all cases is way longer than it should be. The analysis of these aspects shown in the Directive 2008/115/EC is very important because this master work is based on current and up-to-date suggestions given by European Commision finding ways to improve current EU regulation, also the analysis of established SIS II system, the idea and necessity of restored Shengen zone checks which gave to this master work the relevance and fresh point of view of the current actions in the EU.

Ši disertacija – pirmas tyrimas Lietuvoje, kuriame kompleksiškai nagrinėjamos reikšmingos įtakos konkurencijai ir reikšmingos įtakos prekybai sąlygos bei de minimis išimties taikymo praktika. Disertaciniame darbe nagrinėjamos ES bei atskirų valstybių narių teisės aktų nuostatos, už rinkos priežiūrą ir sąžiningos konkurencijos apsaugą atsakingų institucijų praktika, pateikiami pasiūlymai dėl esamo teisinio reglamentavimo tobulinimo. Disertacinio darbo rėmuose buvo atlikta ES valstybių narių teisės aktų ir jų suponuotos praktikos (kartais ir atvirkščiai) lyginamoji analizė. Ypatingas dėmesys skiriamas su EK, Teisingumo Teismo praktika nesutapmančiai besiformuojančiai nacionalinei praktikai (pvz., de minimis išimties, kurios turinys toliau atskleidžiamas disertaciniame darbe, taikymas susitarimams, turintiems sunkių apribojimų). This dissertation is the first study in Lithuania, which includes complex analysis of conditions of appreciable effect on competition and trade; as well as the practice of applying de minimis exemption. The doctoral dissertation analyzes legal regulations of the EU and Member States, the practice of institutions responsible for monitoring the market and fair protecting fair competition; it includes suggestions for the improvement of existing legal framework. Within the framework of doctoral dissertation, a comparative analysis of the EU Member States’ legislation and practice which is based on it (and vice versa) has been conducted. A particular attention has been paid to national practice which is incompatible with the practice of the EC, or the Court of Justice (e.g. application of de minimis exemption, which is explained in depth further in the doctoral dissertation, for agreements containing hardcore restraints).

Daktaro disertacija parengta tėvų atsakomybės vaikams tematika. Jurisdikcijos taisyklės, bendrosios nuostatos ir jų taikymas bylose dėl tėvų pareigų vaikams pagal Reglamentą Briuselis IIa yra pagrindinės problemos, patenkančios į empirinio tyrimo sritį. Disertacijoje pateikiama Europos Sąjungos Teisingumo Teismo praktikos analizė, o taip pat Lietuvos Respublikos bei kai kurių kitų Europos Sąjungos valstybių narių teismų praktikos analizė. Disertacinio tyrimo objektas apima jurisdikcijos taisykles ir bendrąsias procesines nuostatas reglamentuojančią tarptautinės teisės ir Europos Sąjungos teisės aktų sistemą bylų dėl tėvų pareigų vaikams vykdymo, kurios turi Europos Sąjungos elementą, nagrinėjimui. Tyrimo tikslas – išanalizuoti Reglamento nuostatas, reglamentuojančias jurisdikcijos taisykles ginčams, kylantiems dėl tėvų pareigų vaikams vykdymo, spręsti, atskleisti jų autentiško aiškinimo problematiką, taip pat atlikti išsamią bendrųjų procesinių nuostatų tokiose kategorijose bylų analizę bei empiriškai nustatyti, ar Reglamento nuostatos yra pakankamos ir veikia efektyviai, o taip pat, ar Lietuvos Respublikos teisinis reguliavimas bei tiesioginio Europos Sąjungos teisės taikymo praktika, nagrinėjant šeimos bylas dėl tėvų pareigų vaikams vykdymo, atitinka Europos Sąjungos Teisingumo Teismo formuojamą praktiką. Pabaigoje pateikiami Reglamento bei nacionalinio teisinio reguliavimo tobulinimo pasiūlymai. Doctoral dissertation is devoted to the theme of parental responsibility. Rules of jurisdiction, common provisions and the application of them in parental responsibility cases under the Regulation Brussels IIa are main issues that fall within the scope of empirical research. The thesis produces a comprehensive analysis of the case law of the Court of Justice of the European Union as well as the judicial practice of the national courts of the Republic of Lithuania and some other European countries. The object of the research encompasses the system of international and European instruments that regulate the rules of jurisdiction and common provisions for hearing parental responsibility cases that have European element. The goal of the research is to analyse the provisions of the Regulation, regulating the rules of jurisdiction for disputes arising in parental responsibility matters, also to reveal the problems of interpretation of these provisions and to fulfil a comprehensive analysis of common provisions that are applied in the above mentioned cases. Then to identify empirically if the provisions of the Regulation are sufficient and work effectively, and the national legislation, implementing the Regulation, and direct application of the Regulation is compatible with the aims of the European Union and the practice of the Court of Justice of the European Union. Finally, the proposals for the refinement of the Regulation text and national legislation are given.

