Activities
Conferences
and legal policy debates
A comprehensive programme of annual conferences
The challenge for ERA over the years has been to maintain diversity and breadth in its conference programme despite the ever-increasing number of areas in which EU law applies and the growing “Europeanisation” of domestic law. Updating, deepening and adjusting the programme to match the growing training needs and expectations of legal practitioners has been a key element of our strategy, both during and after the pandemic. Evidence of these programme developments can be seen in the consistent range of annual conferences, where the main aim is to cover the latest developments in a specific area of EU law, update legal practitioners on recent legislation and case law, and introduce policy debates that will shape the future landscape of the legal field.
In 2023, this successful formula covered topics ranging from artificial intelligence and fundamental rights to company law and corporate governance, competition law, consumer law, copyright law, data protection law, direct taxation, disability law, environmental law, insurance law, financial regulation and supervision, immigration law, media law, patent law, succession law, sustainable finance, trade and investment law, trade mark and design law, and VAT law.
In 2023, this successful formula covered topics ranging from artificial intelligence and fundamental rights to company law and corporate governance, competition law, consumer law, copyright law, data protection law, direct taxation, disability law, environmental law, insurance law, financial regulation and supervision, immigration law, media law, patent law, succession law, sustainable finance, trade and investment law, trade mark and design law, and VAT law.
Practical Training
and Workshops
Training opportunities
for young professionals
In terms of practical training, ERA has considerably intensified its programme over recent years in order to better meet the needs of practitioners. In the first instance, this concerns a series of intensive one-week summer courses aimed at young professionals and non-specialists. The utmost effort is made to ensure these courses are always top-quality; they are all designed to be interactive, including case studies, practical workshops, and role-playing to allow participants to put immediately into practice the knowledge they acquire.
In 2023 ERA offered 11 summer courses face-to-face and five online, which were attended by 431 practitioners from all EU and EFTA Member States, Western Balkan States and other parts of the world. The summer courses on criminal justice, environmental law, family law, WTO and trade law were offered in a purely online format and attracted a total of 152 participants. The two most popular face-to-face summer courses were those on data protection law and on antitrust law, each attracting 40 participants, and together with the other face-to-face participants – at courses on civil procedure, consumer law, data protection law, family law, IT law, intellectual property law, labour law, social security law, EU staff regulations and tax law – a total of 279 participants were trained in-person.
In 2023 ERA offered 11 summer courses face-to-face and five online, which were attended by 431 practitioners from all EU and EFTA Member States, Western Balkan States and other parts of the world. The summer courses on criminal justice, environmental law, family law, WTO and trade law were offered in a purely online format and attracted a total of 152 participants. The two most popular face-to-face summer courses were those on data protection law and on antitrust law, each attracting 40 participants, and together with the other face-to-face participants – at courses on civil procedure, consumer law, data protection law, family law, IT law, intellectual property law, labour law, social security law, EU staff regulations and tax law – a total of 279 participants were trained in-person.
Online training resources
Training materials
In addition to implementing training programmes itself, ERA continues to develop standard training materials and other resources that can be reused by national training actors.
In 2023 ERA started to implement a training project for court staff and bailiffs. For this project, an interactive and stand-alone e-tool for legal English in criminal law matters was created for court staff and bailiffs with the aim of improving their level of English in this field of law. The e-tool can be used during the preparation phase of the planned seminars (blended learning) or as a self-learning tool.
In 2023 ERA started to implement a training project for court staff and bailiffs. For this project, an interactive and stand-alone e-tool for legal English in criminal law matters was created for court staff and bailiffs with the aim of improving their level of English in this field of law. The e-tool can be used during the preparation phase of the planned seminars (blended learning) or as a self-learning tool.
ERA Forum
The quarterly legal journal
ERA Forum, the quarterly legal journal published in cooperation with Springer, is composed of articles based on the most outstanding presentations delivered at ERA’s conferences.
The strong demand for the journal was maintained in 2023, with 225,051 articles downloaded in the course of the year, a 37% increase compared to 2022.
The strong demand for the journal was maintained in 2023, with 225,051 articles downloaded in the course of the year, a 37% increase compared to 2022.
ERA Conference Centre (ECC)
2023 Report
In addition to our own educational training activities which are held at ERA’s premises, external events are also regularly hosted here. This taxable activity is marketed under ‘ERA Conference Centre (ECC)’. The events are, for example, trade fairs, congresses, conferences and seminars or receptions. The ECC has had a special relationship with the neighbouring hotel Vienna House Easy by Wyndham Trier over many years and the hotel also organises events for their clients at the ECC.