About ACELG
The establishment of the Amsterdam Centre for European Law and Governance (ACELG) in 2009 emphasizes the distinctive and dynamic manner in which European law is researched at the University of Amsterdam, namely in the context of the surrounding legal and political systems as well as wider structures of (global) governance. ACELG focuses on mapping and understanding the constitutional (political, administrative, and economic) evolution that has taken place under the auspices of the European Union. This includes placing this evolution in the context of the proximate constitutional orders of the EU Member States as well as that of public international law. The focus is on the basic institutions, principles and legal rules that define the constitutional framework of the European economic and political order as well as their relationship with one another. This entails consideration not only of legal developments but also of processes and practices that are not (yet) reflected in law but that contribute to the aggregation of the constitutional structures of the European legal and political orders. ACELG takes both an empirical and a normative perspective on the process of constitutionalization.
Organization and vitality
ACELG's Research Programme Compound Constitution(s) in Europe is carried out by a research group of some 20 persons with internationally recognized scholars in the field of European law and European governance. The program leaders, Deirdre Curtin and Kati Cseres are leading scholars, respectively in the fields of institutional law and governance of the EU and in European economic law and practice. The programme leaders are responsible for the programme as a whole in terms of its development, evaluation and for general guidance of the programme.
Some specific, internally and externally funded, projects within the programme are led by senior researchers, who are responsible for the output of that project. The programme is developed to be long-term and builds on past established experience and research which prior to 2009 was already well established and evaluated within the Amsterdam Center for International Law ACIL. The research in this new research programme is conducted within the Amsterdam Center for European Law and Governance, which is a Centre of Excellence of the University of Amsterdam. The research programme was recognised by the Board of the University of Amsterdam as a focal point of research of the Law Faculty and the University.
Some of the research is funded by external funding sources, including funds awarded by the Dutch National Scientific Organization, and by the University of Amsterdam as well as by government (for example the Dutch Ministry of Justice and the European Parliament). Researchers are strongly encouraged to apply for external funding and receive administrative support in doing so. In addition parts of the programme are embedded in international research networks (Connex, Hiil, Cleer, ReNEUAL and Recon).