This research contributes to the following Sustainable Development Goals, among others:

Europe

Crisis as status quo

For most of the past ten years, Europe has been in a state of ‘crisis’. The bank crisis mutated seamlessly via the Euro crisis to the present migrant crisis. Whereas previously the general assumption was that even closer cooperation within the European Union was a foregone conclusion, the EU is now more frequently coming under fire. Things have even gone so far that the United Kingdom is leaving the European Union. Leiden researchers on Europe address these complex issues and contribute to a better, more informed and more realistic debate on Europe, and on the impact that the EU has on the lives of its citizens.

The issue of ‘Europe’ is highly topical. Leiden Europe experts make regular appearances in the media to give their views on developments, on issues ranging from the possibility of excluding Greece from the Eurozone or sending boatloads of refugees back to Turkey, to the 'Brexit' or the Association Agreement on Ukraine concluded between the EU and member states.

The internal market and the euro

One of the prime objectives of the whole integration project is the realisation of the internal market. This means abolishing national borders within Europe and guaranteeing the free movement of people, goods, services and assets. The Europa Institute at Leiden University examines the restrictions imposed on the internal market and how the internal market can function more effectively. The Institute addresses a raft of relevant issues, from the regulation of coffeeshops to online gambling. Maintaining workable competition is a further topic that warrants attention. The Institute’s research in this area focuses on potentially unlawful state support, to banks or professional football organisations, for example.

The common currency is probably the most tangible evidence of European cooperation. It also has to be said that the euro has been the EU’s biggest concern in recent years. The Europa Institute has closely monitored the whole debt crisis from the outset. The Institute conducts research on the measures that are taken to strengthen economic governance within the Eurozone and the EU and those aimed at avoiding a repeat of the Greek drama. This research takes place within the context of the European Research Centre for Economic and Financial Governance (EUROCEFG), an interdisciplinary research centre set up by Stefaan Van den Bogaert, Professor of European Law, together with colleagues from the Universities of Leiden, Delft and Rotterdam.

Human rights

The scientific outlook on Europe goes further than the 28 members of the European Union. Research at Leiden University also focuses on the Council of Europe (47 members, including Russia). The European Court of Human Rights, which is part of the Council of Europe and that delivers judgements on the grounds of the European Treaty on Human Rights, plays an important role in this area. Citizens who believe that their fundamental rights are being infringed by a member state can submit a complaint to this Court. The decisions taken by the Court are crucial to the protection of human rights within Europe. Furthermore, since 2009 the European Union has had its own binding catalogue of fundamental rights, the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights. The basic social rights of European citizens are anchored firmly in this Charter. The Charter has enhanced the EU’s position as a prominent player in the protection of human rights.
Research on European human rights protection aims to ensure that people are more aware of their rights. What protection do the different European countries offer and what scope do they have for making their own decisions on this issue? What is the relationship between the EU and the Council of Europe on human rights? These are the kinds of questions that researchers at Leiden University address.

Links:
Europa Institute
Institute for Public Administration
Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence
Leiden Law School- Europa Institute

Themes

Experts

Prof.mr. S.C.G. Van den Bogaert Professor European Law Topics: competition law, four freedoms, sports law
Prof.mr. T.R. Ottervanger Professor emeritus European Law and Dutch Competition Law Topics: 2. international arbitration, competition law
Prof.dr. R.C. Tobler LLM Professor of European Law Topics: discrimination, european law, social law
Prof.dr. L.J. van Middelaar Professor of Foundations and Practice of the European Union and its Institutions Topics: constitutional law eu, eurocrises, european council, practice of eu institutions
Prof.dr. J.J. Rijpma Professor European Law Topics: area of freedom, security and justice, european institutional law, european migration law, mobility and security in europe (mose)
Prof.dr. M.C.E.J. Bronckers Professor of WTO Law and European Law Topics: european law, international public law, international relations, wto
Prof.dr. R.A. Lawson Professor of European Law Topics: european law, human rights
Prof.mr.drs. W. den Ouden Professor of Constitutional and Administrative Law Topics: european and dutch administrative law, european and dutch subsidy law, limited public rights, state aid
Prof.dr. W.J.M. Voermans Professor of Constitutional and Administrative Law Topics: constitutional law, decentralization, dutch constitution, legislation-regulation, legislative studies, political legitimacy
Prof.dr.mr. P.R. Rodrigues Professor emeritus Immigration Law Topics: asylum law, discrimination, equal treatment, human rights, immigration law
Prof.dr.mr. F. Baetens Professor European Law Topics: european law, international economic law, law of the sea, public international law
Dr. M. Jesse LLM Associate Professor Topics: eu law, institutional law, internal market, migration law, non-discrimination law
Prof.dr.mr. A. Cuyvers Professor European Law Topics: brexit, comparative regional integration, constitutional law eu, european law, games of change, social psychology
Dr. E.V. Bondarouk Assistant professor
Dr. V. Borger LLM Assistant Professor Topics: constitutional law eu, emu, eu, euro crisis, european institutional law
Prof.dr. B. Steunenberg Scientific Director/Professor Public administration, including the institutional economy of the public sector Topics: digitalisation, discourses, european governance, institutional change, multilevel governance, policy games, policy implementation
Prof.dr. M.O. Hosli Professor International Relations Topics: conflict resolution, european integration, global governance, governance, international organisations, international political economy
Dr. D.D. Toshkov Associate Professor Topics: central and eastern europe, european governance, european union, legitimacy, migration, public policy
Prof.dr. C.F. van den Berg Professor by special appointment Transitions in the Public Sector Topics: comparative bureaucracy, europeanization of domestic governance, governance and the media, politicization and political-administrative relations, politics, public administration, public affairs
Prof.dr. A.C. Wille Professor by Special Appointment Transitions in the Public Sector Topics: european governance, executive politics, international governance, participation, policy analysis, public accountability, public administration, public policy, trust
Prof.dr. A.L. Dimitrova Professor Comparative Governance Topics: administrative reform, central and eastern europe, democratic backsliding, european external relations, european governance, global governance, governance, political legitimacy, ukraine
Dr. B.J. Carroll Assistant professor Topics: comparative public policy, european governance, european union, political administrative relations, public administration
Dr. R. de Ruiter Associate Professor Topics: european integration, european parliament, national parliaments, new modes of governance, public administration
Prof.dr. E. Bakker Professor Terrorism and Contraterrorism Topics: counterterrorism, public policy, radicalisation, security, security and threat, terrorism
E.G. Kortenska MSc Guest Topics: european integration, european union, international relations, mass media, migration, public administration
Prof.dr. C.H.J.M. Braun Professor Public Governance and Civil Society Topics: advocacy, bureaucracy, decision-making, interest groups, public administration, regulatory governance