Suchergebnisse

"Wem die Unternehmen gehören, wie und von wem die Unternehmensleitung beaufsichtigt wird und wie verschiedene Anspruchsgruppen auf die Unternehmenspolitik Einfluss nehmen können, stellt ein zentrales Element einer sozioökonomischen Formation dar. Seit den 1990er Jahren stellt die Finanzialisierung des Unternehmens bzw. die Herausbildung eines 'Finanzmarktkapitalismus', in dem börsennotierte Unternehmen in institutionellem Streubesitz dominieren, eine Tendenz des sozioökonomischen Wandels dar. Diese wird als Abkehr vom 'organisierten Kapitalismus' der Nachkriegsformation interpretiert, die womöglich mit Wachstums- und Innovationsschwäche und verschlechterten Teilhabechancen einhergeht. Wie auch immer diese Effekte und ihre Verursachung zu beurteilen sind, schon der Grad der Verbreitung der Finanzialisierung ist strittig. Das vorliegende Working Paper prüft daher an-hand zentraler Indikatoren der Kontroll-Finanzialisierung für den Zeitraum von 1990 bis zum aktuellen Rand, inwieweit sich die Finanzmarktkapitalismus-Konstellation überhaupt durchgesetzt hat. Die Entwicklung der Börsennotierung von Unternehmen ebenso wie die im inter-nationalen Vergleich schwach ausgeprägte Börsenkapitalisierung zeigt eine begrenzte und nicht fortschreitende Kontroll-Finanzialisierung an. Die sprichwörtliche Auflösung der Deutschland AG, visualisiert über die Kapitalverflechtungen innerhalb des Kreises der 100 größten Unternehmen Deutschlands, stellt ein wichtiges Desorganisationsphänomen dar, ist aber aus verschiedenen Gründen ein unzureichender und irreführender Indikator für die Finanzialisierung der Unternehmenslandschaft. Die Analyse der Eigentumsstrukturen börsen-notierter Unternehmen zeigt schließlich, dass die Konzentration des Eigentums im Zeitablauf zwar abnimmt, aber auch in 2014 58 Prozent der börsennotierten Unternehmen durch 'geduldiges Kapital' in Form eines Ankerinvestoren mit Sperrminorität gekennzeichnet sind, wobei Familien und Gründer eine wichtige Rolle spielen. In der Gesamtschau verschiedener Dimensionen der Finanzialisierung (strukturell, institutionell, kognitiv-kulturell) kann man für Deutschland in den 1990er Jahren einen Finanzialisierungsschub konstatieren, der aber eine begrenzte Reichweite hat und in seinen Wirkungen durch Gegenbewegungen und widersprüchliche Elemente modifiziert wird." (Autorenreferat)

Abstract

Background
The substitution principle has been included in the EU pesticides legislation as a new element. Comparative assessments will have to be conducted for all uses of plant protection products (PPPs) that contain active substances with certain hazardous properties, the so-called candidates for substitution (CFS). This study investigated the resulting workload in terms of the number of cases for comparative assessments that regulatory authorities may have to face. The analysis was carried out for Germany as an example.


Main text
In Germany, the requirement for comparative assessments may affect up to 25% of all PPPs and around 50% of all uses of PPPs. In absolute terms, these are around 350 candidate products with 1,850 different uses. Alternative products without CFS may be available for around 40% of these uses. On average, a candidate product is authorised for around 18 different uses. For 11 of these uses, no alternatives are authorised. For the remaining seven uses, slightly more than seven alternatives are available on average. Multiplication of these factors gives an indicative figure of around 18,500 possible pairwise comparisons of candidate products with alternative products for every common use.


Conclusions
The high number of expectable cases poses a formidable challenge for the efficient conduct of the new task of comparative assessments by competent Member States authorities. To this end, new data handling systems, assessment procedures, and decision rules need to be established.