The dissertation addresses mixed EU-Member States agreements with third parties. The first part of the dissertation unveils the legal basis of mixed agreements and their relation to the principle of conferred powers. The practices of their negotiation, conclusion and implementation, as well as the boundaries of the CJEU jurisdiction to interpret and apply them are addressed in the second and third part of the dissertation. The fourth part is devoted to the examination of particularities of international responsibility for breach of mixed agreements from the point of view of EU law. In the last two parts, the relevance of the duty of loyal cooperation to mixed agreements and future perspectives of these agreements in the context of the Lisbon Treaty are thoroughly assessed. It is concluded that the legal basis of mixed agreements is the principle of conferred powers. This principle affects all of their practice areas, but to a varying degree. The achievement of balance between this principle and the interests of integrity of mixed agreements is facilitated by the principle of loyal cooperation. The Lisbon Treaty establishes conditions for changes in the practice of mixed agreements and offers legal opportunities for their partial replacement with horizontal EU agreements combining elements of the CFSP and other EU policies. Disertacijoje nagrinėjamas mišrių ES ir valstybių narių susitarimų su trečiosiomis šalimis institutas. Pirmajame disertacijos skyriuje atskleidžiami šio instituto teisiniai pagrindai ir jo santykis su ES kompetencijos suteikimo principu. Antrajame ir trečiajame skyriuose nagrinėjama mišrių susitarimų derybų, sudarymo ir dalyvavimo juose praktika, o taip pat ES Teisingumo Teismo jurisdikcijos juos aiškinti ir taikyti ribos. Ketvirtajame skyriuje ES teisės požiūriu nagrinėjami tarptautinės atsakomybės už mišrių susitarimų pažeidimą ypatumai. Penktajame skyriuje analizuojama ES lojalaus bendradarbiavimo principo ir iš jo kylančios bendradarbiavimo pareigos reikšmė mišrių susitarimų institutui. Paskutiniame šeštajame skyriuje dėmesys skiriamas šio instituto ateities perspektyvoms Lisabonos sutarties kontekste. Konstatuojama, jog mišrių susitarimų teisinis pagrindas yra ES kompetencijos suteikimo principas. Šis principas pasireiškia visose mišrių susitarimų praktikos srityse, tačiau nevienodai. Balansą tarp šio principo ir mišrių susitarimų integralumo interesų padeda užtikrinti lojalaus bendradarbiavimo pareiga, taikoma mišrios kompetencijos srityse. Galiausiai nustatoma, jog Lisabonos sutartis sukuria sąlygas pokyčiams mišrių susitarimų praktikoje, o taip pat teisines galimybes dalį mišrių susitarimų keisti horizontalaus pobūdžio ES susitarimais, apjungiančiais Bendrosios užsienio ir saugumo politikos ir kitų ES politikos sričių elementus.

The dissertation addresses mixed EU-Member States agreements with third parties. The first part of the dissertation unveils the legal basis of mixed agreements and their relation to the principle of conferred powers. The practices of their negotiation, conclusion and implementation, as well as the boundaries of the CJEU jurisdiction to interpret and apply them are addressed in the second and third part of the dissertation. The fourth part is devoted to the examination of particularities of international responsibility for breach of mixed agreements from the point of view of EU law. In the last two parts, the relevance of the duty of loyal cooperation to mixed agreements and future perspectives of these agreements in the context of the Lisbon Treaty are thoroughly assessed. It is concluded that the legal basis of mixed agreements is the principle of conferred powers. This principle affects all of their practice areas, but to a varying degree. The achievement of balance between this principle and the interests of integrity of mixed agreements is facilitated by the principle of loyal cooperation. The Lisbon Treaty establishes conditions for changes in the practice of mixed agreements and offers legal opportunities for their partial replacement with horizontal EU agreements combining elements of the CFSP and other EU policies.

