AEAJ | The Association of European Administrative Judges

Meeting of the AEAJ Advisory Group in Budapest

2026-09-21T12:41:00+02:00

AEAJ Advisory Group meeting

Budapest, Hungary | 17 September 2026

The AEAJ Advisory Group, gathering a broad range of profiles of AEAJ friends, held its formal meeting in Budapest on 18. September 2026, in a time of vibrant change for the judicial system in Hungary.

The meeting took place in the premises of the Budapest Metropolitan Court with the kind hospitality of its newly elected president Tamás Matusik.

The Advisory Group appointed as new member Mr Markus Thoma, former presiding judge at the Supreme administrative court of Austria (Öesterreichischer Verwaltungsgerichtshof) and former president of the Austrian umbrella association of administrative judges (Dachverband der Verwaltungsrichter:innen).

AEAJ greats our Hungarian colleagues once again, especially its Hungarian member, the association of Hungarian administrative judges (Magyar Közigazgatasi Birák Egyesülete).

Seminar of the WG Asylum and Immigration in Stockholm

2026-09-12T10:53:00+02:00

AEAJ WG Asylum and Immigration seminar

Stockholm, Sweden | 10-11 September 2026

The AEAJ Working Group on Asylum and Immigration held its annual seminar on 10-11 September 2026 in Stockholm (Sweden), generously hosted by the Förvaltingsrätten i Stockholm (Administrative Court of Stockholm). The seminar examined The Pact on Migration and Asylum in the Courtroom and brought together 61 participants and speakers from 17 countries, among them Judge Wennerström (ECtHR), Advocate General Medina (CJEU), an expert from the European Commission, as well as national judges and academics.

The meeting was organised in a fruitful partnership with the European Union Agency for Asylum (EUAA) and particularly its Courts and Tribunals Sector.

The seminar included presentations and high-level discussions on:

- Access to the EU and solidarity under the AMMR

- Judging under pressure: accelerated and border procedures

- Continuity and change: the internal protection alternative

- Towards a common European system for returns

- ECtHR's and CJEU's current jurisprudence on asylum and migration

- AI in asylum and immigration law

- Judicial approaches to climate migration

- Future challenges in the implementation of CEAS.

Seminar of the WG Environment and Planning in Ghent

2026-09-11T09:37:00+02:00

AEAJ WG Planning and Environment seminar

Ghent, Belgium | 10-11 September 2026

The AEAJ Working Group on Environment and Planning held its annual seminar on 10-11 September 2026 in Ghent (Belgium), generously hosted by the Center for Environmental and Energy Law of the Ghent University. The seminar, entitled “Climate Arguments in Court Cases against Plans and Permits” brought together 33 participants from Armenia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Lithuania, The Netherlands, Spain and Sweden.

Key topics included recent developments in EU Environmental law and CJEU case-law, assessment of climate arguments in energy and infrastructure projects national perspectives on planning disputes and climate litigation. Academic presentations were associated with direct discussion between participating administrative judges from their professional perspective, sharing experience on their respective practice.

The programme combined legal discussions with social activities, including a group dinner and a boat tour of Ghent historic center.

AEAJ welcomed its encounter with the colleagues of the Raad voor Vergunningsbetwistingen (Council for Permit disputes), the competent administrative court for Planning and Environment in the Flemish region.

AEAJ president Sylvain Mérenne associated his participation to the seminar with courtesy visits related to administrative justice in the Netherlands and in Belgium.

Joint Statement on 10 years of Destruction of Judicial Independence and Democratic Governance in Türkiye

2026-07-15T15:17:00+02:00

Ten years after the breakdown of judicial independence in Türkiye, AEAJ, IAJ-EAJ , MEDEL and Judges for Judges, which form together the platform for an independent judiciary in Türkiye, publish a joint statement on the terrible toll of repression against Turkish judges on the ongoing issues which remain relevant until today.

A PDF version of the statement is available via this link.

AEAJ Lisbon Statement on Judicial Remuneration

2026-07-09T10:34:00+02:00

AEAJ addresses current issues related to judicial remuneration and raises awareness on the need on adequate principles and proper mechanisms to address issues related to judicial remuneration, in order to safeguard judicial independence and grant a proper level of remuneration to highly skilled professionals playing a crucial role for the rule of law in contemporary democracies.

