Exciting Horizon Europe Initiative.
The University of Warsaw Joins Major Research Consortium on Judicial Independence and Rule of Law
The Chair of Transnational Law at the Faculty of Law and Administration of the University of Warsaw is proud to announce its participation in the preparation of a major international research grant proposal under the Horizon Europe programme.
We are currently working intensively—since April 2025—on submitting a proposal for the prestigious HORIZON-CL2-2025-01-DEMOCRACY-14: Independence of the Judiciary as an Aspect of Rule of Law Compliance (Call: Culture, Creativity and Inclusive Society).
This would be the first grant of this scale coordinated by our Faculty, and our involvement marks a milestone for transnational legal research at the University of Warsaw.
We are honoured to be part of a world-class research consortium that includes:
- University of Amsterdam
- Humboldt University of Berlin
- Université Paris 2 Panthéon-Assas (Sorbonne)
- University of Helsinki
- Maastricht University
- National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy
The Warsaw Team brings together legal scholars and political scientists with extensive expertise in rule of law, judicial reform, and democratic resilience. Our contribution will focus on:
- Comparative constitutional analysis of judicial independence
- The use of soft law instruments in restoring the rule of law
- Empirical studies on disciplinary accountability and political pressure
- Discourse and media analysis of anti-judiciary narratives
- Access to justice, particularly in consumer and financial law
- Stakeholder engagement, including national workshops and EU-level collaboration
We are currently finalising a detailed Conceptual Paper and planning activities under multiple Work Packages (WPs), including academic publications, national case studies, legal databases, and stakeholder policy labs.
Estimated budget for the UW team: €300,000
Principal Investigator: dr Oktawian Kuc
Senior Researchers: prof. Robert Grzeszczak, prof. Renata Mieńkowska-Norkiene
Team Members: dr Jagna Mucha, doctoral researchers, and supporting assistants.
Decisions on funding will be made in autumn 2025.
Our Broader Experience with Research Grants
Members of the Chair of Transnational Law are actively involved in designing, coordinating, and implementing numerous research grants — both Polish and international. Our team includes PhD students, early-career scholars, and senior researchers who have participated in and led projects funded by:
- The Polish National Science Centre (NCN)
- The National Agency for Academic Exchange (NAWA)
- The European Commission
- The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD)
We have ongoing and past collaborations with prestigious institutions such as:
- Harvard University
- King’s College London
- Humboldt University & the Walter Hallstein Institute
- Lauterpacht Centre, University of Cambridge
- University of Copenhagen
- Université Paris 2 (Panthéon-Assas)
- Max Planck Institute for Comparative Public Law and International Law, Heidelberg
- Leipzig University
- Centre for Socio-Legal Studies, University of Oxford
- University of Amsterdam
We welcome expressions of interest in collaboration, research networking, and academic exchanges.
Zespół Katedry Prawa Ponadnarodowego WPiA UW w międzynarodowym konsorcjum HORIZON EUROPE
Katedra Prawa Ponadnarodowego WPiA UW przygotowuje się do złożenia wniosku w konkursie HORIZON-CL2-2025-01-DEMOCRACY-14: Independence of the Judiciary as an Aspect of Rule of Law Compliance (Program „Culture, Creativity and Inclusive Society”).
W ramach projektu współpracujemy z ośrodkami takimi jak: Uniwersytet w Amsterdamie, Humboldt (Berlin), Sorbona, Helsinki, Maastricht i Kijów.
Wkład zespołu UW obejmuje analizy prawne i politologiczne dotyczące niezależności sądownictwa, wykorzystania instrumentów soft law, dostępu do sądu i politycznego dyskursu wokół praworządności. Konsultacje i przygotowania trwają od kwietnia 2025 r. — decyzje grantowe zapadną jesienią.
To pierwszy grant tej rangi w historii Wydziału.
Zespół: dr Oktawian Kuc (kierownik), prof. Robert Grzeszczak, dr hab prof. UW Renata Mieńkowska-Norkiene, dr Jagna Mucha oraz (perspektywicznie) doktoranci- młode badaczki/badacze.
Zakładany budżet zespołu UW to: ok. 300 000 EUR