The Jean Monnet Chair ReinforcEU at the Miguel Hernández University of Elche (UMH) organized the first session of the III Advanced Inter-University Research Seminar on the European Union on March 12th.
“Strengthening the European Union by reinforcing its values” is the guiding motto of the Chair behind this event, co-funded by the European Union (EU). The seminar brought together primarily PhD students from Spanish, European, and Latin American universities whose research topics revolve around the EU.
The first session of the event, titled “The European Union’s External Action and Its Values”, aimed to promote research excellence in matters related to regional integration with the EU, through scientific dialogue and debate among experts, university professors, and early-stage researchers from various countries. Among the participants were PhD candidates Zitan Peng and Almudena Del Castillo, whose doctoral theses are part of a project on the rule of law crisis in the EU, led by Susana Sanz.
The seminar was co-directed by Elena Crespo Navarro, Professor of Public International Law and International Relations and holder of the Jean Monnet Chair at UMH. The event also featured renowned academics such as Joan David Janer Torrens, Professor of Public International Law and International Relations at the University of the Balearic Islands, and Araceli Mangas Martín, Full Professor and Member of the Royal Academy of Moral and Political Sciences of Spain.
The event was inaugurated by Dr. Mangas Martín, who delivered a keynote presentation focused on the Draghi Report, particularly in relation to its connection with EU values and its impact. She emphasized that the fundamental values of Europe are prosperity, fairness, freedom, peace, and democracy within a sustainable environment, and that the EU’s core mission is to protect these fundamental rights. During the discussion, Dr. Mangas put forward significant proposals to strengthen the protection of these values within the EU, such as enhancing governance mechanisms and utilizing the tools available in the founding treaties—though she expressed doubts about the feasibility of treaty reform in the current context.
Following this, Dr. Joan David Janer delivered the second keynote of the session, titled “The Promotion of Human Rights in the EU’s External Action”. He began with a historical overview of the Union and its internal protection mechanisms under the founding treaties and the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the EU. He then focused on the EU’s external relations with third countries and international organizations, highlighting how the EU uses conditionality to foster international cooperation.
According to Dr. Janer, respect for fundamental rights is essential to democratic societies grounded in the rule of law. He went on to elaborate on the EU’s human rights policy, specifically addressing the protection of civil, political, economic, social, and cultural rights; the promotion of non-discrimination and equality; freedom of expression; and access to justice, among others.
After the two keynote addresses, a presentation of papers took place, chaired by Dr. María Remedios Guilabert from the Miguel Hernández University of Elche. Four PhD students from various Spanish universities participated: César Cuevas, Almudena Del Castillo, Felipe Ángel Martínez, and Zitan Peng.
Almudena Del Castillo presented her paper titled “Europe on the Ropes: The Threat to Judicial Independence and Its Impact on the Rule of Law”, in which she explored why the rule of law is crucial in the EU and the specific role judicial independence plays in safeguarding it. She highlighted key rulings from the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) and the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) on structural elements of judicial independence, such as the appointment, tenure, and dismissal of judges, as well as disciplinary proceedings. She concluded by offering future perspectives on contentious issues before the CJEU and ECtHR related to judicial independence, particularly the complex balance between respecting member states’ judicial autonomy and ensuring EU-level oversight of judicial independence as a core component of the rule of law.
Zitan Peng presented his paper titled “An Analysis of Rule of Law and Non-Discrimination Values through Regulation 2020/2092 on Conditionality”. He began with an overview of the existing mechanisms for protecting the rule of law, analyzing the strengths and weaknesses of each and explaining how the Conditionality Regulation has helped address these issues more effectively. He then discussed aspects of the regulation that initially caused friction with certain EU member states—tensions later resolved through rulings from the CJEU. Peng proposed the idea of reward-based conditionality, aimed at incentivizing positive behaviors. This suggestion sparked a debate among panel members, who advised that while this approach might be more suitable for cooperation with third countries, within the EU’s current internal context, the most appropriate tool remains Regulation 2020/2092.
In conclusion, the seminar offered doctoral candidates a valuable opportunity to participate in an inter-university and interdisciplinary forum for debate. It enabled them to present their research to senior academics, share concerns, and reflect collaboratively from a variety of academic approaches and perspectives.
