VAT is characterized by a set of very technical rules that are difficult to fathom for non-lawyers. However, economists are interested in the functioning of the VAT system in their analysis of trade transactions.This book provides a clear overview of the VAT-system in the EU. The focus lies on explaining the VAT consequences of economic transactions. The right of deduction has been referred to as the “cornerstone” of the VAT system, through the relationship between input and output one ca...

Martti Koskenniemi on his lecture 'International Law and the Far Right: Reflections on Law and Cynicism':

‘Since the emergence of the profession in the 1870s, international lawyers have lent themselves to supporting various political projects, from ruling of empire to decolonisation, from supporting national self-determination to arguing in favour of global governance of the transnational economy. They have celebrated sovereignty and supported human rights.

The recent backlash against glob...

Anne Orford on her lecture 'International Law and the Social Question':

‘While international law has played a central role in creating the conditions for market liberalization on a global scale, many international lawyers have paid less attention to the social question - that is, the question of who is able to participate in political decision-making about economic relations and property rights.

The current moment of perceived backlash to international law and institutions offers an opport...

De wereld bevindt zich op een keerpunt. Voor het eerst in onze recente geschiedenis is er een overheersend gevoel dat mens, maatschappij en economie op een andere manier verder moeten. Het oude model, het oude normaal, lijkt stilaan op zijn einde te lopen.

We zijn natuurlijk al langer bekend met grote uitdagingen zoals klimaatverandering, digitale transformatie, en maatschappelijke evoluties op het vlak van wonen, werken, mobiliteit, gezondheidszorg en migratie. Sinds kort hebben we echter te...

In TRENDSURFING, trendwatcher Bert Van Thilborgh guides you through the processes of change in our rapidly evolving, highly volatile and deceptively ambiguous world. In this methodological book, the author clarifies the techniques of trend analysis and positions them in a structural model. In addition, the book offers numerous tips and tricks that will help readers surf the waves of innovation, identify emerging trends and respond to them effectively.

Bert observes, quantifies, explains and i...

This volume contains the proceedings of the Second International Workshop on Automatic Translation for Sign and Spoken Languages (AT4SSL 2023), hosted by the 24th Annual Con- ference of The European Association for Machine Translation (EAMT 2023). This workshop is a venue for presenting and discussing (complete, ongoing or future) research on automatic translation between sign and spoken languages.

How do you provide exceptional service to demanding customers?

They're standing at your check-in desk, calling you on the phone, chatting with you online. Maybe they're seated in business class on your flight. Or eating at one of the tables you're waiting on. As a service employee, you encounter dozens or even hundreds of customers a day. Some of them are easygoing. With them, you can't go wrong. But some are demanding. They set the bar high and let you know it.

How should you serve these cus...

The introduction of laparoscopic surgery as a standard technique marked a revolution in operating theaters around the globe. Over thirty years later, almost every disorder in the thorax and abdomen eligible for surgery can be approached by endoscopic techniques. We have witnessed a unique journey of technical innovations that enables surgeons to work with this minimally invasive approach in the most complex procedures.

Benefits to the patient are clear, by reducing external and internal t...

The book is the extended version of the inaugural lecture given by Professor Petra Bárd on 21 September 2023 on the occasion of her taking up the Chair in Sustainable Rule of Law at the Research Centre for State and Law (SteR) in the Faculty of Law at Radboud University, Nijmegen.

Professor Bárd places the specific manifestation of rule of law deficiencies in the evolution of European criminal justice within a broader constitutional context. She has led the way in reframing the academic and...