Attendance of the Cour de Cassation at the celebration of the 20th anniversary of the accession of ten Member States to the European Union organised by the CJEU

The 2004 enlargement was the most significant in that 10 new countries joined the European Union (namely the Czech Republic, Estonia, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Malta, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia). On the occasion of the 20th anniversary of these accessions, which redefined the organisation and functioning of the CJEU, the latter organised a commemorative event that was introduced by President Koen Lenaerts. He stressed the need to protect the values of the European Union in general and the rule of law in particular. In addition to the commemorative aspect, this event was also a regular meeting between the CJEU and all the courts of the Member States of the European Union.

During the visit, the Prosecutor General and President Potocki attended various working sessions, which provided an opportunity to take an overview of the preliminary ruling mechanism and the transfer of jurisdiction in this area to the General Court of the European Union. This first working session was an opportunity to reiterate the importance of this mechanism and its effectiveness in promoting dialogue between judges, which is of great importance to the Cour de cassation. The session also addressed the fundamental rights issues surrounding the mutual recognition of judgments and decisions, the social challenges associated with the internal market, the protection of personal data and the use of artificial intelligence to support judicial activity, an issue of particular interest to the Cour de cassation.

The conference enabled us to take stock of the law of the European Union, to provide a historical overview of the political state of Europe at the time the 5th enlargement was decided, and also to discuss the integration of these ten new States into the Union's legal system.

Lastly, in addition to these rich exchanges, the Prosecutor General and President Potocki were able to talk to their counterparts and members of supranational courts, such as Advocate General Jean Richard de la Tour, and neighbouring jurisdictions.

Such a trip demonstrates the desire to strengthen the close links forged by the Cour de cassation with the CJEU and to show its interest in the courts of the Member States that joined the European Union in 2004.