After the success of the 2008/2010/2012/2014/2016 “The Future of European Law and Policy” conferences organised by the Institute of European Law at Birmingham Law School, scholars and postgraduate research students in several disciplines - law, politics, and economics - came to Birmingham for the 6th instalment of this conference series on the 28 and 29 June 2018.
They delivered 36 papers on many issues on the Future of EU Law and Policy, especially on the Constitution of the EU, the EU and the individual, the EU and the economy, and the EU and the outside world. However, this year the focus was on European Union Trade and Investment Policy and a significant number of papers covered related issues. The conference was also part of the EU funded Horizon2020 Marie Curie EUTIP network and all the early career researchers and several of the supervisors of this network delivered papers. The conference received funding support from the Marie Curie programme which the organisers gratefully acknowledge. This was the first “The Future of European Law and Policy” conference with several economists presenting in the opening panel and workshops – in addition to lawyers and political scientists.
Thursday 28 June 2016, 11.00 am-12.45 pm saw the opening plenary session: “Transatlantic Perspectives” chaired by Dr Maria Anna Corvaglia, University of Birmingham. The conference was opened by Professor Martin Trybus, Director, Institute of European Law, University of Birmingham and Network Coordinator of EUTIP.
This was followed by an inspirational keynote address entitled The Changing Structure of International Economic Law and the Future of Regulatory Cooperation delivered by Professor Thomas Cottier, founder of the World Trade Institute, Berne, Switzerland.
This was followed by three responses from three disciplines. Professor Roberto Caranta, University of Turin, Italy, and supervisor on EUTIP, responded for law. Professor Gabriel Felbermayr, IFO Institute, Munich, Germany, and supervisor on EUTIP answered for economics.
Finally, Professor Jean-Baptiste Velut, Sorbonne Nouvelle University, France, and one of two external experts responded for political science. This was followed by a rebuttal of Professor Cottier and a Q&A session with the audience.
The afternoon of the 28 June and the morning of the 29 June 2018 was divided into four workshop sessions with up to four workshops running in parallel.
Discussant: Professor Thomas Cottier, World Trade Institute, Berne, Switzerland
Connectivity and cross-border infrastructures in a fragmented economic framework: the case of the XL Keystone pipeline:Maria Anna Corvaglia (University of Birmingham, UK)
Institutional Inertia and Changing Regulatory Preferences in Trade and Investment Regimes: Melanie Theisinger (Erasmus University Rotterdam, The Netherlands)
Trade and Sustainable Development Chapters in EU FTAs after Opinion 2/15: Iulianna Romanchyshyna (University of Passau, Germany)
Discussant: Dr Aris Georgopoulos, University of Nottingham, UK
A European geoeconomic strategy? EU trade policy and changing global power relations: Tobias Gehrke (Egmont: Royal Belgian Institute of International Relations, Brussels, Belgium)
The Future of European Defence: Julia Schmidt (University of Exeter, UK)
The future of pre-emption in EU foreign affairs. A comparative perspective: Luigi Lonardo, King’s College London, UK)
Enhanced cooperation – a suitable means for flexible integration? Robert Böttner (German University of Administrative Sciences, Speyer, Germany)
Discussant: Professor Gabriel Felbermayr, IFO Institute, Munich, Germany
The impact of trade agreements on the agri-food system, diet and health in Europe: Jorge Soguero Escuer (University of Birmingham, UK)
Firm-level responses to EU FTAs on outsourcing decisions (EU-FIREOUT): Sonali Chowdhry (IFO Institute, Munich, Germany)
Investment regulation in BITs (bilateral investment treaties) and other IIAs (International Investment Agreements: *Gerard Masllorens (ETH Zurich, Switzerland)
Discussant: Professor Jean-Baptiste Velut, Sorbonne Nouvelle University, Paris, France
Fundamental rights and EU trade agreements: democratising global governance? Isabella Mancini (City University London, UK)