Judicial remuneration raise systematic issues and reached a critically low level in several European countries.

In the continuity of the preparatory work of the Advisory Group, AEAJ engaged into the redaction and adoption of a Statement on Judicial remuneration, which has the value of a position paper for AEAJ.

The statement was debated and approved by the WG Independence and Administrative Justice in Lisbon on 22. May 2026 and definitively adopted by AEAJ Board on 24. June 2026.

A PDF version of the statement is accessible via this link.

AEAJ General assembly and other events on 20-23 May 2026 in Lisbon

2026-05-27T10:09:00+02:00

AEAJ held the seminar its General Assembly and a serie of related events in Lisbon on 20-23 May 2026. The event was kindly hosted by the Law Faculty of the University of Lisbon and prepared with the precious support of the Associação dos Magistrados da Jurisdição Administrativa e Fiscal de Portugal (AMJAFP), the association of administrative and tax judges of Portugal, and its president, Anabela Russo.

The event was also supported by the Supremo Tribunal administrativo, the Portuguese Supreme administrative court.

The event welcomed participants and speakers from France, Germany, Austria, Greece, Cyprus, Spain, Poland, Ireland, Sweden, Finland, Lithuania, Hungary, Romania, Slovakia, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Slovenia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Montenegro, Albania, Kosovo, Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia, Armenia, the United States of America, and of course Portugal.

It breaked the country diversity record for an AEAJ event with 28 countries present.

The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) organised an introductive side event Wednesday 20 May afternoon, on Emerging Trends and Challenges of Administrative Justice in the Eastern Partnership Countries, a project supported and funded by the European Union.

ODIHR presented its baseline studies on administrative justice in four countries: Ukraine, Moldova, Armenia, and Georgia, which examine how administrative courts function in practice when adjudicating disputes involving public authorities, with a focus on judicial review of executive restrictions related to freedom of peaceful assembly, adjudication of electoral disputes, and the scope of corrective judicial authority. It introduced a peer-exchange discussion between administrative judges from EAP countries and other AEAJ colleagues.

Konstantine Vardzelashvili, Head of Democratization department at ODIHR, later introduced the General assembly by an honorific speech.

The annual seminar of the AEAJ Working Group "Independence and Administrative Justice", on the Financial Independence of Administrative Judges, constituted the most substantial part of the event. As it can't rely on judicial autonomy alone, especially due to the budgetary role of Parliament, financial independence is a very specific aspect of judicial independence.

Speakers presented the framework and the context of financial independence of courts in Europe, adressing its institutional dimension as well as the patterns of budgetary negociations the necessary safeguards, as well as the potential indirect pressure on the administrative judiciary. They mixed transversal European-wide approaches with country-specific experience presented by AEAJ members.

The second part of the seminar was dedicated to the remuneration of judges, an issue arising in many European countries. It concluded by a general discussion on a statement adopted by the Working Group.

After the General assembly, the Dean of the Faculty of law, Pr. Eduardo Vera-Cruz Pinto, kindly hosted AEAJ members in the faculty reserved rooms and the chamber of the university council, which encompasses the history of the law faculty. AEAJ president Sylvain Mérenne signed the guestbook of the Faculty on behalf of the entire association.

Finally, the event concluded on Saturday by a visit of the iconic Águas Livres Aqueduct (Aqueduct of the Free Waters), a baroque hydraulic infrastructure commissioned by King Dom João V, built between 1731 and 1799. The impressive arches of this national monument are a symbol of Lisbon.

The second part of the visit explored the Mãe d’Água Reservoir, a monumental terminal reservoir with a storage capacity of 5,500 cubic metres of water.

Welcome to Lisbon!

2026-03-24T08:24:00+01:00

We are glad to announce that our association will hold the seminar of its Working Group Independence and Administrative Justice in Lisbon on 21 and 22 May 2026.

The seminar is dedicated to a topic of concern for all administrative judges and administrative courts:

THE FINANCIAL INDEPENDENCE OF ADMINISTRATIVE JUDGES

It will include a part dedicated to remuneration on Friday morning, which will be concluded by a discussion on the legal principles on the remuneration of judges.

