TY - CHAP A1 - Fredebeul-Krein, Markus T1 - Towards trade facilitation via regulatory convergence: An analysis of the TTIP chapter on Electronic Communications T2 - Regional ITS Conference of the International Telecommunications Society. Cambridge, United Kingdom, 7-9 September 2016 N2 - To give the exchange of goods and services between the European Union (EU) and the United States (U.S.) new momentum the two parties are currently negotiating the transatlantic free trade agreement Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP). The aim is to create the largest free trade area in the world. The agreement, once entered into force, will oblige EU countries and the U.S. to further liberalize their markets. The negotiations on TTIP include a chapter on Electronic Communications/ Telecommunications. The challenge therein will be securing commitments for market access to Electronic Communications services. At the same time, these commitments must reflect the legitimate need for consumer protection issues. The need to reduce Electronic Communications-related non-tariff barriers to trade between the Parties is due to the fact that these markets are heavily regulated. Without transnational rules as to regulations national governments can abuse these regulations to deter the market entry by new (foreign) suppliers. Thus the free trade agreement TTIP affects in many respects regulatory provisions on and access to Electronic Communications markets. The objective of this paper is therefore to examine to what extend the regulatory principles for Electronic Communications markets envisaged under TTIP will result in trade facilitation and regulatory convergence between the EU and the U.S. As to this question the result of the analysis is that the chapter on Electronic Communications will be an important step towards facilitating trade in Electronic Communications services. At the same time some regulatory convergence will take place, but this convergence will not lead to a (full) harmonization of regulations. Rather the norm, also after TTIP negotiations will have been concluded successfully, will be mutual recognition of different regulatory regimes. Different regulations being the optimal policy response in different market settings will continue to exist. Moreover, it is very unlikely that such regulatory principles for the Electronic Communications sector are a vehicle for a race to the bottom in levels of consumer protection. KW - regulation KW - liberalisation KW - electronic communications markets KW - TTIP Y1 - 2016 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Fredebeul-Krein, Markus T1 - Warum staatliche Kaufprämien für Elektroautos abzulehnen sind JF - Wirtschaftliche Freiheit : das ordnungspolitische Journal N2 - Im Jahr 2015 wurden in Deutschland über drei Millionen Benzinautos und lediglich 12.363 Elektroautos neu zugelassen. Das ursprünglich von der Bundesregierung vorgegebene Ziel, dass bis 2020 eine Million E-Autos auf deutschen Straßen fahren (und bis 2030 sechs Millionen), rückt damit in immer weitere Ferne. Um das Ziel dennoch zu erreichen, plant die Bundesregierung nun eine staatli­che Prämie für den Kauf von Elektroautos: Umwelt-, Verkehrs- und Wirtschaftsministerium haben gemeinsam ein Konzept entworfen, dem zufolge private Käufer zukünftig einen Zuschuss von 5.000 Euro beim Erwerb eines Elektroautos bekommen sollen. 40 Prozent dieses Zuschusses soll von den Autoherstellern getragen werden. Das Programm, das weitere ausgabenwirksame öffentli­che Maßnahmen vorsieht, würde Kosten in Milliarden­höhe verursachen. Die beabsichtigte Subventionierung wirft die Frage auf, ob diese wirtschaftlich sinnvoll sind. Y1 - 2016 N1 - Hinweis: Dieser Text ist zugleich als Ausgabe Nr. 04/2016 der Reihe Ordnungspolitischer Kommentar des Instituts für Wirtschaftspolitik an der Universität zu Köln und des Otto-Wolff-Instituts für Wirtschaftsordnung erschienen. VL - 2016 IS - 4 PB - Alexander B. Brunner CY - Würzburg ER -