Pastaraisiais dešimtmečiais kovą su terorizmu pradėta vykdyti ne tik pasitelkiant nacionaliniuose baudžiamojo proceso įstatymuose ar tarptautinėse sutartyse, skirtose kovai su terorizmu, numatytas priemones, tačiau ir naudojant karines pajėgas bei atliekant karinius veiksmus. Taigi disertacijoje iškeliamas tikslas nustatyti, kada ir kokiu mastu taikoma tarptautinė humanitarinė teisė (toliau – THT) kovoje su terorizmu, tai yra, ištirti, kokiais atvejais kova su terorizmu laikytina ginkluotu konfliktu, koks yra teroristų, dalyvaujančių ginkluotame konflikte, statusas pagal THT ir atsižvelgiant į THT normas įvertinti specifines kovos priemones, naudojamas kovojant su teroristais. Pirmiausiai disertacijoje analizuojamas terorizmo apibrėžimo klausimas ir pateikiamas galimas terorizmo apibrėžimas. Toliau disertacijoje vertinama, kuriais atvejais kovojant su terorizmu bus taikomos THT normos, tai yra, kada kova su terorizmu prilygsta ginkluotam konfliktui, tiriami ginkluoto konflikto intensyvumo ir organizuotumo kriterijai ir jų taikymas kovos su terorizmu situacijose. Disertacijoje taip pat tiriama, koks yra teroristų, dalyvaujančių ginkluotame konflikte, statusas pagal THT, išskiriant tarptautiniuose ir netarptautiniuose ginkluotuose konfliktuose dalyvaujančius asmenis, taip pat išsamiai išanalizuojant asmenų tiesioginio dalyvavimo ginkluotame konflikte kriterijus. Galiausiai disertacijoje tiriama specifinė kovos su terorizmu priemonė – tikslinių nužudymų, ypač naudojant... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] In the last decade the fight against terrorism was carried out not only by measures indicated in national criminal procedure laws or international treaties outlining measures in the fight against terrorism, but also using military forces and carrying out military measures. Thus the dissertation aims to establish when and to what extent is the international humanitarian law (hereinafter – IHL) applied in the fight against terrorism, that is, to analyze in what cases the fight against terrorism amounts to armed conflict, what is the status of terrorists taking part in the armed conflict according to IHL, and to evaluate in the light of IHL principles and rules the specific measures taken against terrorists. Firstly the dissertation analyses the question of the definition of terrorism and proposes a possible definition of this phenomenon. Further on the dissertation analyzes the instances when the IHL rules are applied in the fight against terrorism, that is, when such situation amounts to an armed conflict, and evaluates the main criteria of armed conflict – intensity and organization – and their application in the fight against terrorism. The dissertation also explores the questions of the status of terrorists taking part in an armed conflict, distinguishing those taking part in international and non-international armed conflicts, and exploring the criteria for the direct participation in hostilities for such persons. Finally, the dissertation analyzes the specific measure of... [to full text]

