The International Union of Judicial Officers (UIHJ), represented by its Honorary President Leo Netten, took part in the celebration of the 15th anniversary of the European Law Institute (ELI) held in Madrid on 1 June 2026. Since its establishment in 2011, the ELI has become one of Europe’s leading legal forums, bringing together legal professionals, academics and institutions with the common objective of improving the quality of law and strengthening the rule of law across Europe.
As an institutional founding member of the ELI, the UIHJ has maintained a close relationship with the Institute since its creation. During the session dedicated to the founding organisations, Leo Netten recalled the UIHJ’s longstanding commitment to the ELI. He emphasised that the Institute’s strength lies in its ability to bring together professionals from different legal backgrounds to develop a common reflection on major European legal challenges. He also highlighted the active contribution of UIHJ experts to several ELI projects, particularly in the fields of digital platforms, the data economy and the enforcement of digital assets, areas in which the Institute’s work is now attracting the attention of numerous international organisations.
The event, hosted with the support of the Spanish Supreme Court, the General Council of the Judiciary, the General Council of Spanish Notaries and other national institutions, brought together leading representatives of the European legal community. The celebrations were opened by Félix Bolaños García, Spain’s Minister of the Presidency, Justice and Relations with Parliament, who stressed the importance of the rule of law, judicial independence and European cooperation in addressing current challenges.
UIHJ President Marc Schmitz also participated in the celebration through a video message in which he congratulated the ELI on its fifteenth anniversary and highlighted the importance of dialogue among the legal professions in developing common responses to the technological and societal transformations affecting justice systems today.
The day concluded with an address by Professor Teresa Rodríguez de las Heras Ballell, President of the ELI, who underlined the Institute’s essential role in fostering legal dialogue across Europe and presented its vision for the years ahead.
The UIHJ extends its warmest congratulations to the European Law Institute on this important milestone and wishes the Institute every success in continuing its mission to promote legal excellence, innovation and the rule of law throughout Europe.
