The winners were announced during the ELFA Annual Conference, held in Sofia, Bulgaria, from 23-25 April 2025. The international jury was composed of Professors Aurelia Colombi Ciacchi (University of Groningen), Thomas Horsley (University of Liverpool), and Martin Trybus (University of Birmingham).

Dr Nicotina defended his thesis at the University of Antwerp in May 2024. Combining empirical legal theory with comparative constitutional analysis, he investigated how constitutional actors at national and subnational levels—such as parliaments, executives, and courts—respond to the complex challenges of EU multi-level governance.

The jury said, ”We warmly congratulate the three winners for their outstanding academic achievements and their valuable contributions to the field of European Law!”.