Faculty of Law

Extending DigiD access makes life easier for cross-border workers

Imagine you live in Belgium and have been working in the Netherlands for years. But unlike your Dutch colleagues, you can’t access your pension information online. That is because you are not entitled to a DigiD, which is the identity verification service of the Dutch government. To help make life easier for this real-life Belgian worker and all the other cross-border workers, Dr. Alexander Hoogenboom took up the case.

Matteo Bonelli and Daniel On looking back on PhD life with a sense of pride

One from Italy. One from Romania. Both sharing a house in Maastricht while getting their PhDs. Both earning their degrees with the distinction cum laude. Matteo Bonelli and Daniel On share about their life and research at the Maastricht University Faculty of Law.

Towards a comprehensive dispute settlement system in a China-EU bilateral investment treaty

PhD thesis written by Chunlei Zhao.
Since 2013, China and the EU have launched the negotiations on a China-EU Bilateral Investment Treaty. 

Informal fund transfer systems: mechanisms, survival and adaptation

PhD thesis written by Han Chang Ryung.

Multinational enterprises, European state aid and transfer pricing

PhD thesis written by Paulina Szotek-Ververken.
A Study of the Application of EU State Aid Law to Transfer Pricing and Allocation of Income to Permanent Establishments.

Lilian Tsourdi and Ellen Vos latest publication

Addiction: between personal responsibility and brain disease

Anna Goldberg is currently writing her dissertation on the role of addiction in criminal law from a neuroscientific perspective under the supervision of David Roef, endowed professor of Criminal Law.

Strict liability and the aims of Tort Law

PhD thesis written by Alexandru Daniël On.
This PhD thesis contributes to the comparative law and legal-theoretical debates around strict liability.

Ad Valorem Tariffs and Customs Valuation

PhD thesis written by Leonardo Correia Lima Macedo.
This dissertation investigates the adoption of ad valorem tariffs in association with the WTO rules on customs valuation for countries’ revenue needs. 

The enforceability of interim measures granted by an emergency arbitrator in international commercial arbitration

PhD thesis written by Junmin Zhang.
The emergency arbitrator mechanism makes interim measures possible for parties involved in international commercial arbitration before the constitution of arbitral tribunals under urgent situations. However, with the development of the emergency arbitrator mechanism, the enforceability of interim measures made by an emergency arbitrator is questioned. 

European cross-border approaches to the corona crisis are hard to find

Many European borders were closed this spring simply because governments were unable to make agreements about the various national corona measures, and not primarily due to public health considerations. This is the conclusion of the annual Cross-Border Impact Assessment by the Institute for Transnational and Euregional cross-border cooperation and Mobility/ITEM at Maastricht University.

De Dashboardsamenleving: van improvisatie tot providere

PhD thesis written by David Bamps.
Throughout history there’s been a search for a moral compass, but a definitive one has never been found. That could change. Humans are no longer alone on the playing field but are surrounded by new star players: artificial intelligence and robotics. Herein appear the contours of a new type of society.

KNAW Early Career Award 2020 for Vigjilenca Abazi

In the field of Behavioural Sciences, Social Sciences and Law, Vigjilenca Abazi has won the  KNAW Early Career Award for her research on the relatively young subject of whistleblowing in the European Union.

The EU Green Deal and the Future of the Modern Corporation - video

Looking back on a great online event regarding The EU Green Deal and the Future of the Modern Corporation. Here is a video summary of the webinar - featuring: John Kay (Oxford University), Diederik Samsom (EU), Marlies van Wijhe (Van Wijhe Verf), Dimitri-de Vreeze (DSM Nederland), and Hein Schumacher (Friesland Campina).

MCEL/RENFORCE webinar on the New Pact on Migration and Asylum

On 20th October 2020, MCEL member Assistant Professor Lilian Tsourdi jointly convened an inter-institutional webinar with Dr. Salvo Nicolosi, Assistant Professor in Utrecht and RENFORCE member. 

