The result of over twenty years of research, the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Learning, teaching, assessment (CEFR) is exactly what its title says it is: a framework of reference. It was designed to provide a transparent, coherent and comprehensive basis for the elaboration of language syllabuses and curriculum guidelines, the design of teaching and learning materials, and the assessment of foreign language proficiency.
Im Schatten von Ceta und TTIP: Das weltweite Dienstleistungsabkommen Tisa ist weitgehend unbekannt. Gegner fürchten, EU-Löhne könnten gedrückt, riskante Finanzprodukte zugelassen oder Datenschutz ausgehebelt werden.
That the World Trade Organization (WTO) has been in the grip of a systemic crisis since 2008 is well known. Notwithstanding relatively minor successes at the Bali Ministerial in December 2013, the WTO's negotiating function remains effectively stalled. The Nairobi Ministerial, set to take place in December 2015, is not likely to yield systemic solutions, notably to break the Doha Round impasse. The longer this negotiating stalemate endures, the more the WTO's foundations will crumble, particularly the much-prized jewel in its crown: the Dispute Settlement System.