Kutse

Draft

Brussels, 10-11 December 2025

25 Years of Rights: Reflecting on the Impact of the Charter

Conference to mark the 25th anniversary of the proclamation of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union

Wednesday 10 December – International Human Rights Day From 9:00 Arrival and registration of participants Event moderated by Friso Roscam Abbing, Head of Brussels Liaison Office, European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights 09:30 Opening remarks

Director-General for Justice and Consumers, Ana Gallego

09:45-10.15 Scene setter – How the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights shapes EU law

Michal Bobek, Judge of the Supreme Administrative Court of Czechia, former Advocate General at the Court of Justice of the European Union

10:15-10.30 The Charter today – take-outs from the third annual CharterXchange online event of Charter practitioners Interview with Sirpa Rautio, Director, European Union Agency of Fundamental Rights

10:30-11:00 Coffee break

11:00-12:00 Panel 1: Two anniversaries, two overlapping protection systems – the

European Convention of Human Rights and the Charter

• Arnfinn Bårdsen, Vice-President of the European Court of Human Rights

• Niels Fenger, Judge of the Court of Justice of the European Union

 Exchange moderated by Inge Govaere, Professor of EU Law, Director of the European Legal Studies Department of the College of Europe

 Questions from the audience 12:00-12:15 Art performance 12:15-13:00 Panel 2: The Charter’s role alongside international and regional human

rights instruments – ensuring consistent application and adding value

Draft

• Christina Meinecke, Regional Representative for Europe Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)

• Gianluca Esposito, Director-General of Human Rights and Rule of Law of

the Council of Europe

 Exchange moderated by Kirsten Roberts Lyer, Chair of the Human Rights Program at the Central European University, Chair of the FRA Scientific Committee

 Questions from the audience 13:00-14.00 Lunch 14:00-15:30 Marketplace of connections - Civil society best practice initiatives from

the Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values programme

Participants will be invited to join thematic marketplace tables where CERV beneficiaries present best practices from their projects. Participants can join in 3 out of 10 tables on the following topics:

• Capacity building and awareness raising on the Charter • Empowering the civic space • Strategic litigation • Combating hate speech and hate crime • Whistleblower protection • Promoting and protecting children’s rights • Violence against women • LGBTIQ equality • Anti-racism and non-discrimination • Citizens' engagement and participation

The marketplace will be moderated with 25 minutes of presentation and discussion at each table. Participants will be asked to choose their preferred topics during event registration. 15:30 – 16:00 Coffee break 16:00 – 17:00 Panel 3: Empowering individuals – 25 years of equality and rights

• Colm O’Cinneide, Professor of Human Rights Law at the University College of London

• Aleksandra Dulkiewicz, Mayor of the City of Gdansk

• Beate Rudolf, Director, National Human Rights Institution of Germany (online)

 Exchange moderated by Delia Ferri, Professor of Law, Maynooth

University, Member of the FRA Scientific Committee

 Questions from the audience

Draft

17:00 – 17:15 Civil society perspective on supporting the application of the Charter

Interview with Kersty McCourt, Senior Advocacy Advisor at Liberties (Civil Liberties Union for Europe)

From 17:15 Cocktail and tapas with cultural performance Thursday 11 December

9:00 Arrival and welcome coffee Event moderated by Friso Roscam Abbing, Head of Brussels Liaison Office, European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights 09:30-10:30 Panel 4: National actors as Charter agents – challenges and highlights

• National authorities as guarantors of fundamental rights: Adam Bodnar, Senator of the Republic of Poland (online)

• Ensuring the application of the Charter in national courts, Goran Selanec Judge of the Croatian Constitutional Court

• The role of national parliaments in ensuring the implementation of the Charter: Speaker TBC

 Exchange moderated by Jonas Christoffersen, attorney, former Director of the Danish Institute of Human Rights

 Questions from the audience 10:30-11:00 Coffee break with side programme 11:00-12:00 Panel 5: The policy framework – recent insights from the Mid-term review

of the Charter strategy

• Presentation of the mid-term review outcomes, Director-General for Justice and Consumers, Ana Gallego

• Key messages from the perspective of justice professionals, Ingrid Derveaux, Secretary-General of European Judicial Training Network (EJTN)

• Key messages from the perspective of NHRIs, Debbie Kohner, Secretary- General of European Network of National Human Rights Institutions (ENNHRI)

 Exchange moderated by Director-General for Justice and Consumers, Ana Gallego

 Questions from the audience

Draft

12:00-13:00 Panel 6 – Looking forward into the next 25 years

• Javier Zarzalejos, Chair, LIBE Committee

• Teresa Anjinho, European Ombudsman

• Norma Foley, Minister for Children, Disability and Equality of Ireland

• Marilena Raouna, Deputy Minister for European Affairs of Cyprus (online)

 Exchange moderated by Gabriel N. Toggenburg, European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights

