When 10 November 2022

Where Online only, Austria

Organised By FRA

FRA event

The meeting will take place online on Thursday, 10 November 2022 from 13:30-17:00 CET.

The theme of this year's meeting is: How can civil society help strengthen the rule of law in the European Union? And how can the rule of law help strengthen civil society?

Respect for the rule of law is one of the founding values of the European Union (EU). Acknowledging the risk of erosion of this value, the European Commission established the European Rule of Law Mechanism, as a preventive tool which aims to promote the rule of law and prevent challenges from emerging or it deteriorating. The European Commission’s annual report on the rule of law is a core component of this Mechanism. The report acknowledges the important role that civil society organisations play for supporting institutional systems of checks and balances pertaining to the rule of law.

FRA’s 2022 annual update on civic space in the EU provides an overview of how civil society is contributing to this in many ways. It emphasizes the role that civil society plays in promoting a strong rule of law culture in the EU.

Drawing on these reports, this year’s annual meeting of the Fundamental Rights Platform will focus on how civil society can best contribute to strengthening the rule of law in their countries, and on what can be done to support civil society organisations in this endeavour. 

 

Programme

13:30 Join us for a digital welcome coffee (bring your own coffee or tea!)

13:50 Introduction of the meeting rules by moderator and facilitator Jacki Davis 

14:00-15:30 Part I: State of play of the rule of law in the EU 

14:00 Welcome by Michael O’Flaherty, Director of the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) 

14:10 Special address by Oleksandra Matviychuk, Head of the Board of the Centre for Civil Liberties (Ukraine), co-recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize 2022 

14:20 Dialogue with Didier Reynders, European Commissioner for Justice 

14:55 Panel discussion: How can civil society help strengthen the rule of law? And how can the rule of law help strengthen civil society? 

• MEP Terry Reintke (Greens/EFA, DE), Rapporteur on European Commission’s 2021 Rule of Law report (tbc) 

• Michael Meyer Resende, Director, Democracy Reporting International  

• Simona Constantinescu, Head of Development and Advocacy, Civil Society Development Foundation Romania, and member of Council of Europe’s Expert Council on NGO law  

• Michael O’Flaherty, Director of the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) 

 

15:30-15:45 BREAK 

 

15:45-17:00 Part II: Civil society and the rule of law – practical tools 

15:45 Framing of Part II by Waltraud Heller, civic space expert at FRA

15:50 Breakout sessions hosted by CSOs  

• Rule of law ‘from below’ and the role of the civil society. Prof. Dr. Antoine Buyse, professor of human rights at Utrecht University and Director of the Netherlands Institute of Human Rights.  

• From problem to solution – how can digital tools strengthen the rule of law? Dr Paloma Krõõt Tupay, Member of the Supervisory Council of the Estonian Human Rights Centre and Deputy Member of FRA’s Management Board.

• Communicating the rule of law – how to get the message across? Jakub Jaraczewski, Research Coordinator at Democracy Reporting International.

• Towards an EU Civil Society Strategy. Carlotta Besozzi, Coordinator at Civil Society Europe.

• Rule of Law conditionality and fundamental rights conditionality – new tool, old habits? Alessia Mora of Open Society Foundations Europe and Central Asia

• Implementation of judgements – what are the problems and prospects? Dr Nino Tsereteli, Research Officer at Democracy Reporting International.

• Media freedom – how to safeguard inclusive debate? Lisa-Maria Kretschmer, Head of Advocacy at Reporter ohne Grenzen/Reporters without Borders.  

16:40 Reporting to the plenary from the breakout sessions 

16:55 Wrap-up of the meeting and outlining of next steps by Andreas Accardo, Head of Unit Institutional Cooperation and Networks at FRA 

17:00 End of the meeting 

About the Fundamental Rights Platform

The Fundamental Rights Platform (FRP) is FRA’s cooperation network with non-governmental organisations and institutions of civil society, as defined in Article 10 of FRA’s Regulation. The Platform brings together around 800 organisations, including non-governmental organisations, trade unions, employers’ associations and other professional organisations, churches, religious, philosophical and non-confessional organisations, universities and human rights defenders from across the EU and the countries that have obtained observer status with FRA (Albania, North Macedonia and Serbia). 

The Platform’s annual meetings are designed to offer an opportunity to exchange and connect on pressing human rights issues. Participants in the Platform’s annual meeting generally represent the local, national, European and international levels. Approximately 250 participants are expected to attend this year’s meeting, bringing together a cross-section of organisations active on the Platform, as well as representatives from international organisations, the European Parliament, the European Commission, EU agencies, national human rights institutions, equality bodies and many others.