As usual, the seminar will be followed by the AEAJ General Assembly on Friday afternoon.

Please find the detailed programme of the event.

If you are not an AEAJ member already and you are interested to participate to the event as an administrative judge, please contact us via: info[a .t ]aeaj.org

Deadline for registration is 23. April 2026.

AEAJ supports Ukrainian colleagues at the International Conference organised in Lviv by Ukrainian administrative judges

2026-02-27T14:27:00+01:00

The Supreme Court of Ukraine and the All-Ukrainian association of administrative judges have organised an international conference in Lviv the 26. February 2026 on “Legal Conflicts on the application of Fundamental Rights and Freedoms: Practical Aspects”, with the support of the OSCE support programme for Ukraine.

This conference intends to increase European legal awareness among Ukrainian administrative judges in the context of EU-accession – an issue of fundamental importance for the Ukrainian legal system in the years to come.

AEAJ was represented at this conference by AEAJ current president Sylvain Mérenne, former AEAJ president Edith Zeller, vice-president Eva Wendler and Irish colleague Richard Humphreys, together with European and Ukrainian high-level speakers.

EU General Court judge Nina Poltorak was the special guest of the last panel.

The All-Ukrainian association of administrative judges is a member of AEAJ since 2016.

President Sylvain Mérenne expressed the sustained support of European administrative judges to their Ukrainian colleagues, including those who are mobilised in the Ukrainian Armed Forces, and insisted on peer-exchanges and solidarity among colleagues and the role of administrative justice in the European context.

AEAJ renews its warmer thanks to the president of the High Administrative Court within the Supreme Court Mr. Ihor Dashutin, All-Ukrainian Association president Mr. Oleksandr Paseniuk, as well as All-Ukrainian Association vice-president and AEAJ national contact point Ms. Nataliia Blazhivska, who has been the first AEAJ individual member since 2009. Her commitment and dedication made this international conference possible and successful.

AEAJ expresses its concerns on the current developments in Serbia

2026-02-18T10:08:00+01:00

AEAJ is attentive to the current situation in Serbia, in the context of a lasting social movement led by Serbian students against corruption.

The Serbian government has initiated a reform process on public prosecution and courts, as a development after the Novi Sad railway station canopy collapse (Nov. 2024) and the ongoing investigations about it.

The intended legislation mostly targets public prosecution and criminal courts, but some of its aspects also target other courts, including administrative courts.

AEAJ expresses its concerns about this reform and invites the Serbian government to engage in open dialogue with independent institutions and organisations representing judges. It opposes any change threatening judicial independence and the Rule of law.

AEAJ expresses as well its support to Serbian administrative judges and administrative courts, as well as to all players committing to European values.

President's message and 2026 Wishes and AEAJ 2026 Work Programme

2026-01-17T17:19:00+01:00

AEAJ 2026 Work Programme

AEAJ releases its 2026 Work Programme, which presents our activities for the coming year.

The seminars of the AEAJ Working Groups will be:

- WG Independence and Administrative Justice, 21 & 22 May 2026, Lisbon: The Financial Independence of Administrative Judges

- WG Taxation Law, 1 & 2 October 2026, Bratislativa:Unified Fundamental Rights vs. Diverse National Procedures: Tax and EU Funding Litigation across Member States

- WG Environment and Planning, 10 & 11 September 2026, Ghent: Climate Arguments in Court Cases Against Plans and Permits

- WG Asylum and Immigration, 10 & 11 September 2026, Stockholm

Hearing of the CJ Grand Chamber in the case introduced by AEAJ - Press release

2025-12-02T16:32:00+01:00

A large AEAJ delegation attended today, on Tuesday 2. December 2025 morning, the hearing of the Grand Chamber of the European Court of Justice in the case C-555/24 P. AEAJ was joined by delegations of partner organisations MEDEL, IAJ-EAJ and Rechters voor Rechters.

After the General Court judgment on 4. June 2024 (June 2024 press release), the appeal focuses on admissibility issues of the four organisations against acts of EU institutions in their commitment to protect judicial independence (August 2024 press release).

