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The Constitutional Court of Romania is very much honoured to host the XVth Congress of the Conference of European Constitutional Courts, a highly significant event in their activity, for ensuring the supremacy of constitutional principles.
In this context, I am pleased to extend a warm "Welcome" to Bucharest to all distinguished participants, full members from 40 countries, associate members, observers and guests, organised in an institutional framework of a pan-European dimension.
The magnitude of this evolution is based on a generous idea launched 39 years ago, through the Dubrovnik Project of the Presidents of Constitutional Courts from Germany, Austria, Italy and the former Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, a project for whose accomplishment so many personalities from the area of constitutional law and also political life have substantially contributed.
The historical developments at the end of the last century, which led to the establishment of democracy and the rule of law in Central and Eastern Europe, gave an unprecedented boost to broadening and strengthening the institutional framework of cooperation between constitutional courts, to their joint efforts to promote the key objectives pursued by the founding members: the exchange of information on working methods and constitutional case-law in the general European context, as well as the enhancement of contacts between European constitutional courts and similar institutions on institutional, structural and material issues in the realm of constitutional justice.
In that regard, we particularly appreciate that our discussions in Bucharest are focused on a topic of utmost importance nowadays: "Constitutional justice: functions and relations with the other public authorities." We believe that our dialogue will generate consistent and innovative ideas, such as are meant to enshrine the constitutional courts’ independence in relation to the other public authorities and to increase their role in strengthening the rule of law in contemporary society, which is called upon to face increasingly complex and difficult challenges.
As with other branches of national or European law, constitutional law must reflect as closely as possible the new social realities, so that further reforms prove to be necessary in many of the Member States of the Conference. And all these, for the sole purpose of increasing confidence, of both citizens and other public authorities, in constitutional justice – as a guarantor for the democracy.
The Congress will give the participants the opportunity to share their experience, their doubts or certainties, and - why not so? – will provide alternatives, answers or solutions to the problems arising in connection with the debated subjects.
The dynamics of the activity the Constitutional Court of Romania has been carrying on, ever since its creation, show a growing number of cases submitted by the principal institutions of the State. That is why the debate of the topic on the agenda of the Bucharest Congress is to us as much necessary and appropriate. It harmoniously concords with the series of previous debates and opens up the perspective of new approaches to constitutional principles, in step with the times we live.
In this way, we are privileged to contribute together to the common heritage of European law, having the duty to add new values, always serving the cititizen’s interests and the development of democracy.
Bucharest will thus be able to mark a significant stage in the prodigious activity of the Conference. May the same vision guide us in the preparations for the forthcoming Conference to be held in Austria.
President of the Constitutional Court of Romania,
Augustin Zegrean
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