The dissertation explores the principle of proportionality as an instrument deriving from the notion of "democratic society" and applied by the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) in order to establish whether national institutions succeeded in striking a fair balance between the conflicting Convention rights or between competing individual and public interests. In the first chapter, after presenting the origins of the principle, the development of a three-tiered proportionality test and its dissemination, the main parameters relevant for the analysis of this principle are identified and the main issues of academic discussion concerning the application of proportionality by the ECtHR are revealed. The second chapter explores the evolution of the application of the proportionality principle in the case law of ECtHR and reveals the main features of proportionality test as applied in the early practice of Convention institutions. The third chapter deals with the interaction of the principles of proportionality and subsidiarity, in particular examining the impact of margin of appreciation doctrine upon the proportionality assessment conducted by the ECtHR and analysing the contents and interplay of the factors determining the width of the margin of appreciation. The forth chapter explores both commonalities and peculiarities of the application of proportionality principle in the context of different Convention rights and exposes the main criteria relevant to the balancing... [to full text] Disertacijoje nagrinėjama proporcingumo principo, kaip iš demokratinės visuomenės idėjos kylančio instrumento, Europos Žmogaus Teisių Teismo (EŽTT) pasitelkiamo siekiant nustatyti, ar nacionalinės institucijos išlaikė teisingą pusiausvyrą tarp konkuruojančių Žmogaus teisių ir pagrindinių laisvių apsaugos konvencijos (Konvencijos) ginamų teisių ar tarp Konvencijos teisių ir viešų interesų, sampratos ir taikymo praktikos problematika. Pirmoje disertacijos dalyje, aptarus proporcingumo principo kilmę, trinario proporcingumo tyrimo modelio susiformavimą ir sklaidą, apsibrėžiami svarbiausi proporcingumo tyrimui reikšmingi parametrai ir atskleidžiama EŽTT taikomo proporcingumo principo sampratos problematika mokslinėje literatūroje. Antroje dalyje nagrinėjama proporcingumo principo taikymo EŽTT praktikoje raida ir plėtra, identifikuojami pagrindiniai ankstyvojoje Komisijos ir Teismo praktikoje taikyto proporcingumo testo bruožai. Trečioje dalyje tiriama proporcingumo principo sąveika su subsidiarumo principu, atskleidžiamas vertinimo laisvės doktrinos poveikis EŽTT atliekamam proporcingumo vertinimui, tiriami vertinimo laisvės apimtį lemiantys kriterijai ir jų sąveika. Ketvirtoje dalyje analizuojama proporcingumo principo taikymo praktika skirtingų Konvencijos ginamų teisių kontekste, atskleidžiant tiek bendruosius principo taikymo bruožus, tiek ir Teismo taikomos priežiūros intensyvumo nulemtus proporcingumo testo ypatumus. Paskutinėje dalyje EŽTT taikomas balansavimu grindžiamas... [toliau žr. visą tekstą]

The object of this dissertation is the legal regulation of the following aspects of cross-border insolvency proceedings: international jurisdiction, applicable law, recognition and enforcement of foreign judgments. Regulation of these aspects is analyzed in two levels. First of all, regulation of international jurisdiction, applicable law and recognition as well as enforcement of judgments in the European Union level is examined by analyzing provisions established in the Regulation 1346/2000, including the case law of the European Union Court of Justice. Direct application of the Regulation in Lithuania is analyzed as well and main problems related to its application are revealed. Secondly, the regulation of the aforementioned aspects of cross-border insolvency proceedings is analyzed in the national level, and in addition the rules set forth in international treaties are examined. Great attention is attributed to the problems revealed in the case law of Lithuanian courts. Finally, solutions for identified problems as well as recommendations for the Lithuanian legislator for the purposes of improving legal regulation of cross-border insolvency proceedings are proposed.

The object of this dissertation is the legal regulation of the following aspects of cross-border insolvency proceedings: international jurisdiction, applicable law, recognition and enforcement of foreign judgments. Regulation of these aspects is analyzed in two levels. First of all, regulation of international jurisdiction, applicable law and recognition as well as enforcement of judgments in the European Union level is examined by analyzing provisions established in the Regulation 1346/2000, including the case law of the European Union Court of Justice. Direct application of the Regulation in Lithuania is analyzed as well and main problems related to its application are revealed. Secondly, the regulation of the aforementioned aspects of cross-border insolvency proceedings is analyzed in the national level, and in addition the rules set forth in international treaties are examined. Great attention is attributed to the problems revealed in the case law of Lithuanian courts. Finally, solutions for identified problems as well as recommendations for the Lithuanian legislator for the purposes of improving legal regulation of cross-border insolvency proceedings are proposed.

