The EU’s Annual Rule of Law Cycle was established by the European Commission in 2020 as a preventive tool, that aims to ‘promote the rule of law and prevent challenges from emerging or deteriorating’. Now in its sixth year, and with a focus on consolidation and implementation, it’s an important moment to take stock. OHCHR in partnership with Liberties is organising an in-person event on 30 April at the UN House, Boulevard du Régent 37-40, 1000 Brussels. The event will reflect on ways in which structure, reporting and follow-up of the Rule of Law Cycle in addition to highlighting the interlinkage between the rule of law and human rights. Deadline to register is Monday 28 April at the following link.

Draft Programme:

9:30 – 9:45 Registration & welcome

9:45 –10:00 Opening and welcome remarks by Christina Meinecke, Regional Representative of UN Human Rights Regional Office for Europe (OHCHR) and Balázs Dénes Executive Director Civil Liberties Union for Europe (Liberties)

10:00 - 11:20 Panel 1 – Rule of Law in 2025
This panel will look at current assessment of the state of the rule of law in the EU and the key trends and developments with interventions from:
• Florian Geyer – Head of Rule of Law Unit European Commission
• Viktor Kazai - Senior Rule of Law Advisor - Civil Liberties Union for Europe
• Katarína Batková – Director - Via Juris Slovakia
• Pierre Arnaud Perrouty – Director - Ligue des Droits Humains Belgium

Moderator: Christine Meinecke – OHCHR

11:20 – 11:40 Break

11:40 - 13:00 Panel 2 – Rule of law and international and regional standards
This panel will look at how international and regional standards intersect, how they inform the RoL reporting process and the impact on the enjoyment of human rights when the rule of law is not upheld.
• Gina Romero, UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights to Freedom of Peaceful Assembly and of Association
• Katarina Nedeljković, Advisor to the Director General, Directorate General of Human Rights and Rule of Law, Council of Europe
• Camila Contorni, Associate Policy Officer, UNODC Brussels Liaison Office
• Katrien Meuwissen Team Leader – Human Rights, European Network of National Human Rights Institutions (ENNHRI)
• Márta Pardavi, Hungarian Helsinki Committee (online/in person TBC)

Moderator: Katrien Martens, Programme Analyst, Rule of Law & Constitutions UN Women

13:00 – 14:00 Lunch

14:00 - 15:20 Panel 3 - Lessons learned from other reporting mechanisms: participation and consultation
This panel will look at what has been learnt from other reporting mechanisms, challenges faced, reform processes and outcomes.
• ECF – focused on current challenges on monitoring/implementation (TBC)
• Melanie Santizo Sandoval, Human Rights Officer, Special Procedures, OHCHR
• Gabriel Toggenburg, Institutional Cooperation and Networks - European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights FRA (online/in person TBC)
• Paul Soete (Belgium-Group I/employers), President of the EESC Fundamental Rights and Rule of Law Group
• CSO – focused on participation of CSOs/consultations (TBC)

Moderator: Ahreum Lee, Human Rights Officer, OHCHR Brussels

15:20 – 15:40 Break

15:40 - 17:10 Panel 4 – The Rule of Law Cycle in a Changing Environment
This panel would take the form of a discussion looking re the possible directions for the RoL reports from 2026 onwards.
• Florian Geyer – Head of Rule of Law Unit European Commission
• Kersty McCourt – Senior Advocacy Advisor - Civil Liberties Union for Europe
• Professor Petra Bárd - CEU Democracy Institute and Radboud University
• Professor Olivier de Schutter - University of Louvain
• Lyra Jakulevičienė – Chair UN Business and Human Rights Working Group

Questions:
• What are some of the imminent ways to affect change
• How to ensure more effective inter-institutional exchange and follow up with the European Parliament and Council
• How would linking recommendations to the budget work? What would future recommendations and benchmarks need to look like, what are the potential challenges, what legal basis is required?
• How would the next RoL report address will address the internal market dimension? How can the UNGP play a role in the assessment of the rule of law?

Moderator: Debbie Kohner - Executive Director – ENNHRI

17:10 – 17:20 Closing remarks by Balázs Dénes - Executive Director - Liberties