Organized by
Sponsored by Novator and convened with the support of Open Society Institute - Sofia, Union of Judges in Bulgaria and Union of Bulgarian jurists
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The event is a follow-up of the Rule of Law Symposium, organized by the American Bar Association (ABA) in November 2005 in Washington D.C. The overall goal of that conference was to discuss the most pressing issues related to the Rule of Law (RoL) globally. Participants determined that it should serve as a catalyst for similar discussions in other regions of the world and that follow up activities were imperative to ensure that international focus remain on the challenges facing the rule of law world-wide. The region of Central and Eastern European (CEE) seems a logical focus for the first of such follow up RoL Symposiums.
At present, Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) is one of the most dynamic regions the world with the process of transition to democracy and free market economy. Ten countries became full members of the European Union (EU) three years ago, followed up by Bulgaria and Romania in 2007. In addition, there are other countries in the region in varying stages of their European accession negotiations. The last enlargement underscored the importance of efficient judicial reforms and the practical implementation of the Rule of Law as major criteria in the process of accession. This tendency culminated during the negotiations with Bulgaria and Romania. The challenge now is to identify mechanisms and driving forces to sustain the reform processes in the newly admitted countries. In the same time, ongoing in the EU are discussions of its fundamental legal framework and the philosophy of its future enlargements.
In such context it is our belief that a regional RoL symposium would help recapitulate the process of legal reforms and the experience of the recent accession processes, as well as identify the common challenges and highlight the successful approaches to reform. One of the major objectives of the Symposium is to establish networks for future cooperation in the further social and political development of all countries in this region. Particular attention will also be attributed to the discussion of the preparedness of legal professionals, the business and the NGO sectors to serve as driving forces for the sustaining and furthering of the reform processes. This is a matter of pressing importance as the foreign donors’ assistance has been gradually curtailed for the countries in the region.
The ROL Symposium will focus on three key areas related to the legal reform: Impact of EU accession on the Rule of Law; Efficiency of Justice in the CEE; and Legal Climate for Business in CEE. The goal of the Symposium will be to present the experience and lessons learned in the recently and newly admitted EU member-states, as well as the cooperation with the older members of the Union. The speakers and participants include high profile policy-makers, experts, members of the different legal professions, representatives of international, governmental and non-governmental organizations, the EU, the ECJ, as well as members of the business circles.
At present, Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) is one of the most dynamic regions the world with the process of transition to democracy and free market economy. Ten countries became full members of the European Union (EU) three years ago, followed up by Bulgaria and Romania in 2007. In addition, there are other countries in the region in varying stages of their European accession negotiations. The last enlargement underscored the importance of efficient judicial reforms and the practical implementation of the Rule of Law as major criteria in the process of accession. This tendency culminated during the negotiations with Bulgaria and Romania. The challenge now is to identify mechanisms and driving forces to sustain the reform processes in the newly admitted countries. In the same time, ongoing in the EU are discussions of its fundamental legal framework and the philosophy of its future enlargements.
In such context it is our belief that a regional RoL symposium would help recapitulate the process of legal reforms and the experience of the recent accession processes, as well as identify the common challenges and highlight the successful approaches to reform. One of the major objectives of the Symposium is to establish networks for future cooperation in the further social and political development of all countries in this region. Particular attention will also be attributed to the discussion of the preparedness of legal professionals, the business and the NGO sectors to serve as driving forces for the sustaining and furthering of the reform processes. This is a matter of pressing importance as the foreign donors’ assistance has been gradually curtailed for the countries in the region.
The ROL Symposium will focus on three key areas related to the legal reform: Impact of EU accession on the Rule of Law; Efficiency of Justice in the CEE; and Legal Climate for Business in CEE. The goal of the Symposium will be to present the experience and lessons learned in the recently and newly admitted EU member-states, as well as the cooperation with the older members of the Union. The speakers and participants include high profile policy-makers, experts, members of the different legal professions, representatives of international, governmental and non-governmental organizations, the EU, the ECJ, as well as members of the business circles.