For decades, multilateralism has been the guiding principle for regulating international trade relations between states. The European Union (EU) has long championed this approach, firmly believing that global cooperation - ideally through consensus among all countries - is the most effective way to...
On 17 April, many of us had the pleasure of attending an IGIR Expert Lecture by John Clarke, former Chief Agriculture Negotiator of the European Union and former Head of the EU Delegation to the World Trade Organization and the United Nations in Geneva. He is currently a fellow at the Maastricht...
On 30 May 2024, the Council of the European Union announced its final approval of the Union’s long anticipated withdrawal from what can fairly be labelled as the most controversial international treaty ever, the Energy Charter Treaty (ECT).
Last year’s COP28 has resulted in a ‘historic’ mention of fossil fuels in its final decision, be it in a rather limited way. Where does the EU, the forerunner in climate action, stand when it comes to the elimination of fossil fuels? This post highlights a few problematic features of the EU’s policy...
On 6 June, IGIR fellow Dr. Iveta Alexovičová, Assistant Professor of International Economic Law, Faculty of Law, Maastricht University, delivered a lecture entilted "Substance alongside procedure - a lesson learned?".
In 2011 the European Commission announced it would propose a “European Accessibility Act” in 2012. The “Act” was to be an EU instrument which would seek to ensure a free market in products and services which were accessible to people with disabilities.
The European Union is a party to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. This is the first and, thus far, the only human rights treaty to which the EU is a party. In accordance with Article 35 of the Convention, the EU submitted its State report on the steps which has taken to...
The European Union is a party to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. This is the first and, thus far, the only human rights treaty to which the EU is a party.
On 8 September 2015 State Secretary for Justice and Security Klaas Dijkhoff announced that from now on only refugees who have applied for asylum in a safe place outside the EU would be accepted in the Netherlands. The government wants to put an end to asylum-seekers placing their fate in the hands...
The European Commission, on behalf of the European Union (EU), monitors and checks on the transposition of EU legislation by Member States. Member States often have to report on the steps they have taken to comply with specific EU legislation and the Commission even occasionally initiates...