Le Principe de la Libre Administration des Collectivités Territoriales en Droit du Bénin et en Droit de la France

PhD thesis written by Abasse Olossoumare.
The question raised by this study is to determine, in fact, whether the principle of the free administration of local authorities in general theory of law is a simple legal rule or rather a legal principle.

MCEL members author studies for the European Parliament

On 28 October, MCEL members Professor Lisa Waddington and Dr Andrea Broderick presented their Study on The Post-2020 European Disability Strategy at a Workshop on the Protection of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities hosted by the Petition’s Committee of the European Parliament.

Remarkable performance: UM Faculty of Law improves position for third consecutive year in (THE) World University Rankings for LAW

The faculty consolidates its already strong position in the 2021 ranking by moving up from the 40th to the 34th position. Looking at other Dutch law faculties, we are very proud to see that we are in good company with only the law faculties of Leiden, Tilburg and Amsterdam also reaching the top 34 of this prestigious ranking. Of all the European law faculties in this ranking our faculty now takes up a very strong position in 12th place.

EU Climate Law through the lens of the Aarhus convention

PhD thesis written by Sandra Nascimento da Nobrega.
This thesis found there is a need for a more consistent and clearer EU legal framework which should ensure access to climate change-related information and participation in climate change decision-making.

Jurisdiction in cross-border copyright infringement cases. Rethinking the approach of the court of justice of the European Union

PhD thesis written by Birgit van Houtert-Rebero.
The dissertation provides new jurisdiction rules that yield predictable and efficient adjudication in cross-border copyright infringement cases. The proposals can be used in the European Union and at international level.

Repatriation of sacred indigenous cultural heritage and the law – Lessons from the United States and Canada

PhD thesis written by Vanessa Tünsmeyer.
The thesis focusses on sacred cultural heritage that was taken from indigenous communities during colonialism and remains in museum collections both in Europe and abroad.

The new economic governance of the Eurozone – a rule of law analysis

PhD thesis written by Paul Dermine.
The main ambition of this research has been to determine if, and to what extent, the new economic governance of the Eurozone adheres to the founding constitutional guarantees of the EU legal order, namely those drawn from the rule of law principle.

Further step towards unhindered cross-border pension provision

On 18 September Dutch Minister Koolmees answered parliamentary questions about the possibility for pensioners abroad to pass on their proof of life via an app. This concerns a case in which ITEM, together with Advisor on Frontier Work for the MEP Jeroen Lenaers, has worked on in favour of persons receiving pension benefits abroad. The current approach responds to earlier ITEM recommendations and sets the stage for the unhindered enjoyment of cross-border pension payments.

A broken tandem: understanding lack of witness cooperation in the interview room

PhD thesis written by Alejandra De la Fuente Vilar.
Some witnesses of crime do not want to cooperate with the police during the police investigation, and their participation is not obligatory. This PhD research focuses on the promotion of cooperation during witness interviews.

A Journey into causes of corporate misbehaviour: why corporate legal disciplines and regulation need to be structurally reformed

PhD thesis written by Constantijn van Aartsen.
Corporations are the most powerful economic entities in contemporary society. The main finding in this thesis is that existing regulatory approaches in corporate law, corporate governance and corporate social responsibility are methodologically suboptimal and politically biased.

Longer than life: how the ICTY strengthened the rule of law in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia

PhD thesis written by Kei Hannah Brodersen.
This dissertation examines in what respect the ICTY had an impact on the Bosnian and Serbian criminal justice systems and finds that it influenced national war crimes institutions, domestic criminal legislation and jurisprudence, witnesses’ and victims’ matters, and the use of technology in criminal proceedings.

Janwillem (Pim) Oosterhuis in online seminar on COVID and unforeseen circumstances

On 8 October 2020, Janwillem (Pim) Oosterhuis, together with Lauri Railas and Graham Coop, will give a virtual seminar on 'Rebalancing unbalanced contracts in COVID times: how do legal systems approach the challenge?'
 

