[Call for Papers] The EU and Natural Disasters: Legal and Political Challenges

The Institute for European Studies (IEE) of UCLouvain Saint-Louis Bruxelles and the Department of Legal Studies of the University of Bologna are pleased to launch a Call for Papers on the topic: The EU and Natural Disasters: Legal and Political Challenges.

The Conference and Doctoral Workshop on this topic are part of the EUMERGENCIES Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence activities and will be held in Brussels on 5 and 6 November 2026.

We welcome submissions from different disciplinary perspectives from scholars at any career stage and practitioners working on this topic.

Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:

• Conceptual and contextual issues: pertaining to the understanding ‘natural’ disasters as (extra)ordinary events and to the legal and political categorisation of different disasters, the notion of polycrisis and vulnerability with respect to disasters induced by natural hazards, and the role of sovereignty and solidarity in international and EU approaches to such disasters.
• Institutional and constitutional issues: pertaining to the distribution of competences between the EU and its Member States, Member States’ obligations with respect to disasters induced by natural hazards, and the role of different institutions and actors in the prevention of, and response to, such disasters.
• Policy-specific issues: pertaining to developments in the field of civil protection and humanitarian aid, the intersection between natural disasters and EU emergency powers, EU climate, health, and migration policy, environmental security, and its implications for the coherence or fragmentation of EU disaster governance
• External action issues: pertaining to the EU’s cooperation with third states and international organisations, the EU’s influence on the development of international disaster norms and practices, and third countries and international organisations’ influence on EU disaster management rules and practices.

The conference will be preceded by a doctoral workshop open to candidates at all stages of their PhD trajectory. Selected candidates will be assigned a discussant from among the speakers and organisers of the conference and invited to attend the full event. Subject to peer-review, doctoral candidates may also be invited to contribute to a joint Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence publication resulting from this event.

The deadline for abstracts is 1 June 2026. You can find more information below and in the Call for Papers attached.

Submission Requirements

We welcome submissions from scholars at any career stage and practitioners. Please provide:

• An anonymized abstract (max. 450 words).
• A short bio (submitted as a separate PDF file).
• Target event: Clearly indicate if you are applying for the Conference or the Doctoral Workshop.

Get in Touch & Submit

Are you interested in contributing to the EUMERGENCIES research dialogue? For any inquiries regarding the submission process or the scientific program, please contact the lead organizer.

Submit your application to: teresa.cabrita@uclouvain.be before 1 June 2026.

This Call is co-organised with UCLouvain Saint-Louis Bruxelles and the University of Bologna.