AEAJ and others argue that judicial organisations have standing in the specific context of Rule of law backsliding in Poland, which shatters the very framework of legal protection set by the EU legal order. This is especially the case when national judges are prevented by disciplinary means to make preliminary references to the Court of Justice.

This legal issue presents a special interest for all judges specialised in administrative law.

On the solemn stage of the Grand Chamber, the lawyers Carsten Zatschler and Daniel Sarmiento presented the position of the four organisations with strength and clarity. The judges and the advocate general's questions showed their openness for our arguments.

Edit on 9. Dec. 2025: the pleading presented to the Grand Chamber by our two lawyers in the name of the four associations is now accessible on our website.

The advocate general announced the release of her written opinion on 16. April 2026.

The hearing happened at the same time as the Judges’ Forum, and was therefore attended by a large number of judges from all European countries, turning this event into a special moment for justice in Europe.

On the occasion of this hearing, AEAJ, MEDEL, IAJ-EAJ and Rechters voor Rechters publish the following press release (click here for the PDF version).

AEAJ represents administrative judges at the 26th plenary meeting of the CCJE

2025-11-20T12:22:00+01:00

The Consultative Council of European Judges (CCJE), an advisory body to the Council of Europe, met in Strasbourg on 13-14 November 2025 to adopt its Opinion No. 28 (2025) on the importance of judicial well-being for the delivery of justice.

This last CCJE Opinion is an important milestone on this crucial topic for the coming period.

AEAJ is an observer at the CCJE and presented comments base on the experience of administrative judges with the support of the AEAJ Advisory Group, the Association of judges of the Republic of Lithuania, the All-Ukrainian association of administrative judges and the Italian association of administrative judges (ANMA).

Moreover, AEAJ thanks departing CCJE president Ms. Leonie Reynolds (Ireland) for her devoted commitment and her openness, and congratulates Mr. José Igreja Matos (Portugal) for his election as president for the coming period.

AEAJ was represented at CCJE by its deputy-treasurer Evaristo González González, judge at the administrative chamber of the High Court of the Canary Islands.

International seminar of the Portuguese association of administrative judges (AMJAFP)

2025-11-14T20:10:00+01:00

The Portuguese Associação dos Magistrados da Jurisdição Administrativa e Fiscal de Portugal (AMJAFP), member of the AEAJ, organised on 14-15 November 2025 in Evora (Portugal) a reflexive seminar on administrative and tax justice: Jurisdição Administrativa e Fiscal: Panorama em Portugal e na Europa.

Both ANMA and the Portuguese ministry of Justice posted on this important on their LinkedIn accounts.

At a time when legal reforms, organisational changes, and training challenges accumulate, administrative and tax courts are at the center of legal attention in Portugal. AMJAFP dedicates its annual conference to promoting a frank and sustained debate on these issues.

The opening panel included AMJAFP president Anabela Russo, Justice Minister Rita Alarcão Júdice and General Prosecutor Amadeu Guerra.

AEAJ president Sylvain Mérenne, former director of the Spanish school of magistracy Jorg Jiménez Martín and Italian Court of Cassation judge Francesco Cortesi took part into an international panel presenting their perspectives on administrative justice in Europe.

AEAJ thanks AMJAFP and all Portuguese colleagues for their hospitality and their active involvement!

AEAJ takes part into OSCE-ODIHR Conference on Rule of Law and Independence of Administrative Justice

2025-11-06T17:08:00+01:00

The development of administrative justice in Eastern Partnership countries (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine) is a key factor of the sustainable development of the Rule of law. in this region, marked by its distinct legal post-Soviet heritage.

Three of these countries (Armenia, Azerbaijan and Ukraine) have created administrative courts and administrative courts of appeals in the 21st century, whereas two others (Georgia and Moldova) foster specialisation of administrative judges through dedicated administrative chambers or panels within each tier of general courts.

In order to adress this crucial issue, ODIHR organised a Conference on Rule of Law and Independence of Administrative Justice on 29-30 October 2025 in Warsaw.

Bringing together judges, legal experts, and civil society representatives from across the OSCE region, the Conference provided a platform to discuss current challenges and good practices in safeguarding judicial independence and strengthening the rule of law, with a particular focus on the role of administrative justice in protecting fundamental rights.

