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Research papers published by the Research Services of the German Bundestag - 2006
This page sets out the English summaries of the research papers published by the Research Services. A link from the end of the summary will take you to the complete research paper in German.
Please note the disclaimer and copyright notice.
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The Millennium Development Goals
Following on from the Millennium Declaration made in 2000, the United Nations set out eight international development goals, known as the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), to be achieved by the international community by 2015. The MDGs have no binding force under international law, but are politically binding goals which provide clear blueprints for the developments needed. The United Nations is supporting the achievement of the goals through a large number of measures. The interim assessments carried out by the UN and its subsidiary organisations on the realisation of the MDGs show wide variation in development progress in the different sectors and regions.
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Soft Power
The concept of soft power (Joseph S. Nye) describes a form of power which does not rely on coercion, but rather on persuasion and the credibility of states and international organisations. This concept is in contrast with hard power, in other words the traditional forms of political, economic or military power. Nye's plea for more resources to be used to develop soft power, since this has proved ultimately more effective than hard power, is countered by proponents of foreign-policy realism with the argument that, in a world plagued by violence, order can only be created on the basis of hard power. A third, mediating position argues that the effectiveness of both soft and hard power is at its greatest when they are used in combination with each other.
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The German Research Foundation (DFG). Structure, procedures, need for reforms
The German Research Foundation is an important element of the scientific landscape in Germany . Its main task is the advancement of science by allocation of project funds to researchers at universities and other research institutions. Funding decisions are based on procedures that contain many elements of self-administration of the scientific community. This article reviews the organizational structure and the procedural rules of the DFG, and illustrates some of the ideas behind them. The second part of the text reports on some recent criticisms of the work of the DFG and on proposals for future changes of its structures and procedures.
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The election of judges for the Federal Constitutional Court
This "Topical term" factsheet provides information about the election of judges to the Federal Constitutional Court in Germany. It explains how the constitutional judges are elected by the Bundestag and Bundesrat. There has been criticism of the fact that, at the Bundestag, it is a committee of Members which elects the judges, rather than the whole House.
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The "second basket" of reform of copyright law
On 29 June 2006, the German Bundestag held the first reading of the bill presented by the Federal Government on a "second act on copyright law in the information society" (Printed Paper 16/1828) and referred the bill to the committee responsible, the Committee on Legal Affairs. This "second basket" is intended to further adapt current copyright law to the demands of the digital era and ensure a balance of interests between the parties concerned.
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Internet telephony: VoIP
In contrast to traditional landline telephony, VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) refers to telephone calls made via computer networks. With VoIP, speech is first digitised, then compressed and bundled into data packets. These are then transmitted via a broadband Internet connection to the receiver, where the data packets are reconverted into analogue signals. Internet telephony is not yet very widespread. However, forecasts suggest that by 2010 around 30 per cent of all telephone calls globally will be made via the Internet.
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Spreading of transgenic potatoes by birds
The study examines the risk of transgenic potatoes being spread by birds and comes to the conclusion that the probability of volunteer genetically engineered potatoes occurring on a significant scale is extremely low.
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The economic causes of electricity companies' windfall profits following the introduction of emissions trading
Since CO2 emissions permits were made obligatory in 2005, electricity prices in Germany have risen. At the same time, electricity companies have reaped windfall profits. This ‘Topical Term’ explains the economic causes of this trend and describes the theoretical possibility of auctioning emissions allowances to prevent companies from reaping windfall profits.
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Intellectual Property
The protection of intellectual property is important not only for the promotion of innovation and creativity, but also for labour market development and to improve competitiveness. Directive 2004/48/EC on the enforcement of intellectual property rights (OJ L 195 of 2 June 2004, p.16), which must be transposed into national law by 29 April 2006, is also gaining in topicality because of the forthcoming amendment of the Copyright Act.
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Uranium as a nuclear fuel: worldwide resources and long-term supply
In the current debate on national energy policy, a key question is whether or not Germany should make continued use of its existing nuclear power plants, or even engage in the construction of new plants. Among many other aspects, one important issue in this debate is the "sustainability" of Uranium consumption, i.e. the long-term security of the nuclear fuel supply. The advocates of a nuclear energy option underline that the Uranium supply can most probably be secured for longer periods of time than that of fossil fuels (except coal). Opponents emphasise the fact that Uranium remains a limited resource in any case, and that a sustainable energy policy should rather prioritise principally unlimited resources such as renewable energies. The aim of this document is to compare the different point of views, to identify a common basis of discussion in terms of facts and figures for the worldwide Uranium resources, and to clearly point out the assumptions and uncertainties that form part of the corresponding calculations. By taking into account the present yearly consumption, an approximate remaining duration of Uranium resources somewhere in the range between 37 and 166 years can be predicted. It must be kept in mind, however, that these numbers strongly depend on the underlying assumptions and may be subject to change due to technological progress, economic boundary conditions, and political decisions.
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Green paper on " A European Strategy for Sustainable, Competitive and Secure Energy"
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Protection of young persons in the area of media
"Topical term" factsheet No. 11/06 sets out the legal provisions in force at federal and Land level to protect young persons from certain types of media content. The different institutions working to protect children and young people in this field are presented and their way of working explained.
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Flat-rate cultural fee
The possibilities offered by digital technology, which allows music, films and texts to be reproduced in a wide variety of ways, are a challenge to business and policymakers. Business is therefore developing ways of limiting and preventing the economic losses it suffers as a result of copies made and distributed without payment. One proposal made in this context is that a ‘flat-rate cultural fee’ should be levied. In exchange for paying a monthly fee, people would be permitted to legally download music and other digital content from the Internet. Music would be freely available via file-sharing services. Critics of this proposal stress that the concept has immense legal and substantive shortcomings.
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Combating Bird Flu: Federal Research Institute for Animal Health Friedrich Loeffler Institute
The Federal Research Institute for Animal Health – the Friedrich Loeffler Institute – plays an important role in efforts to combat bird flu in Germany. The Institute was established in 1910; today it comprises eight institutes at four sites. The Friedrich Loeffler Institute includes the Institute of Diagnostic Virology and its National Reference Laboratory for avian influenza (the H5N1 subtype of which is often called ‘bird flu’). In May 2005, the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) designated the Institute an international Reference Laboratory for bird flu.
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Constitutional guarantee of intergenerational equity
Intergenerational equity is a topical issue in Germany – not least since a number of younger parliamentarians have called for the inclusion of an article on the protection of future generations in the Basic Law, Germany’s constitution. It has been suggested that a new Article 20 b be added to the constitution as a state goal, committing the state to adhere to the principle of sustainability in its actions and to protect the interests of future generations. In addition, an amendment to Article 109 of the Basic Law (Budgets of the Federation and the Länder) is being considered to make it more difficult for the Federation and Länder to take on debt. State goals outline a certain programme for state action and thus serve as guidelines for state activities, the interpretation of laws and other legislation.