La norme pénale a l'épreuve de la protection de I'environnement au Cameroun

PhD thesis written by Georges Ondoua Akoa.
On a formal level, Cameroonian environmental law seems attractive, but in practice it is insufficient as it is rarely enforced by those responsible for its implementation. 

DigiD transcending borders: Frontier workers now able to apply for DigiD

DigiD is known as the quick and easy identification system for use of government websites. Sadly, in the past frontier workers seemed to be excluded from this service. In accordance with the ruling of the Council of State, the Dutch government has officially expanded the DigiD provision. Meaning that, as of today, frontier workers are able to apply for a DigiD. ITEM reports how this decision came about and what it means.

Modderman Prize 2020, honorable mention for Elvira Loibl

Elvira Loibl received an honorable mention from the selection committee of the Modderman Prize 2020 for her thesis, entitled 'The Transnational Illegal Adoption Market. A Criminological Study of the German and Dutch Intercountry Adoption Systems'. She wrote this thesis under the guidance of Prof. A.H. Klip, Prof. S.W.E. Rutten and Prof. E. Wesseling.

Beleidsbepaling en aansprakelijkheid: een drieluik over de feitelijke beheersing van vennootschappen

PhD thesis written by Jeffrey van Nuland.
Een onderzoek dat betrekking heeft op de aansprakelijkheid die voortvloeit uit het bepalen van beleid bij een vennootschap. (Dutch only).

MCEL launches the MCEL Master Thesis Project 2020-2021: Greening Europe

Greening Europe is this year’s MCEL master thesis project which brings together students and staff members of MCEL who are interested in the study of EU environmental law. 

A fresh start for ITEM

Since August 2020 ITEM has moved to a beautiful historic building of Maastricht University in the city centre of Maastricht. In addition, ITEM has a new coordinator, Pascal Vossen, who runs the daily office since this spring.

Portoroz News

On 10-11 September 2020, the University of Maribor is hosting a conference on the "Diversity of Enforcement Titles in cross-border Debt Collection in the EU".

PANDEMRIC explores the benefits of Euregional cooperation during (health) crises

Discoordination at the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak caused numerous bottlenecks in the border regions, which proved to have negative effects on Euregional cooperation. The PANDEMRIC project (Interreg V-A Euregio Maas-Rijn), aimed at promoting Euroregional cooperation in the field of health care, may offer opportunities for optimal cross-border crisis management.

Marta Santos Silva co-edits large book on the legal impact of coronavirus

Together with Ewoud Hondius, Andrea Nicolussi, Pablo Salvador Coderch, Christiane Wendehorst and Fryderyk Zoll, Marta Santos Silva co-edited the book “Coronavirus and the Law in Europe”, whose online version was published by Intersentia in August 2020.

Pension fund ABP follows ITEM recommendation

Two awards NWO/NWA Idea generator

The NWO has awarded two grants to projects of the Maastricht Law and Tech Lab under its Idea Generator Programme.

2020 dissertation prize online award ceremony with Matteo Bonelli

Last Wednesday, June 23, Matteo Bonelli received from the Praemium Erasmianum Foundation the 2020 Dissertation Prize for his PhD research ‘A Union of Values – Safeguarding Democracy, the Rule of Law, and Human Rights in the EU Member States’. The PhD was written in Maastricht under the supervision of Prof. Monica Claes and Bruno De Witte and defended in June 2019.

Cross-border access to electronic evidence

PhD thesis written by Josua Sitompul.
Cross-border access to electronic evidence: Improving Indonesian Law and Practice in Investigating Cybercrime. This book investigates aspects of international law, criminal procedure law, and data protection law as foundations in improving Indonesian law and practice to resolve the problems.

Maastricht wins Nuremberg Moot Court!

Another significant victory for Maastricht law students in the Nuremberg Moot Court!

Semifinal place for UM Law team in PAX Moot Court International Competition

After four solid pleading performances in the preliminary rounds, Charlotte, Marc, Anna and Laura secured a place in the semifinals, together with the Universities of Cologne, Erasmus Rotterdam and Singapore Management University. The team did not manage to reach the finals, that was eventually won by the University of Cologne but looks back at a very successful participation in this exciting international competition.