A substantial part of the seminar was dedicated to practiacal exchanges on administrative justice experience in the OSCE region.

Invited at the conference as a speaker, AEAJ president Sylvain Mérenne ensured the representation of European administrative judges as peers of their Eastern Partnership colleagues.

Pawel Gronski, vice-president of the administrative court of Warsaw and co-chair of the AEAJ Independence and Administrative Justice WG, moderated the panel on the role of administrative justice in ensuring protection of civil and political rights of the citizens as a safeguard against rule of law backsliding.

This conference was organised with the support of the European Union in the perspective of EU enlargement process.

ODIHR LinkedIn post on this event is available here.

AEAJ represented at OSCE Roundtable on Administrative Justice in Tirana

2025-10-06T12:05:00+02:00

Strengthening judicial independence and dialogue between Austria and Albania

On2–3 October 2025, a delegation of the Austrian Association of Administrative Judges conducted a two-day study visit to Tirana, organised in cooperation with the OSCE Presence in Albania. Such a visit concurs with the goals of the Association of European Administrative Judges (AEAJ) – to promote Rule of law, judicial independence, and mutual understanding among administrative judges across Europe.

A highlight of the visit was the roundtable on “Administrative Justice – Comparative Perspectives from Albania and Austria”, hosted by the OSCE Presence in Albania.

The event was opened by Ms Clarisse Pastory, Deputy Head of the OSCE Presence in Albania, and H.E. Ambassador Monika Zach, who underlined the importance of sustained cooperation between the Albanian and Austrian judiciaries as part of a shared commitment to European values and judicial independence.

Ms Eva Wendler, representing AEAJ as vice-president of the Association, contributed to the discussions by highlighting the importance of judicial dialogue in safeguarding independence and efficiency. High representatives of the Albanian judiciary and Austria’s Judicial Attaché for the Western Balkans also took part in the exchange.

The Austrian Association of Administrative Judges and AEAJ express their sincere gratitude to the OSCE Presence in Albania for the excellent organisation and hospitality, and to all Albanian partners for their open and constructive dialogue.

Further information about the event is available on the OSCE website:

👉 www.osce.org/presence-in-albania/598465

Seminar of the WG Planning and Environment in Würzburg

2025-09-22T19:34:00+02:00

AEAJ WG Planning and Environment seminar

Würzburg, Germany | 18–19 September 2025

The AEAJ Working Group on Environmental Law held its annual seminar on 18–19 September 2025 in Würzburg, generously hosted by the Administrative Court of Würzburg. The seminar, titled “No Plan is Perfect: Urban and Environmental Planning under Judicial Review” brought together 26 participants from Austria, Estonia, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and the United States of America.

Key topics included recent developments in EU Environmental law and CJEU case-law, national perspectives on planning disputes, trends and impacts of climate litigation, and broader discussions on the role of Environmental law in protecting nature.

The programme combined legal discussions with social activities, including a group dinner, a visit to Würzburg historic center and a boat trip to Veitshöchheim and its Rococo Garden.

Seminar of the WG Asylum and Immigration in Brussels

2025-09-17T18:29:00+02:00

The Working Group "Asylum and Immigration" held its annual seminar on 18 and 19 September 2025 in Brussels, Belgium. The event was kindly hosted by the Belgian Conseil du contentieux des étrangers / Raad voor Vreemdelingenbetwistingen.

The RVV-CCE is a federal administrative court specialised into asylum and immigration cases.

The seminar included presentations and high-level discussions on:

- the "safe third country" concept;

- the recent jurisprudence of the ECtHR and the CJEU;

- Syria's transition and cessation of international protection;

- nationality law under European influence.

Please find the agenda here:

//aeaj.org/wfcms//uploads/AEAJ_Agenda_Brussels_18-19_09_2025.pdf

Highlights of the first day included exchanges with Judge of the ECtHR Gilberto Felici and Advocate General Laila Medina on recent jurisprudence of the two European Courts on matters related to asylum and migration. Our colleagues Margot Stoové (Netherlands) and Holger Böhmann (Germany) shared their national expertise as discussants.

