Maynooth University School of Law and Criminology & Assisting Living and Learning (ALL) Institute hosts
New Horizon Europe Project
Sustainable Wellbeing through Investment in Social Services - SWINS
27 March 2025
John Hume Boardroom, North Campus - Maynooth University
Please Register by sending an email to: [email protected]
1.45 – 2 pm Coffee & Pastries
2.00 – 2.15 pm Welcome & Opening Remarks
Prof. Fergus Ryan - Head of MU School of Law and Criminology
Prof. Deirdre Desmond – Co-Director of the ALL Institute
2.15 – 2.45 pm The SWINS Project
Chair: Dr. Charles O’Sullivan
SWINS Core Tenets and Objectives
Dr. Federico Ciani (PIN ARCO -University of Florence)
The Legal Research in SWINS
Prof. Delia Ferri & Dr. Charles O’Sullivan (Maynooth University)
2.45- 3.45 pm EU Law and Social Services: Current Challenges and Perspectives (I)
Chair: Prof. Delia Ferri
How does EU law Constrain Social Investments?
Prof. Vincent Power (A&L Goodbody and Maynooth University)
Social Citizenship: Challenges and Perspectives
Prof. Bernardo Cortese (University of Padova)
Discussant – Dr. Christopher McMahon (TCD)
Q&A
Coffee
4pm – 5pm EU Law and Social Services: Current Challenges and Perspectives (II)
Chair: Dr. Karen Lynch Shally
State Aid and Social Services
Prof. Juan Jorge Piernas Lopez (University of Murcia)
Access to Energy and Affordability
Prof. Leigh Hancher (European University Institute)
Discussant – Dr. Christopher McMahon (TCD)
Q&A
5pm – 5.15pm Closing Remarks
Prof. Delia Ferri and Dr. Charles O’Sullivan
Guest Speakers
Dr. Federico Ciani is an applied economist with a background in Development Economics (PhD). Federico is the Coordinator of the Inclusive Development Research Unit at ARCO, a research centre based at PIN Foundation (University of Florence). His research interests center around social policies, social protection, the evaluation of social policies and services, and the analysis of vulnerability and eco-social resilience.
Prof. Vincent Power SC is a solicitor and partner at A&L Goodbody and an Adjunct Professor at MU School of Law and Criminology. He is a distinguished expert in EU and competition law, and his achievements include a PhD from Cambridge for his book on EU and Irish competition law, the Albert Lilar Prize for the best shipping law book in the world for his 1800-page book on EU Shipping Law, his Chairmanship of the European Maritime Law Organisation as well as winning global, European and national prizes. He is a graduate of UCC (College Scholar and the first Distinguished Law Alumnus) and Cambridge (Evan Lewis Thomas Law Student). He has been invited to lecture in over 20 countries and delivers the EU law course annually at Dalhousie University.
Prof. Leigh Hancher is Professor of European Union Energy Law at the Florence School of Regulation which is part of the Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies of the European University Institute and Professor of European Law at the University of Tilburg. She is also attached to Brussels office of Baker Botts as Counsel. Her research interests are energy market regulation, EU state aids and energy market governance.
Prof. Juan Jorge Piernas Lopez is Professor of EU law at the University of Murcia, and holds positions as international consultant for the World Bank, for several governments and for the ENI CBC Med Programme. He has participated in several European and national competitive research projects and is currently the holder of the Jean Monnet Chair “The Transformative Power of European Union Law II” (TEULP II).
Prof. Bernardo Cortese is Professor of EU Law at the University of Padova School of Law - Department of Public, International and EU Law. His research interests include Competition and State Aid Law. Among many other roles, since 2012 acts as Director of the Scientific Committee of the Osservatorio Europeo sugli Aiuti di Stato - formerly a joint program with the Veneto Region Brussels Directorate, Unioncamere del Veneto and Confindustria Bruxelles, now a UNIPD-DiPIC Program co-funded by the Veneto Region.
Dr. Christopher McMahon is a barrister at the Law Library, Dublin and an Adjunct Assistant Professor at Trinity College Dublin and Lecturer in Administrative Law at the Honorable Society of King's Inns, having previously served as Special Adviser to the Attorney General. He holds degrees from Trinity College Dublin and the University of Oxford, including a doctorate in EU State aid law, and has published widely in that field.