78
The ERA Team is composed of 78 staff members from 17 countries. ERA has a permanent staff of legal experts, administrative staff as well as communication specialists.
9,200
Last year, a remarkable number of over 9,200 judges, prosecutors, lawyers and other legal professionals from 66 countries – the highest number ever – participated in more than 195 training events and conferences.
555
A record-breaking 555 practitioners from all EU and EFTA Member States and the Western Balkans attended our 15 summer courses.
10,794
1,435
1,435 legal professionals attended 27 annual conferences and participated in discussions covering a wide range of areas of law.
12,700
ERA’s online newsletter counted more than 12,700 subscribers at the end of 2024.
104
ERA produced 104 e-presentations and 12 e-learning courses in the context of EU-funded projects.
450
32
30,000
Profession of participants
Open events:
4,509 participants
EU funded events:
2,551 participants
Other contract events:
714 participants
Operating income & expenditure
INCOME
Total: 8,936,214€
ERA generated more than 54.87% of its income itself.
EXPENDITURE
Total: 9,103,421€
The deficit shown in our balance sheet reflects our strategic decision to realise additional targeted investments covered by past surpluses, while our operating result remained positive.
Events & participants
Participants 2024
Highlights 2024
A Year of Innovation, Impact & Legal Excellence:
Key Highlights of 2024
ERA maintained its commitment to offering legal education and discussion platforms to legal professionals from across Europe and beyond in 2024.
ERA provided valuable opportunities for professional development and exchange through a diverse range of synchronous and asynchronous training activities, such as e-learning, e-presentations, conferences, introductory courses, specialised seminars, and discussions on emergent legal challenges.
Advancing EU Data Protection
January 2024 | Hybrid format
ERA supported the Association of EU Data Protection Judges (AEDPJ), hosting the Annual Conference and Meeting on Data Protection for the Judiciary.
It focused on GDPR enforcement in Europe, legal challenges, case law and policy developments, as well as judging GDPR in practice at the national level.
ERA has also hosted several conferences and webinars on critical topics such as: recent case law of the CJEU and ECtHR on privacy and data protection, Digital Services Act – challenges in implementation and enforcement, AI, data governance and data protection in Europe, recent case law of the European Courts on the freedom of expression, privacy and profiling of judges with the use of judicial analytics, AI and data protection.
Advancing EU Data Protection - January 2024
Annual Conference on AI Systems and Fundamental Rights
February 2024 | Hybrid Conference in Trier
The focus was on very recent developments in AI related to fundamental rights. The first part focused on updates in AI and its preparedness for emerging technologies and the second part was dedicated to the impact in AI on elections as 2024 is an important election year. It was concluded with a roundtable discussion and lasted the entire afternoon. The last part was on litigating AI at the ECtHR and the CJEU, and its use in national courts.
Participants included EU officials, lawyers, academics, and policymakers.
Social networks investigations: from likes to evidence
March 2024 | Online seminar
The seminar aimed not only at equipping participants with the knowledge and skills necessary to conduct investigations in the realm of social media but also at showing which are the most common modi operandi of criminals using social media.
In an era where online interactions play a pivotal role in personal and professional spheres, understanding the nuances of social media investigations is essential for various fields. It explored the investigative techniques for social media, focusing on digital forensics, open-source intelligence (OSINT), and common criminal tactics. It was attended by 38 participants, including EU officials, judges, and prosecutors.
Climate Litigation at the ECtHR: Recent cases on fundamental rights and the environment
April 2024 | Online seminar
Focus on the European Court of Human Rights as an environmental court
Specific topics: rights-based climate litigation, jurisdiction and extra-territorial effects, victim status regarding climate change, exhaustion of domestic remedies, specific analysis of case law.
46 participants from 13 professions from 21 countries.
ERA’s Environmental Commitment: Renewal of EMAS Certificationy
April 2024
For the second time, ERA has passed the internationally recognised Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS) audit, and its entry in the EMAS register at the EMAS registration centre of the Southern Upper Rhine Chamber of Industry and Commerce has been renewed.
ERA's Environmental Commitment: Renewal of EMAS Certificationy
European Patent Litigation Certificate
May 2024
Twenty-nine European patent attorneys received their European Patent Litigation Certificates (EPLC) at the Academy of European Law on 17 May. This qualification will enable them to litigate before the Unified Patent Court (UPC).
