Maastricht Consuls Prize on EU Law

Since 2023, the Corps Consulaire à Maestricht (the Consul Association of Limburg) awards an annual prize for the best master thesis in the field of EU law written at the Faculty of Law of Maastricht University. 

The Consuls Prize on EU law is awarded yearly to a student who wrote a thesis of outstanding quality. The Prize involves a certificate and the sum of € 1,000. Other outstanding master theses can be honourably mentioned. 

The award ceremony for the prize takes place in the month of December at the presence of the consuls and of students and staff members of the Faculty of Law.

Read further for more information on the prize, the jury and application. 

See previous winners

Prize conditions
  • The thesis must be submitted by a student registered at the Faculty of Law of Maastricht University within the framework of a master’s programme offered by this Faculty.

     

  • The thesis is written within the field of EU law and has a received a grade of 8,5 or higher.
  • The thesis is written in English.
  • The thesis has been written and submitted for grading during the relevant academic year.
  • The thesis must be submitted in its original and graded form.
  • Candidates are allowed to submit one thesis only.
Jury
  • The jury consists of staff members of the Faculty of Law and the Maastricht Centre for European Law (MCEL).

  • The jury may decide to award the Prize to two or more candidates. In this case, the Prize money shall be divided accordingly.

  • The jury may decide not to award the Prize if they feel that no thesis of sufficient quality was submitted.

  • The jury may decide to select other outstanding theses to be honourably mentioned.

  • The jury may decide, with the authors’ consent, to have the most outstanding theses published as a MCEL Master Working Papers or on other relevant outlets.

Application conditions
  • The deadline for submitting the application to this prize is in October of the relevant year. Candidates will be informed of the final decision of the jury in November.

  • Candidates are kindly requested to send:

    • an application letter clearly stating that the thesis is to be considered as a submission for the Prize. This letter should contain: the name, address, telephone number and e-mail address of the author; the Master’s programme followed; the title of the thesis and the grade of the thesis, as well as the name of the thesis supervisor;

    • the master thesis;

    • a recent cv.

  • The application letter, thesis and cv should be sent to: law-euthesis@maastrichtuniversity.nl. Enquiries may be addressed to the same email address.

Previous winners

a picture of the prize winners in the statenzaal

2025

Winner:

Merle Sandhop, 'Between Leadership and Legal Obligation: The EU Deforestation Regulation and the Principle of Common but Differentiated Responsibilities.'

Honoraubly mentioned:

Lena Herzog, 'Article 72 TFEU in the Context of Migration Instrumentalization: Opening the Door to Restrictions of the Right to Asylum?'

Rita Passô Ribeiro 'The Price of Convenience: Rethinking the Classification of Wage-Fixing and No-Poach Agreements as Restrictions by Object under Article 101(1) TFEU.'

mcelthesisprize2024

2024

Winner:

Francesco Mauri, 'The constitutional costs of the "catalyst of integration" – A study on the European Council, institutional balance and judicial review'

Honoraubly mentioned:

Jacob Piep, 'Restoring the Polish Constitutional Tribunal's judicial independence without breaching the legal obligations emanating from the rule of law'

mcelprize

2023

Winner:

Mariana Militao Baptista, ‘The practice of temporary loss of EU citizenship: Questioning renunciation prior to acquisition of nationality’

Honorably mentioned:

Teresa Bouza Serrano, ‘Is it possible for the High Representative to attain locus standi before the CJEU in order to defend his constitutional prerogatives in inter-institutional disputes?’

Anca M. Sattler, ‘Privacy and trade: Can the GDPR cross-border transfer requirements be reconciled with EU’s GATS commitments?’