National policy space in the WTO general agreement on trade in services

PhD thesis written by Nishara Mendis.
"National Policy Space in the WTO General Agreement on Trade in Services: with Special Reference to Public Health Services".

Legal Remedies Against the Plastic Pollution of the Oceans

PhD thesis written by Luisa Cortat.
Legal Remedies Against the Plastic Pollution of the Oceans: an analysis of the attempts from public international law and private initiatives to face the plastic soup.

Future implications of the judgment of the German Constitutional Court

MCEL devoted two online seminars to the discussion of the content and future implications of the judgment of the German Constitutional Court of 5 May 2020 on the European Central Bank's market interventions (variously called the Weiss or PSPP judgment).

Dr Kees Sterk appointed endowed professor of European Administration of Justice

As from 1 June 2020, dr Kees Sterk has been appointed as endowed professor of European Administration of Justice. The chair has been placed within the Department of Public Law. The purpose of the endowed chair is to increase knowledge regarding the application of European law in a broad sense (including the ECHR) within Dutch case law, including from a comparative law perspective.

Erasmus dissertation prize for Matteo Bonelli

Matteo Bonelli has been awarded the Erasmus prize for his dissertation: A Union of Values. Safeguarding Democracy, the Rule of Law and Human Rights in the EU Member States. Supervisors of the dissertation were: Monica Claes and Bruno de Witte. The award ceremony will take place on 23 juni 2020.

The recognition of qualifications in the EU

PhD thesis written by Lavinia Kortese.
Blurring the lines of competences between the internal market and education.

New teaching seminar on EU Agencies

New teaching seminar on EU Agencies: As of next academic year, Ellen Vos and Merijn Chamon will be Visiting Professors at the College of Europe (Bruges), teaching a seminar on 'EU agencies: shifting paradigms of EU administration'.

On emigrant nationality

PhD thesis written by Luuk van der Baaren.
A Comparative Analysis of the Toleration of Dual Nationality from an Emigration Perspective”.

Mariolina Eliantonio and Paul Stephenson appointed co-directors of UM Campus Brussels

Nadeelcompensatie en tegemoetkoming in planschade

PhD thesis written by Jonathan Huijts.
This dissertation is about disadvantage compensation, in other words: compensation for lawful government action. This topic is currently regulated by dozens of laws and hundreds of lower regulations. 

The role of metamemory in eyewitness testimony

PhD thesis written by Renan Saraiva Benigno.
Estimating eyewitness memory accuracy is crucial in forensic settings, given the need for efficient investigations and the negative consequences of erroneous testimony. In fact, mistaken identifications of innocent suspect have contributed to numerous miscarriages of justice, which often results in many years of innocent lives spent in prison.

Research Prize for Matteo Bonelli

Last week we received the wonderful news that Matteo Bonelli has been awarded one of the five Research Prizes from the Praemium Erasmianum Foundation for his PhD dissertation titled ‘A Union of Values; Safeguarding Democracy, the Rule of Law and Human Rights in the EU Member States’.

SURF grant for project: training students for the 21st century using web-based network analysis

This year the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science has granted 15 projects (of 34 submitted) to start exploring new and challenging ideas in the context of open and online education. As many as 5 of these project proposals have been submitted by colleagues at Maastricht University (UM).

Staatsrecht begrepen

This publication is only in Dutch.
Staatsrecht begrepen is een gestructureerde en systematische inleiding in het Nederlandse staatsrecht. Lichamen, organen, bevoegdheden, wetgeving, de verhouding regering en parlement, rechtspraak, grondrechten, bestuur, decentralisatie, de doorwerking van EU-recht en van internationaal recht worden beschreven en uiteengezet. 

Appointment dr. Herke Kranenborg as professor in European Data Protection and Privacy Law

As per 1 May 2020, a chair in European Data Protection and Privacy Law will be established at our faculty. The chair holder will be dr. Herke Kranenborg. In our faculty, expertise in the field of data, privacy and cybersecurity is embedded in the European Centre on Privacy and Cybersecurity, the Maastricht Centre for European Law (MCEL) and the Maastricht Law & Tech Lab. The appointment of Herke Kranenborg aims to enlarge and strengthen the faculty’s current group of academic experts in this rapidly growing field.

