As a member of the ELI, you are part of a unique European legal community. The European Court of Human Rights plays a unique role within its own European community. […] The Court through its caselaw, like ELI through its project, is responding to new legal issues which concern international families and cross-border disputes.

ELI is an important stakeholder on which I know the European Commission can count to continue addressing the challenges in the field of justice.

But it is not only from within the Court’s networks that there are profound contributions to the discussions on the nature of the rights under the Convention. Organisations such as ELI play an essential role in nourishing the debate.

Your recent publications on Fundamental Constitutional Principles of a European Democracy and European Standards of Judicial Independence draw upon significant strands in the Court’s case law. This is important in itself but also because lawyers are key players in maintaining the rule of law by acting to ensure that laws are applied fairly and consistently, in full understanding of rights under the Convention.

I am glad that I made the decision to make a bid for the ELI Secretariat in 2011, and the success of ELI confirmed my decision, which might have been a bit bold then.

[W]e salute the considerable progress that the ELI is making through projects aimed at producing results which can be of immediate practical utility. 

I consider that ELI’s 15 Principles for the COVID-19 crisis will prove to be useful tool for all actors.

I very much support ELI’s work in creating a vigorous European legal community because as I have had the opportunity of underlining recently, lawyers act as guardians of the rule of law by upholding their clients’ fundamental rights and the fair administration of justice in general; by playing a key role as intermediaries between the public and the courts, and as actors within the Convention system by pleading the European Convention on Human Rights before national courts.

I am exceptionally grateful that the ELI and the ALI are collaborating on subject matter of such significance to the international order.

I would like to emphasise how crucial the ELI’s works are in pursuing the bridging of oft-perceived gaps between different legal cultures as well as between scholarship and practice.

The expansion of the European law acquis, in particular in the field of civil law, must be backed up with in-depth analysis by the legal community. This is why, as co-legislator, the European Parliament welcomes the contributions of the ELI during the legislative process – be it through publications or active participation in parliamentary hearings or workshops.

The ELI plays an important role in the development of many parts of the law of the European Economic Area (EEA). This is particularly the case in areas that the EFTA Surveillance Authority (ESA), in its role of safeguarding the rights of individuals and undertakings in the EFTA States of Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway, sees as key to securing prosperity and economic and social progress under the EEA Agreement.

We are facing a challenging future in the European Union. We will have to cross legal paths that are yet to be fully mapped. We will have to find solutions to difficult situations. Working together, gathering the expertise where it is to be found, collecting evidence to support our action to reach the objective is essential. We are very grateful for ELI’s important contribution this far, and look forward to cooperating also in the future to shape the future of the legal environment of the EU.

The ELI has come to provide a key forum for developing European legal thinking and polity. Complementing judicial dialogue and the dialogue between the States and organisaions such as ESA, the ELI facilitates the crucial dialogue between academics, practitioners and institutional actors that is necessary for building and maintaining trust and confidence in the common project of a Europe ruled by law.  

The American Law Institute welcomes and takes a degree of pride in the formation of the ELI and its rapid progress. 

I wish the ELI continued success in its work, and I look forward to further collaboration between our two organizations.

By fostering a vibrant and rigorous European legal community and cross-border cooperation, ELI has contributed substantially, not only to working with national governments and European institutions, but also to upholding the rule of law. Therefore, Austria is proud to be the home of the ELI Secretariat and to host these important legal discussions.