Challenges such as climate change, socio-economic inequality and technological innovation increase the importance of critical reflection by academics, and the reflection of future academics on their societal role. The project integrates this critical reflection into the bachelors programs of the Erasmus School of Law, with a focus on the just survival of natural and human systems. This requires a normative-critical approach and innovative teaching and testing methods in a coherent learning path, which is achieved through subject-specific support and pilots developed in co-creation with teachers and students.

The short-term focus of shareholders is a root cause of the current financial crisis. A subsequent key question is how companies can ensure that their behaviour and policy have a long-term direction. Commitment of institutional investors, as long-term shareholders, can be stimulated. The offering of certain financial privileges, such as loyalty dividend and voting dividend, to stable shareholders has been proposed. This research investigates the economic desirability and the legal possibility of these financial incentives. To analyse such incentives, an innovative theoretical framework (corporate constitutionalism) that complements the law and economics framework will be used.

Access to effective justice in civil disputes lies at the heart of judicial systems, and is also embodied in Article 6 of the European Human Rights Convention. Every citizen should be able to enforce his substantive rights, or to effectively defend his rights when being sued. The recently adopted Stockholm programme, defining the political priorities of the European Union for 2010-2014, emphasises the citizen-centric approach as one of the lessons learnt from the failure to establish a European constitution, and recognises the great importance of effective civil justice. One of the key measures is to abolish the exequatur - the intermediate procedure in the Member State of enforcement to obtain permission to enforce a judgment from another Member State - in civil and commercial matters. If exequatur proceedings at the court of enforcement (post-testing) are abolished, it is essential to secure procedural fairness during trial at the court of origin (pre-testing). The sacrifice of crucial procedural rights, such as the right to be heard, access to information, and adequate remedies, on the pyre of efficiency should be avoided. This issue is particularly urgent, since procedural law differs substantially per Member State, and no overriding EU system of procedural guarantees exists. For example, how can it be guaranteed that a judgment rendered in Poland against a Dutch defendant and to be enforced in the Netherlands is obtained in a fair trial? Which rights should be secured as a minimum requirement, and how? This research will identify current problems, review what will qualify as fundamental procedural rights, and formulate principles to secure minimum standards of civil justice. While securing quality of justice, such principles of European civil procedure will greatly facilitate more effective justice in cross-border cases and invigorate the judicial systems of individual Member States.

How do we keep civil justice affordable in Europe? Access to justice to enforce rights is crucial for consumers and businesses. But the costs of procedures are high, and public legal aid and financing of justice has been under pressure. The researchers evaluate alternative pathways to fund civil procedures and to regulate costs in civil procedures in a number of countries and at the European level.

Het onderwijs is van oudsher een sterk door wetgeving en regels gedomineerde sector. Besturen, schoolleiders en docenten ervaren regeldruk: verplichtingen van hogerhand die het eigen handelingsvermogen beperken. Reeds geruime tijd probeert de overheid regeldruk aan te pakken, neemt maatregelen om het aantal regels te beperken en introduceert andere typen van regelgeving met het oog op meer regelruimte voor besturen. Ondanks deze inspanningen blijven actoren in het onderwijs regeldruk ervaren. Dit onderzoek beoogt de hardnekkigheid van het regeldrukprobleem in kaart te brengen, door te kijken of de oorzaak ligt in de regel zelf dan wel vooral te maken heeft met andere factoren. Het onderzoek beoogt oplossingen aan te dragen voor degenen die regels maken, ze moeten uitvoeren of daarop toezien. Dit onderzoek analyseert in de eerste plaats op meta-niveau de ontwikkeling in het beleid rond regeldrukvermindering in de afgelopen decennia en beschrijft de patronen die daaruit volgen ten aanzien van de geopperde oplossingen. Het onderzoek richt zich ook op de implicaties in de praktijk: hoe is regeldruk in het onderwijs aangepakt, welke verschuivingen treden op in het beleid, met welke reden en met welk effect? Het onderzoek omvat twee casestudies waarin wordt nagegaan hoe bij twee onderwijswetten het totstandkomings- en implementatieproces is verlopen, en in welke mate eigenschappen van die regelgeving, zoals onduidelijkheid of aanwezigheid van open dan wel stringente normen, hebben gezorgd voor regeldruk. De opbrengst is een bijdrage aan zicht op verklarende factoren voor regeldruk, en doeltreffender inzet van interventies om regeldruk te verkleinen en sturingsruimte te vergroten