As New Jersey abolished capital punishment, European and American decision makers and experts met to examine the divergent transatlantic approaches to the death penalty at a meeting convened in cooperation with the Portuguese Presidency of the European Council. Portugal has led the campaign for the universal abolition of the death penalty. The continued use of this practice by the U.S. remains a central point of contention in the transatlantic dialogue. In addition to H.E. João de Vallera, Ambassador of Portugal, participants included Laurence Rothenberg, Deputy Assistant Attorney General, Office of Legal Policy at the U.S. Department of Justice (speaking on a personal basis) and Robert Blecker, Professor of Law at New York Law School who spoke for the death penalty. Richard Dieter, Executive Director of the Death Penalty Information Center, and Deborah Fleischaker, Director of the Death Penalty Moratorium Implementation Project, American Bar Association reasoned for a moratorium on the death sentence. Robert Harris, Assistant Legal Advisor for Human Rights at the U.S. Department of State addressed the human rights issue. The discussion was moderated by Neil Lewis, Legal Correspondent from the New York Times.
The Honorable Meglena Kuneva, European Commissioner for Consumer Protection presented the Commission’s recently completed Review of Consumer Protection Law, which seeks to strengthen, modernize and harmonize consumer protection regulations within the member states of European Union. She emphasized the importance of enforcement of consumer laws and the need for stronger discipline within the EU member-states regarding consumer policy. She was optimistic regarding the EU-U.S. consumer relationship, as both share the same goals and priorities. The high level of transparency between the U.S. and EU is good for the international economy. Lydia Parnes, Director of the Bureau of Consumer Protection at the U.S. Federal Trade Commission concurred and noted that the Transatlantic Consumer Dialogue (TACD) is a good forum for the U.S. and EU to share information and to further collaboration efforts. The discussion was moderated by Raymond Calamaro, a partner at Hogan & Hartson LLP, in whose offices the meeting was held.
Georgette Lalis, Director for Consumer Goods, DG Enterprise and Industry, European Commission, outlined the European Union’s policy on the authorization of bio-similars and expressed her wish to continue and improve transatlantic dialogue on the subject. Dr. Murray Lumpkin, Deputy Commissioner for International and Special Programs, U.S. Food and Drug Administration presented the U.S. perspective was. The discussion was centered on the topic of regulatory frameworks for authorizing the marketing of follow-on biologics, referred to in Europe as bio-similars. The meeting was moderated by Charles Ludolph, Senior Vice President of Stonebridge International, LLC.
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