The students of the Proteus Seminar 2025 travelled to Brussels from 23 to 26 June 2025. In addition to exciting visits to the German and Turkish representations to the EU, they also visited the Commission and the Parliament in Brussels. During our last two days, the Moot Court Competition, simulating a hearing before the European Court of Justice took place at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel.

Awards

Three prizes were awarded for special commitment in this year's Moot Court. Liron Zitzmann was honoured with the prize for the best written memorial on behalf of the European Commission. Emma Marie Viry received the prize for the best oral pleading on behalf of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Finally, Leah Hilliges was honoured with the prize for the best representation of the bench. Congratulations!

Proteus 2025

Green or Global? Legal and Political Challenges in Harmonizing EU Trade with Climate Goals

This year's PROTEUS Seminar topic will be all about the relationship of trade and climate protection. Both are important yet often conflicting priorities within the European Union. On one hand, the EU’s internal market is built upon the principle of the free movement of goods, ensuring that products can circulate without barriers across member states. This principle fosters economic growth, competitiveness, and integration. On the other hand, ambitious climate policies—such as carbon pricing, environmental standards, or national regulations restricting certain high-emission products—can create obstacles to this free trade. These measures, while essential for meeting climate goals, may be seen as trade barriers and risk undermining the cohesion of the internal market. As such, the EU faces the complex challenge of balancing its commitment to climate action with its foundational economic freedoms.