National Parliaments, Local Government and Civil Society within the EU Decision-making Processes. The Control on the Compliance with the Principle of Subsidiarity

Taught by world-renowned academics and experts, this summer school applies research-based knowledge to those practical contexts facing today’s parliamentary and subnational institutions as well as the civil society in Europe.

The course is divided into seven sessions addressing the following subject areas:

- The provisions regarding the democratic principles in the European Treaties. The decision-making process.
- The principle of subsidiarity and the constitutional identities of Member States.
- Regions and local authorities in the EU decision-making processes.
- National Parliaments in the EU decision-making processes.
- Civil society within the “governance” of the European Union: NGOs, interest groups, lobbies, political parties and religious confessions.
- The early warning mechanism and “political dialogue” with national and regional Parliaments.
- The European Court of Justice (ECJ) and the alleged infringement of the principle of subsidiarity.

The course will start with an open lecture on ”“The crisis of the euro and the transformation of the EU” by Prof. Sergio Fabbrini, Director of the LUISS School of Government.
Every subject area will be mapped by the lecture of a member of the faculty which is going to be followed by a thematic workshop where participants will be able to discuss their research and professional experiences. The course will also include an atelier where a comparative law scholar is going to discuss with the participants the impact of the democratic principles of the European Union on selected national legal systems.
Participants will also have a first-hand experience during a visit to the Italian Chamber of Deputies and Senate where they will meet staff members of the Committees for European Union Policies. Finally, following the tradition of Nova Universitas, the best papers prepared by the participants will be published by LUISS School of Government as part of its Working Paper series.

Course leader

-Marta Cartabia (Judge at theItalian Constitutional Court ) - Nicola Lupo (Full Professor of Parliamentary Law, Luiss Guido Carli) -Andrea Simoncini (Full Professor of Const. Law, University of Florence

Target group

- Graduates, doctoral students and junior researchers who are active in the field of parliamentary and European Union studies and want to test their current knowledge and experience with a world-class faculty and senior professionals.
- Civil servants from national Parliaments in Europe, as well as from regional and local authorities, who want to advance and share their hands-on experience with other colleagues and scholars.

- Lobbyists and public affairs professionals who want to acquire advanced knowledge on the way to have access to the EU decision-making process (for instance, considering also the “gateway” of the Regions and the national Parliaments) and, therefore, be better prepared to the new challenges.

Course aim

The faculty will create a teaching and seminar environment that is likely to foster experiential learning and to allow participants to debate new concepts, ideas and challenges while working together through seminars, group work and case studies.