Central and Eastern European Judicial Trainings

ended

This project targets gaps in application of EU legislation by national courts, particularly in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) member states, thus contributing to the effective and coherent application of EU law. The project is focused on application of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the EU, and on several other specific EU regulations and directives in both civil and criminal law which were prioritized by this call for proposals, where the Applicants have identified greatest needs. The program will develop two curricula; one civil, one criminal. Both modules will include application of the Charter. Six training sessions will be held for judges from the CEE region (30 judges per session, with each of the two curricula being delivered 3 times). To facilitate participation of non-English speakers, simultaneous interpretation in Croatian will be provided in four of the six sessions, and interpretation into Czech, Romanian and Bulgarian will be offered at two sessions each. English-speaking participants from other CEE countries will also be invited. Two electronic handbooks (based on the two curricula) will be prepared, translated and disseminated. Training materials will also be made available online. The immediate target of 180 participating CEE judges will directly benefit from improved knowledge on application of the selected norms. The increased awareness and application of these norms will contribute to greater protection of the rights of CEE litigants in civil matters, and greater implementation of the fundamental rights of defendants in criminal cases. The project also increases awareness of judges on criminal law provisions combating racism and xenophobia. Additionally, electronic handbooks will be made available for wide distribution beyond the circle of physically participating judges. The project will facilitate distribution of materials in English, Croatian, Czech, Bulgarian and Romanian, ensuring that relevant EU standards are widely accessible.