Call for Papers: Early Career Researchers “Is EU law fit for purpose?”

Call for Papers: Early Career Researchers

The Luxembourg Centre for European Law (LCEL) of the University of Luxembourg will hold an international conference on the theme “Is EU Law Fit for Purpose?”. The conference will take place on 9–10 October 2026 at the Chambre de Commerce, Luxembourg, and is organised with the generous support of the Luxembourg National Research Fund (FNR). The LCEL is pleased to invite early-career researchers to submit papers for presentation.

European Union law has become the most significant driver of legal change across the Member States, shaping virtually all areas of public and private regulation. In recent years, its scope and intensity have expanded markedly as the Union has been called upon to respond to successive crises and emerging challenges, including financial instability, migration, threats to the rule of law, technological transformation, climate change, and geopolitical insecurity. The conference addresses two interrelated questions: first, whether EU law adequately covers the areas in which collective European action is necessary; and secondly, whether existing EU legal frameworks achieve their stated objectives and how they might be improved. The conference will also address more theoretical questions on the concept of effectiveness of law, how it can be defined and how it can be measured.

The conference brings together leading scholars, senior judges of the Court of Justice and the General Court of the European Union, Advocates General, representatives of EU institutions, policymakers, and practitioners. Each thematic session will include a presentation by a selected early-career researcher, contributing an original scholarly perspective alongside the session’s established speakers.

Panels Open to Young Researchers

Papers are invited in connection with the following thematic panels:

• Values, the Charter, and Citizenship (Friday, 9 October, 15:00–15:45)
• Law and Technology (Friday, 9 October, 16:15–17:15)
• Financial Law (Saturday, 10 October, 9:30–10:00)
• Labour Law (Saturday, 10 October, 10:00–10:30)
• Environmental Law (Saturday, 10 October, 10:50–11:20)
• Defence and Strategic Autonomy (Saturday, 10 October, 11:20–11:50)
• The EU and International Law (Saturday, 10 October, 11:50–12:30)

Papers need not be confined to the specific topics addressed by the main speakers. Contributions are welcome from any angle — theoretical, institutional, or comparative — provided they engage meaningfully with questions of scope or effectiveness of EU law in the relevant area.

Eligibility

The call is addressed to PhD candidates and postdoctoral researchers working on European Union law or a closely related field. Applicants from all countries are welcome. Submissions are particularly encouraged from researchers whose work engages directly with the thematic focus of one of the panels listed above.

Submission Requirements

Applicants should submit the following documents in a single document:

• Panel preference: indication of the panel to which the paper relates (a second preference may also be indicated I relevant);
• Abstract: a structured summary of the proposed paper of no more than 500 words, setting out the research question, argument, and methodology, as well as its relevance to the chosen panel;
• Short biography: a brief academic profile of no more than 300 words, including institutional affiliation, stage of research, and relevant publications or academic activities;

Deadline and Submission

Applications should be submitted by email and no later than 10 July 2026. Please use the subject line: “CfP EU-FIT Papers – [Panel Name]”.

Successful applicants will be notified by mid-August at the latest. Selected researchers will be expected to submit a full draft paper (6,000–8,000 words) by two weeks ahead of the conference. Travel and accommodation will be covered by the LCEL for selected participants; further details will be communicated upon selection.

Language

Submissions and presentations should be in English.

Publication

The scientific outcomes of the conference are expected to be published, either as conference proceedings in open access or in a collective publication with a leading academic publisher. Selected papers presented at the conference may be considered for inclusion. Further details will be communicated in due course.

For further information, please contact the LCEL at secretariat_Prof.Tridimas@uni.lu.

The conference is organised by Professor Takis Tridimas, Director of the Luxembourg Centre for European Law, University of Luxembourg, with support from the Fonds National de la Recherche (FNR) (Reference project: RESCOM/2026/LE/2000050/EU-FIT).

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