Call for papers: Democracy in times of transition in the European Union

8th Young European Law Scholars Conference

Following the successful 7th edition of the Young European Law Scholars (YELS) Conference held at the University of Ljubljana, the 8th annual YELS Conference will be held on 3-4 July 2025 at Utrecht University. 

We invite young scholars (i.e., scholars who have not yet secured a full professorship such as PhD candidates and post-docs) to come together and discuss ‘Democracy in times of transition in the European Union’. This conference aims to explore democracy in theory and practice in the EU context.

Conference Theme

The European Union (EU) is currently facing many multifaceted challenges with among others rising extremism and misinformation, increasing digitalisation, wars at the doorstep of the EU, trade conflicts and climate change effects. In this context, transitions are often needed to address these challenges, for example, making societies more sustainable and increasing the safety on online markets.

At the same time as we strive to address these challenges, the EU aims to maintain its core values, such as democracy. As a cornerstone of the EU, democracy is enshrined in its treaties and reflected in its institutions and policies. However, the practical realization of democratic values within the EU continues to present numerous challenges and opportunities.

This conference seeks to delve into the multifaceted nature of democracy as a founding value of the EU in times of transition, examining its theoretical underpinnings, practical applications, and the challenges it faces.

Submissions on any aspect of this theme are welcome, theoretical and empirical perspectives. We encourage submissions of abstracts which engage with law and regulation from various disciplines such as law, political science, governance studies, European studies, and interdisciplinary studies. We also encourage submissions focusing on sectoral fields of law and regulation such as democratic participation and control in EU decision-making processes and legal reforms (e.g., EU environmental law, the Common Agricultural Policy, EU consumer law, EU economic and fiscal reforms, EU competition law, EU trade law, human rights, etc.). 

We encourage participants to engage with the following questions as they prepare their submissions and contributions to the conference:


  • What transitions is the EU facing and how can they be addressed? 
  • What type(s) of ‘democracy’ should we ensure in a time of transitions? 
  • What kind of democratic control should exist? 
  • Should democracy be repoliticised or depoliticised? And how?
  • How democratic are EU decision-making processes?
  • Could or should democracy be ensured through regulation? Or another means?
  • How to ensure democratic participation in a time of transitions? 
  • How to govern in times of transition (e.g. environmental, digital, geopolitical)?   What could be the role of EU institutions and Member States in this process? 
  • What is the democratic legitimacy of platform governance?
  • Which other actors could participate in EU governance? 
  • What is the role of interest groups (e.g. trade unions, businesses, non-governmental organisations) and other actors to ensure democratic control? 
  • What are the main challenges to democratic governance in the EU? 
  • What are the implications of the EU's alleged democratic deficit for its legitimacy and future?

We look forward to thought-provoking discussions and insights on these and other relevant issues during the conference.

Guidelines for Submission

The conveners of the 8th YELS conference invite young scholars of European law to submit an abstract by 14th February 2025 to YELS2025@uu.nl.

Contributions should include:

  • a title and abstract (max 500 words) including at least the problem definition and envisaged method;
  • the author’s name and affiliation;
  • whether you would like to be considered for publication following the conference.

Contributions should be submitted and presented in English. Submitters may suggest panel presentations alongside their submission.

Scholars whose abstracts are selected for the conference will be required to submit a full paper (8,000-10,000 words, including footnotes) by 30th May 2025.

These papers will be sent to expert commentators before the conference. The organizers will strive to publish a selection of the presented papers in a special issue of an international journal or an edited volume.

Organization

The organizers will aim to partially cover travel and accommodation costs for the speakers, but no guarantees can be made at this point. Further information will be offered at a later date.

Participation in the conference is free of charge. General registration will open in spring 2025. If you have questions about the event, please contact Margje Camps (m.a.l.m.camps@uu.nl).

Following the conference, we will explore opportunities to publish the conference papers, either as part of a special issue in a peer-reviewed academic journal, or as a self-standing edited volume.

Conference Conveners

The conference conveners are Margje Camps (m.a.l.m.camps@uu.nl), Clara Colonna (c.v.colonna@uu.nl) and Thomas Verellen (t.e.verellen@uu.nl).

Call for papers (pdf)