This two-day conference examines the meaning, authority and future of the values enshrined in Article 2 of the Treaty on European Union (TEU), including democracy, the rule of law, equality, freedom and human rights. As these values have become increasingly central to debates on democratic backsliding, judicial independence and the future of European integration, the conference brings together scholars from law, political science, sociology, history, philosophy and related disciplines to explore how EU values are defined, interpreted and contested. Particular attention will be paid to questions of legitimacy, democratic participation and societal ownership: who defines Union values, through which processes, and on what basis of authority? The conference is organised by the Faculty of Law at Maastricht University, with support from Studio Europa Maastricht and the Maastricht Centre for European Law.