A price for human rights? A policy-based approach for the protection of human rights in Europe: Stephanos Xenophoros (University of Birmingham, UK)
Is there a need for amending the cross-compliance conditions in CAP funding to include labour and human rights standards? The case of agricultural workers in Sicily: Alessandra Asteriti (Leuphana University, Lüneburg, Germany)
Discussant: Professor Roberto Caranta, University of Turin, Italy
EU’s Association Agreements with the Eastern Partners and the Limits of Transformative Power: Rilka Dragneva and Kataryna Wolczuk (University of Birmingham, UK)
Regulatory coherence, market access and the acceptability of regional agreements: Camille Réverdy (CIREM, Paris, France)
Regulatory Cooperation in the EU FTAs: Legitimate Implementation and External Projection: Kornilia Pipidi (German University of Administrative Science Speyer, Germany)
Discussant: Professor Wolfgang Weiss, German University of Administrative Science Speyer
The Relationship between State-to-State Dispute Settlement Mechanisms in EU FTAs and WTO: Cornilia Fuculita (German University of Administrative Science Speyer, Germany)
The Metamorphosis of Investor State Dispute Settlement Mechanisms and the European Union: Adit Warrier (DGS, India)
EU and the reform of Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS): Aveek Chakravarty (University of Turin, Italy)
Discussant: Dr Maria Anna Corvaglia, University of Birmingham, UK
The Role of Energy Security in EU Trade and Investment: Simon Dekeyrel (University of Nottingham)
The Impact of the Post Lisbon Energy Policy on EU Natural Gas Supplying Countries: Andrea Rocco (University of Birmingham, UK)
The EU Energy Policy Implementation: How Member States Balance between Market and Non-market Values? Rita Griguolaite (University of Sussex, UK)
The conference reception was at 7.00-8.00 pm and the conference dinner 8.00-10.00 pm in the Astor Suite, Staff House, University of Birmingham.
Discussant: Professor Martin Trybus, University of Birmingham, UK
Liberalisation of Public Procurement Markets through Free Trade Agreements? Alice Manzini (University of Birmingham, UK)
The Internationalisation of Public Procurement: Aris Georgopoulos (University of Nottingham, UK)
Transatlantic Defence Procurement Regulation: Luke Butler (University of Birmingham, UK)
Discussant: Dr Aleksandra Cavoski, University of Birmingham, UK
The roles of Feed-in Tariffs (FITs) in accelerating renewables industry in the EU: Yunxiang Shi, University of Birmingham, UK)
The Right to a Healthy Night Environment in European Union Context: Pedithep Youyuenyong (Chiang Mai University, Thailand)
X Marks the Spot: Where EU Environmental and EU Cohesion Policies Meet: Petya Dragneva (University of Sheffield, UK)
Discussant: Professor Anthony Arnull, University of Birmingham, UK
Does the future look bright or was the past so grim? The re-emergence of the "social" as an EU priority: Konstantinos Alexandris Polomarkakis (University of Lincoln, UK)
Status EU migrant workers and job-seekers in the UK pre- and post-Brexit: Rufat Babayev (University of Leicester, UK)
Towards Regulatory Coherence in Labour Standards, Environmental Protection and Governance in Transatlantic Trade and Investment Agreements: Aakriti Bhardwaj (University of Nottingham, UK)
Discussant: Dr Luke Butler, University of Birmingham, UK
Collusive Computing: An Analysis of Antitrust Issues Pertaining to the Algorithm Driven Markets: Arushi Gupta and Sanchit (WIPO Ltd., India)
Tax Rulings and State Aids: is National Fiscal Sovereignty Under Siege? Gabriella Perotto (University of Turin, Italy)
A critical appraisal of the Cross-border Mergers Directive: Thomas Papadopoulos (University of Cyprus, Nicosia, Cyprus)
Discussant: Professor Joanna Gray, University of Birmingham, UK
The EU and Global Financial Governance: what role for EU Law? Francesco Pennesi (Erasmus University Rotterdam, The Netherlands)
Brexit: UK’s Double-edged Sword: Financial Services Devendra Singh and Pradyum Chaudhary (Amity University Noida, India)
The conference ended with a barbecue, 1.15-2.30 pm on the lawn in front of Birmingham Law School.