 Questions from the audience 13:00-13:15 Closing words – Michael McGrath, Commissioner for Democracy, Justice,

the Rule of Law and Consumer Protection

Draft

Brussels, 10-11 December 2025

25 Years of Rights: Reflecting on the Impact of the Charter

Conference to mark the 25th anniversary of the proclamation of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union

Wednesday 10 December – International Human Rights Day From 9:00 Arrival and registration of participants Event moderated by Friso Roscam Abbing, Head of Brussels Liaison Office, European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights 09:30 Opening remarks

Director-General for Justice and Consumers, Ana Gallego

09:45-10.15 Scene setter – How the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights shapes EU law

Michal Bobek, Judge of the Supreme Administrative Court of Czechia, former Advocate General at the Court of Justice of the European Union

10:15-10.30 The Charter today – take-outs from the third annual CharterXchange online event of Charter practitioners Interview with Sirpa Rautio, Director, European Union Agency of Fundamental Rights

10:30-11:00 Coffee break

11:00-12:00 Panel 1: Two anniversaries, two overlapping protection systems – the

European Convention of Human Rights and the Charter

• Arnfinn Bårdsen, Vice-President of the European Court of Human Rights

• Niels Fenger, Judge of the Court of Justice of the European Union

 Exchange moderated by Inge Govaere, Professor of EU Law, Director of the European Legal Studies Department of the College of Europe

 Questions from the audience 12:00-12:15 Art performance 12:15-13:00 Panel 2: The Charter’s role alongside international and regional human

rights instruments – ensuring consistent application and adding value

Draft

• Christina Meinecke, Regional Representative for Europe Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)

• Gianluca Esposito, Director-General of Human Rights and Rule of Law of

the Council of Europe

 Exchange moderated by Kirsten Roberts Lyer, Chair of the Human Rights Program at the Central European University, Chair of the FRA Scientific Committee

 Questions from the audience 13:00-14.00 Lunch 14:00-15:30 Marketplace of connections - Civil society best practice initiatives from

the Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values programme

Participants will be invited to join thematic marketplace tables where CERV beneficiaries present best practices from their projects. Participants can join in 3 out of 10 tables on the following topics:

• Capacity building and awareness raising on the Charter • Empowering the civic space • Strategic litigation • Combating hate speech and hate crime • Whistleblower protection • Promoting and protecting children’s rights • Violence against women • LGBTIQ equality • Anti-racism and non-discrimination • Citizens' engagement and participation

The marketplace will be moderated with 25 minutes of presentation and discussion at each table. Participants will be asked to choose their preferred topics during event registration. 15:30 – 16:00 Coffee break 16:00 – 17:00 Panel 3: Empowering individuals – 25 years of equality and rights

• Colm O’Cinneide, Professor of Human Rights Law at the University College of London

• Aleksandra Dulkiewicz, Mayor of the City of Gdansk

• Beate Rudolf, Director, National Human Rights Institution of Germany (online)

 Exchange moderated by Delia Ferri, Professor of Law, Maynooth

University, Member of the FRA Scientific Committee

 Questions from the audience

Draft

17:00 – 17:15 Civil society perspective on supporting the application of the Charter

Interview with Kersty McCourt, Senior Advocacy Advisor at Liberties (Civil Liberties Union for Europe)

From 17:15 Cocktail and tapas with cultural performance Thursday 11 December

9:00 Arrival and welcome coffee Event moderated by Friso Roscam Abbing, Head of Brussels Liaison Office, European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights 09:30-10:30 Panel 4: National actors as Charter agents – challenges and highlights

• National authorities as guarantors of fundamental rights: Adam Bodnar, Senator of the Republic of Poland (online)

• Ensuring the application of the Charter in national courts, Goran Selanec Judge of the Croatian Constitutional Court

• The role of national parliaments in ensuring the implementation of the Charter: Speaker TBC

 Exchange moderated by Jonas Christoffersen, attorney, former Director of the Danish Institute of Human Rights

 Questions from the audience 10:30-11:00 Coffee break with side programme 11:00-12:00 Panel 5: The policy framework – recent insights from the Mid-term review

of the Charter strategy

• Presentation of the mid-term review outcomes, Director-General for Justice and Consumers, Ana Gallego

• Key messages from the perspective of justice professionals, Ingrid Derveaux, Secretary-General of European Judicial Training Network (EJTN)

• Key messages from the perspective of NHRIs, Debbie Kohner, Secretary- General of European Network of National Human Rights Institutions (ENNHRI)

 Exchange moderated by Director-General for Justice and Consumers, Ana Gallego

 Questions from the audience

Draft

12:00-13:00 Panel 6 – Looking forward into the next 25 years

• Javier Zarzalejos, Chair, LIBE Committee

• Teresa Anjinho, European Ombudsman

• Norma Foley, Minister for Children, Disability and Equality of Ireland

• Marilena Raouna, Deputy Minister for European Affairs of Cyprus (online)

 Exchange moderated by Gabriel N. Toggenburg, European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights

 Questions from the audience 13:00-13:15 Closing words – Michael McGrath, Commissioner for Democracy, Justice,

the Rule of Law and Consumer Protection