Barend van Leeuwen

Ph.D. Researcher

Tel. [+39] 055 4685 582

Working languages: Dutch, English, French, German

Curriculum Vitae

Since 2011 PhD-researcher and Research Assistant at the European University Institute. Trained as a barrister (Gray’s Inn) in the United Kingdom, specialising in criminal law and medical disciplinary law. Studied Law at Trinity College, University of Cambridge (BA Law), and at the College of Europe in Bruges (LLM in European Legal Studies). Main fields of interest: European Law (in particular, the free movement of persons and services), European Employment Law and Medical and Health Law.

Research area

My research project looks at European standardisation of services through CEN and the impact of European services standards on private law relations. I focus in particular on European standardisation initiatives in the healthcare and the tourism sector.

There are two main stages in my research. The first is to look at the European standardisation process: why are parties initiating a European standardisation process, who are participating in the process and how does the process work? The second is to look at whether and how European services standards are applied in private law after their adoption. The EU has encouraged services standardisation in the Services Directive 2006, but it has not created a legal framework which provides for a clear legal role for European services standards. Can private law do the job by providing binding effect to European standards in law – for example through the application of a European standard in contract law, in tort law or in certification and accreditation activities?

The overall aim of my research is to determine to what extent European standardisation of services can contribute to convergence in private law. Such a process of convergence in private through European standardisation can only be successful if European services standards are being adopted and if these standards are subsequently applied in private law.