Trust, mutual recognition, and common EU-wide minimum fundamental rights standards are the pillars of a well-functioning EU justice area, says the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights in the run up to European Day of Justice on 25 October. However, in practice this is not the reality. Many obstacles impede individuals from accessing justice or receiving a fair trial. That is why these issues will be thrown under the spotlight during a joint FRA-Slovak EU Presidency conference in Bratislava from 9 to 10 November.