SEELS facilitates intensified academic legal research in the region by connecting leading academics in the fields of common interest and organizes joint conferences, research programs  and forums. Thereby, the academics of the region are linked with their counterparts from the leading European or other international law schools and research institutes.

COMPLETED PROJECTS: 

„Development of Collective Redress for Consumers in South East Europe” 01/2017 – 06/2018

Strengthening the regional cooperation in the field of collective redress for consumers in South East Europe was the central focus of the recently finished project funded by the German Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development and implemented by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), Open Regional Fund for South East Europe-Legal reform.

This was achieved by carrying out a comparative legal analysis on “Collective redress mechanisms in light of the European Commission Recommendation (2013/396/EU) on common principles for injunctive and compensatory collective redress mechanisms. The study involved comprehensive cross-national comparisons, emphasizing issues of commonality and difference with the aim to detect the existing deficits and different obstacles for an adequate enforcement of collective redress according to the consumer protection laws in SEE countries. Most importantly, it concluded with developing suggestions for the improvement of the situation.

The study presented the legislative and institutional framework and legal practice on collective redress with an emphasis on damages claims in selected EU member states (Belgium, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden and England / Wales) and SEE countries. The Study’s recommendations and conclusions provide the responsible institutions and organisations with solid basis for exchange, which entails the development of a Regional Action Plan to strengthen capacities for implementing collective redress and handling collective claims. The suggestions also include the preparation and delivery of training modules and the implementation of a regional awareness campaign on collective redress to improve services of the Consumer protection organisations. The findings of the project were presented at the 20th International Conference on Consumer Protection Law and Regulations in London in May 2018.

The final study is freely available in our download section.

“Legal Protection against Discrimination in South East Europe”, 10/2015 - 08/2016

Officially launched on the 21st of October 2015 in Skopje, the project aims to create a comprehensive regional analysis of antidiscrimination in various fields of legal activity in South Eastern Europe. After uncovering deficiencies and successful examples of legal protection mechanisms, appropriate training modules and relevant target groups will be conceptualized. These solutions will be shared among different government agencies, universities and training centers in the region enabling them to promote the protection against discrimination as a core competency of legal practitioners. The project is funded by the German Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development and is implemented by GIZ’s Open Regional Fund – Legal Reform. Main project partners are SEELS, the Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Human Rights (Vienna) and State authorities dealing with anti-discrimination in South Eastern Europe.

Regional Conference "Public Notaries’ and Enforcement Agents’ Education Models in South Eastern Europe", Belgrade - Serbia 10/2015

The conference provided a platform for the exchange of information and open discussion on promising models of education within the higher education institutions of South Eastern Europe and the continuous education programs of the respective institutions. As such it aimed to strengthen cross-border cooperation and to create synergy effects within the region in regard to the Public notary and Enforcement systems. Participants were representatives Law Faculties, Notary Chambers, Enforcement Agents’ Chambers and Judicial Training Institutions from all over the region. Insights into EU practices in the continuous education of notaries and enforcement agents were presented by Mr. Jos Uitdehaag, First Secretary of the International Union for Judicial Officers. The conference was supported by the EU funded Rule of Law and Enforcement project as well as Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), Legal and Judicial Reform Program in Serbia.

The proceedings of the conference can be found here.

Regional Research Project on EU Administrative Law in SEE Countries, 01 – 09/2014

The project aimed to explore the core issues of the EU Administrative law from the academic standpoint, offering the possibility to gain information about the extent to which the standards of the European Administrative Space are implemented at the national level of respective countries. Nine professors and one young researcher form the SEELS network carried out the regional comparative research and the final findings, conclusions and recommendations were discussed on the regional conference that was held at the Faculty of Law in Zagreb in September 2014.  Representatives from Ministries and authorities on public administration, as well as national administrative courts representatives took active part to the conference which was a significant step towards joining the efforts of government sector, judiciary and academic to exchange experiences in their effort to better lead the processes of approximation and implementation administrative legislation. As a final result of this project a publication with all key analyses, observations and findings was published under the title “EU Administrative Law and its Impact on the Process of Public Administration Reform and Integration into the European Administrative Space of SEE Countries”. 

11th International Conference on Private International Law ‘’New Trends in EU and SEE Private International Law“, Osijek – Croatia, 09/2014

The 11th International Conference on Private International Law ‘’New Trends in EU and SEE Private International Law’’ was an annual gathering of private international law scholars. The aim of the conference was to provide forum where the participants exchange their ideas and experience in order to promote the reform and further development of private international law of SEE countries and to discuss the problems arising in the process of harmonisation of national private international laws with private international law of European Union. This year the conference was held at the Faculty of Law in Osijek, in September 2014. 

Regional Research Project on EU Law Application by the National Courts in South Eastern Europe, 01 – 09/2014

This joint research project offered a theoretical model for studying the SEE courts’ capacity to apply EU law in the pre-accession period (largely applicable for the post-EU accession period as well), and an initial study of the existent SEE courts’ practice on country-specific and comparative regional basis. It involved the participation of fifteen professors and researchers from SEELS members who carried out the regional research, each in their respective country. The comparative analyses and the empirical findings were compiled and published in a publication entitled “European Union Law Application by the National Courts of the EU-Membership Aspirant Countries from South-East Europe”.

