Seminar summer semester 2025

Frauenchiemsee Seminar Explores Legal Challenges in Raw Materials and Economic Governance

From 5 to 8 May 2025, students gathered once again on the idyllic island of Frauenchiemsee for the annual seminar hosted by Professor Bungenberg, focusing on “Current Challenges of International and European Economic Law: With Special Focus on Raw Materials and Dispute Resolution”.

Set against the quiet beauty of Lake Chiemsee, the seminar addressed pressing legal questions related to the global raw materials sector. Participants examined the principle of permanent sovereignty over natural resources, analyzed the EU’s efforts to secure stable raw material supplies, and discussed the the EU Critical Raw Materials Act. Sustainable practices under the European Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive were also a key topic.

Other cutting-edge discussions included the regulation of gold trading, the effectiveness of initiatives such as the Kimberley Process, and legal frameworks for the extraction of energy materials in outer space. Students explored the concept of good governance in the raw materials sector and the environmental and social responsibilities of foreign investors.

The seminar also offered historical perspectives on investment protection. Participants reflected on the Libyan oil expropriations of the 1970s and their significance for modern investment law and investor-state dispute settlement. Furthermore, they debated the future of investor protection under the modernised Energy Charter Treaty and discussed the implications of its sunset clause for long-term investment security.

In addition to the academic program, Professor Bungenberg introduced students to Germany’s constitutional history. His introductory lecture was complemented by a visit to the neighboring island of Herrenchiemsee. At the museum housed in the former Augustinian monastery - where the 1948 Constitution Convention took place - participants explored the origins of the German Basic Law and the democratic foundations laid in the post-war era.

A guided tour of the opulent Herrenchiemsee Palace, built by King Ludwig II and known as the “Bavarian Versailles,” rounded out the seminar with cultural insight.

The combination of engaging presentations and historical reflection once again made the seminar a memorable and enriching experience for all participants.