Clélia Jadot receives a doctoral scholarship in partnership with UHasselt
In the framework of a partnership between the University of Liège and the University of Hasselt, Clélia Jadot has obtained a doctoral scholarship 'BOF' (Bijzonder Onderzoeksfonds) Her research project aims at improving the ex-ante control of the granting of state aid. She joins the department of Prof. Pieter Van Cleynenbreugel.
Can you tell us more about your research project?
Financial aid measures granted to companies can lead to misappropriation of public funds, but also to "simple" errors that can cost the community dearly. My research project aims to establish a better control before granting these aids, which fall within the scope of European law as "state aid".
In concrete terms, I will first analyze European Union law. How and to what extent does it encourage the Belgian authorities to avail themselves of a developed and coherent preventive legal framework, particularly with regard to the general principles of good administration?
I will then look at the national provisions governing the granting of subsidies to companies, and more specifically to green energy and start-ups. Finally, I also want to assess the relevance and timeliness of legislative action at the European level.
How did you come to be interested in this subject?
In the last year of my master's degree, I did an internship at the Court of Justice of the European Union. I was able to attend hearings between Amazon and the Commission in state aid cases
These debates were complex, but extremely rich! It made me want to go deeper into this subject and make it my own. So I wrote an article for the David Constant Medal Award on this topic
I am delighted to have been able to direct my research towards the procedural law of state aid. It is a discipline that is both technical and very much rooted in reality, which constitutes the starting point of a beautiful intellectual challenge.
What could be the concrete impacts of your research?
The aim being to suggest legislative reforms to the different levels of power, the proposals contained in my thesis will feed the debate concerning the improvement of the management of public money
If they resonate with political actors, these potential reforms will allow for a better allocation of public resources, to the benefit of all society.
What are the next steps for your research?
I am still at the very beginning, I must now analyze the principles of good governance in European law in order to grasp all that they imply, particularly in the area of state aid
Then I will analyze the way in which the Belgian public authorities comply with it.
His background
Clélia holds a Master's degree in Law from the University of Liège. After graduating, she followed a Master of Laws (LL.M.) in European law at the London School of Economics and Political Science. She is currently working at the University of Liège and at the University of Hasselt as part of her BOF scholarship.
