ESSEC launches the European Center for Law and Economics

On 29 October, ESSEC inaugurated the European Center for Law and Economics (CEDE, Centre Européen de Droit et d’Economie), a new research center focusing on the intersection between two disciplines with a European and global comparative perspective.

The center's opening symposium on "Intellectual and industrial property law in a globalized economy" was widely attended by many academic experts and business professionals.

The interactions between legal systems and the performance of businesses, which must adhere to applicable laws and regulations, are of growing importance. Legal risks and also the prevailing legal culture now deserve strategic consideration at the highest levels of corporate decision-making. An approach that combines the two disciplines is emerging as a new trend for the future.

A research center

The European Center for Law and Economics is directed by Viviane de Beaufort, Professor of European Law; Jean Monet, Chair and Academic Director of the ESSEC Law Department; and Frédéric Jenny, ESSEC Economics Professor, Special Services Advisor to the Court of Appeal and President of the OECD's Competition Committee. The CEDE relies on existing research conducted by ESSEC faculty and will pursue a cross-disciplinary, comparative research approach that bridges economics and law on topics such as:

• Competition - Concentration - Regulation,
• Services of General Economic Interest (SGEI) in Europe,
• Corporate governance and social responsibility,
• Globalization and the international legal and economic context,
• Intellectual and industrial intellectual property rights.

The center is particularly committed to examining issues related to particular economic sectors considered "strategically important".

A center for cross-disciplinary study

Interdisciplinary instruction is already provided at ESSEC in areas that will be pursued by the CEDE including: Managerial Economics, International Business Theory, Labor Economics, Comparative Legal Systems, Intellectual Property, Public Administration and Business Law, Business and Sustainable Development, European Business Law, European Regulation, and the Energy Sector.

A center for dialogue between scholars and professionals

The CEDE's research findings are intended for dissemination and will appear in a special collection entitled Recherches et Travaux en Droit et Economie to be published by Economica. Events and debates will be organized in partnership with other institutions, and an annual symposium, workshops and seminars on the status of current research efforts and researchers' needs will be held. All activities will be detailed on the CEDE website. Finally, a partnership has been established with the "Forum de la Justice", an internet portal for legal analysis that offers special services for CEDE members (form letters, subject search engine, etc.)

The CEDE is governed by an academic advisory committee that approves the quality and relevance of projects. It is headed by Guy Canivet, a member of the Constitutional Council of France, and includes scholars and professionals. The activities of the CEDE will be supported by businesses, partner institutions, and both French and international universities.

The full press release can be downloaded below.