26 June 2014

Symposium: 50 Years Costa/ENEL - Settling the Supremacy of European Law?

On June 26 a symposium on "50 Years Costa/ENEL - Settling the Supremacy of European Law? Interdisciplinary perspectives on 50 years Costa/ENEL" will take place at the University of Amsterdam.

Ever since the Costa/ENEL judgment, legal and political science have studied this case, wondering how a set of international treaties, the Treaties of Rome (1957)could lead to what has been claimed to be the establishment of a ‘constitutional practice’.  After 50 years, it is time to summarize what has been found so far and add a new perspective to the debate: that of historical research. To what extent did national governments and legal elites of the member states accept the development of a ‘constitutional practice’? And what exactly was and is that practice? In a concluding session, these national perspectives are integrated in a more general discussion of the ‘nachleben’ of the case, both in the development of a ‘constitutional practice’ and in future concerns. 

Speakers and discussants:

  • Alexandre Bernier (University of Copenhagen)
  • Leonard Besselink (University of Amsterdam, ACELG) - convenor
  • Anne Boerger (University of Edmonton, Alberta) 
  • Rebekka Byberg (University of Copenhagen)
  • Monica Claes (University of Maastricht) 
  • Bill Davies (American University, Washington)
  • Karin van Leeuwen (University of Amsterdam) - convenor
  • Sigfrido Ramirez (University of Copenhagen)
  • Morten Rasmussen (University of Copenhagen) - convenor
  • Jan Herman Reestman (University of Amsterdam)
  • Daniel Sarmiento Ramirez Escudero (Court of Justice, Legal Secretary, cabinet Advocate General Cruz Villalon)

The conference is co-organised by the research group and ACCESS EUROPE, with the support of the University of Amsterdam, Department of Constitutional and Administrative Law. It is hosted by Amsterdam Center for European Law and Governance (ACELG) and the Faculty of Humanities’ Institute for Culture and History, both at the University of Amsterdam.