Final Report Summary - EU NETWORKS (Networks in European law)
Project objectives
The project main objective consists in exploring the theory of transnational regulatory networks (TRNs) resulting from the cooperation of public actors in the international arena and, particularly, in the European Union (EU).
This goal is pursued by adopting a methodology based on an interdisciplinary approach to the study of Law crossing over the traditional boundaries of private and public laws and that includes the suggestions coming from other disciplines, such as political sciences, sociology. With respect to the training part of the project, the researcher has gained experience of the main of qualitative research methods, including interviews, observations and focus groups. The researcher has conducted some interviews with officers involved in the consumer protection cooperation (CPC) network.
The researcher has explored the theory of networks in political sciences (Slaughter, Coen and Thatcher) and the contribution of legal scholarship and particularly the recent works of Teubner (contractual networks) and Cafaggi (transnational private networks). In the first year the researcher has decided to focus more on EU enforcement networks because this topic appeared to be innovative and promising. The project proposal indicates the case study of consumer protection and, accordingly, the researcher has devoted attention to this unexplored topic, the CPC network especially in comparison with the structure of the European competition network (ECN). In the second year, the researcher has expanded the previous research to include the international dimension by examining the transnational enforcement networks, such as the International Consumer Protection and Enforcement Network (ICPEN) and the International Competition Network (ICN).
Main results and conclusions
The project contributes to a better understanding of the current limitations of (TRNs) and to the study of the public-private mechanisms for consumer protection at both the international and the European levels. It contributes to the current debate in the EU and opens new perspectives about TRNs, globalisation and consumer issues.
Socio-economic impact of the project
The project results are relevant for the academia involved in the discussion over transnational networks and their functioning. The topic is interdisciplinary and thus it deals with law but also political sciences and sociology.
The project deals with the problem of consumer representation in policy-making and in the enforcement of consumer protection rules and it also includes some research about international consumer advocacy, its current limitations and its challenges.
Thus, it is also relevant for public consumer groups and consumer agencies in the EU and outside the EU. In this respect, the project examines inter alia the experience of the transatlantic consumer dialogue (TACD), a forum of EU and US organisations, that develops joint consumer policy recommendations to the governments to promote consumer interest in policy-making and global issues. The TACD issues recommendations to the governments for a number of actions.
The researcher has also been involved in two seminars organised by the Italian Bar Association in the years 2011 and 2012 for the training of lawyers and lawyers working for consumer associations.
With respect to non-professionals the project is of interest for active consumers and citizens.
The project main objective consists in exploring the theory of transnational regulatory networks (TRNs) resulting from the cooperation of public actors in the international arena and, particularly, in the European Union (EU).
This goal is pursued by adopting a methodology based on an interdisciplinary approach to the study of Law crossing over the traditional boundaries of private and public laws and that includes the suggestions coming from other disciplines, such as political sciences, sociology. With respect to the training part of the project, the researcher has gained experience of the main of qualitative research methods, including interviews, observations and focus groups. The researcher has conducted some interviews with officers involved in the consumer protection cooperation (CPC) network.
The researcher has explored the theory of networks in political sciences (Slaughter, Coen and Thatcher) and the contribution of legal scholarship and particularly the recent works of Teubner (contractual networks) and Cafaggi (transnational private networks). In the first year the researcher has decided to focus more on EU enforcement networks because this topic appeared to be innovative and promising. The project proposal indicates the case study of consumer protection and, accordingly, the researcher has devoted attention to this unexplored topic, the CPC network especially in comparison with the structure of the European competition network (ECN). In the second year, the researcher has expanded the previous research to include the international dimension by examining the transnational enforcement networks, such as the International Consumer Protection and Enforcement Network (ICPEN) and the International Competition Network (ICN).
Main results and conclusions
The project contributes to a better understanding of the current limitations of (TRNs) and to the study of the public-private mechanisms for consumer protection at both the international and the European levels. It contributes to the current debate in the EU and opens new perspectives about TRNs, globalisation and consumer issues.
Socio-economic impact of the project
The project results are relevant for the academia involved in the discussion over transnational networks and their functioning. The topic is interdisciplinary and thus it deals with law but also political sciences and sociology.
The project deals with the problem of consumer representation in policy-making and in the enforcement of consumer protection rules and it also includes some research about international consumer advocacy, its current limitations and its challenges.
Thus, it is also relevant for public consumer groups and consumer agencies in the EU and outside the EU. In this respect, the project examines inter alia the experience of the transatlantic consumer dialogue (TACD), a forum of EU and US organisations, that develops joint consumer policy recommendations to the governments to promote consumer interest in policy-making and global issues. The TACD issues recommendations to the governments for a number of actions.
The researcher has also been involved in two seminars organised by the Italian Bar Association in the years 2011 and 2012 for the training of lawyers and lawyers working for consumer associations.
With respect to non-professionals the project is of interest for active consumers and citizens.