Riga Graduate School of Law (RGSL) on 20–21 June 2019 was hosting the final Erasmus+ Jean Monnet Conference titled “Fundamental Rights at the Frontiers of the European Union – Looking for a New Balance” . This was the last event in the series of four conferences, devoted to Fundamental Rights at the Frontiers of the European Union.
The purpose of the conference was to identify common challenges and draw conclusions about the impact of digital technologies and regulatory reforms on the protection of fundamental rights both at the EU and national level, especially in the spheres of constitutional law, consumer protection, competition law and data protection. How the roles have changed and what is the responsibility of the state? How to ensure the effective protection of Fundamental Rights in a situation of an imbalance of power between an individual and powerful private actors? How to strike a delicate balance between common market objectives and Fundamental Rights, between “unity” and “diversity”, and between the EU law and national law? Maybe a starting point should be a recognition of interdependence of different legal orders, not a discussion about their competition and supremacy? What role does a dialogue between the Court of Justice of the European Union and national courts play in this regard?
The Conference brought together the representatives of the Court of Justice of the European Union, lawyers and public sector representatives as well as leading academics from all over the EU – Denmark (University of Copenhagen), Estonia (University of Tartu and Tallinn University of Technology), Germany (the University of Kassel), Italy (Luiss Guido Carli University of Rome), Netherlands (Europa Institute of Leiden University and University of Groningen), and Spain (University of Castilla-La Mancha).
CONFERENCE PROGRAMME (with links to video)
20 June
Welcoming remarks by conference moderator Inese Freimane-Deksne, Lawyer, LL.M in International and European Law, Riga Graduate School of Law
Opening statement by Dr.sc.pol. Jānis Ikstens, Acting Rector of Riga Graduate School of Law
CONSTITUTIONAL LAW AND FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS
Dr. Armin Cuyvers (Associate Professor of European Law and Jurisprudence, Europa Institute of Leiden University, the Netherlands) “An absolute sovereign right under EU law? Wightman and the possible implications of the sovereign right to withdraw”
Dr. Nicola Lupo (Professor of Public Law at the Department of Political Science, Luiss Guido Carli University of Rome, Italy). “The legality principle in the dialogue between European and Italian Courts”
Dr. Carri Ginter (Associate Professor of European Law, Tartu University; Partner at Sorainen, Estonia). “Differences in justifying restrictions on fundamental rights based on the example of reverse discrimination”
CONSUMER PROTECTION AND FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS
Baiba Vītoliņa (Director of Consumer Rights’ Protection Centre of Latvia). “Consumer rights in the digital era: new challenges and developments"
Dr. Peter Rott (Professor of Civil Law, European Private Law and Consumer Law, the University of Kassel, Germany). “Powerful private actors in the digital economy: between private law freedoms and constitutional law principles”
Dr. Olha Cherednychenko (Professor of European Private Law and Comparative Law/ Director Groningen Centre for European Financial Services Law, University of Groningen, the Netherlands). “EU Fundamental rights, private law, and consumer protection in the digital era”
21 June
EUROPEAN COURT’S CASE LAW AND FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS
Opening statement by Eleanor Sharpston (LL.D, Advocate General at the Court of Justice of the European Union, Luxembourg). “Not reinventing the wheel – except where you believe it’s necessary: borrowings from the EFTA Court in the case law of the Court of Justice of the European Union”
Inga Reine (Judge at the General Court of the European Union, Luxembourg). European court's case law and fundamental rights
Peter Gjortler (Legal Advisor at the Court of Justice of the European Union, Luxembourg). “Fundamental rights and jurisdiction under the EU Common Foreign and Security Policy”
COMPETITION, BIG DATA AND FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS
Jānis Račko (Member of the Competition Council of Latvia). “Competition issues and challenges in digital markets”
Dr. Christian Bergquist (Associate Professor of Competition law, University of Copenhagen, Denmark). “Google and the search for a theory of harm - Is it a fundamental right to understand what you are held accountable for under antitrust?”
Dr. Juan Luis Manfredi Sanchez (Senior Lecturer of International Communication and Media Policy, University of Castilla-La Mancha, Spain). “Artificial Intelligence and journalism: challenging trust and truth”
Dr. Thomas Hoffmann (Associate Professor, Tallinn University of Technology). “Impact of the digital era on private autonomy”