Latest blog articles

  • Why banning Russian tourists from Schengen might not be unlawful

    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...

    law_blog_merijn_chamon_verfassungsblog
  • Whittling down the collective interest

    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...

    law_blog_merijn_chamon
  • Who owns the geographical indication Pisco, Peru or Chile?

    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...

    Chile or Peru - blog Pisco ownership
  • She said no: Italy and Europe after the constitutional referendum

    In the 4th December referendum, Italy rejected the constitutional reforms promoted by the Renzi’s government. As a consequence of the “No” vote, the Prime Minister decided to resign. While the vote was influenced primarily by internal factors, the result may open a period of uncertainty for both...

    Matteo Renzi
  • Black Piets, Burqa Bans, and Radical Populism in a Kakistocracy

    Published on LBM. Here is a fun word that you may have come across recently: Kakistocracy. Based on the Greek word kakistos (meaning “the worst”), kakistocracy is a system of governance run by the least qualified, most “deplorable” citizens that the State has to offer. 

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  • Juncker's State of the Union 2016

    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. 

    Europese commissie