UACES Annual Conference 2024

From September 1 to 4, 2024, the University of Trento hosted the 54th UACES Annual Conference in Trento, Italy. The event brought together a global community of experts to exchange innovative research in European Studies, complemented by a virtual session on September 9.

During the conference, I presented a paper titled “Stronger Conditionality for Stronger Compliance? Analyzing NGEU’s Effect on the Implementation of European Semester Recommendations”. This research, co-authored with Igor Guardiancich, Lucia Quaglia, and Mattia Guidi, examines the capacity of the European Union to influence policy change through the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) introduced under the Next Generation EU (NGEU) package. Our findings indicate that the financial incentives provided by the RRF have significantly improved member states’ compliance with country-specific recommendations, effectively reshaping EU economic governance.

The presentation took place on September 2 within the panel “Implementing the Recovery and Resilience Agenda: Politicisation, Constraints and Power Shifts,” chaired by Adina Akbik. This session offered a unique space for academic growth and collaboration, allowing for in-depth discussions on the transition from non-enforceable recommendations to a system where compliance is directly tied to funding.