Publication study for RIVM on working with HDI

In March 2020 the UM/METRO report Aansprakelijkheid voor het laten werken met HDI op POMS locaties (liability for letting people work with HDI at POMS locations) was published by RIVM. This report is part of a series of eight reports related to research on HDI from CARC at POMS locations of the Ministry of Defense. For more info (in Dutch) see the RIVM website.

Mr.dr. Bastiaan Kemp appointed as endowed professor of Corporate Governance and Corporate Regulation

Mr.dr. Bastiaan Kemp has been appointed as endowed professor of Corporate Governance and Corporate Regulation as per 1 April 2020. The chair will be hosted by the department of Private Law. This new chair is intended to strengthen the Corporate Governance profile of Maastricht University. 

Populism and Democracy

This volume is part of a research project on populism and democracy conducted at Maastricht University, Faculty of Law, and funded by the Statesman Thorbecke Fund at the Dutch Royal Academy of Sciences (knaw).

Cross-Border Impact Assessment 2020: Corona mainly controls the cross-border situation

ITEM’s main task is to help remove border barriers within the EU. That is why we publish a detailed annual report on which we regard as the key issues that could create such barriers.

Second place in regional finals European Law Moot Court

The Maastricht team, consisting of Julie Dorval, David Gruber, Claire De Neve and Francesca Rinaudo, obtained a well-deserved second place in the regional finals of the European Law Moot Court competition. Besides their strong pleading and legal reasoning skills, their coaches underline the devotion and resilience which each member of the Team showed during both the preparation and the competition.

Topic-Related Index to the EPC and PCT

Cees Mulder, Topic-Related Index to the EPC and PCT. Quick Reference for Daily Practice and EQE Paper D and Pre-Exam 
1st edition (2020) issued by Helze BV Publisher

The Cross-Referenced Patent Cooperation Treaty

Cees Mulder, The Cross-Referenced Patent Cooperation Treaty
18th edition (2020) issued by Helze BV Publisher

Will AI take over the world? An Inside Story by Aljazeera - featuring Catalina Goanta

Many of us interact every day with Siri, Apple's voice-activated digital personal assistant. The machines are getting smarter, but experts are divided as to when we'll move from basic AI to the scarey stuff of science fiction, if at all. Almost 50% of American jobs are under threat over the next 15 years, and health care will probably get more expensive as AI increasingly gets involved in keeping us alive. But besides the benefits, what are the risks?

The old age: a new role for the pension sector towards more prosperity, or more well-being?

On 27 January 2020, the ninth edition of the Maastricht Pensions Seminar took place. The theme of the seminar was 'Pensions: Outside In - The old age: a new role for the pension sector towards more prosperity, or more well-being?

Maastricht Wins Jessup National Rounds!

After four high-quality and competitive preliminary rounds, the team advanced to the final. They were successful against the team from the University of Amsterdam and won the Dutch National Rounds of the Jessup competition. Nga Janda was also awarded 2^nd best speaker in the competition, and the team won the 3^rd place prize for their memorials.

EU Agencies and conflicts of interests

MCEL scholar Ellen Vos together with Natassa Athanasiadou and Laura Dohmen carried out a study on EU agencies and conflicts of interests, commissioned by the European Parliament’s Policy Department for Citizens’ Rights and Constitutional Affairs at the request of the Committee on Petitions.

First Nova activities took place

The first workshop on Digitalisation, Ethics and EU Fundamental Rights of the NOVA-EU Project took place on January 2020. Be on the lookout for the next workshops on Migration and Borders, the Internal and External Dimension of Sustainable Europe, and  EU Rule of Law and Democracy!

Faculty of Law trains human rights defenders in international criminal law

The course “Training Human Rights Defenders in the Law and Practice of the International Criminal Court” was organised by Fabián Raimondo, Associate Professor of Public International Law, supported by Mundo. 

