The Legal Floris Group is a member of the European Society of International Law, also known as the Société européenne de droit international. This membership enables the Legal Floris Group to join ESIL Interest Groups and participate in their activities, and stay up to date on matters that involve European and international law.
The vital role of law in responding to processes of globalization, and the growing importance of developing a shared understanding within Europe in relation to a wide range of international legal issues, underscore the need for a forum that will facilitate greater interaction among European international lawyers. This is demonstrated by recent debates over issues ranging from the war in Iraq and the debate over the appropriate limits of international intervention, through the resolution of international trade disputes and the shape of the future international economic regime, to the role of multilateralism in general. These and many other issues have emphasised the desirability of developing much closer links between those working in the international law field in Western Europe and their counterparts in Eastern and Central Europe.
This need will be all the more marked in response to the expansion of membership of the European Union and the proposed adoption of institutional arrangements designed to enhance Europe’s voice in international affairs. This evolution in EU law and practice should be complemented and reinforced by the emergence of an increasingly integrated community of European international lawyers.
Against this background, the stated goals of the ESIL are to contribute to the rule of law in international relations and to promote the study of public international law.