We're looking forward to two DiSCourse Seminars with guest speakers from the Netherlands and Finland:

📅 Mon, 23 March, 15:00
💡The Right to a Human Explanation of Algorithmic Decision-Making
👩 Melanie Fink, Leiden University
🔗 https://www.uibk.ac.at/en/disc/events/discourse-fink/

📅 Fri, 27 March, 12:00
💡 Narrative Detection in Political Talk. Bringing together Computational Recognition and Narrative Theory
👩 Mari Hatavara, Tampere University
🔗 https://www.uibk.ac.at/en/disc/events/discourse-hatavara/

#EuropeanLaw #NarrativeTheory #DigitalScience

DiSCourse Seminar - 23 March 2026

DiSCourse Seminar with Melanie Fink at 15:00 (CET). Topic: The Right to a Human Explanation of Algorithmic Decision-Making

New on our blog!

Courageous or Naïve about the Reparations Loan for Ukraine?

The widely discussed (see here and here) legal basis for EU’s executive economic measures enshrined in Article 122(1) TFEU is commonly referred to as an “emergency clause”. Once again, this legal basis was eyed for a novel purpose, and one which seems to be the most delicate yet: a reparatio

#EuropeanLaw #Ukraine

https://voelkerrechtsblog.org/courageous-or-naive-about-the-reparations-loan-for-ukraine/

Courageous or Naïve about the Reparations Loan for Ukraine?

🎓 Jetzt für den Humboldt LL.M. bewerben! Ab Oktober 2026 ein Jahr in Berlin deutsches & europäisches Recht auf Englisch studieren – an einer international vernetzten und forschungsstarken Fakultät.

🗓️ Bewerbungsfrist: 28. Februar 2026

Infos zum Programm findest du hier 👉 https://humboldt-llm.hu-berlin.de

Bei Fragen: [email protected]

#HumboldtUni #LLM #HumboldtUniversity #Berlin #LawStudies #EuropeanLaw #GermanLaw #StudyInGermany #LegalEducation

New on our blog!

Moving Beyond “Berlin Plus”

As Russian tanks rolled into Ukraine in 2022, Europe was reminded that peace on this continent could no longer be taken for granted. Russian production figures for main battle tanks have roughly tripled over the last three years. This reality highlights the essential role of a robust EU–NATO partnership in addressing the escalating military

#ArmedConflict #EuropeanLaw #NATO

https://voelkerrechtsblog.org/moving-beyond-berlin-plus/

Moving Beyond “Berlin Plus”

The Cloud and AI Development Act 'should embed a sovereignty provision that curtails the current “sovereignty-washing” practiced by US hyperscalers in partnership with European firms. Here, sovereignty means fostering genuine competence and capacity inside the Union, rather than relying on complex legal tricks that depend on foreign-controlled technology.'

https://www.techpolicy.press/europe-cant-defend-democracy-on-us-servers/ by Alexandra Geese, MEP (The Greens)

#EuroStack #security #independence #EU #EuropeanLaw #socialMedia #decoupling #nonAligned #EuropeAlternatives #EuropeanAlternatives #nonUS #digitalSovereignty #techSovereignty #dataSovereignty #sovereignty #privacy #dataProtection #dataCenters #energy #dataCentres #BuyEurope #BuyEuropean #Cloud #EUPol #EuropeanPolitics

Europe Can’t Defend Democracy on US Servers

As long as 80 percent of European digital products and services originate in the United States, blackmail will thrive, writes Alexandra Geese.

Tech Policy Press

A hot conversation I overheard with people from work… WhatsApp might start charging you for using it… and there’s a potential new law that European governments are allowed to read all your messages, including those on apps like Signal.

Signal has announced that they will leave Europe if this law takes effect.

Of course, I need to know what we can do about this to keep our privacy… or is this the end of our free speech?

Would Threema and Wire be affected as well?

#WhatsApp
#PrivacyConcerns
#Signal
#FreeSpeech
#Threema
#Wire
#EuropeanLaw

Austrian court rules "Pay or Okay" model illegal for DerStandard newspaper: The Austrian Federal Administrative Court has confirmed that the "Pay or Okay" consent model violates European data protection laws, delivering a significant ruling against leading newspaper DerStandard.at on August 18, 2025. https://ppc.land/austrian-court-rules-pay-or-okay-model-illegal-for-derstandard-newspaper/ #AustrianCourt #DataProtection #PrivacyLaws #EuropeanLaw #MediaEthics
Austrian court rules "Pay or Okay" model illegal for DerStandard newspaper

The Austrian Federal Administrative Court has confirmed that the "Pay or Okay" consent model violates European data protection laws, delivering a significant ruling against leading newspaper DerStandard.at on August 18, 2025.

PPC Land

Job - Alert 🎓

⚖️ Postdoctoral Researcher / Senior Research Fellow (m/f/d)

Deadline: 2025-06-30
Location: Germany, München, Bayern

https://www.academiceurope.com/job/?id=7735

#hiring #Postdoc #LegalResearch #TaxLaw #CorporateLaw #PhD #businesslaw #Europeanlaw

🗳️ #Democracy in turmoil: #Wars, #refugee crises, surging #RightWingPopulism, and Donald #Trump sworn in again as US #President. We asked #HofUniversity’s Prof. Dr. Peter Schäfer (#EuropeanLaw) whether these developments truly endanger democracy—or if it will ultimately prevail worldwide. Read the interview: https://t1p.de/yvuhd #Politics #HumanRights
Prof. Dr. Peter Schäfer: "Democracy will ultimately prevail worldwide!" - Campuls

A majority of German citizens are now concerned about democracy in the face of many changes. We spoke to Prof. Dr. Peter Schäfer, Professor of European Law, about whether these concerns are justified and where democracy is under threat.

Campuls