26/02/2026 - Seminar : Direct Effect in EU Law - Current Debates around a Transformative Doctrine

The seminar, which builds upon Prof. Gallo’s book Direct Effect in EU Law (EU Law Library Series, OUP, 2025), will offer a fresh perspective on the doctrine of direct effect in EU law. It will argue that this transformative doctrine has evolved into a broader legal category than it was in the 1960s, and that this evolution has not been adequately captured by the Court of Justice.

In his talk, Prof. Gallo will identify the contemporary core elements of direct effect, contending that it is not merely a legal doctrine but also a political construct, one that requires a clearer legal framing of its essential components and practical consequences. The seminar will address, inter alia, the test of clarity, precision and unconditionality; the remedy of disapplication; directives’ horizontality; justiciability of fundamental rights; and the invocability of international agreements before national and EU courts.

Prof. Chloé Brière, Professor of European Law at ULB, and Fien Van Reempts, PhD researcher at the University of Antwerp, will act as discussant.

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