The Lisbon Treaty 15 years on - Achievements and Challenges

The Jean Monnet Project "Constitutional Prerequisites for the Future of the European Union" at the University of Erfurt (Dr. Robert Böttner) and the Department for EU Law at the Pázmány Peter Catholic University in Budapest (Prof. Dr. Petra Láncos) are organizing a conference on the state of play of the European Union 15 years after the Lisbon reform came into force, contemplating achievements and the need for possible future treaty amendments. The conference will take place on March 19-20, 2024 at Pázmány Péter Catholic University, Faculty of Law and Political Sciences.

The Treaty of Lisbon, the latest major reform of European primary law, entered into force in December 2009. Adopting the substance of the failed Constitutional Treaty, the Lisbon reform has introduced a number of innovations aimed at streamlining the work of the Union, while making it more democratic. The amendments sought to take account of the big bang Eastern enlargement, i.e. the increased number of players within the multilevel system. With several accession negotiations still on-going, a new adaptation of the Union's founding treaties seems inevitable.

Over the past fifteen years, the Union faced several internal and external challenges that tested its resilience, but also revealed shortcomings, be it the asynchronicity evident in economic and monetary integration, the shortcomings in the Common European Asylum System or the challenges in protecting its values internally. The Union and the Member States tackled these issues primarily by implementing reforms and new instruments on the level of secondary law or by concluding additional international agreements.

The recent Conference on the Future of Europe as a joint initiative of the European Parliament, the Council of the EU and the European Commission for a citizens-led forum presented a final report including multiple proposals for a reform of the institutional and policy aspects of the Union. The European Parliament has used this as a starting point to initiate a treaty amendment procedure with a long list of suggestions (2022/2051(INL)).

Against this background, the conference will analyse the Lisbon reform and at the same time contemplate areas and solutions for constitutional reform. The conference will cover – but is not limited to – the following fields:

• Constitutional basis, institutional framework and democracy
• Economic and monetary union
• External action – Europe in the world
• Enlargement, membership and accession
• Green and digital transformation

The conveners invite scholars and practitioners to present their ideas and research on legal aspects of the abovementioned areas, but also welcome interdisciplinary approaches and analyses. Early-career researchers are particularly encouraged to answer to this call.

Click HERE for the programme!