Investing in public health-driving prosperity for the present and future generations

Countries across Europe and the World are faced with growing health, inequity, social security, economic and environmental challenges. We need urgent, innovative and priority-focused investment to ensure sustainable development for the present and future generations. Doing business as usual is unsustainable with high costs for individuals, families, communities, society, the economy and the planet. Governments can have a major impact on all factors influencing health and wellbeing, on the way people live and on their everyday choices. The interconnected nature of current challenges and possible solutions needs strong leadership, strategic and political commitment, and coherent action. It also requires new approaches and financing mechanisms building on cross-sector collaboration and citizen involvement in decision-making, i.e. participatory governance for health

Die wettbewerbsrechtliche Zulässigkeit von Meistbegünstigungsklauseln auf Buchungsplattformen am Beispiel von HRS

Auf Plattformmärkten werden vielfach Meistbegünstigungsklauseln eingesetzt, durch welche der Anbieter verpflichtet wird, seine Produkte auf der jeweiligen Plattform zu den günstigsten Konditionen zu offerieren. Kartellrechtlich sind diese Klauseln umstritten. Im Jahr 2013 hat das Bundeskartellamt (BKartA) in dem HRS-Beschluss, welcher jüngst durch das OLG Düsseldorf bestätigt wurde, eine solche Klausel als wettbewerbsbeschränkende Vertikalvereinbarung sowie als Missbrauch einer marktbeherrschenden Stellung eingestuft. Angelehnt an diesen Beschluss beleuchtet der folgende Beitrag die wettbewerbsökonomischen Auswirkungen sowie die wettbewerbsrechtliche Zulässigkeit dieser Klauseln. Dabei wird durch die Verknüpfung juristischer und ökonomischer Betrachtungen eine adäquate Marktabgrenzung in einem - potenziell - zweiseitigen Markt sowie eine deskriptive Wirkungsanalyse vorgenommen und resümiert.Online platforms have increasingly implemented so-called 'Across-Platform Parity Agreements', restraining the seller to offer his goods to any other retailer / intermediary at more favorable terms and conditions. These clauses raise antitrust concerns; i. a., the German Federal Cartel Office (recently confirmed by the Düsseldorf Court of Appeal) declared the implementation by the online hotel-booking portal HRS as anticompetitive. The justification given was that it would constitute an effected restriction of competition as well as an abuse of a dominant position. While incorporating the (often neglected) economic theory into legal practice, this case study examines the admissibility under competition law and discusses the most controversial issues. In particular, the market definition of the - potentially - two-sided market based on the demand-side oriented market concept is scrutinized. In addition, a descriptive efficiency analysis is performed, considering possible alternatives to attain the positive effects. By applying the 'more-economic approach', both of these factors, which were also decisive for the injunctive relief, are differently assessed to the decision. Consequently, from a competition policy perspective, this law and economics analysis concludes that the prohibition of the implementation of APPA is not justified

Impacts of Digital Natives on Technology Acceptance: A Conceptual Analysis

We seek to identify the impacts Digital Natives (DN) – as the first generation that has grown up with new digital technologies – have on technology acceptance (TA) by investigating the effect of DN’ specific traits, abilities, and experiences on TA factors and variables. We conduct two literature reviews: the first about TA factors and variables and the second about DN and generational differences. We find that some TA factors and variables that prior research has pointed out as significant are likely to change in importance: DN do not question the use of technology itself and may be at least partially familiar with it. Simultaneously they have higher demands for the quality and usefulness of technology. Researchers can draw on our findings to validate them empirically in the future or problematize the current state of TA research. Practitioners can apply our findings to develop IS that DN find attractive