Current European Research Projects

Beatriz Añoveros Terradas (IP), Cristina Gonzalez Beilfuss, Vesela Andreeva Andreeva

Project data (GREC)

Code: 003281

Summary:

The PAX project "Private International Law in Motion" was awarded by the European Commission (DG Justice and Consumers) in 2020 and ended in November 2022. Led by Dra. Marta Pertegás, Dr. Talia Kruger and Dr. Johan Meeusen, from the University of Antwerp, brings together the following universities and research centers: University of Antwerp, Dauphine University Paris, University Ljubljana, University of Sofia, Maastricht University and the Asser Institute. In Spain, the University of Barcelona is a partner. Dr. Beatriz Añoveros Terradas (IP), Dr. are part of the UB team. Cristina González Beilfuss and Dr. Vesela Andreeva The project aims to raise awareness of European Union private international law among the educational community and guarantee the training of judges. The idea was born as a continuation of the JUDGTRUST project (2018-2020), fundamentally focused on the Brussels I bis Regulation, in which the main objective was the study and the correct and consistent application of this instrument

Currently, the PAX project consists of two main activities: the PAX Moot Court and the PAX Judicial Training. At the end of the two years of the project, a renewal was requested from the European Commission with a new project, the PAX 2.0 Private International Law in Motion, which was granted until November 2024.

Dolly Natalia Caicedo Camacho (IP), Georgios Milios, Simona Sokolovska

Data from the GREC project

Code: 003261

Summary:

VISA RoC explicitly promotes equal access to justice for victims in an irregular migration situation, fostering a safe environment to report crimes without fear of deportation.

The project addresses a clear tension between EU victim protection and immigration policies (protection vs. return) that has been addressed for the first time in the EU Strategy on Victims' Rights (2020-2025) ) and which has also been identified by academics (Delvino 2019) and other institutions (FRA 2014, PICUM, 2015). The effectiveness of this project lies in the participatory, local and evidence-based approach. Coordinated by the University of Barcelona, it brings together public administrations, NGOs and research institutions based in four important cities (Barcelona, Ghent, Milan and Utrecht) to improve the situation in these municipalities, but mainly to promote learning mutual and the exchange of good practices, as well as to share awareness and training activities and facilitate cooperation between the competent authorities and private interested parties.

Aina Gallego Dobón (IP)

Data from the GREC project

Code: 003262

Summary:

TransEuroWorkS is an innovative, multidisciplinary and multi-level project that provides analysis and policy recommendations for the future European world of work and social protection. It will provide a new and more integrative understanding of how fundamental changes in the labor market and the European context can be better and more proactively managed through social protection policies, both at national and European Union level ( EU). Our work package undertakes a field experiment on the impact of digital skills training on labor market outcomes and political attitudes. Our experiment seeks to generate useful knowledge to address the challenge of improving the skilled workforce to match the specialized technical skills that businesses demand. The experiment is pre-registered and is developed in consultation with those responsible for data protection and research ethics.

Cristina González Beilfuss (PI), Beatriz Añoveros Terradas, Mónica Navarro Michel, Ottavia Cazzola Carmona

Project ID: 101137859

Web page

Summary:

The intersection between domestic laws and EU law for children moving across borders within the EU is complex and increasingly common. Judges apply European instruments to matters such as parental responsibility, maintenance or succession but these instruments do not cover whether a parental bond exists.

This is left to domestic law (Private International Law – PIL included). This situation may create obstacles to the exercise of the children and their families’ free movement rights and infringe/undermine human rights.

It was recently acknowledged that an action to support the recognition of parenthood between Member States was necessary: in fact, the European Commission recently presented the Parenthood Proposal COM(2022)695. However, until the new regulation is adopted, the effective and coherent application of the EU acquis depends on the operation of domestic law including PIL.

Therefore, this project aims to identify the good and/or bad practices that exist in situations concerning cross-border filiation, through the study of legislation, case law and legal literature of six Member States; as well as to support the possible transition to a new European regime on cross-border filiation and prepare legal agents for the changes that such regulation will bring.

It is an innovative project, which goes beyond the interpretation of EU instruments on parental responsibility and European rights and freedoms such as free movement. Its research will focus on highlighting the obstacles that may arise when acquiring parenthood rights, as well as identifying the possible impact that a new European regulation on Parenthood matters may have.

