Offered ON PREMISE 

This summer’s study session will take place from August 24 to September 12, 2026. The program consists of 2 general courses, 2 special courses, guest lectures, debate sessions, field trips, cultural visits and other social events. The final session takes place in Sounion, where students participate in the Annual Reunion of the European Group of Public Law.

2026 Topic:
Security, Defense and Judicial Review in Contemporary European Public Law

In recent years, rapidly evolving security threats have profoundly reshaped the European legal landscape. Questions of collective defense, mutual assistance and resilience against hybrid threats now occupy a central place in international law and European regulation, while national constitutional and administrative frameworks struggle to keep pace. Security and defense have become crucial testing grounds for the relationship between international law, EU law and domestic constitutional law, raising issues of competence allocation, democratic control and the balance between sovereignty and European solidarity.
Within this broader context, new regulatory challenges have gained outstanding importance. The protection of key assets and systems against complex threats illustrates the interdependence of security, economic stability and fundamental rights. These developments straddle defense, policing, privacy and safety, raising difficult questions of accountability, oversight and democratic control. They also demand coordinated responses at international, European and national levels, including cross‑border cooperation, effective enforcement and the protection of both analogue and digital rights.
Parallel to these developments, constitutional courts and supreme jurisdictions in Europe have assumed an increasingly prominent role in reviewing court decisions and administrative action in light of human rights and the rule of law. Access to constitutional justice, individual and constitutional complaints, and the interaction between constitutional courts, ordinary courts and European courts (ECtHR, CJEU) have become central features of contemporary European public law. The evolving practice of judicial review of administrative authorities and constitutional review of court decisions reflect deeper tensions: contestation of judicial independence, backsliding on the rule of law, and conflicts between national constitutional identity and supranational obligations all converge in the case law of courts.
The 2026 Academy explores how European and national legal systems structure judicial review of administrative actions, how constitutional courts frame standards of control and deference, and how these mechanisms respond to contemporary human rights and rule of law challenges.
Participants will gain in‑depth knowledge of the evolving intersections between security and defense, European and international regulation, and constitutional and administrative adjudication. The summer academy promotes a sophisticated understanding of how security policies are shaped and constrained by law, and how judicial and constitutional review function as safeguards against arbitrariness and as instruments for the protection of rights. Through theoretically grounded courses, comparative legal methods, case‑law based discussions and modelling practices participants will be equipped to engage critically with current challenges to European public law.

GENERAL LECTURE COURSES

General Course I “European Defense and Security”
Prof. Panayotis J. Tsakonas , National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece.

General Course II “Judicial Review of Administrative Decisions”
Prof. Dr. Nilay Arat,Kadir Has University, Turkey.

SPECIAL LECTURE COURSES

Special Course I
Prof. Maurizio Menzi, Italian National School of Administration-SNA, EESC Member
Topic: “Technologies and Innovation for Security and Defense: New Frontiers and EU Governance”.

This course systematically examines the legal frameworks, regulatory mechanisms, and policy strategies governing the development, deployment, and oversight of critical technologies, such as communications infrastructures (terrestrial, satellite, and submarine), semiconductors, unmanned systems, and autonomous weapons. Particular attention is dedicated to the evolution of the EU legal landscape, the interaction between national security prerogatives and supranational harmonization, and the role of EU law in shaping binding standards. By addressing the legal, ethical, and strategic complexities associated with disruptive innovations, the program delineates how legal and regulatory responses are redefining the foundations of security and defence within Europe

Special Course II
Prof. dr Violeta Beširević, Dean, Union University Law School Belgrade.
Topic: “Judicial Review: Law, Politics and Courts as Political Actors”.

This course aims to introduce students to significant comparative judicial politics. The course will bring students up to speed on current theoretical and empirical developments concerning courts as political actors and their ability to bring about (desirable) social changes. By focusing on the number of countries and societies, judgments from several apexes, international and transnational courts, and legal analysis from a comparative perspective, students will be able to develop an understanding of the courts as political actors, to assess the strengths and weaknesses of legal versus other strategies for social change and to understand the importance of law in public policy.

GUEST LECTURES/SEMINARS
Prof. Paul Craig Emeritus Professor of English Law, St. John’s College, Oxford University.
Topic TBC.

EGPL Reunion

Participation in the Annual Reunion of the European Group of Public Law (EGPL). The 2026 topic is “International Law, European Union Law, Constitutional Law”. During the EGPL Reunion the students of the Academy will perform in front of an EGPL jury a debate session in the format of the European Public Law Model EU Parliament. This session offers students a unique opportunity to step into the roles of European policymakers, debating critical European law and policy issues.

Summer Program’s European Public Law Model EU Parliament Debate!

This dynamic and engaging debate session forms part of the Academy Summer Program and is modeled after the “European Public Law Model EU Parliament”. Students will be assigned a fictitious case related to a pressing European issue. Training sessions will take place during the study program to prepare them for the final debate. Working in teams, students will deliberate on the case, draft resolutions and create position papers with the aim is to propose practical solutions to the issues at hand.

Key Details:

• Task: Drafting a short position paper (max. 2 pages) outlining the main problems of the case and proposing solutions.
• Format: Parliamentary-style debate with structured discussions and team collaborations.
• Skills: Research, teamwork, drafting resolutions, public speaking, argumentation, and critical thinking.

Prepare to debate, learn, and challenge yourself in this exciting session!

 Students are encouraged to bring a laptop in order to study relevant references and reading material including statistics, maps, reports, scientific articles and presentations used by the speakers.

INTENSIVE MODULES COURSE

Course plan to be uploaded in January 2026.