In the presence of the Minister of Justice, Giorgos Floridis, the first meeting of the committee for organizing Greece’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union in the second half of 2027 took place today.

Mr. Floridis thanked the members of the committee for their participation and stated: “With this Committee, Greece is represented by prominent figures from the legal world with international recognition. The Committee has the important mission of shaping and proposing the themes that will be promoted during our Presidency in the field of Justice, coordinating the work of the Council of the EU’s legislative working groups, as well as organizing the necessary meetings with EU institutions and the delegations of member states, in order to advance the objectives of the Greek Presidency.”

During the inaugural meeting, organizational issues related to the functioning of working groups and the preparation of Ministerial Councils were discussed. The thematic priorities to be promoted within the framework of cooperation between the three member states—Ireland, Lithuania, and Greece—which will successively hold the Presidency of the Council of the EU, were also outlined.

At the first session, chaired by Ioanna Klapa, the following participants were present: Linos-Alexandros Sicilianos, Professor at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens and former President of the European Court of Human Rights; Vassilios Skouris, Emeritus Professor at the Law School of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and former President of the Court of Justice of the European Union; Charalambos Pamboukis, Emeritus Professor at NKUA and President of the Hellenic Institute of International and Foreign Law; Maria Simitsi, former Vice President of the Supreme Court; Agapi Chalkiadaki-Galenianou, Honorary Councillor of State; Georgios Georgiadis, Associate Professor at NKUA; Georgios Kasimis, Court of Appeal judge seconded to the Permanent Greek Representation to the EU; Vassilios Petropoulos, Assistant Professor at NKUA; Andreas Koutsoulambros, President of the Athens Bar Association and of the Plenary of Greek Bar Associations; and Marina Skandali, Associate Judge of the Council of State, seconded to the Special Legal Service of the Minister of Justice.