Supervisor: Luigi Di Caro (University of Turin, Italy); Co-supervisor: Pompeu Casanovas (IIIA-CSIC)

The traditional doctrinal approach in legalstudies,characterised by its rigor and reliance on precedent and formalreasoning, has long formed the bedrock of legal analysis. However, the increasing contribution of empirical and computational methods marks a significant evolution in legal scholarship.This dissertation explores the transformative impact of legal technology, particularly natural language processing (NLP)and knowledge modelling (KM), on the analysis of legal harmonisation within the EuropeanUnion.

The contribution of this thesis lies in the integration of applied legal tech to examine EU legal harmonisation—acritical yet complex process aimed at aligning domestic laws under a common EU framework. From a legal-linguistic perspective, this first involves analysing the key constituents of the phenomenon, including multilingualism, the nature of language and legislative sources, and legal interpretation, all of which play a pivotal role in shaping the harmonisation landscape.

The core of the thesis, however, encompasses various hybrid legal technology methodologies for effectively analysing legal harmonisation within the European Union.The dissertation illustrates impactful applications through case studies, particularly in the context of EU-funded projects that enhance judicial cooperation across European Member States.By bridging legal and technological domains, the thesis contributes to under-standing how digital tools, when implemented within robust methodological frameworks, can concretely enhance EU legal harmonisation, especially through the most recent generative AI technologies.