Conference Panel Report: European Legal Practices Informing Ukraine’s Path to EU Membership

Background: The annual international scientific and practical conference, “Current Issues in Court Law,” serves as a vital forum for legal scholars and practitioners to discuss judicial reform. The 2025 conference, held virtually, focused on the institutional transformation of the judiciary in Ukraine amid martial law and accelerated European integration. A central cross-cutting theme was the dynamic interaction between national legal frameworks and European legal standards, a core element of the accession process for Ukraine and other candidate states like Albania, Serbia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina. This report summarizes the key insights from Panel I, "European Practices in the Field of Justice: Lessons for Ukraine’s Integration Path." The panel aimed to provide comparative perspectives and practical recommendations to guide Ukraine’s judicial reforms. Methods: The panel report synthesizes presentations from nine distinguished speakers from various European jurisdictions, including Ukraine, Poland, Austria, Germany, Albania, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the United Kingdom. Their contributions, which included keynote addresses and comparative analyses, were grounded in both theoretical legal scholarship and practical experience. Topics covered included constitutional alignment, judicial independence, cross-border dispute resolution, consumer protection, and post-accession reform challenges. The analysis draws on diverse case studies, highlighting lessons learned from both established EU members and other candidate countries to inform Ukraine's reform efforts. Results and Conclusions: The panel provided a comprehensive comparative analysis of judicial reform models and highlighted key takeaways for Ukraine. Speakers emphasized the necessity of aligning Ukraine's constitutional jurisprudence with EU norms while safeguarding judicial independence, as highlighted by Prof. Horodovenko. Dr. Scholz-Nartowski’s presentation underlined the crucial role of autonomous legal professional bodies in promoting accountability. Case studies from candidate countries revealed that while alignment with the acquis communautaire is vital, reforms must be context-sensitive and overcome entrenched structural challenges, as demonstrated by the experiences of Albania, Serbia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Presentations on the EU Representative Actions Directive and cross-border disputes underscored the need for legislative and procedural harmonization. The panel concluded that Ukraine’s integration requires more than legal harmonization; it demands deep institutional recalibration, strategic vision, and sustained cooperation. Active scholarly engagement and dialogue between EU members and candidate states are essential to building a resilient and trusted justice system aligned with European values.