The year 2025 marked a very special milestone for the European Judicial Training Network, celebrating 25 years of advancing judicial training excellence and contributing to a strong Europe of Justice. This achievement was honoured at a special anniversary event held in Bordeaux, France, as well as throughout the year during our training activities and projects.
A full review of this year’s activities will be available next year with the publication of the 2025 Annual Activity Report. Meanwhile, you can already find some of this year’s moments to remember below. Please note that the listing is by no means exhaustive, as all EJTN’s programmes and initiatives have consistently demonstrated growth and innovation across diverse range of activities.
An electoral General Assembly sets the course for coming years
The 2025 EJTN General Assembly, held in June in Gdańsk, Poland, was a special occasion, as elections were held for the positions of the EJTN Secretary General, members of the EJTN Steering Committee, as well as Conveners of EJTN’s five Working Groups. The mandate for all roles starts on 1 January 2026 and runs until 31 December 2028.
Judge Ingrid Derveaux was unanimously re-elected to lead the Network for another 3-year mandate. In her thank you speech, she highlighted the importance of continuing to advance the shared mission of the Network, upholding the Rule of Law, and reinforcing a strong, independent and well-prepared judiciary across Europe.
Moreover, the Slovenian Judicial Training Centre, led by Blanka Javorac Završek, was elected for the first time to the EJTN Steering Committee, and the Spanish Judicial School, represented by José Pablo Carrera Fernandez, was elected to take on the role of Convener of the Working Group on Programmes. Congratulations!
A brand-new Catalogue of Training Activities highlights foundational principles
Launched at the anniversary event in October, the 2026 Catalogue of Training Activities displays a great range of training opportunities for Europe’s judges, prosecutors, court staff and trainers. Designed with the evolving legal landscape in mind, the training offer in 2026 has a special focus on the Rule of Law, the digital transformation of justice, competitiveness and the protection of fundamental rights. Through interactive webinars, engaging in-person seminars, the wide-reaching exchange programme and our flagship initial training initiatives – the Erasmus-style AIAKOS Programme and the THEMIS Competition – EJTN ensures high-quality training opportunities across the EU Member States.
The 2026 Catalogue of Training Activities builds on the extensive work done during the 2025 Training Needs Assessment, and it could not have been possible without the invaluable contributions of EJTN Members, Associate Members, Observers, Partners, Activity Coordinators, and National Contact Points. A special thank you also goes to the European Commission for the financial support that makes these training activities possible. The 2026 Training Needs Assessment will take place on 22 January 2026 – follow EJTN on LinkedIn to receive the latest updates on this event and beyond.
The 2025 THEMIS Grand Final takes place at the CJEU for the first time
For the first time since its creation 16 years ago, the THEMIS Competition Grand Final took place at the prestigious setting of the Court of Justice of the European Union in Luxembourg, honoured by the presence of the CJEU President Koen Lenaerts. Congratulations to Team Romania I on their well-deserved victory!
Moreover, the 2024 THEMIS Annual Journal was unveiled in connection with the Grand Final. Published by Anthemis and consisting of 13 insightful articles by the 2024 THEMIS Competition participants and a foreword by President Lenaerts, this important partnership also marked a first in the publication’s six-year history. You can access the annual journal here in full.
Our sincere thanks to the journal’s editorial committee for all their contributions: Amelia Onisor, editor-in-chief; Stanislas Adam; Charles-Eric Clesse and Emmanuelle Laudic Baron.
Digital Ambassadors Programme empowers practitioners to tackle digitalisation at national level
Launched for the first time in 2025, the Digital Ambassadors Programme, designed by the EJTN Working Group on Digitalisation, contributes to the digital transformation of justice by equipping European justice practitioners to support the digitalisation processes at national level.
Consisting of in-person activities, webinars as well as an e-learning course executed in collaboration with the HELP Programme of the Council of Europe, this programme gave participants the skills, knowledge, and confidence needed to lead digital projects in their home institutions, advocate for inclusive digital practices, and support their peers on topics related to digitalisation. The final event of the 2025 cohort of ambassadors took place in November in Thessaloniki, where 132 Digital Ambassadors from 21 EU Member States celebrated the completion of their training.
This successful initiative will return in 2026.
Judges@Europe Forum brings judges together for the fourth time
Exceptionally held in spring this year, the fourth Judges@Europe Forum continued on the successful path of its predecessors. Held under the Polish Presidency of the Council of the European Union, this prestigious platform gathered together judges from across Europe, providing participants a confidential space to share their insights and challenges.
