PhD candidate panels (January 22, 2025, DCU)
Between 22 – 24 January 2025, the Dublin European Law Institute (DELI) hosted the conference ‘Rebuilding a Prosperous European Economy,’ marking the launch of the Jean Monnet Network PROSPER. The event opened with a PhD roundtable, where doctoral students from some of the 12 participating universities in PROSPER presented their research projects, setting the stage for the discussions that would unfold over the following days. The discussion was moderated by Dr. Ian Cooper, Senior Research Fellow of DCU Brexit Institute.
Mads Whitta-Jacobsen (University of Copenhagen) kicked-off the discussion with a far-reaching analysis of the conflicts between EU law and national constitutional law, such as Germany’s Ultra Vires doctrine and the PSPP case. These cases challenge EU legal harmonization, financial stability, and CJEU authority. Mads’ research focuses on preventing such clashes in preliminary ruling proceedings by identifying trends and factors that trigger or avoid non-compliance.
The second speaker, Lourdes Gallego (Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona), explored how strategic EU public finances can strengthen resilience to future crises, enhance the EU’s geopolitical role, and address common challenges. She highlighted the current complexity of the EU budget, exacerbated after recent crises by off-budget mechanisms such as Next Generation funds. She concluded her presentation by underlining the need for more sustainable, transparent, and cohesive budgetary practices to ensure long-term integrity
Third, Mikael Mäkipää (University of Luxembourg) analysed the limited development of asset management capitalism in the EU within the context of the Capital Markets Union (CMU). He highlighted low investment levels, protectionism, and banking-driven financial systems as barriers to integration and competitiveness. Against this background, his research explores how interactions between banks and asset managers shape CMU regulatory politics, with banks resisting competition and asset managers pushing for deregulation.
After a short break, Elettra Bargellini (Dublin City University) examined subsidy control under the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA), aiming to determine whether it can ensure a level playing field between the EU and UK after Brexit. With this purpose, Elettra’s research offers a comparative analysis of TCA rules, EU state aid law, and WTO subsidy law. Her project also considers the economic and political dynamics shaping the TCA’s drafting and enforcement, filling a gap in academic literature on the practical implications of the EU-UK trade deal.
Finally, Arthur Etronnier (Université Paris-Est Créteil) discussed how the EU extends restrictive measures, like sanctions against Russia, beyond its territorial borders for greater impact. He highlighted two strategies: multilateral approaches, like informal international organizations and “forced multilateralism,” to reduce circumvention. The second involves targeting natural and legal persons, with measures like non-reexport clauses and actions against foreign subsidiaries. While expanding reach, these methods may complicate enforcement and reduce effectiveness.
The presentations concluded with a dynamic Q&A session, providing the audience with an opportunity to engage with the speakers, seek clarification, and delve deeper into specific aspects of their research. This collaborative exchange reflected PROSPER’s commitment to advancing innovative research and dialogue, laying a solid foundation for the discussions to come during the conference.
Pedro Sanz Díaz is a PhD candidate at the School of Law and Government of Dublin City University.
The views expressed in this blog post are the position of the author and not necessarily those of the Jean Monnet Network PROSPER.
