NNELS Conference in Bergen Highlights Nordic Perspectives on EU Law
On March 3, Bergen hosted the NNELS (Nordic Network for European Legal Studies) conference, bringing together legal scholars and practitioners from across the Nordic region. The event, hosted by The Centre on the Europeanization of Norwegian Law, focused on Nordic contributions to EU law and addressed key challenges in teaching and compliance.
By: Maria Holme Lidal
Published: (Updated: )
Nordic Outreach in the EU– shared experiences and new insights
The day began with a welcoming speech by professor Halvard Haukeland Fredriksen, Co-Director of CENTENOL, and Associate Professor Ingrid Halvorsen Barlund, followed by discussions on "Nordic Outreach in the EU." Highlights included a keynote by Daniel Sarmiento, Editor-in-Chief of EU Law Live, and insights from Juha Raitio, Chair of FIDE Finland, on Finland's future role as a host of the prestigious FIDE congress.
Participants explored cross-border collaboration with short contributions from Nordic scholars, including Halvard Haukeland Fredriksen (Norway), Gunnar Thor Petursson (Iceland), Ulla Nergaard (Denmark), Bjørn Lundqvist (Sweden), and Juha Raitio (Finland).
Afternoon sessions delved into the rise of EU legislative "acts" and their impact on member states. Associate Professor Ingrid Halvorsen Barlund provided a Norwegian perspective on national compliance and enforcement under the EEA/EFTA framework.
The conference concluded with a thought-provoking session on digital tools in teaching EU law. Associate Professors Malgorzata Agnieszka Cyndecka, Vladimir Bastidas, and Stian Øby Johanse shared innovative approaches to integrating AI and flipped classroom models in legal education. The session ended with a book launch and an opportunity for mingling. The featured publication was the Research Handbook on EEA Internal Market Law, edited by Professor Graham Butler from the University of Southern Denmark.
NNELS continues to foster meaningful dialogue and collaboration among Nordic countries, enhancing the region’s influence on European legal discourse.
