| The relationships between EU law, international law, UK domestic law, the law of the European Communities and the law of the Convention (introduced into English law by the European Communities Act 1972 and the Human Rights Act 1998 respectively), are central to a wide range of practice areas. On 1 May 2004 the EU admitted ten new Member States, thereby bringing its total population to 470 million people and making it one of the largest internal markets in the world. This change is unprecedented in terms of its procedural and legal complexity and extends unfamiliar areas of law to millions of people.
Members of Matrix offer specialist expertise in an exceptionally wide range of areas of practice that are governed by, or closely related to, Community law and/or the law of the European Union. These include:
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competition law, including Articles 81 and 82 of the EC Treaty, State aids and mergers and acquisitions
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discrimination and equality, including equal pay and equal treatment
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employment law
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environmental law
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human rights, as protected as part of the fundamental rights and general principles of law recognised by the EU
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immigration, asylum and free movement;
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international law, including the law of the WTO and the common commercial policy of the Community
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media and information law;
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public law, including judicial review, actions for damages and direct actions against the Community institutions in the Community courts
Members are also experts in many other areas of specialist practice influenced by Community law, including
* the law of the Common Agricultural Policy;
* financial services law;
* pharmaceutical regulation and food law;
* public procurement and utilities regulation;
* revenue and excise law;
* telecommunications law; and
* value added tax.
The fundamental legal issues these give rise to, and the scope of Community law, have been explored increasingly by the English courts in a series of cases involving members of Matrix, particularly since the entry into force of the Human Rights Act 1998.
Matrix EU law team, already recognised in the legal directories, was strengthened by four new recruits during 2004 – Professor Takis Tridimas, Kieron Beal, Eleni Mitrophanous and John O’Flaherty all joined Matrix in April bringing a wide range of expertise in EU law with them. Matrix has also been joined by a new associate member, Professor Piet Eeckhout. With Takis Tridimas, he brings additional expertise in the constitutional reforms currently under way in the context of the EU Consitution, where Professor Tridimas has played a prominent role, financial services law, and the law of the WTO.
Professor Eeckout is also the Director of the Centre of European Law at Kings College London. The Centre of European Law is one of the leading institutions of its kind in Europe.
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