PREFACE
Michael
McGRATH
It is my great pleasure to commend the achievements of the Academy of the European Law (ERA) over the past year. In 2025, ERA trained more than 8,600 legal professionals, confirming its important role in strengthening legal expertise and cooperation across Europe. Its work with EU Candidate Countries continued to expand, particularly in the Western Balkans, as well as in Moldova and Ukraine, supporting partners in advancing shared legal standards.
ERA stands out as a unique platform bringing together a broad spectrum of legal professions and promoting a cross-professional approach to judicial training. By focusing on essential topics such as digitalisation, the rule of law, gender equality, and anti-discrimination, it equips practitioners to respond to today’s evolving challenges. I warmly congratulate ERA on these achievements and encourage it to continue this important work with the same dedication and ambition, while addressing the key challenges of our time, including digitalisation and artificial intelligence.
Digitalisation and the use of AI do not just upgrade justice, they redefine it. The question today is not whether we can afford to modernise justice; it is rather whether we can afford not to. An efficient and resilient justice system is a pillar of the rule of law and democracy. Justice systems need to be accessible and to deliver fair outcomes swiftly. Digital tools are vital for enhancing access, streamlining processes, improving transparency and delivering justice in challenging circumstances where physical access is restricted. AI tools have the potential to free up justice professionals to focus fully on their core task: dealing with the legal substance of cases. Leveraging technology modernises legal systems, making justice more accessible and equitable for all citizens.
On 20 November 2025, the Commission adopted the Digital Justice Package, which includes the DigitalJustice@2030 Strategy and the European Judicial Training Strategy 2025-2030.
The DigitalJustice@2030 Strategy aims to accelerate digitalisation of justice in the Member States by providing support and funding. It also outlines several measures aimed at supporting a responsible use of AI in justice systems.
The new Judicial Training Strategy focuses on digitalisation, with the aim of supporting the Digital Justice Strategy. Harnessing the benefits of digitalisation makes judicial training more important. Justice professionals need to acquire new skills, knowledge, and awareness, as digitalisation transforms the substance of justice, not just its process. But laws alone do not deliver justice. Strategies alone do not create impact.
The digital transformation must involve empowering justice professionals and enhancing their capabilities in the digital realm. Our ambition is clear: by 2030, every justice professional in Europe – judges, prosecutors, lawyers, notaries – should possess the digital skills and knowledge of EU law required to operate confidently in a digital environment. Our common aim is to integrate digital competences systematically and continuously into training at all career stages from initial training to lifelong learning.
European training providers such as ERA are encouraged to organise cross-border training with the aim of fostering a broader European perspective among participants and facilitating cross-border cooperation, professional exchange, and networking between justice professionals. The Academy’s contribution as a founding member of the European Judicial Training Network continues to be very valuable for strengthening mutual trust, promoting a shared European judicial culture, and ensuring the consistent application of EU law among judiciary and judicial staff across all Member States. I encourage ERA to be the driver of innovative training approaches, to develop ready-to-use or adaptable training materials that cover EU priority training topics and are translated into all EU languages, and to make these available for national training purposes.
As we move into 2026, I wish ERA continued success in pursuing its mission and in further expanding its impact in the years to come.
Messages from
our boards
Jean-Claude
JUNCKER
Former President of the European Commission
President of the ERA Governing Board
Marc
VAN DER WOUDE
President of the General Court of the European Union
Sabine
VERHEYEN MEP
First Vice-President of the European Parliament
Chair of the ERA Executive Board
INTERVIEW
WITH THE
MANAGEMENT
BOARD
Question 1
How would you assess the past year for the Academy, in a nutshell?
Jean-Philippe Rageade (Director): While 2024 was a record year in terms of direct beneficiaries of our training programmes, 2025 saw a decrease of 7% in total participant numbers. That said, with over 8,600 participants, this remains the third highest number of participants in ERA’s history and thus a result we can be proud of. Our outreach within the EU, the accession countries and beyond therefore remains at a high level. Accessibility also continued to improve. In 2025, 59% of our events were delivered online or in hybrid format, up from 55% in 2024. This reflects our ongoing commitment to ensuring that ERA’s training programmes can be accessed remotely, regardless of where participants are based.
