1st Annual EU CharterXchange

When
-
Where
Online
Austria
Organised By
FRA In collaboration with the European Commission
Joint event
The CharterXchange is a forum for legal practitioners and stakeholders to explore current and potential applications of the EU’s Charter of Fundamental Rights and its role in driving positive changes for people’s rights. It will convene annually in December.

Please register to attend!

If you have any questions or need help with your registration, please email: charter@fra.europa.eu

The 2023 CharterXchange includes tailored interactive sessions catering to national authorities, parliaments, members of the judiciary, civil society and academia. There are dedicated sessions for Charter focal points, law students, civil society organisations, national human rights institutions, equality bodies, as well as Partners under the EU Enlargement Policy. Renowned experts and legal practitioners from across Europe will attend and give presentations.

Participation: Open to all public sessions I Exclusive side-meetings by invitation only.

For information on data protection, please see the privacy notice - CharterXChange on 11-13 December 2023

Agenda


THE CHARTER OF FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS IN 2023

11 December

09:30 The virtual meeting room opens.

Plenary

10:00 – 10:10 Opening and welcome

10:10 – 10:15 Keynote address

  • Didier Reynders, Commissioner for Justice, European Commission (video message)

10:15 – 10:30 Introducing the First Annual CharterXchange

  • Andreas Accardo, FRA
  • Ingrid Bellander Todino,  European Commission

10:30 – 11:15 European Commission’s 2023 Annual Report on the Application of the EU Charter

  • Ingrid Bellander Todino,  European Commission
  • Questions and Answers

11:15 – 11:30 Break

11:30 – 12:30 Parallel Sessions – participants select one of the three sessions that best correspond to their interest.

Parallel Session 1

EXPERIENCES WITH THE CHARTER-RELATED ENABLING CONDITIONS IN THE USE OF EU FUNDS: NEW FRA REPORT PRESENTATION AND PEER-TO-PEER EXCHANGE

FRA will present its new report on the Charter-related enabling conditions for the use of EU Funds providing opportunity for participants involved in the implementation and monitoring of EU funds to exchange experiences and views and learn from each other.

11:35 – 11:45 FRA report 'Mainstreaming fundamental rights in the EU funds - The role of National Human Rights Institutions and Equality Bodies’

  • Andreas Accardo, FRA
  • Robert-Jan Uhl, FRA

11:45 – 12:15 Contributions by:

  • Natalija Šimunović, Ministry of Regional Development and EU Funds, Croatia
  • Andor Urmos,  Bridge EU
  • Cezary Węgliński, Office of the Commissioner for Human Rights of Poland 
  • Ines Bulic,  European Network of Independent Living (ENIL)
  • Questions and Answers

Parallel Session 2

NEW EU FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES AND PROJECTS ON THE CHARTER – Focus on the Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values programme (CERV) and Justice Programmes

The session will offer an opportunity for everyone interested in fundamental rights related EU funding to learn about existing and new funding opportunities and for questions.

11:35 – 12:28 Contributions by:

  • Wojciech Postulski, European Commission
  • Paola Cervo, European Commission
  • Questions and Answers

Parallel Session 3

THE EU CHARTER IN THE COURTROOM: DIALOGUE WITH JUDGES

In a dialogue moderated by the editor-in-Chief of EU Law Live, three national judges will speak about recent real-life cases in which they have used the EU Charter, thereby allowing for mutual learning and exchange of experience.

11:35 – 12:28 Contributions by:

  • Goran Selanec, Croatian Constitutional Court
  • Beatrice Ramascanu, Bucharest Court of Appeal
  • Arturs Kučs, Latvian Constitutional Court
  • Questions and Answers

12:28 – 12:30 Final Wrap Up Day 1


THE CHARTER AT NATIONAL LEVEL AND IN STRATEGIC LITIGATION

12 December

09:30 The virtual meeting room opens.

Plenary

10:00 – 10:02 Opening and welcome

10:02 – 10:10 Keynote address 

  • Michael O'Flaherty, Director of FRA

10:10 – 10:55 Keynote speech: The Charter before constitutional courts

  • Clara Rauchegger, University of Innsbruck
  • Questions and Answers

10:55 – 11:30 Council conclusions on the application of the Charter: the role of national actors

  • Almudena Darias De Las Heras, Permanent Representation of Spain to the European Union
  • Questions and Answers

11:30 – 11:45 Break

11:45 – 12:30 Parallel Sessions – participants select one of the three sessions that best correspond to their interest.

Parallel Session 1

HOW CAN THE APPLICATION OF THE CHARTER ADD VALUE TO THE CITY ADMINISTRATION? DIALOGUE BETWEEN AND WITH CITIES

Informed by practical examples from two cities, this session will allow for a dialogue between local authorities and other participants on promising practices to implement, promote and protect people's rights locally by drawing on the EU Charter.

11:45 – 12:28 Contributions by:

  • Laura Gonzalez Mendez, Gijon City Council, EURIGHT
  • João Figueiredo, City of Porto, and Cities Coalition for Digital Rights
  • Questions and Answers

12:28 – 12:30 Final Wrap Up

Parallel Session 2

THE CHARTER AND STRATEGIC LITIGATION: LEARNING FROM PRACTICE

This session will provide practical tips and tools for strategic litigation of the Charter in the national judicial system, including the presentation of the handbook ‘Relying on the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights for Human Rights Litigation’, developed by LIBERTIES.

11:45 – 12:28 Contributions by:

  • James MacGuill, Council of Bars and Law Societies of Europe (CCBE)
  • Linda Ravo, Liberties
  • Kersty McCourt, STARLIGHT, Hertie School
  • Simona Florescu, Validity Foundation
  • Questions and Answers

12:28 – 12:30 Final Wrap Up


LEARNING THE 'CHARTER WAY'

13 December

Plenary

09:30 The virtual meeting room opens.

10:00 – 10:05 Opening and welcome

10:05 – 10:35 Council of Europe HELP course on the interplay of the European Convention on Human Rights and the EU Charter, developed together with FRA and the European Commission

  • Eva Pastrana, Council of Europe, Human Rights Education for Legal Professionals (HELP) Programme
  • Questions and Answers

10:35 – 11:35 Master class: The Charter's added legal value in a nutshell

  • Gabriel N. Toggenburg,  FRA
  • Questions and Answers

11:35 – 11:45 Break

11:45 – 12:30 Practical Session – Learning lab on EU Charter training tools

Get to know existing tools on the EU Charter. The learning lab will allow trainers and judicial training providers to access e-learning tools, activities and resources that encourage self-learning and facilitate the concrete application of the Charter in practice.

11:50 – 11:25 Contributions by:

  • Larisa Antohi, European Commission
  • Lorenza Calcagno, Italian Superior School for the Judiciary, and  European Judicial Training Network (EJTN)
  • Sanja Jovicic, FRA
  • Questions and Answers

12:28 – 12:30 Closing of the Forum