In the country of the current President of the European Commission, who has served since 2014, Jean-Claude Juncker, the International Association of Law Libraries is going to enjoy its Annual Course from September 30th to October 3rd, 2018, in cooperation with the Max Planck Institute for International, European and Regulatory Procedural Law (MPI LUX).
It will happen in Luxembourg, and the final date for registration is August 17th, 2018. Members and non-members of the International Association of Law Libraries do not want to miss the opportunity to get acquainted with the Law in Luxembourg, where local tradition meets European and international innovation, the theme of the Annual Course.
The Grand Duchy of Luxembourg is situated in the heart of Europe and has a rich historical heritage and modernity. Participants to the Annual Course will enjoy both, the manuscripts and rare books of the Bibliothèque nationale de Luxembourg and the vanguard fields of Luxembourg as one of the world’s leading FinTech hubs, promoting excellence in research and investing in space mining.
Luxembourg is iconic for the development of European law, mirrored by hosting all kinds of EU institutions, and most prominently the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU). At the CJEU the participants will go through the Building and its Court Rooms in a guided tour, we hope that a dignitary of the CJEU explains the history and activities of the CJEU, and we see the CJEU Library.
The CJEU interprets EU law to make sure it is applied equally in all EU nations, and settles legal disputes between national governments and EU organs, but it can also, in certain circumstances, be used by individuals, companies or organisations to take action against an EU institution, if they feel it has somehow infringed their rights. We thank the CJEU beforehand for the hospitality.
Luxembourg has presaged and furthered European political and economic integration: in 1921 the Belgium–Luxembourg Economic Union (BLEU) for currency matters and common customs, a Benelux-member since 1944, founding partner of European Economic Community, participating in the Schengen Group. Luxembourg citizen Robert Schumann stood at the cradle of European unity.
Luxembourg is a small (2,586 km², 590,700 inhabitants) sovereign state. The name “Lucilinburhuc” (meaning “small castle”) first appeared in 963 in an agreement between the Saint Maximin Abbey in Trier and Count Siegfried, who acquired a small fort on the rock “the Bock” in the Alzette River Valley, the start of the fortified military defences, nicknamed “The Gibralter of the North”.
MPI LUX is the wonderful partner of this year’s IALL conference. MPI LUX was established in 2012 and comprises 2 departments at present – the Dept of International Law and Dispute Resolution and the Dept of European and Comparative Procedural Law. The MPI LUX Library, also founded in 2012, develops a specialised collection and offers its services to a growing number of researchers.
On Sunday September 30th, 2018, after the Pre-Conference Workshop on Robots in Libraries, we’ll visit the Bibliothèque nationale de Luxembourg where we’ll hear about and see Manuscripts and Rare Books on the History of Luxembourg, and thereafter the Guided Tour of Luxembourg’s Old Quarter brings us to the venue of the Opening reception at the Neumünster Abbey.
Monday, October 1st, 2018, in the venue Chambre des Métiers an introduction to and history of the legal system of Luxembourg will be given, and a lecture addressing special features of Luxembourg law; Banking Law, Tax Law, the New Luxembourg Space Resources Act and International Law are the afternoon topics, and the day ends with a talk on the Luxembourg Law Practitioner, by a practioner.
The goals of and work at the MPI LUX, EU Procedural Law, Consumer Protection, Privacy, Intellectual Property Law, International Criminal Justice are themes for Tuesday October 2nd, 2018, as is the EiPro-Max Planck Encyclopedia of International Procedural Law. 2 visits to libraries are scheduled, too the new building of the Bibliothèque Nationale de Luxembourg and the MPI LUX Library.
Wednesday October 3rd, 2018 is on the one hand on people contributing to the history of European Legal Integration, on the citizen in the European Union, and on the other hand on Robot Law. The afternoon is spent at the CJEU. The Annual Dinner will take place in the Neumünster Abbey. 2019 is Sydney’s year for IALL’s Annual Course. But now and first Luxembourg, thanks to the MPI LUX.
Jeroen Vervliet, President of the International Association of Law Libraries, August 14th, 2018
Interesting links & further reading:
14 infographics on the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg
About… the History of Luxembourg
Luxembourg’s Innovation is Out of This World
Facts and figures