Caroline Cauffman appointed member of the Editorial Board TvC

One of the scientific directors of M-EPLI, Caroline Cauffman, has joined the editorial board of the Tijdschrift voor Handelspraktijken- en Consumentenrecht (TvC), the most influential Dutch consumer law journal. 

Nationality of foundlings

PhD thesis written by Mai Kaneko-Iwase.
Are your parents really 'unknown'? Assessment of 'foundinghood' under international law to avoid statelessness. While the scholarly body of knowledge on statelessness in general has expaned in recent years, little has been written on foundlings in general. The objective of this study is to address the gaps in the existing literature.

Dutch court rules: no discrimination in access to online public services

A Belgian resident successfully brought a case to court with the help of the ITEM Expertise Centre, because she did not receive a DigiD.

Proceedings before the European Patent Office - A practical guide to success in opposition and appeal

Marcus Müller (EPO - Munchen) and Cees Mulder, Proceedings before the European Patent Office - A practical guide to success in opposition and appeal (Elgar Practical Guides, 2020).

Tactics for D - A methodology for EQE Paper D

Cees Mulder and Nyske Blokhuis (EP&C), Tactics for D - A methodology for EQE Paper D
5th edition (2020) issued by Helze BV Publisher

Maastricht scholars successfully fight forced marriage and marital captivity

For the research group led by Susan Rutten, professor of Islamic Family Law in a European Context at Maastricht University (UM), in recent weeks, everything has fallen into place. Partly in response to the recommendations of their MARICAP study, the Dutch minister of legal protection Sander Dekker recently proposed a bill to make it possible to bring a swifter end to marital captivity.

"Consumer and data privacy: the digital revolution of legal, social and economic interaction"

On Friday 24 January 2020, the Faculty of Law at the Maastricht University will host the International Symposium ‘’Consumer and data privacy: the digital revolution of legal, social and economic interaction’’, with the support of the Limburg University Fund/SWOL, the Faculty of Law at the Maastricht University, and the Maastricht, Working on Europe Research Agenda.

A second category of people affected by the childcare allowance: PhD students with a grant

As ‘grant PhD students’ are not paid by the university but receive funding via an external (foreign) scholarship, they are not entitled to a child care allowance in the Netherlands.

Hande Wevers wins Maastricht Human Rights prize 2019

Visit Chinese delegation of SAMR

On 6 December 2019, a delegation of the State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) visited METRO, to discuss digital governments, government information disclosure and economics of regulation. 

Why am I seeing this? Who paid for it?

Fake news isn’t fake news – it’s really a real issue. Then again, you can’t trust anything you read on the internet, including this. Legal scholar Maja Brkan on her efforts to understand and communicate the impact of political advertising and disinformation on democracy.

Province of Limburg supports ITEM with 3 million euro

The province of Limburg will support expertise centre ITEM with a grant of 3 million euros over the next 5 years. 

Survey – ITEM Cross-Border Impact Assessment 2020

The consultation round on the upcoming ITEM Cross-Border Impact Assessment 2020 has been launched.

Arm’s Length Treatment of Soft-Intangibles

PhD thesis written by Thomas Kipka.
Comparative Analysis of the Treatment of Soft-Intangibles in Business Restructurings in Germany, the United States and according to the OECD.

Jacques Claessen appointed endowed professor of Restorative Justice

Jacques Claessen (Associate Professor of Criminal Law, UM Faculty of Law) will be appointed as endowed professor of Restorative Justice on 15 December 2019. The chair was established by the Netherlands Restorative Justice Foundation and has been placed within the Criminal Law & Criminology Department, where Jacques has been working since 2003. The chair was made possible with financial support from the Bianchi Restorative Justice Foundation. 

Conflicts and Compromise: Internationalization of Competition Law

PhD thesis written by Shuo Li. 
Competition law gained a lot of attention all over the world because of its natural relation to economy and market. With the background that the pace of globalization nowadays is faster than ever before, this research will focus on the internationalization of competition law, including basic concepts, historical development, present situation and future possibilities of international competition law.