Darbas skirtas EB teisės nuostatų, įtvirtinančių laisvo prekių judėjimo ir paslaugų teikimo laisvės veikimo sąlygas, bei Europos Teisingumo Teismo jurisprudencijos ir EB teisės doktrinos, padedančios atskleisti minėtų laisvių teisinio turinio panašumus ir skirtumus, lyginamajai analizei. Pirmame darbo skyriuje aprašomi laisvo prekių judėjimo ir paslaugų teikimo laisvės prigimtis, tikslas ir turinys, išskiriami pagrindiniai prekės ir paslaugos požymiai, pateikiama Teisingumo Teismo praktikos, iliustruojančios nagrinėjamų laisvių atskyrimo problematiką, pavyzdžiai. Antrame skyriuje analizuojami pagrindiniai Sutarties nuostatų, susijusių su laisvu prekių judėjimu (28 straipsnis) ir paslaugų teikimo laisve (49 straipsnis), taikymo asmenų ir erdvės atžvilgiu principai ir sąlygos. Trečiame darbo skyriuje atskleidžiama minėtų laisvių ribojimo problematika, ES valstybių narių sukurtų kliūčių pobūdis ir apimtis bei su tuo susijusi Teismo jurisprudencijos apžvalga, išskiriant nagrinėjamoms laisvėms bendrus požymius. Ketvirtame skyriuje aptariami EB Sutartyje įtvirtinti bei Teisingumo Teismo suformuluoti ribojimus pateisinantys pagrindai, proporcingumo principas ir jų taikymo mechanizmas. Penktame skyriuje trumpai apibūdinamos vidaus rinkos harmonizavimo priemonės tiek, kiek jos susijusios prekių ir paslaugų judėjimo laisvių įgyvendinimu, konkrečiai Techninių standartų ir reglamentų direktyva (1998 m.) ir Paslaugų direktyva (2006 m.). Šiuo darbu patvirtinama, kad laisvas prekių... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] This text provides comparative analysis of the EC provisions, establishing the terms of the free movement of goods and freedom to provide services, as well as of jurisprudence of the European Court of Justice and doctrine of EC law, revealing the differences and similarities of the legal content of the relevant freedoms. The first chapter of the text describes the nature, aim and legal content of the free movement of goods and freedom to provide services followed by the examples from the case-law, which illustrate the distinction of the freedoms considered. The second chapter introduces the comparative analysis concerning the conditions of the territorial scope of the EC Treaty provisions on the free movement of goods (Article 28) and freedom to provide services (Article 49) as well as persons bound by the latter rules. The third chapter deals with the topical issues in respect of the restrictions of the relevant freedoms, in particular the nature and scope of the barriers, adopted by the Member States. The fourth chapter of the text focuses on the justification of the freedoms, in particular on the EC Treaty exceptions, judicially created exceptions as well as the principle of proportionality and the application mechanism of the latter in the comparative manner of the freedoms. Finally, the fifth chapter provides the brief introduction of the harmonisation measures as much as they concern with the implementation of the relevant freedoms, particularly Directive on technical... [to full text]

Šio darbo tema: ,,Proporcingumo aiškinimas pagal Europos Bendrijos Teisingumo Teismo praktiką“. Aptariamas šio principo atsiradimo ištakos ir jo įtvirtinimas Europos Bendrijos teisėje: nuo Europos anglių ir plieno sutarties iki Sutarties dėl Konstitucijos Europai. Proporcingumo principo įtvirtinimas į Sutartį nulemia Bendrijos kompetencijos ir įstatymų leidybos galių kontekste. Nuo Europos Vadovų Tarybos susitikimo Edinburge 1992 metais gruodžio mėnesį, Komisija kasmet turi pranešti Europos Vadovų Tarybai apie subsidiarumo ir proporcingumo principų taikymą, kaip numatyta Europos Bendrijos Steigimo Sutarties 5 straipsnyje. Prie Amsterdamo sutarties prideda¬mame Protokole dėl subsidiarumo ir proporcingumo principų taikymo yra įtvirtinta, kad kiekviena institucija, vykdydama jai suteiktus įgaliojimus, privalo garantuoti, kad būtų laikomasi subsidiarumo, taip pat ir proporcingumo principų. Proporcingumo principo, kaip teisingumo koncepcija, išaiškino Europos Bendrijos Teisingumo Teismas. Remiantis principo kriterijais, kurie kartais dar vadinami proporcingumo testu, kurie reikalauja, kad siekiant teisėtų tikslų taikomos tinkamos priemonės ir jos yra būtinos, sprendžiant kylančius Europos Bendrijoje ginčus. Ypatingą vietą proporcingumo principo taikymas užima vertinant Europos Sąjungos valstybių narių elgesį, joms veikiant Bendrijos teisės ribose, kai svarstomos nacionalinės priemonės, kurias suteikia ir leidžia jomis naudotis Europos Bendrijos Sutartis. Šių nacionalinių priemonių... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] THE INTERPRETATION OF THE PRINCIPE OF PROPORTIONALITY IN THE PRACTICE OF THE EUROPEAN COURT OF JUSTICE SUMMARY The topic of this thesis is: the interpretation of the principle of proportionality pursuant to the practice of the European Court of Justice. It discusses the very beginning of this principle and its establishment in the law of the European Union: from the 1951 Treaty of Paris to the Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe. The European Court of Justice explains the principle of proportionality as a concept of justice. The Court uses this principle’s criteria, which are sometimes also called a test of proportionality, in its practice. These criteria demand that suitable measures, necessary in settling the disputes that arise in the European Union, are used in the pursuance of lawful aims. The use of the principle of proportionality occupies a special place in evaluating the behaviour of the member states when they operate at the limits of Community law and when national measures, which the Consolidated Treaty of the European Union grants and allows them to use, are debated. The use of these national measures restricts the exercise of the freedoms of contract, i.e. the free movement of services, goods, people, and capital. By interpreting and following the principle of proportionality in the practice of the European Court of Justice, the granted freedoms are guaranteed and the behaviour of the states evaluated in pursuing the set aims of the European Union. The... [to full text]

