On 12 June, the German and Luxembourg Chapters of the Friends of ERA met in Trier for an atmospheric evening focused on regional heritage and networking. Twenty-three members visited Germany’s oldest wine cellar, a Roman-era structure from the 3rd century A.D., while enjoying selected Mosel wines. The evening continued with a dinner at Restaurant Treza in Trier’s city centre.
The following day, on 13 June, the 16th General Meeting of the Friends of ERA Association took place in hybrid format, with 25 members attending in person and 25 online. The meeting highlighted the Association’s activities over the past two years, updates from chapter coordinators, and upcoming plans.
Scholarship beneficiaries joined the meeting virtually to share their experiences and the impact of the training they attended. The Young Friends of ERA were represented in person by Oriol Teixidó Moreno, who gave a short overview of this dynamic new community’s growth since its founding in 2023.
Three core projects were reconfirmed as central to the Friends’ mission: the ERA Scholarship Programme, the support for the Young European Lawyers Contest, and the Fund for the Western Balkans and Ukraine.
The Executive Board with Jettie Van Caenegem (Chairwoman), Wolfgang Heusel, Vanessa Knapp OBE, Julia Laffranque, and Jean-Philippe Rageade as well as the Auditors were re-elected by acclamation. Two new institutional members were welcomed in 2025: Volksbank Trier Eifel eG (Germany) and the Regional Bar Association Pazardzhik (Bulgaria), further strengthening the Association’s membership base and impact.
Chairwoman Jettie van Caenegem encouraged all members to be ambassadors and help further expand the Friends of ERA network.
Thank you to all members who participated in person and online. We look forward to welcoming you at the upcoming autumn events.