From January 1, 2017 the Constitutional Court of Ukraine chairs the Association of Constitutional Justice of the Countries of the Baltic and Black Sea Regions (BBCJ).
Signing of the Declaration on the establishment of the Association in Vilnius on October 25, 2015 by the Presidents of the Constitutional Courts of Ukraine, Georgia, Lithuania and Moldova was the beginning of the activity of the Association of Constitutional Justice of the Countries of the Baltic and Black Sea Regions.
According to this document, the participating countries recognise the need to strengthen the independence of constitutional courts as a significant factor in guaranteeing democracy and rule of law as well as the supremacy of the constitution, share the common goal of promoting the exchange of information regarding the best legal practices in the field of constitutional law, etc.
The aims of the Association, in accordance with the Statute, are promoting the protection of fundamental human rights, guaranteeing democratic principles and values, ensuring and implementing principles of the rule of law, promoting of the independence of Constitutional Courts in the exercise of constitutional justice, cooperation and exchange of experience among its members.
The General Assembly and the Secretary General are the organs of the Association through which it carries out its activities.
The General Assembly which convenes annually is composed of the Presidents of constitutional courts or equivalent institutions – members of the Association. Presidency of the Association shall be held by the President of each member of the Association for a one-year term. The presidency shall rotate on the basis of the alphabetical order of the names of the states represented by the members of the Association.
From January 1, 2017 the Constitutional Court of Ukraine chairs the Association of Constitutional Justice of the Countries of the Baltic and Black Sea Regions (BBCJ).
Joint activities are organised on a regular basis to facilitate the exchange of experience and information on constitutional justice, and issues related to the relationships between constitutional courts and other government bodies, as well as cooperation with international organisations and other institutions that share the goals of the Association.
The Second Congress of the Association is to be held in May 2017 in Kharkiv. The Congress will be dedicated to: “The role of constitutional courts in the developing the provisions of national constitutions in the context of the generally recognised principles and norms of international law, EU law, judgments of international courts”.
Association of Constitutional Justice of the Countries of the Baltic and Black Sea Regions is a successful platform for developing joint projects and is important for both participating countries and other institutions of constitutional jurisdiction in the Baltic-Black Sea region.
