Law
We begin with the applicable legal framework and identify the rules governing the issue under examination.
About ECLIR
Law, institutions
and democratic safeguards.
The European Centre for Legal and Institutional Research — ECLIR — is an independent research centre based in France, conducting legal and institutional research, legislative analysis and institutional audits across European and international legal frameworks.
Its work examines how legal rules operate in practice, how public authority is exercised and how institutional safeguards function at national, European and international level.
Our Mission
Source-based legal and institutional analysis.
ECLIR was established to provide careful, source-based analysis of legal and institutional questions.
The starting point of our work is the applicable legal framework and the documentary record. We examine legislation, judicial decisions, institutional procedures, administrative practice and the relationship between national, European and international law.
The purpose is not to reproduce political debate, but to identify the legal and institutional questions that lie behind it.
ECLIR does not support political parties, candidates or government programmes. Its publications concern legal standards, institutional practice and the quality of public decision-making.
Why ECLIR
Start with the legal question.
Many public controversies are framed primarily as political conflicts. Questions of competence, procedure, legality and institutional responsibility can then receive less attention than they require.
Record
We examine the available documentation and institutional record before drawing factual conclusions.
Interpretation
Facts are separated from legal interpretation, and legal interpretation from broader assessment.
Limits
Competing interpretations and gaps in the documentation are identified where they materially affect the analysis.
Where institutional practice departs from the applicable legal framework, the divergence should be identified precisely and supported by sources.
What We Research
Six principal research areas
Justice and the Rule of Law
Judicial independence, access to justice, constitutional safeguards, prosecutorial institutions, procedural guarantees and effective legal protection.
Fundamental Rights
Rights and freedoms under national constitutions, the European Convention on Human Rights, European Union law and other international instruments.
EU Law and Governance
EU law, institutional competences, implementation of legislation, relations between legal orders and the functioning of EU governance mechanisms.
Institutional Performance
The practical functioning of public institutions, statutory duties, transparency, accountability, procedural effectiveness and implementation of legal obligations.
International Law and Standards
International legal obligations, treaty-based standards, comparative institutional practice and the influence of international norms on domestic legal systems.
Public Policy and Legislation
Legislative procedure, regulatory design, legal coherence, implementation risks, institutional consequences and public-law decision-making.
How We Work
Research begins with original and official sources.
Depending on the subject, these may include legislation, constitutions, treaties, judicial decisions, legislative records, parliamentary materials, official correspondence, administrative documents, public data and materials issued by European or international institutions.
ECLIR publishes legal analyses, policy briefs, research papers, legislative reviews and institutional audits. Larger projects may examine a defined group of legislative initiatives, proceedings, decisions or institutional actions according to a common analytical method.
Research outputs may also be submitted to public institutions in legislative consultations and other institutional processes where ECLIR’s analysis is relevant to the matter under consideration.
Where necessary, publications describe their scope, methodology and limitations. The reader should be able to understand how a conclusion was reached and on what material it rests.
Independence and Method
The same analytical standards, regardless of who is being examined.
A legal conclusion should follow from the applicable law and the evidence available. It should not depend on whether the result is politically convenient or inconvenient.
01Source material
02Legal interpretation
03Factual findings
04Analytical conclusions
05Policy recommendations
Authorship, publication date, version and original language should be identifiable. Where relevant, a publication should also explain its methodology, sources and limitations.
ECLIR does not provide individual legal representation. Its publications are research materials and do not constitute personalised legal advice.
Institutional Framework
An independent European research centre based in France.
ECLIR is an independent legal and institutional research centre registered in France as a non-profit association under the Law of 1 July 1901.
Its institutional structure provides a transparent framework for governance, research methodology, funding and disclosures, and supports the preparation, publication and institutional submission of independent legal research.
ECLIR is not affiliated with the European Union, the French government, any other national government, political party or public authority.
The European character of ECLIR refers to the geographical and legal scope of its work. It does not imply institutional affiliation.
Research and Publications
Explore ECLIR’s work.
Browse current publications or review the areas that define ECLIR’s research programme.