CRoLEV Scoping Paper – Press release

The Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence for the Rule of Law and European Values (CRoLEV) at UCLan Cyprus, is pleased to present CRoLEV Scoping Paper available on the CRoLEV website.

This Scoping Paper is a living document and is the outcome of several activities and feedback undertaken in the first year of the Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence for the Rule of Law and European Values at UCLan Cyprus, CRoLEV (2022-25). The prime objective of the Centre is to provide insights on the state of the Rule of Law and other European values and principles in troubled times. More specifically, CRoLEV explores the current state of the Rule of Law and related European values in Cyprus vis-à-vis other countries across the Union and beyond.

CRoLEV aims to act as an enabler of knowledge and proposes different frameworks and ways in which one can measure the Rule of Law and European values and use empirical indicators to determine to what extent states, like Cyprus, act in ways that are compatible with these principles. CRoLEV’s methods consider the current practices adopted by the EU (Framework on the Rule of Law, Council’s Recommendations etc.) and other international bodies (e.g., the Council of Europe’s Venice Commission), investigate the features they exhibit, and demonstrate their shortcomings and alternatives thereto.

Achieving these objectives entails engaging with empirical analysis of Rule of Law and value aspects, such as the way they work in practice, and their effect on/perception by ordinary citizens, stakeholders, and the civil society in general. The novelty of the methodology CRoLEV adopts is that it complements research into a common Rule of Law framework with the collection of data using various methods, combining qualitative and quantitative research including through focus groups, scoping paper, beyond-the-state-of-the-art analysis, surveys and data entry protocols, impact assessment and other metrics, monitoring and evaluation reports, recommendations and index.

With respect to the CRoLEV Scoping Paper, an expert survey as well as a CSO focus group were held where data and feedback were collected and exchange of best practices on a selection of Rule of Law and European Values methodology and tools took place. This Scoping Paper therefore presents, based on the detailed mapping out of existing resources, thematic research, survey and focus group undertaken to date, qualitative and quantitative analysis via new data sets on the Rule of Law and European values in Cyprus, with a view to create a renewed methodology for ‘Rule of Law and European Values’ placed within the framework of existing EU, European, international and global initiatives and in the context of UN SDGs.

The CRoLEV Scoping Paper is available here.