The UniPAR Consortium includes researchers from Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Italy, Poland and Spain, who bring their expertise in parenthood matters, domestic and EU Private international law, EU law and Human Rights. This research project is co-funded by the European Union and is affiliated to the TransJus Institute, a research institute of the University of Barcelona, based in its Law School, which, in the face of current challenges, seeks to promote interdisciplinary research, through contact and scientific interaction between different areas of knowledge in the fields of Law and Political Science, as well as with other disciplines. It is also committed to making this cross-disciplinary exchange possible not only at a national level but also at an international and European level.

Target group: Judges, Lawyers, Notaries, Civil Servants, Law and Policy Makers, Academics, Civil Society.

Jordi Nieva Fenoll (IP)

A memo for a project proposal for action grants to promote judicial cooperation in civil and criminal matters call (JUST-2023-JCOO)

Call: JUST-2023-JCOO

Duration: 01 April 2024 – 31 March 2026

Partners:

1. Vrije Universiteit Brussel – VUB [BE] Coordinator
2. University of Naples Federico II – UNINA [IT]
3. Univerza v Ljubljani [SI]
4. Associazione Italiana Difesa Consumatori Ed Ambiente [IT]
5. Sveuciliste U Zagrebu - Pravni Fakultet [HR]
6. Vilniaus Universitetas [LT]
7. Universitat de Barcelona [ES]
8. Taltech University [EE]
9. Federation of European Bars Associations – [FR]
10. The European Bailiffs’ Foundation – [BE]

Keywords: Cross-border Monetary Claims; National Enforcement Rules; Simplification; EEO; EOP; Brussels Ibis

Total budget: ca. 800,000 Euro

Summary of the proposal: DEUCE (Digitising EU Uncontested Claim Enforcement)

The DEUCE Project aims at better enforcement of judicial decisions (judgments, authentic instruments, and court settlements) issued in the context of cross-border pecuniary claims. It particularly focuses on the creation of a Roadmap of the 26 EU Member States’ (MSs) enforcement rules and the simplification and digitalisation of the enforcement procedures. As regards the first objective, the existing lack of harmonization of enforcement rules of MSs signifies a major weakness of the cross-enforcement of the EEO and EOP judgments, making it difficult for creditors (as the end-users) and lawyers and bailiffs (as the operators) to be aware of the existence and practical functioning of different EU enforcement rules. With respect to simplifying and digitalising the EEO and EOP enforcement procedures – based on a needs assessment approach and the importance of establishing a fully tech-driven mechanism for promoting citizens’ access to justice – the DEUCE Project develops an IT platform and a Blockchain System to fill the existing gap in the EEO and EOP enforcement across the Union. Embracing a combination of theoretical and practical driven approaches, a Consortium of experts in international civil procedural law/private law and information technology will work in close joint collaboration to:

1. Pursue clarity in analysing the existing enforcement rules by creating a Roadmap for these rules;
2. Establish an IT platform providing effective guidance on the EU enforcement rules concerning the EEO and EOP judgments; and
3. Develop a Blockchain System for promoting enforcement procedures.

The DEUCE Project Consortium will significantly contribute to validating the final project outcomes in a comprehensive Roadmap of all 26 MSs, and a Comparative and Analytical Study of Best Practices on the enforcement rules of EEO and EOP judgments. The project will involve over 100 lawyers, 100 bailiffs, 100 notaries, 26 consumer associations, 5 policymakers, and 300 EU consumers.

Andrea Romano (IP)

Web page

Summary:

The Erasmus+ project “EnHancing manaGement and studies on migRation issues in LibyA (HGRA)” is a capacity-building initiative aimed at improving the study and management of migration issues in Libya. The project seeks to enhance the capabilities of Libyan institutions to address migration challenges, both as a destination country and as a country of origin, by strengthening the Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) system.

The University of Barcelona is one of the partners of this initiative, alongside UNIMED (the project coordinator), Sapienza University, and six Libyan universities: Zawia, Sebha, Tobruk, Gulf of Sidra, Tripoli, and Sabratha. The project focuses on equipping Libyan universities with the tools needed to develop academic teaching modules in migration studies. These modules aim to train professionals for the migration sector, ensuring that higher education plays a pivotal role in tackling these complex challenges.

Furthermore, the project seeks to increase awareness within the academic community of the medium- and long-term effects of the migration crisis. By fostering collaboration and innovation, the initiative empowers higher education institutions to design educational programs that address Libya’s specific needs in this field.

As part of these efforts, the HGRA project has established the Libyan Migration Research Network, an initiative led by the University of Barcelona. This informal network connects Libyan higher education institutions and promotes the study and understanding of human mobility, with a particular emphasis on migration and refugee movements.

For more information and updates about the project initiatives, please refer to the official project website: https://hgraproject.eu/