Prof. Nikos Skoutaris (Assistant Professor, International and European Law, Maastricht University), a EUCE Visiting Scholar will deliver lecture entitled “Accomodating the Cyprus issue in the European Union’s political and legal order” on Wednesday, March 7th from 12:30 to 2:00 pm in room 305 York Lanes (building #24 on the map found here).

Abstract: Despite the partial normalisation of the relations between the two ethno-religious segments on the island, Cyprus’ accession to the EU neither meant its reunification nor the restoration of the human rights or the complete lift of the political and economic isolation of the Turkish Cypriot community. Ironically enough, the accession of the island to the EU added a new dimension to its division. According to Protocol 10 on Cyprus of the Act of Accession 2003, the application of the acquis is ‘suspended in those areas of the Republic of Cyprus in which the Government of the Republic of Cyprus does not have effective control.’ The scope of the talk is twofold: on the one hand it provides for a concise but accurate analytical framework of the derogations to the suspension of the acquis and on the other, it assesses the pragmatic approach that the Union has adopted when dealing with issues arising from the conflict such as the isolation of the Turkish Cypriots, the “settlers” etc. The main thesis of the paper is that although the application of the acquis is suspended in northern Cyprus, the territorial character of the suspension has allowed a limited integration of those Areas within the EU.  In addition and with regard to a possible future settlement of the Cyprus issue, the paper argues that the Union is ‘ready to accommodate the terms of such a settlement in line with the principles on which the EU is founded.’

Nikos obtained his LL.B. from the University of Aberdeen, his LL.M. from Maastricht University and his Ph.D. from the European University Institute (Florence). He has worked at Amnesty International, the Council of the EU, the Academy of European Law and Tilburg University. At the moment he is an Assistant Professor in the Department of International and European Law of Maastricht University where he teaches EU External Relations law and comparative constitutional law. He is an academic expert in the fields of EU constitutional law, EU external relations, comparative federalism and conflict resolution theory.

All are welcome and light refreshments will be served.

Date: Wednesday, March 7th
Time: 12:30-2:00 pm
Location: 305 York Lanes