The subject matter of this Dissertation is the access of private applicants to the European Court of Justice challenging legal acts of the European Union, therefore, it embraces a comprehensive analysis of action for annulment (Article 263 TFEU, Article ex 230 EC), as well as alternative instruments of judicial review, including the preliminary ruling procedure (Article 267 TFEU, Article ex 234 EC). The topic of locus standi of private persons has attracted much attention among foreign scholars and legal practitioners. However, this Dissertation distinguishes itself from the rest of academic works, as it aims to broaden the analysis of the research question, not limiting itself to assessment of direct actions and the current situation, but also address the justification of existing practice and the soundness of available alternatives. The Dissertation pays attention not only to the case law of the European Court of Justice and the related academic studies, but also to the questions of legal theory, findings of political sciences and comparative analysis of relevant national practices. Since this Dissertation was prepared at the crossroads of unprecedented constitutional reforms, it analyses both the situation prior to and after the Lisbon Treaty and evaluates the effects of the current reform. The Dissertation also seeks to assess whether the current practice ensures the right to effective judicial protections and how the situation could be improved.

Magistro darbe nagrinėjamos naujausios įsisteigimo laisvės reglamentavimo bei jau esamų teisės aktų interpretavimo kryptys, atskirai jas analizuojant fizinių bei juridinių asmenų įsisteigimo laisvės kontekste. Siekiant atskleisti tiriamą temą, darbe nagrinėjama įsisteigimo laisvės koncepcija, analizuojami pokyčiai, susiję su pirminio ir antrinio fizinių asmenų įsisteigimo laisvės samprata, nagrinėjami fizinių asmenų įsisteigimo laisvės ribojimai, atskleidžiantys naujas reglamentavimo bei jau esamų teisės aktų interpretavimo kryptis. Atsižvelgiant į tai, kad EB Sutartis įsisteigimo laisvės kontekste paraleliai traktuoja fizinius ir juridinius asmenis, kiek tai įmanoma atsižvelgiant į jų skirtingą teisinę prigimtį, šiame darbe, analogiška tvarka, kaip ir nagrinėjant fizinių asmenų įsisteigimo galimybes bei jų ribojimus, tiriamas ir juridinių asmenų įsisteigimas: analizuojami pokyčiai juridinių asmenų pirminio bei antrinio įsisteigimo laisvės sampratos kontekste, taip pat tiriamos juridinių asmenų pasinaudojimo įsisteigimo laisve apribojimo naujausios tendencijos. Atsižvelgiant į magistro darbe nagrinėjamus klausimus, pateikiamas naujų įsisteigimo laisvės krypčių vertinimas. The final paper of Master analyses the recent trends of freedom of establishment. These trends are researched individually in the fields of establishment of natural and legal persons. The main points of discussion in this final paper of Master are the concept of freedom of establishment and changes within the sphere of primary and secondary establishment of natural and legal persons. While laboring freedom of establishment of natural persons, a great consideration is given to primary and secondary establishment of natural persons, the restrictions of the freedom of establishment, that are applicable for natural persons and which reveal the newest directions of the regulation and interpretation of the freedom of establishment. Considering that EC Treaty makes parallel between natural and legal persons while regulating the freedom of establishment, questions, related to the establishment of freedom of legal persons are researched using the same order as it was done while discussing the freedom of establishment of natural persons. The final paper of Master analyzes the conception of primary and secondary establishment of legal persons and also gives a strong consideration to the problems of the restrictions of the use of freedom of establishment that are applicable for companies or firms within the EU. The recent trends of freedom of establishment are assessed taking in consideration to the questions that are surveyed in the final paper of Master.