This year’s theme, being a judge in the digital era, was addressed from a range of perspectives, including the increase in disinformation and misinformation, the freedom of expression of judges, judicial independence, digital evidence, and alternative dispute resolution. The participants also explored the use of ICT tools and videoconferencing in judicial proceedings. The learning formats combined expert presentations and workshops.
The Judges@Europe Forum will take place for the fifth time in autumn 2026 – more information will be published on the initiative’s website in due course.
Special project with DG COMP highlights competitiveness
In 2025, EJTN successfully concluded a project which aimed to equip members of the judicary, prosecution services and law enforcement with the skills and knowledge needed to recognise and report potential breaches of EU competition law uncovered in the context of their own financial and economic crime investigations. This project was implemented in partnership with the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Competition (DG COMP) under the Competition strand of the Single Market Programme.
Consisting of study visits to DG COMP, targeted training sessions and internal guidelines on EU Competition Enforcement, EJTN and its partners made important strides in bridging the gap between competition authorities and non-competition enforcers. By fostering stronger cooperation between these institutions, the project contributed to the broader objective of reinforcing EU competition law enforcement and safeguarding the integrity of the Single Market.
EJTN remains committed to supporting initiatives that strengthen the Rule of Law and enhance the role of national non-competition enforcers in protecting the fairness and integrity of the EU Single Market.
Strengthened partnerships support the Network’s goals
Partnerships continue to play an important role for EJTN’s work, and in 2025, we were proud to partner with a number of high-level organisations across a range of activities and projects.
These included, among others, a continued close cooperation with the Court of Justice of the European Union in the context of the THEMIS Competition and the Exchange Programme, launching the second year of long-term training periods at the European Public Prosecutor’s Office, collaborating with the International Association of Women Judges on topics related to gender equality in justice, developing and planning further online courses with the HELP Programme of the Council of Europe, and so on.
Key publications address important topics
In addition to the 2024 THEMIS Annual Journal, two other publications were developed during 2025.
A publication developed by the EJTN Working Group on the Exchange Programme, titled ‘Compendium of Best Practices identified by Participants in an EJTN Judicial Exchange’, focused on sharing participants’ insights and key reflections after their exchanges, thus supporting the knowledge exchange and serving as a key resource for identifying best practices.
Moreover, the EJTN Working Group on Judicial Training Methods concluded a comparative study, which compiles and analyses survey data collected from EJTN members, associate members, and observers. It offers a timely and essential reflection on how the institutions respond to challenges and prepare for the future. By comparing the structures, priorities, and innovations of 53 judicial training institutions across Europe, the study presents a comprehensive picture of the current state of European judicial training, while helping EJTN and its stakeholders innovate and design the next generation of training programmes and strategies. The publication will be made publicly available in mid-January 2026.
All EJTN Publications can be accessed here
Growing communication activities broaden EJTN’s outreach
Throughout 2025, the special 25th anniversary year was celebrated in EJTN’s communication channels, including the use of a dedicated anniversary logo and visual identity, which were developed to mark the occasion.
Other key communication themes this year included gender equality in justice and fundamental rights. In March, commemorating the International Women’s Day, a partnership campaign on the importance of gender equality in justice and featuring high-level leaders from the European Commission, the CJEU, the EPPO, the European Court of Human Rights and the European Network of Councils for the Judiciary (ENCJ) was run. In May, coinciding with Europe Day, a focus was set on the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union and its 25th anniversary. This campaign featured representatives from various EJTN members, as well as Commissioner for Democracy, Justice, the Rule of Law and Consumer Protection Michael McGrath.
EJTN’s monthly newsletter, which marked its first anniversary in September, was also opened to a wider audience. If you would like to subscribe, please send an email to [email protected]. Each issue features updates on EJTN’s activities, as well as on EJTN members and partners, making it a valuable resource for staying informed and engaged with EJTN’s activities and resources.
Looking forward to the next year
In 2026, in collaboration with members, associate members, observers and partners, EJTN remains firmly committed to upholding the Rule of Law, delivering judicial training excellence, and supporting a strong, independent, and well-prepared judiciary across Europe. Building on this essential foundation, EJTN will continue to focus on innovative training programmes that address emerging challenges, such as the digitalisation of justice, cross-border cooperation, and protecting the fundamental rights. Well-being of the judiciary is also an important topic where EJTN can make a difference through training, as referenced in the recent opinion by the Consultative Council of European Judges (CCEJ).
For a complete list of our training activities in 2026, visit the EJTN Online Training Catalogue.
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The EJTN remains grateful to the European Commission for its invaluable financial support, which makes it possible to carry out a wide range of activities.
