Regional Conference on “Effective Litigation before the Court of Justice of the European Union and Implementation of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights”

On October 31, 2025, in h.Marriott in Skopje, CLRA organised a Regional Conference on “Effective Litigation before the Court of Justice of the European Union and Implementation of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights” within the framework of the project ” “Strengthening Regional Judicial Cooperation in the Western Balkans for Effective Litigation before the CJEU and Implementation of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights” supported from the Government of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

The Regional Conference gathered representatives of judicial institutions and academies for judges and public prosecutors from North Macedonia, Albania, Serbia, and Montenegro. The Conference opened with addresses by Ms. Alicja Sikora-Kaleda, Head of the Research and Documentation Directorate at the Court of Justice of the European Union; Ms. Bojana Bosilkova, Head of Unit in the Ministry of Justice of North Macedonia; Mr. Bart de Bruijn, Regional Rule of Law Coordinator at the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Serbia and Montenegro; Ms. Irina Trajkoska-Strezoski, Director of the Academy for Judges and Public Prosecutors; and Ms. Lidija Stojkova-Zafirovska, President of the Center for Legal Research and Analysis (CLRA).

After the opening remarks, Ms. Sikora-Kaleda delivered a presentation on “The Role of the Court of Justice of the European Union and its Relevance for EU Candidate Countries.” The next session presented findings from the policy papers “Guidelines for Litigation before the CJEU for New Member States” and “Challenges for New Member States in Applying the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights,” introduced by their authors and co-authors.

In the afternoon panel, participants discussed challenges the region faces in applying European law and the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights, sharing recommendations to enhance judicial practice and cooperation.