The EPLC training course in cooperation with Maastricht University was accredited by the Administrative Committee of the UPC in 2023. The course was limited to 30 participants and was fully booked.
The programme equipped participants with essential skills for effective litigation before the Unified Patent Court (UPC). For those wishing to obtain the certificate, the course culminated in an examination.
The intensive programme combined online and face-to-face learning. Over two intensive weeks, participants engaged in mock trials centred on patent legal matters. Emphasis was on practical application, allowing attendees to navigate the UPC rules of procedure and their judicial interpretations.
Trainers were highly experienced experts in patent law and litigation, including representatives from the UPC.
European Patent Litigation Certificate
33rd Meeting of the Board of Trustees
June 2024
2024 marks the beginning of a new term of office for our Board of Trustees, with 22 newly appointed members who will advise ERA over the next four years. For the first time, there are more women than men on the Board. One fifth of the members are lawyers from law firms and companies and one fifth are national judges. The other members are national and EU civil servants, representatives of the legal professions, EU stakeholders and academics.
The Presidium consisting of Marc van der Woude (Chair), Adriana de Buerba (Co-chair), and Iris Goldner Lang (Co-chair) was re-elected for a further term.
The meeting began with a plenary session with reports on ERA’s recent institutional development and a discussion on trends in the training programmes in terms of methodology and content.
Working groups discussed programme activities for 2025, as well as strategic priorities, such as digitalisation, the impact of AI on legal training, ERA’s communication strategy, the cooperation with universities, and the ERA Fund for the Western Balkans, Ukraine and Moldova.
33rd Meeting of the Board of Trustees
Serbia Joined the ERA Foundation
June 2024
Jelena Deretic, Assistant Minister at the Serbian Ministry of Justice, signed the accession agreement to the ERA Foundation with Marc van der Woude and Jean-Philippe Rageade.
Jelena Deretic commented: “We consider the accession to the Academy of European Law as a unique opportunity for the Serbian judiciary to closely examine European law and its practice. This agreement will further improve the cooperation between the ERA and the Serbian Judicial Academy, and it is another indicator confirming strong commitment to achieving its strategic goal of EU membership”.
Supporting legal and judicial professionals in the countries of the Western Balkans in preparing for their future membership of the European Union is one of the pillars of ERA‘s Development Strategy 2021-2027. To achieve this goal, the Academy has organised several training measures for and in this region.
Serbia became a member of the Academy of European Law
Annual Conference on European Media Law
June 2024 | Hybrid Conference (in cooperation with the Institute of European Media Law (EMR)
The conference provided updates on the latest policy developments, legislative initiatives and case law and offered a first-hand platform for discussion on the implication of the AI Act, the DSA and the DMA for the audio-visual sector. Taking place during the European Parliament elections, the conference offered a unique opportunity to discuss the future of political advertising in Europe.
The Deputy Director of DG CONNECT Renate Nikolay opened the conference with an online speech on the European Media Freedom Act that had entered into force one month before the conference.
Attended by more than 50 participants from private practice, in-house counsel and regulatory authorities of the media sector.
Women against violence
July 2024 | Tirana in cooperation with the Albanian School of Magistrates
Provided Albanian judges and public prosecutors with an in-depth understanding of the different ways in which the legal systems in Europe, including the Council of Europe and the EU, protect women from violence.
Key topics: Recent ECtHR judgments on gender-based violence, EU legislative framework on gender-based violence, cyberviolence against women, adherence of Albanian law to the international human rights framework.
Gender based violence
July 2024 | Tirana in cooperation with the Albanian School of Magistrates
The webinar provided participants with an in-depth understanding of the different ways in which the legal systems in Europe, including the Council of Europe and the EU, protect women from violence.
Key topics: Protection of women against cyberviolence, secondary victimisation, recent case law and legislation, Istanbul convention.
34 participants attended, mainly judges, but also lawyers, prosecutors, and academics.
Gender based violence
Data Protection & Law Enforcement: Europol EDEN Conference
September 2024 | The Hague hosted by Europol at its headquarters
Presented data protection and cybersecurity implications for law enforcement in areas such as quantum computing, AI, identity theft, and disinformation.