I should be candid about our financial results, however: 2025 was not a good year in this respect, contrary to the recent past. The reasons are diverse, ranging from a complicated geopolitical context, some vacancies in key positions that we were unable to fill in time, and rising costs. In these circumstances, we are particularly grateful for the crucial and continued financial support of the European Commission and of the Land of Rhineland-Palatinate.
What forward-looking changes or innovations do you recall from 2025?
Lilian Erbel (Deputy Director, Director of Finance & Human Resources): If one word were to define ERA’s internal direction in 2025, it would be ‘transformation’. We are managing an ambitious portfolio of parallel change projects across our organisation, all underpinned by a holistic approach to digitalisation encompassing our website, internal communications, document management, and the foundational systems that power our work, including a renewed CRM and ERP infrastructure. We launched the first part of our new website, took our first steps with AI, analysed key processes, and began building internal capacities for more advanced systems. Yet our deeper ambition extends beyond technology alone. We are developing a vision for the future of work at ERA: one in which human expertise, digital tools, and artificial intelligence collaborate meaningfully. The opportunities are significant, but so are the risks and complexities that accompany change on this scale. What I value most is that we are facing these challenges together, thinking creatively and moving forward with both ambition and care.
Jean-Philippe Rageade: The concept of ‘transformation’ mentioned by Lilian extends equally to justice systems and to legal professionals. Digitalisation and artificial intelligence are reshaping both in profound and lasting ways, a reality that has driven a far-reaching evolution of our activity programme in recent years, and with even greater intensity in 2025. Beyond training, last year ERA also contributed to the broader conversations shaping how justice systems across Europe respond to these changes. This was most visible during the Polish Presidency of the EU, under which ERA was invited to speak at the conference on „New Challenges Associated with the Development of AI and E-Communication in the Field of“ in Warsaw, and to address the Council’s e-Justice Working Party to present its strategy for training justice professionals in digitalisation and AI. In recent years, ERA has also been involved in the preparation of the European Judicial Training Strategy for 2025-2030 that was published in November 2025, confirming the importance of the topic and the role ERA is expected to play.
Viktor Vadász (Deputy Director, Director of Programmes): Another forward-looking step we took in 2025 was to launch structured cooperation with universities, especially with Queen Mary University of London and The Hague University of Applied Sciences (THUAS), involving their students in business consultancy and applied research projects. The results were immediate and substantial. For example, a team of five THUAS students, supervised by two academics, conducted an in-depth study of ERA’s training methods. „Their report, Transforming Legal Education: Strategic Innovations for the Academy of European Law“, delivered clear and actionable recommendations: broadening our thematic scope to cover AI, cybersecurity and digital literacy; introducing microlearning, gamification, legal hackathons and on-demand formats. The findings were presented at ERA’s Board of Trustees meeting, marking an important moment in integrating academic insight and learner-centred thinking into our strategy. This partnership is already bearing fruit: in 2026, we will expand the collaboration with new research projects, including the development of gamification templates for EU legal training adaptable across different formats and learner profiles. For me, this cooperation represents something broader: a genuine dialogue with the next generation of legal professionals about how they learn and how we must evolve to meet them.
Jean-Philippe Rageade: From 2025, I would also highlight our deepened and increasingly structured engagement with the EU accession countries. The path to EU membership for the Western Balkan countries, Ukraine, and Moldova is not only a political process, but also legal and institutional, requiring the alignment of entire judicial systems, professional cultures, and training frameworks with European standards. ERA has a role to play in that process, and 2025 marked a turning point in how seriously and structurally we embraced it. What began as a study visit in early 2025 bringing together high-level representatives from the National School of Judges of Ukraine, the Prosecutor’s Training Centre of Ukraine, the National Institute of Justice of Moldova, and their respective bar associations, quickly evolved into something far more lasting for these two countries. Throughout the year, we also organised dedicated seminars in Belgrade and Tirana, and continued to offer free online participation at a selection of our open events to legal professionals from all Candidate Countries.
