Lex & Forum - EU Accession to the ECHR: Procedural Hurdles and Prospects Before the ECtHR
Hybrid Workshop
Thursday & Friday 15 - 16.5.2025, 17:00 EET│16:00 CET│15:00 GMT
Aristotle University of Thessaloniki - Faculty of Law
EU Accession to the ECHR: Procedural Hurdles and Prospects Before the ECtHR
Conference Hall III, Research Dissemination Center (KEDEA), Thessaloniki, Greece
Workshop Agenda
Thursday 15 May 2025
17:00 Welcome message and opening remarks on behalf of the organisers
Professor Panagiotis Glavinis, Dean and Professor of International Economic Law, Faculty of Law, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
Professor Paris Arvanitakis, Professor of Civil Procedure, Faculty of Law, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
17:15 Opening Framework Speech
Mr. Christos Giakoumopoulos, former Director General of Human Rights and Rule of Law, Council of Europe
17:45 – 20:00 Panel Discussion
Chair: Dr. Vassilis Tzevelekos, Reader in Law, School of Law and Social Justice, University of Liverpool
Speakers:
Dr. Christine Bicknell, Senior Lecturer in Public International Law, Law School, University of Exeter
The Burden of Proof in Cases Involving EU Law after the EU’s Accession to the ECHR
Ms. Zoe Bryanston-Cross, Deputy Head, Office of the President, European Court of Human Rights, Council of Europe
The Execution of Judgments against the EU and/or its Member States in Cases Involving EU Law after the EU Accession to the
ECHR
Dr. Lize R. Glas, Associate Professor of International and European Law, Faculty of Law, Radboud University
Unilateral Declarations and Friendly Settlements by the EU and/or its Member States in Cases Involving EU law after the EU accession to the ECHR
Dr. Vassilis Pergantis, Assistant Professor of Public International Law, Faculty of Law, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
Co-Respondent Mechanism and Proper Administration of Justice
Discussants:
Professor Joseph Ktenides, Professor of EU Law, Faculty of Law, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
Mr. David Milner, Head of the Human Rights Intergovernmental Co-operation Division and Secretary to the Steering Committee for Human Rights (CDDH) ad hoc Negotiation Group ‘46+1’ on the Accession of the EU to the ECHR, Council of Europe
Friday 16 May 2025
10:00 – 12:00 Closed Roundtable Discussion
Chair: Professor Paris Arvanitakis, Professor of Civil Procedure, Faculty of Law, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
Participants:
Dr. Anastasia Kalantzi, Teaching Fellow, Faculty of Law, Democritus University of Thrace
Professor Joseph Ktenides, Professor of EU Law, Faculty of Law, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
Dr. Vassilis Pergantis, Assistant Professor of Public International Law, Faculty of Law, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
Dr. Vassilis Tzevelekos, Reader in Law, School of Law and Social Justice, University of Liverpool
Event organisers:
Professor Paris Arvanitakis
Dr. Vassilis Pergantis
Dr Vassilis Tzevelekos
Organising institutions:
Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Faculty of Law
University of Liverpool, School of Law and Social Justice, International Law and Human Rights Unit
Lex&Forum, Sakkoulas
ECHR Law Review, Brill
Sponsors:
Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Faculty of Law, Special Account for Research Funds
University of Liverpool, School of Law and Social Justice, International Law and Human Rights Unit
In 2023, a new Draft Accession Agreement (DAA) was finalised, raising hopes that the EU will finally accede to the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). This development promises significant benefits, including enhanced access to justice for victims of human rights violations and greater accountability, as the EU will come under the scrutiny of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR). However, the accession remains a highly complex endeavour. While much scholarship has examined the structural features of the DAA, particularly the new framework designed to accommodate the EU as a unique international legal entity, little attention has been given to the procedural implications. This workshop seeks to address this gap, focusing on select procedural hurdles and prospects pertaining to litigation before the ECtHR and the enforcement of judgments after accession. Over two days, scholars and practitioners will explore these crucial yet overlooked dimensions of the EU accession to the ECHR.
