Conference 'Whose Values: Article 2 TEU Under an Interdisciplinary Microscope' at the Faculty of Law, Maastricht University [Hybrid, Maastricht, 1-2 February 2027]

The Faculty of Law at Maastricht University, supported by Studio Europa Maastricht and the Maastricht Centre for European Law, will host a two-day interdisciplinary conference, 'Whose Values: Article 2 TEU Under an Interdisciplinary Microscope', on 1 and 2 February 2027.

Article 2 of the Treaty on European Union declares that the Union is founded on the values of respect for human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law and respect for human rights, including the rights of persons belonging to minorities. Over the past decade these values have moved from the constitutional margins to the centre of disputes over judicial independence, democratic backsliding and minority rights. In Commission v Hungary (C-769/22) the Court of Justice described Article 2 as containing values which are an integral part of the very identity of the Union as a common legal order.

The conference examines alternative and complementary ways of understanding and defining Article 2 TEU values through sustained interdisciplinary engagement, connecting scholars from law, political science, sociology, philosophy, social psychology, history, anthropology and related fields. It asks:

• Who defines Union values, through which processes, on what basis of legitimacy and on what authority?
• Can these values operate as shared constitutional commitments when their meaning is contested across political, social, cultural and disciplinary contexts?
• Can constitutional values continue to be sustained primarily through judicial articulation and institutional enforcement, or does that risk narrowing their normative reach and public acceptance?
• Do Union values require broader forms of social and political input to retain their legitimacy and authority?

• Monday 1 February 2027: registration from 10:30 AM, introduction and welcome by Rónán Riordan, Panel 1 'What do we mean by European Values?', Panel 2 'The Emergence of EU-ropean Values', Panel 3 'Contesting EU Values in a Pluralist Union', followed by drinks at 5:30 PM. The 7:30 PM dinner on 1 February is for invited guests only.
• Tuesday 2 February 2027: Panel 4 'Democracy and EU Values', Panel 5 'Recognition, Identity, and the Boundaries of EU-ropean Values', Panel 6 'EU Values in a Changing Europe', final remarks; the conference ends at 3:15 PM.

Speakers include scholars from Maastricht University, the University of Copenhagen, Hertie School, the University of Luxembourg, the University of Cambridge, the University of Tübingen, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, the University of Belgrade, the University of Mannheim and UCL Louvain, among others. The full programme is on the official event page.

The call for abstracts for speakers closed on 30 June 2026; this listing is for attendance as a participant, in person or online. The registration form allows registration as a speaker, panellist or participant. Participants can choose to attend physically in Maastricht or online. The speakers and papers for Panels 2 to 6 are listed in the programme on the official event page; Panel 1 speakers are shown as to be announced.

The official registration form carries no registration fee and has no payment step. The organisers operate a no waste policy: if you register you are expected to join, as catering costs are incurred on your behalf.

Register through the official registration form linked on this page, entering your name, affiliation and email, your role (participant) and whether you will attend physically in Maastricht or online. A confirmation email follows submission.

The organiser does not state a registration closing date. The cancellation deadline is 18 January 2027. Day 1 registration opens at 10:30 AM Maastricht time (CET), which is 3:00 PM IST.