Eligibility to participate:

1. Citizenship of, residency in or place of work in should be a country eligible for the Justice Programme (all Member States except Denmark; including Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo*, Moldova** and Ukraine).
        *this designation is without prejudice to positions on status and is in line with UNSCR 1244/1999 and the ICJ opinion on the Kosovo declaration of independence.

        ** this designation applies to the extent that participants do not replace the European quotas provided for).

2. The contest is open to lawyers in private practice at the beginning of their career. ’Young lawyers’ are those who are, at the time of registration, considered trainee lawyers under national law, including those who are in an induction or apprenticeship period; in jurisdictions in which initial training does not include a period of legal practice, newly qualified lawyers with less than three years of experience can apply. The organisers reserve the right to request proof of apprenticeship or qualification during the application process.

3. Participants should have a working knowledge of English.

Participation costs

4. Young lawyers nominated by Bars financing the project participate free of charge. 

For participants applying on their own or through other Bars, a fee of €275 will be charged, no discounts are given.

Travel, Accommodation and Catering 

5. Applicants will be subject to a selection procedure. ERA will send confirmation of selection to each participant individually. Confirmed participants are eligible to receive a fixed contribution towards their travel expenses following the event. 

6. Accommodation will be provided from Sunday evening till the end of the course for all young lawyers (whether nominated or applying independently). The costs for accommodation in both Trier and Strasbourg are booked by and paid for by ERA.

7. All young lawyers (whether nominated or applying independently) selected to participate in the course will receive a contribution to their travel costs depending on the distance from their place of work. Participants can use any form of travel. YELA starts in Trier and finishes in Strasbourg. Travel should be booked accordingly. Participants are obliged to confirm their participation by submitting their travel arrangements, otherwise a different candidate will be chosen. Should the participant cancel their participation for any reason, no travel contribution will be paid. 

The travel contribution is based on the distance between the place of work and the event venue (distance only one way – the contribution amount is for the total travel cost). The contribution amount is for the total travel cost and will not take account of the participant’s actual travel costs. The precondition for payment of the travel cost contribution is confirmed attendance at all events (webinar, intensive course). Transfers Trier to Luxembourg (return) and to Strasbourg (one way) are arranged and paid for by ERA. Please note that no contribution will be paid for travel under 50km. 

The reimbursement will be calculated as follows: 

51-199 km            €100 
200-399 km          € 200 
400-600 km          € 245 
601-800 km          €261 
801-1200 km        € 276 
1201-1600 km      €288 
Over 1601            €369 

To calculate the distance please visit: https://commission.europa.eu/funding-tenders/procedures-guidelines-tenders/information-contractors-and-beneficiaries/calculate-unit-costs-eligible-travel-costs_en. As YELA has two event venues (Trier, Strasbourg), please use the mean distance between your workplace and Trier, and your workplace and Strasbourg.

8. Successful applicants will be sent the relevant claim form and information on how to obtain payment of the contribution to their expenses. Please note that no payment is possible if the registered participant cancels their participation for any reason. 

9. Catering during the day is provided by ERA. For more information on dinners and social programmes please check the detailed programme. Breakfasts are included with the accommodation.

10. No per diem or daily allowance is offered.  

Participation 

11. The selected participants will be asked to book their travel as soon as possible and confirm their itinerary to ERA. Participants are obliged to confirm their participation by submitting their travel arrangements, otherwise a different candidate will be chosen.

12. Participation at the whole academy (webinar and intensive course) is required and participants’ presence will be recorded. 

13. A list of participants, including each participant’s working address, will be made available to all participants unless ERA receives written objection from the participant no later than one week prior to the beginning of the first event. 

14. Participants are asked to give permission for their address and other relevant information to be stored in ERA’s database in order to provide information about future ERA events, publications and/or other developments in the participant’s area of interest. 

15. A certificate of attendance will be distributed after the end of the academy.