The ‘Common Core of European Administrative Laws’ (COCEAL) project is a new comparative research initiative in the field of administrative law, which has been approved and funded by the European Research Council by way of an ‘Advanced Grant – Excellent Science’ for the period 2016-21.

From the outset it was decided that such comparison could best be achieved by means of a research that would:

• discuss how to provide a more advanced methodology for legal comparison in this field, having regard to the achievements of the ‘Common Core of European Private Law’ project;
• focus on European administrative laws, viewed from a procedural lens, that is, with respect to procedures used by public authorities;
• provide an advancement of knowledge with regard to both differences and common elements across European legal systems;
• analyse general principles, legal doctrines and techniques of administration underlying European legal systems;
• deepen the study of the historical developments of legal institutions, on the assumption that a serious and fruitful comparison cannot but be ‘syncronic’ and ‘diacronic’.

Because the achievement of these goals and the performance of these activities is inevitably a collective enterprise, we invite scholars and experts from all European countries to join us, by making comments and proposals. Accordingly, besides making information about the research and its outcome available to the general public, this website aims to stimulate exchanges of views about the methodologies of the research and the issues that are examined.