LETTERS FROM THE PRESIDENT

Letter of the President of U.A.E. – December 2018

Dear members of U.A.E.,

Dear Colleagues,

Dear Friends,

As the Christmas and New Year festivities are approaching, I would like to write some words concerning our Association.

On 30 November and 1 December 2018, a Conference took place in Lisbon on “The legal implications of Brexit”, followed by the General Assembly of U.A.E. (www.generalassembly-uae.lu).

Thanks to the excellent organisation of Pedro de GOUVEIA e MELO (President of the Portuguese Delegation of U.A.E. and, as from 1 December 2018, also Vice-President of U.A.E.) and Carlos BOTELHO MONIZ (Honorary President of U.A.E.) these events have been extremely successful. For all the details a specific newsletter will be sent next week.

On 1 December 2018, at the meeting of the Executive Committee of U.A.E., I took office as the new President of the Association.

I would like to express my gratitude to the Executive Committee for the vote of trust and I am honoured to have the opportunity to serve such a prestigious European Association.

At the same time, I would like to thank the past President, Agustín CRUZ NUÑEZ, for the excellent work carried out for the Association. According to our Bylaws, Agustín became Honorary President of U.A.E.

The Executive Committee, on my proposal, elected the Bureau which will work alongside me during the next two years. The new Bureau is formed by: Mihai BACO and Pedro de GOUVEIA e MELO as Vice-Presidents; Elisabeth de BOISSIEU as Secretary-General; Jean PATRIMONIO as Treasurer; and Nicole HIRST as Deputy Secretary-General.

I am grateful to all of them for their willingness and am truly happy to have the opportunity to work with them.

At the same time, one third of the Executive Committee has been re-elected (www.uae.lu/the-uae/governance-2/executive-comittee-by-year-election). I rely on every single member of the Committee, indeed together with every other member of U.A.E., so that the objectives of the Association are achieved (www.uae.lu/the-uae/mission).

With regard to the activities of U.A.E. for 2019, I can already mention some important events.

First of all, I am glad to inform you that, given its success in 2018 (www.scholarship-uae.lu), the “Young Lawyer Scholarship” will be confirmed.

The “Scholarship” will be strictly connected to the subject of our 2019 Annual Congress, being on the alternative methods of dispute resolution (ADR) in Europe.

The Congress will take place on 28 June 2019 in Naples. I express my gratitude in advance to the “Naples and Campania” Delegation for having accepted the task of organizing the main scientific event of U.A.E.

Going back to the “Scholarship”, it will be launched in the next few weeks and, as for last year, a “mini website” will be set up.

I would remind you of the principle on which the “Scholarship” is based: there is a Committee appointed by the Bureau for the study of the essays, which choses among the essays submitted those which they consider to be the best. The graduate(s), inter alia, will be invited to present her/his (their) work at the Congress in Naples, and will be offered membership of the Association for the current year (2019) and for the following year (2020).

Secondly, the supranational Delegation “Provence-Alps-Côte d’Azur-Liguria-Mediterranean”, chaired by Gérard ABITOL (Dean of the Honorary Presidents of U.A.E.) has organised for 22 March 2019 in Marseille, a Conference on “Medically Assisted Procreation; gestation for others and the notion of non-gender parenthood in Europe” (www.uae.lu/event/conference-internationale-les-actualites-de-la-procreation). This legal theme is very complex and topical. I congratulate Gérard for his constant commitment to U.A.E.

Besides, all the U.A.E. regional Delegations and Commissions are always active and for this reason, I am persuaded that for 2019, all of them will organise, as usual, academic events of a high-level.

Finally, I am pleased to announce that in September 2018, U.A.E. has been reinstated on the list of NGOs of those entitled to present their collective complaints in the framework of the procedure of the European Social Charter for group claims. This approval is renewed for the period between 1 January 2019 and 31 December 2022.

The next year therefore promises to be really dynamic. My wish is for many other Colleagues all over Europe to join us at U.A.E. (www.uae.lu/membership/join-uae-2): our doors are open!

Under these auspices, I am pleased to send you all, dear Friends, my warmest wishes of a Merry Christmas and a Happy 2019.

December 2018,

Gabriele DONÀ
President of the U.A.E.