The shortcomings of the principles of direct and indirect effects, particularly in the context of enforcement of Directives, as outlined above, led the Court to develope a third and separate principe in Francovich, the principe of State liability. The Court held that where, as here, a State had failed to implement an EC Directive it would be obliged to compensate individuals for damage suffered as a result of its failure to implement the Directive if certain conditions were satisfied. That is, where: • The directive involved rights confered on individuals, • The content of those rights could be identified on the basis of the provisions of the Directive, and • There was a causal link between the State`s failure and the damage suffered by the persons affected. The Court`s reasoning was based on member States obligations to implement Directives under Article 249 (ex 189) and their general obligation under Article 10 (ex 5) of the EC Treaty to „take all appropriate measures... to ensure fulfilment of“ their obligations under Community law. Questions were refered to Court of Justice for interpretation in Braserie/Factortame: a) the principe of State liability should not be confined to failure to implement EC Directives: it should attach to other failures to comply with Community law, including legislatives failures. b) A remedy under Francovich should be available whether or not there were other means by which Community rights might be enforced, that is, on the principles of direct or indirect effects. c) As regards the conditions for liability, apart from the three conditions laid down in Francovich, the principles of State liability should be brought into line with the principles governing the Community`s non-contractual liability under Article 288 (ex 215). A State should only be liable for „manifest and seriuos breaches“ the content of the obligation breached must be clear and precise in every respect, or the NATIONAL authority`s interpretation „manifestly wrong“. If the provision allegedly breached is not in itself clear and precise, the Court`s case law must have provided sufficient clarification as regards its meaning and scope in identical or similar situations. If these conditions are fulfilled there is no need to add a further criterion of fault in the subjective sense, requiring actual knowledge or a deliberate breach of EC law . The obligation to make reparation constitutes a fundamental principe of Community law, which is as fundamental as that of the primacy of Community law or direct effect. Like those two principles, the obligation on the State to make good the loss or damage caused to individuals by breach of Community law helps to ensure the full effectiveness of Community law throught effective judicial protection of the rights which individuals derive from the Community legal order. Indeed, the principe of State liability constitutes the necessary extension of the general principe of effective judicial protection or of the right to challenge a measure before the courts-, whose importance has been regularly underlined by the Court and whose scope has been constantly extended through its case-law. The acknowledgement of State liability seems to be the corollary of the mission – of the utmost importance – conferred on the supreme courts in the direct, immediate and effective protection of the rights which individuals derive from Community law. Usually the European Commision, the Court of Justice distinguish three types of infrigement cases: non communications, non conformity and incorrect application. The predominant political context of the implementation has changed to exclusively legal context after the accesion of Lithuania to the European Union. Since that time the European Commission has started supervision of the proper implementation and application of EU law in Lithuania with full effect of its powers provided in Articles 226 and 228 of the EC Treaty.

