A record-breaking number of applications were submitted for the EJTN Exchange Programme 2023: thanks to the dissemination of the call for applications on a national level by the EJTN members, 3433 judges, prosecutors, judicial trainers, and court and prosecution staff from 31 countries (EU Member States, Western Balkans countries and the United Kingdom) applied this year.
Judicial exchanges will be organised in courts, prosecution offices and judicial training institutions of the EU Member States as well as in some European institutions.
The Exchange Programme is the EJTN flagship activity since it was launched in 2005.
An ever-increasing popularity of the Exchange Programme
The 2023 call for applications covering short-term exchanges (General, Specialised, Court Presidents and Chief Prosecutors’ and Trainers exchanges) and long-term training periods at the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU), the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) and Eurojust closed on 14 October. It was the first time that court and prosecution staff were integrated in the same call for applications as the well-established target group of EJTN-activities of judges and prosecutors.
The application numbers were shared as follows:
- General exchanges: 2641 applicants, including 1902 judges and prosecutors and 739 court staff
- Specialised exchanges: 418 applicants
- Court president and chief prosecutors: 74 applicants
- Trainers (including court staff trainers): 102 applicants
- Long-term training periods at CJEU: 46 applicants
- Long-term training periods at ECtHR: 66 applicants
- Long-term training periods at Eurojust: 86 applicants
The Exchange Programme National Contact Points in EJTN member and partner institutions are now invited to review the applications received for their country and will proceed to the preselection of their applicants. The EJTN secretariat will then allocate the preselected applicants in the different hosting countries. Successful applicants will be notified about their selection in the beginning of February 2023.
Upcoming calls for applications under the EJTN Exchange Programme
The deadline to apply for “Bilateral exchanges” has been moved to 11 November 2022. There is still time to compose a project with a partner court/prosecution office and to apply! More information can be found on the website www.ejtn.eu/Exchange-Programme/Calls-for-participation/
The following calls for applications will open soon:
- 14 November – 16 December: study visits to be organised in the first semester of 2023
- January 2023: “Judiciary Learning Grant Programme”, “Regional exchanges” and EJTN-CEPOL joint Exchange Programme.
Visit the EJTN website to stay tuned about upcoming calls for the EJTN Exchange Programme!
