Convenors: Prof. Dimitry Kochenov (University of Groningen) and Prof. Eleftheria Neframi (University of Luxembourg)

Organisers: Amicale des Référendaires de la Cour de justice de l'UE / University of Luxembourg / University of Groningen

Keynote Speaker: Advocate General Eleanor Sharpston

Background

Union citizenship is undergoing continuous evolution, given the constant tension between the EU's origins as an international economic organisation and its federal aspirations. EU law adopts a “constitutional” approach to citizenship, as Union citizenship is meant to be the fundamental status of nationals of the Member States. There is the risk, however, that in the context of the division of competences between the Union and the Member States the rights derived from EU citizenship, instead of being universally bestowed on all EU citizens, turn into a compensatory device to enhance the life chances of those who are perceived as “contributing to the internal market”, leaving all the most vulnerable citizens in need of protection by definition outwith the scope of EU law, thus going against the very logic of citizenship as a status of equals and heralding a supranational citizenship without rights for the majority of Europeans.

These problems were investigated in EU Citizenship and Federalism: The Role of Rights (Cambridge University Press 2017) edited by Prof. Dimitry Kochenov. In this work, leading scholars and practitioners of EU constitutional law examined the relationship between EU citizenship, citizens' rights and the vertical delimitation of competences, thereby linking the constitutional questions of federalism and citizenship in the European Union. The Conference complements EU Citizenship and Federalism, by providing for an opportunity of dialogue among scholars and practitioners on the developments of EU citizenship law. Confirmed speakers include Advocate General Eleanor Sharpston (Keynote), Dr. Sara Iglesias Sánchez, Prof. Daniel Sarmiento, Dr. José A. Gutiérrez-Fons, and Prof. Daniel Thym.

Call for papers

The conference seeks to appraise and conceptualise the recent evolutions in the legislative and judicial practice regarding EU citizenship and EU citizenship rights in the context of the constant re-articulation of the federal boundary of competences in the EU. Junior and senior scholars are invited to submit an abstract concerning salient legal issues of EU citizenship, such as (but not limited to) the right to legislative initiative, the interplay of citizenship and the right to health and work, citizens' access to services of general interest, security-oriented restrictions to free movement, and the consequences of Brexit for the EU citizenship. The abstracts should not be longer than 500 words and should be written in English or French. Please forward the abstracts the convenors (as Cette adresse e-mail est protégée contre les robots spammeurs. Vous devez activer le JavaScript pour la visualiser. and Cette adresse e-mail est protégée contre les robots spammeurs. Vous devez activer le JavaScript pour la visualiser.) by September 20, 2017.