The European Committee on Legal Co-operation (CDCJ) held its 98th plenary meeting in Strasbourg from 1-3 June 2022.

During these three intensive and fruitful days, the CDCJ approved several reports and studies, notably the review of the implementation of the Sofia Action Plan on judicial independence and impartiality, and a comparative study on rights of donor-conceived persons to know their origins. The CDCJ also discussed the elaboration of a legal instrument aimed at strengthening the protection of the profession of lawyer and the right to practice the profession without prejudice or restraint and provided the orientations to the subordinate Committee of Experts on the Protection of Lawyers (CJ-AV) with this regard. The CDCJ assessed the implementation by member states of the Recommendation CM/Rec(2014)7 on the protection of whistleblowers and Recommendation CM/Rec(2015)4 on preventing and resolving disputes on child relocation.

The CDCJ also reviewed the progress of the implementation of its activities envisaged in 2022, and planned activities for 2023, positively assessing the work done within the first 6 months in relation to the implementation of the decisions made at its last plenary meeting in December 2021 and the work of its two subordinate bodies. The CDCJ also decided to further pursue new activities in 2023 and 2024 – to provide guidance for the member states on issues related to the rights of donor conceived persons to know their origins, and to promote and assist the member States in the implementation of the European Convention on Information on Foreign Law (ETS No. 62) and its additional protocol (ETS No. 97).