By a twist of history, European institutions are currently recognising that the EU project requires differentiation in time, manners and space across Member States.1 Yet, the EU also has to focus on delivering concrete practical day-to-day results to citizens on the basis of the powers granted to it.2 This double dynamic of increased differentiation and greater attention for effective implementation of EU policies, including at national level, leads to questions such as:
- How does EU law try to ensure better implementation of EU policies, particularly at national level?
- To what extent do EU Member States reorganise the ways in which they implement public policies under European influence? How far are their administrative laws and regulations impacted thereby?
- How (much) do EU Member States try to borrow, imitate or avoid practices developed in other
Member States?
- Do they innovate or do they replicate models previously tested elsewhere in Europe?
- Are there general trends that could be pinpointed? Or are there resistances that can be observed?
This workshop will focus on how convergence and differentiation contribute to shape the law regulating the European administrative space, in general or in specific policy areas (e.g. competition, energy, environment, health policy, food, mobility etc.). Papers that address one or more of these questions will be considered, preferably if they do so in a comparative perspective. Papers that adopt a historical perspective or are more interdisciplinary in nature are also welcome.
Programme
Up to 12 selected participants will take part in a research workshop providing a forum for discussion with fellow early career researchers and senior academics with expertise in EU law and comparative public law. The workshop will take place on Friday 14 February 2020, at the Université libre de Bruxelles (Brussels).
Confirmed participants include: Pr. J.-B. Auby (Paris), Pr. M. Eliantonio (Maastricht), Pr. K.-P. Sommermann (Speyer – Visiting Professor ULB/MSH), Dr. Y. Marique (Essex/Speyer), Pr. E. Slautsky (Brussels) and Pr. A. Young (Cambridge).
Participants to the workshop are also invited to attend Pr. Alison Young’s inaugural Ganshof van der Meersch lecture on Thursday 13 February 2020 at the Université libre de Bruxelles.
Eligibility
You are an Early Career Researcher (i.e. completing your PhD or within three years of the PhD award) affiliated with an academic institution.
Application
Please send a 500 words abstract of your paper, together with a CV to Emmanuel.Slautsky@ulb.be by noon on December 15, 2019. Abstracts must highlight the research question and specify the methodology adopted in the paper. Applicants will be informed of the result of the selection process no later than January 2, 2020. The event is free, but applicants must cover their own travel and accommodation costs. For further information, please contact Emmanuel.Slautsky@ulb.be .
1 European Parliament, “Resolution on differentiated integration”, 2018/2093(INI)), 17 January 2019.
2 European Commission, Communication “EU law: Better results through better application”, 2017/C/18/02, JOUE, C, 18/10, 19 January 2017.
