Final Conference of the Jean Monnet Module EU-Western Balkans Cooperation on Justice and Home Affairs (EUWEB), 2nd Edition

On Wednesday 23 June 2021 at 2:45 PM on the platform “Microsoft Teams”, the Final Conference of the 2^nd of the Jean Monnet Module “EU-Western Balkans Cooperation on Justice and Home Affairs” (EUWEB) took place. EUWEB Module is a Specialized High Training Course coordinated by Prof. Teresa Russo (Module Leader), together with the Proff. Anna Oriolo and Gaspare Dalia (Key Teaching Members).

The event ended the cycle of training courses carried out weekly from March to June 2021, on the topics of immigration, asylum, border control, fight against transnational crime, police and judicial cooperation as well as the protection of fundamental rights with a view to the future accession of the Western Balkans to the Union. The 2^nd edition included specific insights concerning the impact of the current health emergency, as well as information and communication technologies.

The Final Conference, structured in three sessions that reflect the thematic and research areas of the Course, started with the welcoming speeches of the Rector of the University of Salerno, Prof. Vincenzo Loia, and of Profs. Giovanni Sciancalepore (Head of Department of Legal Sciences), Francesco Fasolino (President of the Didactic Council of the Department of Legal Sciences, University of Salerno) and Angela Di Stasi (Full Professor of International and EU Law, Department of Legal Sciences, University of Salerno, Director of the Observatory on the “European Area of Freedom, Security and Justice”).

The first session (Cross-border security, Migration and Asylum Management, h. 3:45) was chaired by Professor Lina Panella (Full Professor of International Law, Department of Law, University of Messina) and introduced by Professor Teresa Russo (Associate Professor of European Union Law, Department of Legal Sciences, University of Salerno). The session was enriched by the reflections of Dr. Cristina Correale (Judge at the Department of Migration and Asylum Law of the Tribunal of Naples, European Asylum Support Office (EASO) Judicial Trainer) and Prof. Christopher Hein (Lecturer of Immigration & Asylum Law and Policies, Department of Political Sciences and School of Government, University “LUISS Guido Carli” of Rome).

Then, the second session (Fight Against Transnational Crime and Protection of Fundamental Rights, h. 3:55) was chaired by Prof. Luigi Daniele (Full Professor of EU Law, Faculty of Law, University “Tor Vergata” of Rome) and introduced by Prof. Anna Oriolo (Associate Professor of International Law, Department of Legal Sciences, University of Salerno). This Session saw the speeches of Dr. Uglješa Ugi Zvekić (Ambassador, Head of the Permanent Observer Office of the European Public Law Organization (EPLO) to United Nations (Vienna)) and Col. Prof. Metodi Hadji-Janev (Associate Professor of International Law at the “General Mihailo Apostolski” Military Academy of Skopje, unit of the University “Goce Delčev” of Štip).

Lastly, the third session of the Conference (Police and Judicial Cooperation, h. 4:45), chaired by Dr. Lorenzo Salazar (Deputy Public Prosecutor at the District Court of Appeal of Naples, Vice Chair of the OECD Working Group on Bribery in International Business Transactions (WBT)) and introduced by Prof. Gaspare Dalia (Lecturer of Comparative Criminal Procedural Law, Department of Legal Sciences, University of Salerno), was animated by the speeches of Dr. Fulvio Baldi (Deputy General Prosecutor of the Republic at the Italian Supreme Court of Cassation, International Affairs Office) and Dr. Nikola Šaranović (Former Director General for International Cooperation at the Ministry of Justice of Montenegro).

The Conference was closed by the presentation of the research carried out by the members of the 2^nd edition’s Secretariat and by the discussion of the best papers written by the participants in the Course.

The Conference was also be attended by professors of Albanian and Macedonian universities, as well as representatives of associations, respectively as partners and supporters of the Module.