Friday morning, AEAJ participants had an interactive lively and open exchange with Mr. Michael Shotter, director for Migration and Asylum at the EU Commission (DG Home). The discussants were our colleagues Fani Sotiriadou (Greece) and António Mendes Oliveira (Portugal), who emphasized on the specific challenges for their respective countries.

The seminar gathered 47 European participants and 19 Belgian colleagues (judges and attachés).

AEAJ would like to express our sincere gratitude to our Belgian colleagues for their hospitality and looks forward for further cooperation!

Meeting of the AEAJ Advisory Group in Leipzig

2025-09-05T14:18:00+02:00

The AEAJ Advisory Group, gathering a broad range of profiles of AEAJ friends, held its formal meeting in Leipzig on 5. September 2025, on the invitation of Holger Böhmann (former vice president of the AEAJ, 2012-2023).

The meeting took place in the premises of the German Federal administrative court (Bundesverwaltungsgericht).

The Advisory Group appointed as new members:

· Mr Alen Rajko, judge at the administrative court of Rijeka, Croatia;

· Mr Jānis Neimani, judge at the Constitutional court of the Republic of Latvia;

· Ms Dora Virag Dudas, judge at the High Court of Budapest, Hungary,

· Mr Michal Novotny, judge at the Spreme administrative court of Slovakia.

AEAJ thanks departing AG members Ms Annika Sandstroem and Mr Werner Heermann for their continuous support and implication for so many years.

Moreover, it congratulates AG member Ms Danutė Jočienė for its appointment at the General Court of the EU.

Statement on the independence and working conditions of administrative judges in Greece

2025-06-22T19:29:00+02:00

On 15 June 2025, the Board of the AEAJ adopted the following statement.

The full text of the statement is accessible in PDF format via this link.

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STATEMENT ON THE INDEPENDENCE AND WORKING CONDITIONS OF ADMINISTRATIVE JUDGES IN GREECE

The Association of European Administrative Judges (AEAJ) expresses its concerns on the current developments of proceedings related to case-management targeting administrative judges in Greece.

The Hellenic Association of Administrative Judges informed AEAJ on the article 50 of the Code on the Organization of Courts and the Status of Judicial Officers (Law 4938/2022). Administrative judges are imposed an eight-month deadline after a hearing to issue their decision. In case of repeated unjustified delay in the issuance of their decisions, the General Commissioner of the State for administrative courts is entitled by law to reduce their salary. AEAJ expresses its concerns regarding this provision. It disapproves any mechanism that penalises judicial salaries in case of non-respect of objectives, without a proper assessment of effective work time, even more when such a mechanism is tainted by a lack of transparency or clarity.

Moreover, the articles 53 and 55 of the same Code and the current conditions of its implementation do not provide the possibility to suspend or reassign a case, including in circumstances such as illness, pregnancy or maternity of the judge. A judge who delays issuing decisions while on leave is also subject to the salary reduction provision set out in article 50 of law 4938/2022. AEAJ questions the respect not only of European standards related to judicial independence, but of international and European social and anti-discrimination law as well. Introducing proceedings aiming at reducing the remuneration of colleagues on leave violates their basic social rights. Judges must be able to exercise their right to sick leave, maternity/paternity leave, or other legitimate absences without adverse consequences for their pending caseload.

Such questions are of specific relevance for projects funded by the European Union through a national Recovery and Resilience Plan (RRP).

Experience proves that judicial reforms have to be associated with support and positive incentives. Providing adequate human and material resources, including IT, is a key for success.

On the contrary, introducing an automated quasi-disciplinary mechanism would only contribute to the deterioration of the situation Greek administrative courts.

AEAJ calls for the Ministry of Justice and other Greek institutions to take advantage of the expertise of the Hellenic Association of Administrative Judges (Ένωση Διοικητικών Δικαστών) in matters related to the administrative judiciary and to develop a constructive dialogue in order to ensure the independence of each individual judge in the exercise of his or her office.

Partner project: Backsliding Democracies - The Role of the Judiciary

2025-06-22T18:56:00+02:00

We are glad to announce the lauch of a series of podcasts within the framework of our fresh partnership on Backsliding democracies!

Backsliding democracies will provide online events with top notch Rule of law experts through a very ambitious project which will develop in time.