The Centre sees itself as a centre for Eastern European law in the tradition of German institutions specialising in Eastern European law. “Eastern Europe” is understood here in a very broad sense: it encompasses the Eastern European countries in the narrower sense (Russia, Ukraine, Belarus), the Central European states (the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, Hungary, the Baltic states) and the South-Eastern European countries (from Slovenia “southwards”); it also includes the states of the South Caucasus and Central Asia. In principle, the entire legal system of these states is examined; the main focus is on the areas of constitutional law, administrative law and international law. Geographically, the focus is on Russia and Ukraine.