Viktor Vadász: To add to what Jean-Philippe said, a true milestone in that respect is also the formalisation of our engagement for these countries through two projects under the Justice Programme: one on training for court staff, judicial officers and bailiffs in partnership with institutions from Kosovo, Ukraine and Moldova, and another on EU Charter training involving bar associations from Ukraine, Moldova, Albania, and Bosnia and Herzegovina. At a time when the rule of law and European values are under pressure across the continent, investing in the legal professionals of accession countries is not just a programme priority but also a strategic and moral imperative.
Beyond promoting EU Law and the European values, the Academy, as a Jean Monnet Designated Institution, also contributes to addressing some current societal challenges. Can you give us some examples of these?
Viktor Vadász: Indeed, ERA’s commitment to society yielded several significant outcomes in 2025. As an institution deeply rooted in European values, ERA takes its responsibility for equality seriously, training legal practitioners in EU gender equality and anti-discrimination law and raising its own voice. In 2025, some 600 legal professionals were once again trained in this specific area. In March 2025, ERA and the Hungarian Academy of Justice implemented a seminar that focused on how to protect women and other victims of violence in the justice system.
Lilian Erbel: Another example of this is the social media campaign that we ran to mark the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, standing in solidarity with the EU’s broader call to end gender-based violence. For an organisation whose work is based on the rule of law, it is both natural and necessary to speak out on this issue, particularly at a time when these values are under renewed pressure.
When discussing societal challenges, ERA’s environmental responsibility should also be acknowledged, as it is embedded in our daily work. We are proud that our EMAS certification (the EU’s Eco-Management and Audit Scheme) was renewed in 2025, reaffirming the commitment we made in 2021. From reducing paper consumption and CO₂ emissions to generating a significant proportion of our electricity from our own photovoltaic installations, sustainability is integral to how we run our organisation.
Jean-Philippe Rageade: We also take on a social responsibility by providing internships for students. Since the signature of a multiannual cooperation agreement with the European Law Students Association (ELSA) in 2022, we have welcomed a growing number of students who join us for a few months. For many of them, this is their first professional experience in a truly European environment. Our colleagues involve them in daily work and meetings, helping them to feel part of the team quickly. I am truly impressed by the commitment these young people demonstrate and the fresh ideas they contribute. I keep in mind what one of the trainees said at the end of her internship last year: “You made EU law feel alive – and fun!”
Similarly, under the motto “ERA is for everyone!”, I would like to emphasise the important role of the Friends of ERA Association in providing scholarships to legal practitioners who would otherwise be unable to attend ERA conferences. Thanks to the Friends of ERA, around 30 scholarship recipients from all over the EU are given the opportunity to attend a variety of training events every year.
Lilian Erbel: Not to forget Art@ERA, a programme that has quietly become one of ERA’s most beloved traditions. Since 1999, our foyer, cafeteria and glazed gallery have served as welcoming spaces for European artists, from emerging talents to established names. In 2025, we reached a milestone that fills me with genuine pride: our 100th exhibition. For over a quarter of a century, Art@ERA has supported hundreds of artists, bringing culture, beauty and dialogue to the heart of our training institute. This serves as a reminder that law and the humanities are not opposites, but rather share a fundamental concern for human dignity.
Which of ERA’s developments or moments in 2025 are you most proud of?
Lilian Erbel: Excellence, digital transformation, and connection. These three words best describe the developments and moments I feel most grateful for when I look back on 2025. They are not just words, but the very pillars on which ERA is building its future as a leading training institute in European law and a high-value workplace.
One of our most tangible achievements in terms of digital transformation was the successful launch of the first part of our new website, following many unsuccessful and sometimes frustrating attempts in recent years. This important milestone marks a new chapter for ERA. The new website embodies all that ERA stands for: modernity, excellence, expertise in European law, high-quality programmes and a commitment to social responsibility.
Then there was the “Lange Nacht der Kunst”, an annual cherished cultural event in Trier which takes visitors on a journey through the city’s galleries and cultural institutions. For the third time, the event’s opening took place at our premises. This vivid, connecting and moving event was a powerful reminder that ERA is not only an institute of European significance, but also an integral part of the city of Trier and its people.
