On 10 April 2025, EIPA welcomed experts and participants from across Europe to the panel discussion “Current Developments and Challenges in EU Administrative Law”, held in Maastricht and online. The event gathered a diverse panel of academics and EU practitioners to explore the evolving landscape of EU administrative law, the complexity of multilevel governance, and the practical and legal challenges facing the EU administration today.
The discussion, moderated by EIPA expert Juan Diego Ramírez-Cárdenas Díaz, featured two panels, each addressing the current state and future direction of EU administrative law from both academic and institutional perspectives.
Key Takeaways from the Panel
The morning session addressed the latest developments in EU administrative law, including the rise of digital legislation, the growing role of AI governance, and the increasingly hybrid nature of EU administrative procedures.
Professor Herwig Hofmann, from Luxembourg University, highlighted the risks of growing legislative and procedural complexity:
European administrative law is evolving, but not always for the better. The proliferation of new bodies, procedures, and information obligations is creating an ‘ultimate complexification’ that challenges both legal certainty and enforcement.“
Mr. Minas Konstantinidis, Legal Adviser at the European Commission, shared personal reflections on the balance between regulation and simplification, drawing attention to the Commission’s focus on improving both the quality and the efficiency of law enforcement:
It is long overdue that simplification should come about in the enforcement of EU law. The Commission is asked to do more with the same or fewer resources.“
Dr. Melanie Fink, from Leiden University, examined the AI Act as a transformative legal development, warning that its increasing influence could blur traditional boundaries between national administrative practices and EU-level regulation:
The AI Act not only regulates new technology — it shifts the boundary between national and EU public law.“
EIPA expert, Dr. Florin Coman-Kund closed the panel with a call for clearer, more accessible and more effective legal protection mechanisms within EU administrative law, better reflecting the principles of sound administration and of an effective legal remedy. Furthermore, he emphasised how hybrid EU administration, featuring EU and national actors entangled under multilevel legal frameworks and operational environments, leads increasingly to situations in which EU level institutions and bodies apply not only EU law but also national law, which in turn creates important challenges regarding judicial review of the actions of such EU actors.
Tackling Challenges: Legal Protection and Accountability
The afternoon session moved from developments to challenges, focusing on the future of hybrid administrative governance, composite procedures, and individual rights.
The session opened with Professor Mariolina Eliantonio (Maastricht University), who explored the legal complexity of composite procedures, where multiple administrations across different legal systems contribute to a single decision. She highlighted the resulting gaps in judicial protection, noting that as EU governance becomes more integrated, the absence of coherent remedies increasingly undermines both accountability and access to justice.
Dr. Lisette Mustert (Assistant Professor of Administrative law at Utrecht University) followed with a focus on two pressing challenges in the digital age: the growing reliance on administrative bodies to provide legal remedies, often without sufficient safeguards and the cross-border complexity of enforcement. She called for stronger mechanisms to ensure that fundamental rights are genuinely protected within today’s digital governance frameworks.
Next, Dr. Tanja Ehnert (Inquiries Coordinator at the European Ombudsman) highlighted the European Ombudsman’s unique oversight role in promoting transparency, fairness, and accountability within the EU administration, particularly regarding the use of AI and the rise of fast-track decision-making. In an era of rapid technological and political change, she argued, the Ombudsman’s soft power has become a vital tool for safeguarding good administration beyond mere legal compliance.
Concluding the panel, Ms. Carine Piaguet (Administrator at the European Parliament) shed light on the right to petition under Article 227 TFEU, examining how the European Parliament gives effect to this right in practice. She also analysed how procedural safeguards and their limits shape the balance between individuals’ rights and administrative accountability.
By way of conclusion, EIPA expert Juan Diego Ramírez-Cárdenas Díaz summarised the various contributions, emphasising the evolving landscape of European administrative law, where complexity, interdependence, and innovation increasingly define the relationship between individuals and institutions. He concluded the panel by calling for the urgent strengthening of procedural safeguards to ensure that accountability and fundamental rights remain central as the EU administration adapts to new challenges.
Watch the Discussion
For those who could not attend the event, the full recording is now available to watch online.
