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Following the successful 7th edition of the Young European Law Scholars (YELS) Conference held at the ľ¹Ï¸£ÀûÓ°ÊÓ of Ljubljana, the 8th annual YELS Conference will be held on 3-4 July 2025 at Utrecht ľ¹Ï¸£ÀûÓ°ÊÓ. 

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. Speakers will share their ideas and insights in presentations discussing topics ranging from the European Civil Service and citizen’s assemblies, to foreign misinformation and the freedom of expression, to judicial power and a supranational party system and many more.

Programme YELS conference 2025

Organization

Participation in the conference is free of charge. To attend, please fill in the registration form below. In case of an overwhelming number of attendees, we will have to make use of a waitlist.

The YELS conference is held in the Alex Brenninkmeijer Room (1.27) at the Johanna Hudig building, located in the city centre of Urecht. This location is easily accessible by public transport, see more information here.

If you have questions about the event, please contact Margje Camps (m.a.l.m.camps@uu.nl).

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).

Support

The YELS 2025 conference is made possible with support from: Montaigne Centre for Rule of Law and Administration of Justice, Utrecht Centre for Regulation and Enforcement in Europe and the platform Futures of Democracy.