In the meeting, which was attended by ELI’s President Prof Dr Pascal Pichonnaz, ELI’s Secretary General Dr Vanessa Wilcox, the Council of Bars and Law Societies of Europe (Conseil des Barreaux Européens, CCBE) President Margarete von Galen and CCBE Secretary General Simone Cuomo, the parties reflected on the longstanding relations between ELI and the CCBE. As one of four Founding Institutional Members of ELI, incidentally with ELI’s current Second Vice-President, Anne Birgitte Gammeljord, having served as the first female CCBE President in 2009, the CCBE has provided immense support to ELI over the years and continues to do so today. This was the case, among other things, when President von Galen spoke on the occasion of ELI’s Decennial Celebrations on 1 June 2021 and through the invaluable advice she gives on ELI’s projects and activities in her capacity as an ex-officio member of the ELI Council.

The fruitful exchanges on 12 October 2021 centered on the exploration of further means of cooperation going forward, in particular on projects, with both parties agreeing to reflect on discussions further.