The European Sanctions blog by Maya Lester, Brick Court Chambers & Michael O’Kane, Peters & Peters Solicitors LLP On 8 September 2014, new European sanctions were agreed against Russian interests. Despite their formal adoption, the sanctions are only due to take effect “in the next few …
The ‘domino effect’ from Scotland’s referendum is increasing demands for independence in Italian regions
Eve Hepburn is Senior Lecturer in Politics in the School of Social and Political Science at the University of Edinburgh. While the independence movements in Scotland and Catalonia have received substantial attention, other countries across Europe are also facing …
Finland’s economy is heading for a ’perfect storm’
Paul Jonker-Hoffrén is a post-doctoral researcher in Sociology at the University of Turku (Finland) Finland has traditionally been regarded as one of the better performing economies in the Eurozone, however the country has struggled with low growth figures over the …
Polish Design: a metamorphosis
Czesława Frejlich – Professor, Academy of Fine Arts, Krakow and Academy of Fine Arts, Warsaw and editor-in-chief of 2+3D design magazine. Until recently, Poland was not perceived as a country with a strong design sector. Poles themselves were quick to …
The Real Threat to our Way of Life
Edward Lucas, Senior Fellow, Centre for European Policy Analysis (Washington DC) and Senior Editor, The Economist Written testimony to the House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee, September 3rd, 2014 I have been dealing with European security for more than thirty …
Ten years of EU design law
David Stone, Partner, Intellectual Property, Simmons & Simmons LLP It is not very often that new IP rights are born – and even rarer that they should turn ten years old. This year, EU-wide design law celebrates that significant milestone, …
Europe is entering the ‘age of the referendum’
Stephen Tierney is Professor of Constitutional Theory at the University of Edinburgh and Director of the Edinburgh Centre for Constitutional Law. Referendums have become increasingly common occurrences in European states in recent decades. Stephen Tierney writes on some of the potential benefits …
Making sense of Europe’s Unitary Patent
Gwilym Roberts, Partner and Julia Venner, Associate, Kilburn & Strode, LLP, London, UK As a concept, a unitary European patent has been under discussion, in one form or another, for over four decades. In the last couple of years, however, there …
The Human Brain Project: Unraveling the mysteries of the mind
World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) Magazine The inner workings of the mind to a large extent remain a mystery. However, a pioneering team of scientists working on the Human Brain Project (HBP), led by Professor Henry Markram, is taking neuroscientific …
A European Commission approach to Innovation
Robert-Jan Smits, British Chamber of Commerce in Belgium Europe is strong on innovation, more than many of us sometimes realise. We have the largest internal market in the world. We are home to many of the world’s leading innovative companies. …