More or less Europe?

The Future of European Law and Policy
5th Conference on European Law and Policy in Context
23 – 24 June 2016

The Institute of European Law is pleased to announce the latest in our bi-annual series of conferences on European Law and Policy in Context.

Conference Programme

• Download a PDF version of the latest version (currently 1/Jun/16)

A topical conference on the future of EU law and policy held in Birmingham on the day the United Kingdom votes in the historical referendum on EU membership and on the day the result will be announced. 50 papers will be delivered by academics, doctoral students and legal practitioners from 15 countries. 

Thursday 23 June 2016, 11.15 am-12.45 pm: Lecture Theatre 1
Opening plenary session: “More Europe?”

• Chair: Professor Martin Trybus, Director, Institute of European Law, University of Birmingham
• A deeper Europe? Ever Closer EMU:  Professor Fabian Amtenbrink, Erasmus University Rotterdam
• A larger Europe? Candidates and the East: Dr Rilka Dragneva-Lewers, University of Birmingham
• Europe Plus Ultra: The EU Method and TTIP: Dr Elaine Fahey, City University London

Lunch 12.45-2.00 pm, Law Senior Common Room

Workshops 1: Thursday 23 June 2016, 2.00-3.30 pm

1A: The Future of Competition in the EU, Law Moot Room

Discussant: Dr Luca Rubini, University of Birmingham

• Interpretative Principles as Vehicles for Further Development of Private Enforcement of EU (Competition) Law: Petra Weingerl, University of Oxford (UK)
• More or Less Europe? More or Less Harmonization? Reforming the EU Takeover Bids Directive: Thomas Papadopoulos, University of Cyprus
• Public procurement-a tool for social integration and sustainable development? Marko Turudic, University of Zagreb (Croatia)

1B: The Future of Human Rights in the EU, Law Board Room

Discussant: Professor Evelyn Ellis, University of Birmingham

• The Future of Human rights in Europe: Opportunity or Threat? Mehdi Abasi Sarmadi, Kharazmi University (Iran) and Reza Asadi Khomami, University of Guilan (Iran)
• The ‘humanity’ of the secular legal subject: Reading the ECHR’s decisions over the practice of Veiling: Giorgia Baldi, Birkbeck, University of London (UK)
• A ‘right to have rights’ in the EU public sphere? An Arendtian justification for the application of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights: E. Frantziou, University of Westminster (UK)
• A framework for a more humane EU: Dora Kostakopoulou, University of Warwick (UK) and Nuno Ferreira, University of Liverpool (UK)
• General principles of EU Law: a 'safety valve' in the EU system of protection of fundamental rights: Elena Gualco, University of Genoa (Italy) and University Paris Ouest Nanterre La Defense (France)

1C: The Future of EU Constitutional Law I, Law 204

Discussant: Professor Tony Arnull, University of Birmingham

• Enforcing Compliance of the Rule of Law by the Member States of the EU: Emphasising the EU’s Failure? Femke Gremmelprez, University of Ghent (Belgium)
• A Legal Framework for International Agreements between Member States: Alberto Miglio, University of Milan-Bicocca (Italy)
• The impact of the transposition deficit on the effectiveness of EU law in Poland: Jędrzej Maśnicki, University of Warsaw (Poland)
• When must the court take the public decision itself? The substitution problem in EU, Strasbourg and English domestic law: Becket Bedford, No. 5 Chambers Birmingham (UK)
• European agencies and national courts, Kathryn Wright, University of York (UK)

1D: Europe and the Outside World, Law 203

Discussants: Elaine Fahey, City University London and Dr Rilka Dragevna-Lewers, University of Birmingham

• Mapping out the scope and contents of the DCFTAs with Tunisia and Morocco:Guillaume Van der Loo, University of Ghent and CEPS (Belgium)
• C-660/13 Council v Commission: MoU or UFO?: Valerie Demedts, University of Ghent (Belgium)
• The established repertoire of CSDP practice: blueprint for future modalities of engagements in crisis management by the EU as a security agency for collective action: Csaba Törö, Karoli Gaspar Protestant University, Budapest (Hungary)
• Assessing the Commission’s Proposal for third Country access to EU Procurement markets: Aris Georgopoulos, University of Nottingham (UK)
• Squaring TTIP Negotiations with  the Idea of Federalism:   Comparing Constitutional Competences Maria Anna Corvaglia, University of Durham (UK)

Tea 3.30-4.00 pm, Law Senior Common Room

Workshops 2: Thursday 23 June 2016, 4.00-5.00 pm

2A: The Future of EU Integration and migration, Law Board Room

Discussant: Professor Martin Trybus and Dr Kieran McGuffin, University of Birmingham

