At the invitation of the College, Dr Eike Frenzel, from the Faculty of Law at the University of Freiburg, delivered a lecture on the EU Law and the Specificity of Its Implementation by Member States: The Limits of Federalism to the students on Haidian campus on the evening of 21 May.

The lecture was hosted by Balduin Benesch, Deputy Dean (German side) of the Institute of Sino-German Law.

In his lecture, Frenzel observed that while EU law seeks to establish a unified legal order, the enduring tension between harmonisation and national autonomy remains a defining feature of the European legal landscape. He emphasised that this tension illustrates the persistent interplay between integration and diversity in supranational governance. Looking ahead, he argued that the EU’s ability to manage legal fragmentation, through deeper cooperation, judicial dialogue or institutionalised flexibility, will determine the resilience and coherence of its legal framework. According to Dr Frenzel, the development of European law is fundamentally a test of the EU’s political wisdom: how to dynamically balance shared objectives with national identities.

The lecture concluded with a lively Q&A session, during which Frenzel engaged actively with students and provided detailed answers to their questions, alongside commentary from Benesch.

The event offered students, particularly those pursuing the Sino-German track, a deeper understanding of EU law and its complex dynamics, significantly enriching their academic and comparative legal perspective.