UM Faculty of Law and JFC Brunssum pledge to increase cooperation

ITEM anniversary conference 'Building cross-border cooperation' a success

On 21 and 22 November, the fifth annual conference, so an anniversary edition, of ITEM took place in the Province of Overijssel. Policy makers, politicians and scientists came together in Enschede to build cross-border cooperation.

'Free imperial Lordships' in Limburg (1500-1800): deconstruction of a myth

PhD thesis written by Harry Weinberg. 
The area on both sides of the Meuse river covered by the present Dutch and Belgian provinces called Limburg was characterised by a significant degree of territorial fragmentation in the early modern period. This study focuses on the constitutional status of these so-called 'free imperial lordships' in relation to the Holy Roman Empire as a political entity and in relation to the territorial lordships.

ITEM illustrates again the need for proper assessment of border-effects of national legislation

The ITEM Cross-Border Impact Assessment 2019 has been published. With its annual Cross-Border Impact Assessment, the Institute for Transnational and Euregional cross-border cooperation and Mobility / ITEM provides more insight into European and national legislative and policy initiatives and its border-effects.

Grensoverschijdende kwalificatieproblematiek: tussen sociale zekerheid en aanvullend pensioen

PhD thesis written by Bastiaan Didden. 
Bastiaan, PhD candidate in tax law, looked into how the EU borders affect pensions, social security and taxes when working across a border. He has found out that there are quite some uncertainties when it comes to these subjects. This is because the EU-member states are in large part independent concerning their taxes, pensions and social security rules. 

A unique case of looted art

It started with an international phone call from the lawyers of the Norton Simon Museum in California. Not long after that, assistant professor Lars van Vliet served as an expert witness in a important court case. The stakes: a diptych by Lucas Cranach the Elder, which the heiress of the Jewish art dealer Jacques Goudstikker claimed had been looted. After a court case lasting 12 years, she came away empty-handed – partly due to the research of Lars van Vliet.

Working on the other side of the border: a bureaucratic maze

The free movement of workers is an important idea that the EU is built upon. Maastricht University researcher Bastiaan Didden, studied how the free movement of workers in The Netherlands, Belgium and Germany works in practice. He looked into how the EU borders affect pensions, social security and taxes when working across a border.

UM Faculty of Law ranks among 40 best law faculties in Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings for LAW

After entering the top 50 in the THE Law ranking last year, our faculty progressed considerably and climbed from the 46^th to the 40^th place. Of all Dutch law faculties, only Maastricht, Leiden, Amsterdam and Utrecht were able to reach the top 40 of this prestigious ranking. Our faculty also rises in the ranking of European law faculties from place 16 in 2019 to place 9 in 2020.

ITEM researcher co-authors WODC study on migration of asylum permit holders

On Thursday 10 October, a report concerning migration of asylum permission holders was published by the Research and Documentation Centre of the Ministry of Security and Justice (WODC) and Statistics Netherlands (CBS). This report is co-authored by Marloes de Hoon, a PhD candidate who is conducting research into mobility of refugees under the umbrella of the Institute for Transnational and Euregional cross border cooperation and Mobility (ITEM) at Maastricht University and affiliated to Statistics Netherlands. The report is co-authored with Arjen Leerkes, professor at Maastricht University and research fellow at WODC.

A regulatory framework for the art market?

PhD thesis written by Anna Bolz. Authencity, forgery and the role of art experts. To a certain extent, the art market has been complicit in forgery schemes being successful. The peculiarities which distinguish the art market from other sectors are exactly thefeatures on which the business thrives (for instance information assymmetry and insider trading).

Inclusive Global Tax Governance in the Post-BEPS Era

PhD thesis written by Sieb Kingma. After the 2008 global financial crisis, the international tax landscape really changed. Intergovernmental organizations such as the G20, OECD and UN are working on a fundamental reform of the international tax regime to make multinational enterprises and rich individuals pay their ‘fair share’.