• The Impact of the EU’s International Investment Policy on the Process of European Integration: Ewa Zelazna, University of Leicester (UK)
• Who controls the pace of integration in the internal market; the Court or the political institutions? Katy Sowey, University of Liverpool (UK)
• (Re-)inventing the Dublin System: Addressing Uniformity and Harmonization through Non Refoulement Obligations: Jenny Poon, Western University (Canada)

2B: Energy for the EU, Law 204

Discussant: Dr Luca Rubini, University of Birmingham

• From Energy Diplomacy to Global Governance: Redefining the Terms of Engagement in EU-Russia Energy Relations: Natasha A. Georgiou, University of Reading (UK)
• Speaking the same language: How the energy union can improve the European natural gas supply, Andrea Rocco, University of Birmingham (UK)
• We (China) Are There with the EU to Mitigate Global Climate Change:  The Perspective of Cooperation on Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (REEE), Yunxiang Shi, University of Birmingham (UK)

Conference reception: 7.00-8.00 pm and conference dinner 8.00-10.00 pm, Astor Suite, Staff House, University of Birmingham

Workshops 3: Friday 24 June 2016, 9.30-11.15 am

3A: The Future of European Monetary Union I, Law Moot Room

Discussant: Fabian Amtenbrink, Erasmus University Rotterdam

• Towards a European Solidary Union?  Financial Solidarity as the harmonization factor of an asymmetric European Monetary Union: Pipitsa Kousoula, University of Hamburg (Germany)
• The Future of EMU: the paradigm of Greece and the way forward: Kyriaki Noussia, University of Exeter (UK)
• Asymmetrical Sovereignty, European Integration and the Grey Zone of European Union Politics: Georgios Maris, Neapolis University Pafos (Cyprus) and Pantelis Sklias, University of the Peloponnese (Greece)

3B: The Future of EU Criminal Policy, Law Board Room

Discussant: Dr Mariane Wade, University of Birmingham

• Which EU criminal competence – a political or legal choice?  Samuli Miettinen, Tallinn University (Estonia) and University of Helsinki (Finland)
• Market abuse and the need for criminalization- a test case of Article 83(2) TFEU: Jacob Öberg, Örebro University (Sweden)
• The Potential of Mutual Recognition as a Limit to the Exercise of EU Criminalisation Powers:  Jannemieke Ouwerkerk, University of Tilburg (The Netherlands)
• The sensitive relation between the different means of legal integration: mutual recognition and approximation: Annika Suominen, University of Bergen (Norway)
• The beat goes on…criminal! European criminal law and the effectiveness and emergency paradigm: Stefano Montaldo, University of Turin (Italy)

3C: The Future of Social Europe, Law Board Room

Discussant: Dr Aleksandra Cavoski, University of Birmingham

• Union job-seekers’ status and rights in the aftermath of the UK’s welfare reforms and EU referendum negotiations: Rufat Babayev, University of Leicester (UK)
• The impact of the new European economic governance on the welfare States: Sergio De la Parra, Centre Virtuel de la Connaissance sur l'Europe (Luxembourg)
• Social Dumping on the EU internal market - challenge for integration process: Piotr Kwasiborski, University of Warsaw (Poland)
• Weaving a seamless web of social protection? Variations on EU law and solidarity: Nicolas Rennuy, University of Cambridge (UK)

Coffee 11.15-11.45 am, Law Senior Common Room

Workshops 4: Friday 24 June 2016, 11.45-13.15 am

4A: The Future of European Monetary Union II, Moot Room

Discussant: Dr Kyriaki Noussia, University of Exeter

• The Banking Union: Agencies and the Lesson from the US:  Luigi Lonardo, King’s College London (UK)
• Reforms of the banking sector in response to the financial crisis within the EU: comparative analysis of the case of the UK and of Cyprus: Despina Christofi, UCLan Cyprus
• As Good as it Gets? The Impact of the Financial Stability Policy Agenda on the Functioning of the Internal Market: Andreas Georgiou, University of Durham (UK)

4B: The Future of European Constitutional Law II, Law 204

Discussant: Professor Martin Trybus, University of Birmingham

• Assessing the Commission's Role in the European Citizens' Initiative: Nikos Vogiatzis, University of Liverpool (UK)
• Ineffectiveness of European Citizens’ Initiative - finding the way to solve the problem: Joanna Banasiuk, University of Białystok (Poland)
• Is there tomorrow for the Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions? Tunjica Petrašević and Dunja Duić, University of Osijek (Croatia)

Barbecue, 1.15-2.30, lawn in front of Birmingham Law School (weather permitting)

Closing plenary session: Less Europe? The EU Brexit Referendum of 2016

Friday 24 June 2016, 2.30-3.30 pm

Chair: Professor Martin Trybus, Director of the IEL, University of Birmingham

• Malcolm Harbour, OBE, MEP for the West Midlands 1999-2014
• Dr Tim Haughton, POLSIS, University of Birmingham
• Professor John Fender, School of Economics, University of Birmingham

CPD points will be awarded for participation in this conference, details to follow.