Opened by the President of the Republic of Slovenia, Ms Nataša Pirc Musar.
Attended by 100+ participants from law enforcement, private practice and academia discussing key data protection issues in law enforcement.
Europol EDEN Conference - September 2024
Digitalisation at work: artificial intelligence, algorithms and digital labour platforms
October 2024 | Budapest: Hybrid event in cooperation with the National Office for the Judiciary of Hungary
Examined how new digital technologies are reshaping work organisation and performance.
Key topics included: AI-driven management, algorithmic discrimination, employee information and consultation rights, digital surveillance and the new platform work Directive.
Digitalisation at work - October 2024
The Legal Professions and the Media: Worst Friends or Best Enemies?
October 2024
In cooperation with the Centre for Judicial and Prosecutorial Training of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with the participation of the Bar Association of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Bar Association of the Republika Srpska, ERA organised an inter-professional conference in Sarajevo in October 2024.
The participants of the conference, coming mostly from the Western Balkan countries, had a fruitful discussion with the speakers about public confidence in justice and the legal professions, the relationship between legal professionals and journalists, responsible reporting from the courtroom and providing a fair trial, interaction with the public at institutional and individual levels, the common destiny of journalists and legal professionals in a rule of law crisis, and how the media can shape the public image of the legal professions and how to attract people to legal topics.
European Forum of the Legal Professions
November 2024
The EUFLP is a platform for structured dialogue among legal professions in Europe, encouraging collaboration on shared challenges and the development of practical solutions. Hosted by ERA, it gathers the main legal and judicial stakeholders at EU level: the European Network of Councils for the Judiciary (ENCJ), the Council of Bars and Law Societies of Europe (CCBE), the European Association of Judges (EAJ), the Association of European Administrative Judges (AEAJ), ACA-Europe, the Network of the Presidents of the Supreme Judicial Courts of the EU, the European Union of Judicial Officers (UEHJ) and the European Union of Rechtspfleger (EUR).
The third annual conference of the European Forum of the Legal Professions (EUFLP) was held on 8 November, with more than 280 participants joining the livestream from Brussels. This year’s topic, ‘Improving Justice through Innovation – From Challenges and Needs to Best Practices,’ examined a variety of viewpoints on the future of justice systems.
European Forum of the Legal Professions
Data Sharing: Preparing for Compliance with the EU Data Act
November 2024 | Online seminar
The new EU Data Act has important implications for a wide range of businesses, as it introduces new obligations for manufacturers and service providers to share data from connected products and related services with users and third parties. It is of paramount importance and lawyers will need to advise their clients on various aspects of data access and data sharing.
Attended by 50 participants.
Meeting of the Governing Board
November 2024
On 18 November, ERA’s Governing Board gathered the foundation’s patrons under the leadership of Mr. Jean-Claude Juncker. Distinguished guests joined the meeting at ERA’s premises in Trier including the Polish Minister of Justice, Mr. Adam Bodnar, and the State Secretary of the Ministry of Justice of the Slovak Republic, Mr Milan Hodás. This session also marked the first participation of the Republic of Serbia.
Alongside the approval of the 2023 accounts and the adoption of the 2025 budget, a key focus of the meeting was the mid-term review of ERA’s development strategy ‘ERA 2021-2027’. The progress made since 2021 in digitalising our training offer and expanding our open programme was presented, and a reorganisation of our priorities for the next three years was approved, including the continuation of the digital transformation of the Academy.
Meeting of the Governing Board
Competition Law Training Across Europe
Held in Trier, Valletta, Athens & Budapest in collaboration with national competition authorities
The dawn raids event explored the stages of dawn raids, focusing on the legal rights and practicalities involved. Key discussions included the reasonable grounds for suspicion, and how to differentiate between legitimate investigation and fishing expeditions.
The vertical restraints event examined the economic rationale behind vertical agreements and their implications for competition. Specific attention was given to the online platform economy and identifying vertical agreements not covered by the VBER.
The 102 TFEU event dived into the latest CJEU case law and investigations concerning Article 102 TFEU, covering recent amendments to the Commission’s enforcement priorities.