Introducing new PhD candidate: Tollef Otterdal Heggen

Tollef Otterdal Heggen will be part of CENTENOL as a PhD-student from January 2024. He was affiliated with BERG from August 2022 until June 2023 as a research assistant while writing his master thesis (70 ECTS) on the independence of national supervisory authorities for the financial markets in EU and EEA law. Since then, he has been affiliated with the group as a lecturer, teaching EU and EEA law, among other subjects.

His thesis aims to provide an in-depth analysis of the role and functioning of the principle of mutual recognition in the area of free movement of persons in EU internal market law. Is there a general principle of mutual recognition in EU law? What are the functions and aims of this principle in the EU internal market? What scope and limitations does this principle have in the area of free movement of persons? What implications does the principle have for the EU, for the Member States and for persons in the Member States? Are there issues with the workability of the principle of mutual recognition in this area of EU law? If so, can the workability be improved? These are some of the central research questions that will be analyzed in the thesis.

To research these questions, a legal dogmatic method will be applied to analyze, synthesize and evaluate relevant legal sources, such as primary and secondary EU legislation (and relevant travaux préparatoires), CJEU case law (and opinions of the Advocates Generals), policy documents and any other relevant documentation from EU institutions and bodies, and a selection of academic contributions. This will provide a greater understanding of the sources in question, of the role and functioning of the principle of mutual recognition in the area of free movement of persons, and of the interrelation between this topic and the broader EU acquis.