Article 2 of the Treaty on European Union finds that “The Union is founded on the values of respect for human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law and respect for human rights, including the rights of persons belonging to minorities. These values are common to the Member States in a society in which pluralism, non-discrimination, tolerance, justice, solidarity and equality between women and men prevail”. Here are the values to which the States that consider themselves in Europe have adhered to.

 

The European Academic Cooperation Programme CIVIS is a good barometer of these values. For over 5 years, those involved in this programme have been discovering how teachers and students from all over Europe share the same values. Within a group for law students at CIVIS, we have developed programmes dedicated to the exchange of ideas on the systems of rules in the Member States precisely to discover the common principles behind them. One of these projects is aimed at doctoral students in legal sciences and philosophy of law. The first meeting of the working group took place in Bucharest, in March 2025, where the PhD students presented the results of their research in front of their peers and professors. Each presentation was then commented on by the participants and the debates generated new ideas. But, above all, the doctoral students had the chance to discuss with each other and compare their cultural background. This is the true strength of Europe – the unity of its various cultures!

 

This volume includes the papers emerging from the meeting in Bucharest. They deal with various topics from different areas of law, but they are all based on a set of values and principles that underpin the construction of Europe. We hope that the readers of this volume will enjoy these texts at least as much as we, the participants, enjoyed the debates that underpinned them.