Successful Brussels Study Trip – Jean Monnet Module ‘EU Banking and Finance Law & Policy after NGEU’

Dublin City University’s Jean Monnet Module ‘EU Banking and Finance Law & Policy after NGEU’ (NGEU Law) recently took part in a study trip to Brussels, led and organised by Dr. Christy Ann Petit. The study trip gave our LLM students a unique opportunity to engage directly with key EU institutions’ policymakers and gain insights into European law ‘in action’, economic governance, and banking and financial regulation.

The three-day programme began with a visit to the House of European History, where participants explored the Permanent Exhibition, gaining a deeper understanding of European integration and its different stages. This visit also put into historical perspective the current geopolitical developments. 

The following day, the group was hosted by the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA) – in charge of the Jean Monnet actions – for discussions on key economic and macroeconomic topics in the morning. The discussions covered the Savings and Investments Union, macroprudential policy and Non-Bank Financial Intermediation, all presented by DG FISMA members. This session was followed by a focus on the Next Generation EU (NGEU) recovery instrument, the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF), and Ireland’s National Recovery and Resilience Plan with a presentation by a member of the Recovery and Resilience Taskforce. Later, participants visited the European Parliament, where they discussed the EU’s role as a global economic actor and recent developments in EU Law and policies in the field of banking and finance with MEP’s economic and policy advisors. Finally, they learned more about conducting legislative negotiations and EU Law-making generally from members of the Permanent Representation of Ireland, as well as the future role of Ireland when holding the Council’s Presidency, and EU career opportunities.

The study trip concluded with in-depth discussions on financial stability and regulation, covering the Digital Euro at the European Consumer Organisation (BEUC), and Bank Resolution and the evolving framework of the Banking Union and Crisis Management and Deposit Insurance (CMDI) Review held at the Single Resolution Board (SRB).

This hands-on experience gave students exposure to the EU’s institutional, legal and policy landscape, equipping them with very valuable knowledge and skills for their studies and future careers. All in all, a very successful – fully sunny – study trip to the European Capital!