News
12/10/07: Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Frohe Festtage und einen guten Rutsch ins Neue Jahr!
Szczęśliwych Świąt Bożego Narodzenia i wszystkiego dobrego w Nowym Roku!
Joyeux Noël, Bonne et Heureuse Année!
Buon Natale e Felice Anno Nuovo!
Feliz Navidad y un Próspero año nuevo!
wishes you plan 4 21
11/20/07: Seminar ”Product liability international”
The new EU regulations for product liability did not unify the product liability legislation but they did harmonize the regulations within Europe. Nevertheless every European country has its own regulations regarding the product liability. In case of internationally held product liability cases following questions arise: which court is responsible for the matter? which law should be applied? German businessmen fear product liability cases in American courts, often involving horrendous compensation money.
Prof. dr T. Lenz, Partner in the Graf von Westphalen joint practice (in coopepration wirh plan 4 21) will be holding the seminar in the Technische Akademie Wuppertal, on 5th December 2007.
Subjects include:
• basic knowledge of German product liability law
• international regulations, appropriate authorities
• international enquieries
• basic knowledge of American product liability law
• meaning of American product liability law for European businessmen
• Chinese product liability law
For further information please visit www.taw.de
10/12/07: 10 years of EXPO REAL: Europe’s biggest trade fair for commercial property
More visitors, more exhibitors and more exhibition space – EXPO REAL, which took place in Munich from 8 to 10 October 2007, attracted 23,800 trade visitors from 77 countries. When compared to last year, this 10th International Commercial Property Exposition recorded a 13-percent increase in visitor numbers. The rise in the number of visitors coming from abroad was even more marked – at 24 percent.
The top ten countries of origin among the visitors – after Germany – were: Great Britain, Netherlands, Austria, Switzerland, Czech Republic, Russian Federation, France, Poland, the US and Italy.
In the 100 or so individual events in the conference programme accompanying EXPO REAL, 400 renowned experts discussed the latest developments in the property market, including the turbulence on the international finance markets as a result of the sub-prime mortgage crisis in the US and newly emerging markets such as India or Turkey.
The exhibitor stands of Berendes Consulting GmbH und BulwienGesa AG (members of plan 4 21) quickened also brisk interests of the visitors. In numerous dialogs with potential customers possibilities of cooperation and future projects were discussed.
The 11. EXPO REAL will take place from 6 to 8 October 2008 in Munich.
For further information please visit the homepage of EXPO REAL: www.exporeal.net
09/19/07: 5th workshop in Nuremberg on 27th September 2007: PPP – universal remedy, window-dressing or a real alternative for implementation of municipal investments?
Workshop’s content:
- PPP – three letters, many interpretations – collective concept definition
- Is PPP per se preferable? How can one recognize which projects qualify for PPP constructions?
- “P” for partnership – what does it mean in practice and what mistakes can one avoid making?
The idea of PPP resounds throughout the land. Many consider it the only way to cope with the popular conflicts between their municipal tasks, political goals and financial capacities of their budgets.
The goal of the workshop is to classify the subject in clear and comprehensible elements and to clarify decision-relevant questions to be discussed in local political panels. In doing so the chances and limits of this device shall be demonstrated as well as a guide throughout the multitude of problems developed.
Speakers: Holger Schröder (Rödl & Partner – member of plan 4 21), Ulrich Glauche (GEFMA Deutscher Verband für Facility Management e.V.), deputy of Bayerische Oberste Baubehörde (enquired)
Host: Jörg Schielein (Rödl & Partner)
Date: 27th September 2007 , 9:30 – 12:30 a.m., Venue: Rödl & Partner Nürnberg, Äußere Sulzbacher Straße 100, 90491 Nuremberg, Fee: The workshop ist free of costs.
Organisation: Karolina Krysta, tel.: +49 (9 11) 9193-3501, email: karolina.krysta@roedl.de
Registration: Per fax untill 24th September 2007. The number of participants is limited to 15. The order of applications will be considered by admission.
08/23/07: Opening of a convention center in the Lenzen Castle
Brandenburg’s environment secretary Dietmar Woidke (SPD) inaugurated on 19th May 2007 the opening of the redeveloped Lenzen Castle in Prignitz as a Nature Conservation Center. The costs of the castle’s extension into a modern convention center as well as the conversion of the nearby school for the sake of a guest house (a total of over 2.8 Mio euro) were covered by the ministry of the environment and the EU structural funds.
The building accommodates also a Meadow Ecology Research Center as well as an Information Center for the Biosphere Reserve of River Elbe’s Fluvial Topography. The chief tenant is the association Trägerverbund Burg Lenzen, whose members are among others the city of Lenzen and further sections of BUND (German Society for the Protection of Nature).
BTE Tourismusmanagement, Regionalentwicklung (member of plan 4 21) has supported the project conceptionally from its very beginning. It started with a feasibility study (1997), which served as a basis for the successful grant application by DBU for conversion of the castle (subsidy amount ca. 3 Mio euro). The current financial aid from the local government of Brandenburg bases upon the profitability study from 2003 (updated 2005).