Centre for European Integration, School of Law, hosts 'The Area of Freedom, Security and Justice in the context of war in the EU’s neighbourhood' Conference
The conference was held on the 28-29 April 2025 in University College Cork
Dr Luigi Lonardo and Dr Roila Mavrouli recently hosted a conference focusing on the impact of armed conflicts on the Area of Freedom, Security and Justice (AFSJ) in UCC. The discussions explored the challenges for the Common European Asylum System, the Temporary Protection Directive, and the externalization of migration controls. A central theme of the conference was the EU's legal obligations to protect fundamental rights and the rule of law, particularly in the context of war in the EU’s neighbourhood.
The European Union’s (EU) AFSJ was established with an aim to foster free movement 'in conjunction with appropriate measures with respect to external border controls, asylum, immigration and the prevention and combating of crime' (Article 3(2) TEU). The realities of contemporary armed conflicts—from the US invasion of Afghanistan to Russia’s war against Ukraine and beyond—have tested and are still testing the resilience and coherence of the AFSJ’s legal framework. These conflicts raise pressing questions about asylum and migration, counterterrorism, judicial cooperation in criminal matters, and more generally on the balance between competing public interests, or between public interests and individual rights.
The conference delved into the interaction between armed conflicts and the EU’s AFSJ. How do ongoing conflicts shape the dynamics of EU constitutionalism in the AFSJ? What challenges do they pose for mutual trust and recognition in judicial cooperation? How does the EU’s response to external security threats affect its internal security governance?