Representatives of the constitutional courts of the European Union member states (or equivalent judicial bodies conducting constitutional review), the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU), and the European Court of Human Rights gathered at the end of last week for a conference entitled EUnited in Diversity III – The Role of Constitutional Justice in the EU Common Legal Order.

The Roman numeral in the conference title refers to the fact that this was the third meeting in a row with the same format and general theme. The first EUnited in Diversity conference took place in September 2021 in Riga, Latvia, organized by the CJEU and the Constitutional Court of Latvia. Two years later, the CJEU, the Constitutional Court of Belgium, the Constitutional Court of Luxembourg and the Supreme Court of the Netherlands took on the role of organizers with the conference being held at the latter's seat in The Hague. The Bulgarian Constitutional Court has now followed in the footsteps of the supreme judicial authorities of the Benelux countries. Thanks to its efforts and those of the CJEU, this unique forum continues to develop, offering participants a floor for broad multilateral discussion on topics that are relevant to all EU Member States.

The two-day meeting in Sofia was divided into four panels. The first was devoted to the allocation of competences between the Member States and the EU, while the second focused on the identity of the EU and EU constitutionalism in times of crisis. The third panel dealt with different national constitutional law constellations relevant for EU law, and the fourth focused on the application and interpretation of EU Law. 

Vice-President Kateřina Ronovská and Justice Zdeněk Kühn represented the Constitutional Court of the Czech Republic at the conference. In the first panel, Justice Kühn delivered a speech in which he addressed the issue of the unpredictability of the application of national and EU legal systems.

A new feature of the EUnited in Diversity forum was the organization of a special seminar for representatives of court administrations. Its main topic was the impact of digital technologies on the work of courts. Pavel Dvořák, Head of the External Relations and Protocol Department, participated in the seminar on behalf of the Constitutional Court of the Czech Republic.

Pavel Dvořák
Head of the External Relations and Protocol Department

© Constitutional Court of Bulgaria