Mariolina Eliantonio, Associate Professor in European Administrative Law, has been awarded a Jean Monnet Network grant (for the total value of 300,000 Euro) together with five other leading academics in the field of European law to set up a research network on the use of EU soft law by national administrations and courts. The objectives of the Soft Law Research Network (‘SoLaR’) are threefold. First, it brings together scholars researching soft law in order to determine whether and how soft law is used by national administrations when implementing EU policies and by national courts when ruling in cases falling within the scope of application of EU law. Second, SoLaR aims at stimulating a debate between academics and practitioners regarding the national role of soft law. Third, SoLaR formulates policy guidance intended to support national actors.

An empirical, comparative law analysis, consisting of documentary case law research and interviews with judges and civil servants, will be carried out with respect to a representative selection of legal systems (Finland, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Slovenia and the UK) and of policy areas (environmental law, social policy, competition and State aid law, and financial regulation).

The academic outputs of SoLaR will be a series of articles to be published in a peer-reviewed Working Paper Series to be set up in an open-access website administered by the Network, and a book edited by the Academic Coordinators, summarising and systematising the results of SoLaR, next to the creation of a website, a blog, and a database of national courts’ rulings.

SoLar is a cooperation of Helsinki University, Maastricht University, Leipzig University, King’s College London, Aix-Marseille University and the Graduate School of Governance and European Studies of Kranj.