News Archive

EU flag ERC logo

Published: September 23, 2022

On September 1-2, 2022, Adriani Dori participated in the inaugural International Empirical Legal Studies (ELS) Conference organised by the ELS Academy and hosted by the Faculty of Law of the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. The conference brought together over 150 empirical legal scholars from around the world, who were engaged, discussed, and presented their research results in the field of empirical legal research.

Adriani’s presentation, titled “Reforming Justice through the European Semester Process: An Empirical Analysis”, focused on the European Commission’s role in incentivising justice reforms within the framework of EU economic governance through the issuance of country-specific recommendations (CSRs). Using a comprehensive coding scheme developed in her research, Adriani presented empirical and statistical findings regarding variables such as the legal basis, content, recipients, and effectiveness of CSRs issued in the policy area of justice. Her insights shed light on the Commission’s policymaking strategy and Member States’ responsiveness to justice reform recommendations.

Preceding the official opening of the conference, the European Society for Empirical Legal Studies (ESELS) was founded, aiming to foster exchange among legal scholars engaged in empirical research across Europe.