Latest blog articles

Recently, politicians in different EU countries have suggested barring Russian tourists from visiting the EU (see reporting here and here). Such a ban would be in retaliation for the war waged by Russia against Ukraine. From a legal perspective, these suggestions raise the interesting question...

Breath in, breath out. Yes, the judgment of the (unlawfully composed) Polish Constitutional Tribunal is a serious challenge to the European Union’s legal system and to the principle of primacy of EU law. No, Poland has not activated the process of withdrawal from the EU under Article 50 TEU. Yes, EU...

After the initial relief that followed upon reaching a Trade and Cooperation Agreement between the European Union and the United Kingdom on Christmas Eve, we slowly see how this treaty is going to affect the tax domain. In this blog I will briefly focus on the area of fiscal state aid, i.e. the...

On Friday 31 July, the Cypriot parliament voted against the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) with Canada. This latest development in the ratification process of CETA illustrates perfectly how facultative mixity continuously frustrates our collective interest in seeing the...

With the development of international trade, local products have started to spread all around the world and become popular worldwide. Geographical indications (GIs) are meant to protect the use of the name that indicates certain characteristics and the origin of products typical for a particular...

The dreaded “No Deal” is becoming ever-more plausible

With the summer holidays about to end, Brexit negotiations between the European Union and United Kingdom will resume in earnest. The question on everyone’s mind is simple: Will there be a deal or will the United Kingdom leave the European Union...

As you may remember: in April 2016 the majority of the voters voted 'no' against the ratification act of this association agreement. According to the referendum a legislative proposal is needed as soon as possible in which the effects of the referendum will be arranged. ^{(Dutch only)}

The Maastricht Treaty marked the first step towards the establishment of the European Union (EU) as we know it today, after the Lisbon Treaty.

It was even featured on Dutch television: the State of the Union by Jean-Claude Juncker, president of the European Commission on 14 September 2016... This blog is only available in Dutch. 

The CETA trade agreement between the EU and Canada is, according to the initial judgment by the Commission, a treaty that fits within the exclusive jurisdiction of the EU (trade!) and can be made by the EU after approval from the European Parliament and the Council of Ministers... This blog is only...