On 17 July 2026, the Centre for Global Law (CPDG) and the Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence (CEJM), co-funded by the European Union, both at FGV Rio Law, organised a research seminar dedicated to discussing the doctoral thesis of PhD candidate Benedetta Arrighini.

Benedetta Arrighini is a Ph.D. Fellow in International and European Law at the ULB Bruxelles, FGV Direito Rio, and Luiss Rome. Her research focuses on EU-Mercosur relations in criminal matters, adopting a comparative regionalism and interregionalism approach. Benedetta holds a Master’s degree in Law from the University of Trento and an LL.M. from the College of Europe, Bruges. She is also a qualified lawyer in Italy.

Her thesis, entitled ‘Cooperation in Criminal Matters and the Rule of Law in the EU and Mercosur: From Comparative Regionalism to Interregional Relations’, examines how interregional cooperation in criminal matters can be constructed while safeguarding the rule of law. Developed under the co-supervision of Professor Paula Wojcikiewicz Almeida within the framework of the GEM Diamond programme, the research utilizes a comparative and interregional approach to analyse both EU–Mercosur and EU–Brazil relations. 

The seminar opened with a presentation by Ms. Arrighini, who introduced her main arguments, theoretical framework, methodology, and findings. The session concluded with a Q&A debate led by researcher Lucas Vollers, with active participation from CPDG and CEJM researchers, fostering an engaging exchange of perspectives ahead of her official defense later this year.