On Thursday 13 May 2021, starting at 2.30 pm, on the “Microsoft Teams” platform, another Lecture of the Jean Monnet EUWEB Module took place, dedicated to Promotion and Protection of the Rule of Law in the Accending States and EU Member States. The Lecture started with the introduction by Profs Teresa Russo, Anna Oriolo and Gaspare Dalia (Critical Remarks About the Rule of Law as Value (Almost) Acquired). Then, it was followed by the speeches of Prof. Nicoletta Parisi (Rule of Law and European Union’s External Action), of Prof. Niuton Mulleti (EU Civilian CSDP Missions and the Consolidation of the Rule of Law in the Western Balkans), of Prof. Erjon Hitaj (The Role of the Kosovo Specialist Chambers & Specialist Prosecutor’s Office in the Stability of the Western Balkans), of Prof. Jasmina Dimitrieva (The EU Support Modalities for Upholding Electoral Integrity in the Western Balkans), of Prof. Marina Matić Bošković (Promotion of Standards on Independence of Judiciary in the Western Balkans and EU Member States) and Dr. Simonida Kacarska (Europeanisation of (North) Macedonia. What Role for Fundamental Rights?). The work ended with the final debate.

On Thursday 6 May 2021, starting at 2.30 pm, the Lecture of the Jean Monnet EUWEB Module concerning Criminal Judicial Cooperation in the Digital Age: IT Security, Prevention and Repression Mechanisms and Protection of Procedural Rights took place on the “Microsoft Teams” platform. The Lecture started with the remarks of Prof. Teresa Russo and the introduction of Profs. Gaspare Dalia and Anna Oriolo (Current Trends of the Judicial Cooperation and Procedural Rights: The Protection of the Ne Bis In Idem Principle) which were followed by the speeches of the Judge and Prof. Antonio Balsamo (The New Perspectives of International Judicial Cooperation in the Digital Age: Electronic Surveillance and Protection of Fundamental Rights), of Prof. Donatella Curtotti (Hi-Tech Investigations, Cyber Space, Evidence Exchanges Between States and Internet Provider Services: A Regulation That Isn’t There (Yet)), of Prof. Ivan Illic (The Approach of the Western Balkans Courts to the Ne Bis In Idem Principle), of Prof. Ismail Tafani (The Albanian Judicial Cooperation with the EU as a Tool for Guaranteeing Human Rights and Achieving a Functioning Democracy), and by Prof. Jelena Kostic (Economic Crime and Criminal Law Cooperation in the Digital Age: Challenges and Recommendations). The works were closed by the final debate.

On Friday 23 April 2021, starting at 2.30 P.M., the Conference of the Jean Monnet EUWEB Module dedicated to (Cyber) Control of Migratory Flows, Fight Against Transnational Crime and Protection of Vulnerable People took place on the “Microsoft Teams” platform. The Conference started with an introduction by Profs. Teresa Russo, Anna Oriolo and Gaspare Dalia ((Cyber) Control of Illegal Migratory Flows, h. 3:00), which was followed by two other sessions. Session I (“Fight Against Transnational Crime”, h. 3:30 P.M.), hosted the lectures by Prof. Leonardo Borlini (Regulating Criminal Finance in the EU in the Light of the International Instruments), Prof. Ivana Bodrožić (Serbian Criminal Law Response on Terrorism in the EU Integration Context), Prof. Ersi Bozheku (Serious Crime, Corruption and Judiciary in Albania: What Implications and Solutions at National and European Level?) and Prof. Elena Maksimova (Human Trafficking: Online Recruitment – A Serious Risk to Migrants’ Cyber ​​Security in Republic of North Macedonia). Session II (“Protection of Vulnerable People”, h. 5:00) was animated by the speeches of Judge Giovan Francesco Fiore (Unaccompanied Foreign Minors in Italian and International Law System), by Prof. Rosanna Palladino (Family Reunification and Minors), by Dr. Amarila Lici (Unaccompanied Minors as Victims of Trafficking and Exploitation and Protection Means), by Dr. Claudia Pecoraro (Trafficking in Women Between Emergence and Social Inclusion) and Dr. Florinda Mirabile (Disadvantaged Children on the Balkan Route). Two Q&A sessions created an open debate after the respective sessions.