Šio darbo objektas – laisvo darbuotojų judėjimo teisinis turinys. Darbuotojų judėjimo laisvė yra vienas esminių pagrindų, sudarančių laisvą asmenų judėjimą, kurį sąlygoja ES pilietybės turėjimas, bei ES vidaus rinką. Visų pirma aptariamas teisinis darbuotojų judėjimo laisvės pagrindas, kuris įtvirtina darbuotojams garantuojamas teises, taikant nediskriminacijos dėl pilietybės principą. Toliau darbe remiantis EB sutarties 39 straipsniu, EB antrine teise bei EBTT praktika, kuri turi nemažą įtaką atskleidžiant laisvo darbuotojų judėjimo teisinį turinį, bandoma išskiriamos ir detaliai analizuojamos tiek darbuotojo asmeninės teisės, tiek teisės, suteikiamos kartu apsigyvenantiems šeimos nariams, atskirai aptariant šeimos narių, ne valstybių narių piliečių padėtį bei, remiantis naujausia Teisingumo Teismo praktika, kylančias problemas naudojantis EB teise garantuojamomis teisėmis. Atskleidžiant laisvo darbuotojų judėjimo teisinį turinį, būtina aptarti ir šiai teisei taikomus apribojimus. Pirmiausia aptariama pereinamųjų laikotarpių, kurie nustatyti po 2004 metų ES plėtros senosioms valstybėms išreiškus baimę dėl masiško darbuotojų antplūdžio iš naujųjų valstybių narių, reikšmė. Be to, pats EB sutarties 39 straipsnis numato tam tikrą sritį, kada pati valstybė narė gali apriboti darbuotojų judėjimo laisvę, būtent dėl darbo valstybės tarnyboje. Tačiau vis labiau šis klausimas perduodams į Bendrijos kompetencijos ribas, siekiant šį klausimą spręsti remiantis funkciniu metodu. Darbo... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] The subject of the analysis in this final paper is the legal content of the free movement of workers within EU. The free movement of workers is a fundamental principle of the EC Treaty and central to the achievement of the overall objectives of the single market of EU. It is also one of the four pillars underlying the creation of the Single Market set out in the Treaty. The legal basis is the Article 39 of the Treat, where the free movement of workers is defined more precisely. It entails the abolition of any discrimination based on nationality as regards employment, remuneration and other conditions of work and employment. Subject to limitations justified on grounds of public order, public security or public health, the freedom of movement for workers entails the right to accept offers of employment actually made and to move freely within the territory of Member States for this purpose. It also gives them the right to stay in a Member State for the purpose of employment and to remain in that State after having been employed there. However, the Treaty excludes certain posts in the public service from the provisions on the freedom of movement, insofar as they entail the exercise of official authority. The rights of the family members, third countries nationals are discussed separately in this master paper. The basic Regulation (EEC) No 1612/68, in its interpretation of the Treaty, attaches great importance to the principle of equality of treatment for national workers and for... [to full text]

The master graduation paper analyses the subject “Implementation of the Council of Europe Framework Convention for the protection of National Minorities by the Republic of Lithuania”. The goal of the graduation paper is to define implementation problems of the Framework Convention and to find possible solutions. At the first chapter a problem of defining a national minority in the international law and domestic law of the Republic of Lithuania is discussed. Since there is no definition of a national minority in the international law, it is being identified through analysis of international documents, traveaux préparatoires, expert opinions and doctrine. It is also analysed, if a notion in the domestic law is compatible with a conception in the international law. At the second chapter the main provisions of the Framework Convention are overviewed. Rights and freedoms of persons belonging to national minorities are analysed according to the case-law of the Advisory Committee of Council of Europe Committee of Ministers. Due to this analysis the main problems of implementation of the Framework Convention by Member States are identified. Moreover, the best practises according to the opinion of the Advisory Committee are presented, which may be used while protecting national minorities in Lithuania. At the third chapter implementation of the Framework Convention by the Republic of Lithuania is discussed. According to the analysis of the Advisory Committee the main problems of... [to full text]

Currently the protection of industrial designs in the European Union undergoes the harmonization process, and two legal protection systems co-exist today: Union-wide protection of Community designs and national protection of designs. These two systems do not always operate smoothly, sometimes they cause difficult problems for the common market. The so-called spare parts problem is one of them. Some problems have been successfully removed in the past by applying the exhaustion of rights doctrine. In fact, applying the doctrine amounts to restriction of intellectual property rights. Examining current harmonization efforts in the EU, we see that the design property rights are in a constant state of adjustment. The restriction of these rights seems to solve successfully the problems of the single market as well as those of free competition – it is a universal legal instrument indeed. The restriction must be motivated, however. The consumers‘ rights must be involved to substantiate the restriction. The design property rights amount to exclusive rights for certain modes of information usage. We have applied this information approach to substantiate the restriction of design property rights when solving the spare parts problem. According to this approach, consumer should have the inalienable right for a free usage of design information to restore the original appearance of a product. The analysis of the problem shows, that exhaustion of rights doctrine should be used to solve the... [to full text]