UM Faculty of Law & GEDIP Workshop - The "Brussels Effect": A Brussels I Regulation for the World?

In the margins of the yearly meeting of the European Group of Private International Law (GEDIP), to be held in Maastricht for the first time in September 2026, Maastricht University Faculty of Law wishes to organise a half-day hybrid raising awareness and discussion event. The purpose is to bring together scholars and practitioners in order to examine the areas for improvement in the operation of the Brussels I Regulation, the EU cornerstone in cross-border litigation in civil and commercial matters.

Maximising the effects of the presence of leading scholars from across Europe, who will travel to Maastricht on the occasion of the yearly GEDIP meeting, this event mixes academics with practitioners from the Netherlands and Belgium. It is meant to generate valuable input for the open call that the European Commission has launched on the recast of the Brussels I Regulation, in particular on the possible extension of the rules of international jurisdiction of the Brussels I Regulation to  all non-EU defendants.

The event aims to bring together scholars and practitioners with academic and/or practical expertise on international civil procedure law. The event will provide participants with an opportunity to exchange information and ideas, while also offering input to the European legislature on the possible reform of the Brussels I Regulation. In addition, the event will foster the development of professional networks and support cross-border collaboration.