Presentation of the Programme of the
Hellenic Presidency 2025-2027
Mr. President, Mrs President, Dear Colleagues, Mesdames et Messieurs,
It is with both honour and a sense of responsibility that I assume today the Presidency of ACA-Europe for the Hellenic Council of State.
Let me begin by extending my sincere thanks and congratulations to President Kari Kuusiniemi, a chari-smatic speaker and a warm host and Co-President Helena Jaederblom, a kind and dynamic personality, for the past two years. Their successful and inspiring presidency sets a high standard and certainly increases the expectations placed upon the Hellenic Presidency.
Nevertheless, I undertake this role with confidence grounded in the valuable support of the experienced and highly capable team of the General Secretariat, and in the well-established spirit of cooperation among the members, observers, and guests of our Association.
Je voudrais aussi exprimer mes remerciements à Martine de Boisdeffre, présidente de la Section des études, de la prospection et de la coopération du Conseil d’État ainsi que commissaire des comptes de notre Association, pour sa contribution non seulement à l’ ACA mais aussi à l’ Europe. Elle est, si j’ose dire, une personnalité emblématique de l’Europe. Martine, je te promets que je ferai tout ce que je peux pour utiliser les deux langues officielles de l’ ACA pendant la présidence hellénique.
At this juncture, I would also like to extend a warm welcome to the Administrative Cassation Court of Ukraine, which joins us as an observer. Mr. President, dear colleague, you are most welcome.
Leitmotif (guiding theme) of the Hellenic Presidency
As you are already aware, the title that we have chosen to encapsulate the guiding theme of our Presidency is:
“The Administrative Judge Faced with Current Challenges”
This title reflects a reality we all experience: our societies are confronted with unprecedented and complex challenges, stemming from:
• The impact of human activities on the climate and the environment;
• Technological developments;
• Social and economic inequalities;
• Need for effective public finance management;
• Need for effective public governance.
These challenges are unfolding under increasingly intricate geopolitical conditions in both Europe and the wider world.
Administrative courts -and above all the Supreme Administrative Jurisdictions by virtue of their institutional weight- are inevitably at the forefront of the relevant transformations. They are called upon to adjudicate disputes arising from public authority actions or omissions that are deeply interwoven with these challenges.
Administrative judges today face novel questions and dilemmas, which call for reflection on several key issues:
– Are our traditional judicial tools and methods -concerning the conditions of access to justice, the procedural norms, the interpretation and application of substantive rules in the matters in question, the scope and intensity of the judicial review, the enforcement of the decisions handed down by the courts and the respect of res judicata- still adequate in this new context?
– Are we witnessing variations or ruptures in our traditional models of judicial review?
– What new trends are emerging in our jurisprudence?
– Are adjustments being made -formally or informally- to the judicial function in response to current realities?
– How can we identify subtle or latent changes in judicial reasoning and practices?
– And finally, what conclusions can we draw from a comprehensive examination of these developments?
Programme of the Hellenic Presidency
The Hellenic Presidency aims to explore these questions through six (6) thematic seminars, continuing the excellent path forged by our German, Italian, and Finnish-Swedish colleagues – presidencies that enhanced and fostered the value and the experience of “horizontal dialogue” within the ACA-Europe’s national supreme courts and -what is of major importance to us- of “vertical dialogue” between the supreme administrative courts and the European Courts, both the CJEU and the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR).
Each seminar will examine a specific area where contemporary challenges intersect with administrative justice. We strongly believe that dialogue should be the protagonist in our seminars as it is the cornerstone of democracy. In this framework we encourage the speakers to present their topics briefly, allowing ample time for dialogue among the participants.
1. Theme: Environmental challenges, in particular the climate crisis, as well as the sharp rise in tourism in urban and extra-urban areas/ Title: Climate change – climate crisis/ Overtourism
We have already received your answers to the questionnaire we sent you back in March and will begin their elaboration shortly.
Date/Place: 10-11 November 2025, Athens (+ Board meeting on 9 November and General Assembly on 11)
Organiser: Council of State of Greece & ACA-Europe
2. Theme/ Provisional title: Redefining the terms and limits of judicial review, particularly in relation to disputes of a highly technical nature
Date/Place: 2-3 February 2026, Leipzig
Organiser: Federal Administrative Court of Germany & ACA-Europe
3. Theme: The new forms of organisation of public administration, the financing of administrative structures and recruitment to public service, as well as the delegation of administrative or possibly judicial tasks to private individuals
Provisional title: Privatisation and Public Law (or “Privatisation of Public Law?”)
Date/Place: May 2026, Rhodes (+ Board meeting and General Assembly)
Organiser: Council of State of Greece & ACA-Europe
4. Theme/ Provisional title: Technological challenges, focusing on the introduction of digital technology and artificial intelligence into the organisation and operation of the administration and administrative justice
Date/Place: November 2026, Turin (+ Board meeting)
Organiser: Council of State of Italy & ACA-Europe
5. Theme: Socio-economic challenges focusing on migration and the flow of refugees into Europe
Date/Place: Early Spring 2027, Poland
Organiser: Council of State of Poland & ACA-Europe
6. Theme: Financial Challenges, focusing on the distribution and collection of taxes, the effectiveness of controls and the expansion of cooperation between States on related issues
Date/Place: May-June 2027, Thessaloniki (+ Board meeting and General Assembly)
Organiser: Council of State of Greece & ACA-Europe
The precise content of each seminar, based on the above guiding theme, will be set out in the questionnaires that will be drawn up for this purpose (cf. the aforementioned questionnaire in preparation of the seminar in Athens). The questionnaires will be designed to encourage critical reflection and productive discussion.
At this point I am taking the opportunity to express my heartfelt gratitude to our colleagues from Germany, Italy, and Poland for generously offering to host three of the seminars. I would also like to thank our French colleague for offering to organise a seminar – an offer we deeply appreciated, although scheduling and financial limitations of the Framework Partnership Aggreement did not permit its inclusion.
Conclusion
In closing let me reaffirm, dear colleagues, chers collègues, our commitment to fostering meaningful dialogue and collaboration across our courts, deepening our shared understanding, and strengthening the relationship between our national supreme administrative jurisdictions and European courts.
We look forward to working with all of you on this common journey.
