Maastricht Centre for European Law
The Maastricht Centre for European law (MCEL) is committed to the study of European law from an interdisciplinary, transnational, and multilingual perspective. MCEL studies the law of the European Union in its constitutional and political context, with a specific focus on the tension between, on the one hand, uniformity and centralisation at the European level and, on the other hand, differentiation and autonomy of Member States. The research programme of the Centre analyses the European integration process from both an institutional and substantive perspective in a global context. MCEL research covers most areas of EU law. MCEL currently has 45 members, belonging to the department of International & European Law and the department of Public Law.
Fast facts
- one of the largest groups of scholars in the world studying European law
- close cooperation with political scientists within the framework of the Centre for European Research in Maastricht (CERiM)
- multinational and multilingual team of scholars
- large community of PhD researchers
- led by Prof. Ellen Vos & Prof. Monica Claes
Research
MCEL’s research is an integral part of the Faculty’s research programme and relates to both the ‘integration’ and ‘interaction’ poles of that programme. It deals with the different dimensions of the legal integration process that takes place in the context of the European Union, and it pays due attention to the interactions, on the one hand between the EU legal order and public international law, and on the other hand between EU law and the national legal systems of its Member States.
There is thus a natural fit between the research agenda of MCEL and that of the Law Faculty as a whole. More specifically, the research of MCEL members relates to all five pillars of the Faculty’s research programme, with some prevalence for the pillar Institutional Transformations.
MCEL’s research takes place in all five Faculty research pillars:
1. Global Justice
2. Institutional Transformations
3. Globalising Markets
4. Cross-border Cooperation and Mobility
5. Law and Technology
News
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The UM team came second in the Grand Final of the 12th edition of the Helga Pedersen Moot Court Competition, which took place at the European Court of Human Rights.
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This timely book explores a diverse set of issues, ranging from fundamental rights, asylum and migration law, to the law and politics of the internal market and more institutional perspectives.
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In their contribution, MCEL member Guido Bellenghi and MCEL co-director Ellen Vos take stock of the reforms introduced by the Lisbon Treaty fifteen years ago, with a particular focus on the law and practice of EU executive rulemaking.
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This topical book provides fresh insight into the ways culture interconnects with and is treated by EU economic law and policy. Contributing authors pose key questions pertaining to the nature, scope and extent of the competence of the EU and its member states in the field of culture.
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MCEL is organising a seminar featuring Prof. Eleftheria Neframi on the constitutional limits to sustainable development in the EU's external action.
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The team representing Maastricht pleaded at the Court of Justice of the European Union in Luxembourg in April 2024, ending top four out of the 80 participating teams.
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On 9 March 2024, Maastricht University’s European Law Moot Court (ELMC) Team, coached by MCEL Members Dr. Pauline Melin and Guido Bellenghi, won the regional final held at the Universidad CEU San Pablo, Madrid.
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On 19 February 2024, the inaugural Maastricht Consulates EU Law Prize was awarded to the author of the most outstanding thesis on EU law written during the academic year 2022-2023 at the Faculty of Law of Maastricht University.
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The Faculty of Law of Maastricht University and Studio Europa are organising an academic conference in the context of the incoming new term of the European Parliament and European Commission. The deadline for abstract submissions is 29 February 2024.
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The Department of International and European Law of the Faculty of Law at Maastricht University is looking for an Assistant Professor in EU Law (1.0 FTE), starting from August 15, 2024.
Events
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20 Jun 21 Jun00:00
Between narratives and reality: The EU at the gates of a new mandate
We invite you to submit an abstract of a paper to present at the conference on the topic of " Between narratives and reality: The EU at the gates of a new mandate" which will be held at our Faculty of Law on 20 & 21 June 2024 in Maastricht.
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25 Jun14:00 - 15:30
Jean Monnet EU Migration Law and Governance Lecture Series
On 25 June, our speaker is Lieneke Slingenberg, University of Amsterdam.
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25 Jun14:00 - 15:30
MCEL Seminars
The activities of the centre include regular organisation of academic conferences and workshops, as well as monthly research seminars to which high-level speakers are invited to discuss a specific topic in the field of EU law.
PhD Research at MCEL: video on EU Fundamental Rights
MCEL PhD researchers Elin, Stevi and Valentina talk about their projects dealing with EU fundamental rights. Elin Börjedal examines the constellation of actors involved in fundamental rights protection in the EU and the division of responsibilities between them. Stevi Kitsou aspires to devise EU-wide principles and standards for countering hate speech online.
Zooming in on the challenge of protecting fundamental rights in the digital dimension, Valentina Golunova tackles the risks stemming from the use of AI in content moderation.
Watch their research stories