»Finanzmarktkapitalismus« fungiert als Chiffre für tief greifende Veränderungen in Wirtschaft, Unternehmen und Arbeitswelt. Mit dem Fokus auf Wachstum und Innovation werden in diesem Buch kontroverse theoretische Positionen und empirische Befunde in Bezug gesetzt, um die Debatte über das Zusammenspiel von Finanzmärkten, Finanzmarktakteuren, Unternehmen und Arbeitswelt voranzubringen.

Abstract
Evidence is mounting that chemicals can produce joint toxicity even when combined at levels that singly do not pose risks. Environmental Quality Standards (EQS) defined for single pollutants under the Water Framework Directive (WFD) do not protect from mixture risks, nor do they enable prioritization of management options. Despite some provisions for mixtures of specific groups of chemicals, the WFD is not fit for purpose for protecting against or managing the effects of coincidental mixtures of water-borne pollutants. The conceptual tools for conducting mixture risk assessment are available and ready for use in regulatory and risk assessment practice. Extension towards impact assessment using cumulative toxic unit and mixture toxic pressure analysis based on chemical monitoring data or modelling has been suggested by the SOLUTIONS project. Problems exist in the availability of the data necessary for mixture risk assessments. Mixture risk assessments cannot be conducted without essential input data about exposures to chemicals and their toxicity. If data are missing, mixture risk assessments will be biassed towards underestimating risks. The WFD itself is not intended to provide toxicity data. Data gaps can only be closed if proper feedback links between the WFD and other EU regulations for industrial chemicals (REACH), pesticides (PPPR), biocides (BPR) and pharmaceuticals are implemented. Changes of the WFD alone cannot meet these requirements. Effect-based monitoring programmes developed by SOLUTIONS should be implemented as they can capture the toxicity of complex mixtures and provide leads for new candidate chemicals that require attention in mixture risk assessment. Efforts of modelling pollutant levels and their anticipated mixture effects in surface water can also generate such leads. New pollutant prioritization schemes conceived by SOLUTIONS, applied in the context of site prioritization, will help to focus mixture risk assessments on those chemicals and sites that make substantial contributions to mixture risks.

Abstract
Current prioritisation procedures under the EU Water Framework Directive (WFD) do not account for risks from chemical mixtures. SOLUTIONS proposes a multiple-lines-of-evidence approach to tackle the problem effectively. The approach merges all available evidence from co-exposure modelling, chemical monitoring, effect-based monitoring, and ecological monitoring. Full implementation of the proposed methodology requires changes in the legal text in adaptation to scientific progress.

Current prioritisation procedures under the EU Water Framework Directive (WFD) do not account for risks from chemical mixtures. SOLUTIONS proposes a multiple-lines-of-evidence approach to tackle the problem effectively. The approach merges all available evidence from co-exposure modelling, chemical monitoring, effect-based monitoring, and ecological monitoring. Full implementation of the proposed methodology requires changes in the legal text in adaptation to scientific progress.

Current prioritisation procedures under the EU Water Framework Directive (WFD) do not account for risks from chemical mixtures. SOLUTIONS proposes a multiple-lines-of-evidence approach to tackle the problem effectively. The approach merges all available evidence from co-exposure modelling, chemical monitoring, effect-based monitoring, and ecological monitoring. Full implementation of the proposed methodology requires changes in the legal text in adaptation to scientific progress.