SEELS Forum “Regional Networking and Academic Cooperation in SEE: Promoting European Values in Higher Legal Education”, Brussels – Belgium, 11/2013

The Conference aimed to increase the level of understanding of the EU higher education funding mechanisms, to provide exchange of information among the SEELS members and institutions of the higher education/research in EU and to promote the Network. It was attended by representatives from all SEELS Network members at the time and representatives from Ministries, Embassies, relevant public institutions and organizations in the SEE countries, as well as with the representatives from EU organizations and Institutions. The Conference was organized in November 2013 in Brussels, Belgium. 

SEELS Network’s Staff Mobility Project, 09/2013 – 12/2013

The project provided for an opportunity of exchange of lecturers among the SEELS members so as to increase the mobility, to strengthen the cooperation and to provide of different approaches towards teaching in different topics and legal fields. The project was implemented in the period September – December 2013. In total six lecturers from Tirana, Sarajevo, Zenica, Zagreb, Rijeka and Skopje benefited from the initiative. 

SEELS Post-Doctoral Colloquium in Public Law, Tirana - Albania, 09/2014

The Post-Doctoral Colloquium in Public Law followed the established practice to provide a forum for exchange of knowledge and ideas among young researchers (recent doctors) from the SEELS member faculties. Its goal was to gather the most distinguished young researchers from the region to discuss on specific institutes of Public Law, including International Law, Human Rights, Constitutional Law, Administrative Law and Criminal Law. On the colloquium 12 young academics and researchers have presented their key findings from their respective doctoral dissertations and reflected their current research from the respective areas of their dissertations. The colloquium also created a network of young specialists which will serve as a base for further development and dissemination of the latest research activities in the area of Public Law in the region and wider. 

Promotion of Scientific Research and Education on European Integration and Policy, Rijeka - Croatia, 04/2013

The major goal of this project was to extend the regional scientific research in SEE countries on the EU integration and policy issues, as well as to carry out joint researches in the respective areas and to increase the international cooperation with academic institutions, research centres and networks for research and education in EU Law, EU integration and policies. Thus, the project dealt more specifically with the issue of integration of the SEE countries into the European Union as a major political and economic goal designed to assure stability and development in the region. The findings were presented on the Regional Conference that took place at the Faculty of Law in Rijeka in May 2013. As the final result of the project the researchers have produced and published papers that can be downloaded here. 

Third Civil Law Forum for South East Europe, Tirana - Albania, 03/2013 

The Civil Law Forum for South Eastern Europe was constituted in April 2009 gathering outstanding scientists and experts in the fields of Civil Law and Commercial Law. It has, since its establishment, accompanied the reform processes in the countries of SE Europe towards their EU integration conducting the comparative analyses on various topics and areas of Civil Law. Since January 2012, the Civil Law Forum is functioning under the framework of SEELS within which and as a result of continuous research it produces and publishes series of papers. The third Civil Law Forum was held in Tirana in March 2013, where the latest findings on the relevant issues from the Civil Law areas were presented. The Regional Conference provided a forum for discussion and exchange of opinions among the researchers in the field of Law on various topics of relevance to the contemporary developments of the Civil Law. Finally, as it was already established by practice, the findings were published in a separate publication that can be downloaded here.

Project Development and Management Training  “EU Framework Programme 7 for Research and Innovation”, Belgrade - Serbia, 11/2012 

The training aimed to provide advanced knowledge of the process of project development for applications for EU funds in particular for research projects financed under the FP7 programme. It was targeting the staff of the SEELS members responsible for development and management of projects. This was seen as a crucial component of the development of the Network as a whole, in terms of generating valuable and innovative research or educational projects in future. The trainees were selected from each member of SEELS network and took part to the training that was held in Belgrade in November 2012. As a follow-up activity, literature and IT equipment was provided by GIZ to the Network and the Centre for SEELS to support the development of the capacities for fundraising at the members. 

Conference “Legal Perspective of Gender Equality in South Eastern Europe”, Sarajevo – Bosnia and Herzegovina, 09/2012

As mainstreaming the gender equality is widely recognized indicator of the overall development of a country including within the human rights protection, achieved rule of law as well as socio-economic development, it was recognised as one of the valuable topics for analyses within the SEELS network. The first phase of the project included extensive research on gender equality in SEE countries, including the analyses of the national legal framework of the countries and its compliance with EU gender Equality Law, national policy and institutional framework on gender equality, as well as gender equality in legal professions and legal education. The research was followed by a conference that was held in Sarajevo in September 2012, where the findings of the research and the analyses were presented and discussed. 

SEELS Post-Doctoral Colloquium in Private Law, Zagreb - Croatia, 09/2012

The Post-Doctoral Colloquium in Private Law aimed to contribute towards the exchange of knowledge and ideas among the young researchers of the participating Law Faculties from South Eastern Europe. Within the project a meeting of the designated representatives of the Faculties from the SEELS members was organised in order to set up the format of the colloquium and the participants’ selection procedure. The selected young researchers (recent doctors) presented their researches and discussed about the new developments in the field of Private Law on the colloquium held in Zagreb, in September 2012. At the event, the 17 selected speakers gave their presentations in front of a wide audience. Upon their presentations discussion with other representatives and the audience took part, which proven to be very successful method for initiating and obtaining motivated inspiring discussions. The results of the colloquium were presented in a publication that can be downloaded here