Another thing close to my heart is the progress we have made in investing in our own team. The newly-introduced staff training scheme was very well received. After all, the excellence we aim to offer to Europe’s legal community begins with excellence within our own organisation. Developing our people’s skills and confidence is not an additional project; it is central to ERA’s long-term success. The training programme offered in 2025 focused not only on professional skills such as AI and project management, but also personal skills such as rhetoric training and on-camera performance. Seeing our team embrace this ambition for growth, and their willingness to participate, think outside the box and step outside their comfort zones, fills me with genuine pride and gratitude.
Viktor Vadász: One achievement I am particularly proud of in 2025 is the successful organisation of the Young European Lawyers Contest (YELC). YELC offers a truly unique platform for young lawyers across Europe to hone their legal skills in an increasingly digital and interconnected world. The 2025 edition culminated in a moot court final held once again at the General Court of the European Union in Luxembourg, a setting that lends the competition an extraordinary gravitas. What made the 2025 edition especially memorable was that for the first time ever, the YELC final and the awards ceremony were livestreamed directly from the Court of Justice on both its official website and LinkedIn, bringing the event to a much wider audience across Europe and beyond. Witnessing the young contestants handle the pressure with aplomb and respond to the tough questions of a jury composed of judges of the General Court and senior legal professionals, is a powerful reminder of why this contest matters. A second highlight for me was the 2025 edition of the European Forum of the Legal Professions under the title „The Need for Constant Vigilance: The Role of the Legal Professions in Maintaining Democratic Values“. Two things stand out in particular. First, the conference took place at the Belgian Council of State, with the opening by the First President of the Council and a keynote speech by Ana Gallego Torres, Director-General for Justice and Consumers at the European Commission. Second, we broke the participation record, welcoming over 500 legal professionals from across Europe and beyond both onsite and online, reflecting the growing relevance of the issues we address and the trust the legal community places in this forum. Facilitating this level of debate, on that scale, on issues that truly matter for European democracy, is something I am very proud of.
A third source of pride is ERA’s perfect track record in 2025: every proposal submitted to the Justice Programme was successful, and every tender was won. This clean sweep is a direct reflection of the expertise and dedication of my colleagues in the Programme Department. The successful projects address pressing needs in European legal practice, such as the upskilling of court staff and judicial officers in digital tools for cross-border civil and criminal cases or the provision of practical training to legal professionals on the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights. For sure, this success would not have been possible without the trust and support of our partners across the various legal professions.
Jean-Philippe Rageade: This is a difficult choice, but I would mention first the re-election of the Academy to the Steering Committee of the European Judicial Training Network (EJTN) for another three years. For me, this marks a continuation of over two decades of active engagement in Europe’s most important judicial training alliance. This re-election, which took place during the EJTN General Assembly in Gdańsk, recognises the dedication of our teams within the Network’s various bodies and activities. It also demonstrates the high level of trust we enjoy among the Network’s national members. As a founding member of EJTN, which celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2025, ERA remains committed to supporting and contributing to the Network’s mission of promoting judicial excellence and a common legal culture across the European Union.Another significant moment for ERA in 2025 that I am particularly grateful for was the opening of the plenary meeting of our Board of Trustees by the German Federal Minister of Justice and Consumer Protection, Dr Stefanie Hubig. She gave a powerful speech about the importance of defending the rule of law in Europe, emphasising the crucial role of legal training in safeguarding it. Dr Hubig particularly highlighted ERA’s contribution to a strong and resilient Europe, which includes supporting an independent judiciary, providing high-quality legal education, engaging with EU Candidate Countries and facilitating intergenerational exchange among legal professionals.
Last but not least, I am deeply proud of the ERA team. 2025 was one of our most demanding years in recent times, with a significant staff turnover, ambitious new digitalisation projects, and a pace of change that has tested everyone’s adaptability and resolve. And all of this against a backdrop that none of us can ignore: a political climate in Europe and beyond that is increasingly uncertain, turbulent and worrying, and that weighs on all of us, professionally and personally. Through all of this, the ERA team has shown remarkable commitment, professionalism, solidarity and resilience, never losing sight of what we aim to achieve together.
Jean-Philippe Rageade
Director
Viktor Vadász
Deputy Director,
Director of Programmes
Lilian Erbel
Deputy Director, Director of Finance
& Human Resources