Abstract
An analysis of existing regulatory frameworks for chemicals reveals a fragmented situation with a number of regulatory frameworks designed for specific groups of chemicals; for protection of different end-points and covering different parts of the chemicals´ life cycle stages. Lack of- and fragmented information on chemicals (properties, use, emissions as well as fate, occurrence and effects in the environment) limit the ability for assessment and early action, and existing legislation would benefit from more transparency and openness of information and knowledge. To achieve harmonisation of existing legislation and an efficient control of chemical contamination of European waters, a solution-focused approach is proposed including increased ambitions (in monitoring, modelling, and risk assessment), cooperation and dialogue. More holistic and efficient development and implementation of existing legislation can be achieved by better cooperation, harmonisation and information exchange between different regulatory frameworks and by improved science–policy interactions. The introduction of an organisational structure and incentives for cooperation are proposed. Cooperation should focus on harmonisation of advanced monitoring activities, modelling, prioritisation, risk assessment and assessment of risk prevention ('safe by design') and minimisation options. A process for dialogue and information exchange between existing policy frameworks and with stakeholders (industry, NGO´s, etc.) should be included to identify feasible options for mitigation as well as regulatory gaps—on local and EU-scales. There is also a need to increase international cooperation and strengthen global agreements to cover the full life cycle of chemicals (produced and consumed globally) and for exchanging knowledge and experiences to allow early action. This recommended action would also provide knowledge and a framework for a shift towards a sustainable chemistry approach for chemical safety based on a "safe by design" concept.

Humans and wildlife are exposed to an intractably large number of different combinations of chemicals via food, water, air, consumer products, and other media and sources. This raises concerns about their impact on public and environmental health. The risk assessment of chemicals for regulatory purposes mainly relies on the assessment of individual chemicals. If exposure to multiple chemicals is considered in a legislative framework, it is usually limited to chemicals falling within this framework and co-exposure to chemicals that are covered by a different regulatory framework is often neglected. Methodologies and guidance for assessing risks from combined exposure to multiple chemicals have been developed for different regulatory sectors, however, a harmonised, consistent approach for performing mixture risk assessments and management across different regulatory sectors is lacking. At the time of this publication, several EU research projects are running, funded by the current European Research and Innovation Programme Horizon 2020 or the Seventh Framework Programme. They aim at addressing knowledge gaps and developing methodologies to better assess chemical mixtures, by generating and making available internal and external exposure data, developing models for exposure assessment, developing tools for in silico and in vitro effect assessment to be applied in a tiered framework and for grouping of chemicals, as well as developing joint epidemiological-toxicological approaches for mixture risk assessment and for prioritising mixtures of concern. The projects EDC-MixRisk, EuroMix, EUToxRisk, HBM4EU and SOLUTIONS have started an exchange between the consortia, European Commission Services and EU Agencies, in order to identify where new methodologies have become available and where remaining gaps need to be further addressed. This paper maps how the different projects contribute to the data needs and assessment methodologies and identifies remaining challenges to be further addressed for the assessment of chemical ...

Humans and wildlife are exposed to an intractably large number of different combinations of chemicals via food, water, air, consumer products, and other media and sources. This raises concerns about their impact on public and environmental health. The risk assessment of chemicals for regulatory purposes mainly relies on the assessment of individual chemicals. If exposure to multiple chemicals is considered in a legislative framework, it is usually limited to chemicals falling within this framework and co-exposure to chemicals that are covered by a different regulatory framework is often neglected. Methodologies and guidance for assessing risks from combined exposure to multiple chemicals have been developed for different regulatory sectors, however, a harmonised, consistent approach for performing mixture risk assessments and management across different regulatory sectors is lacking. At the time of this publication, several EU research projects are running, funded by the current European Research and Innovation Programme Horizon 2020 or the Seventh Framework Programme. They aim at addressing knowledge gaps and developing methodologies to better assess chemical mixtures, by generating and making available internal and external exposure data, developing models for exposure assessment, developing tools for in silico and in vitro effect assessment to be applied in a tiered framework and for grouping of chemicals, as well as developing joint epidemiological-toxicological approaches for mixture risk assessment and for prioritising mixtures of concern. The projects EDC-MixRisk, EuroMix, EUToxRisk, HBM4EU and SOLUTIONS have started an exchange between the consortia, European Commission Services and EU Agencies, in order to identify where new methodologies have become available and where remaining gaps need to be further addressed. This paper maps how the different projects contribute to the data needs and assessment methodologies and identifies remaining challenges to be further addressed for the assessment of chemical ...