BBCJ
On October 26, 2015, in Vilnius, the Presidents of the Constitutional Courts of Georgia, the Republic of Lithuania, the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine signed the Declaration on the Establishment of the Association of Constitutional Justice of the Countries of the Baltic and Black Sea Regions (BBCJ).
The initiative to create the Association belonged to the President of the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Moldova Alexandru Tănase. The idea of creating such an association arose in the course of numerous meetings and discussions among judges of constitutional courts from these regions, during which similarity in the nature of the problems facing the bodies of constitutional jurisdiction had been revealed. The countries of the region have a common historical past and, thus, face similar challenges on the way to the establishment of democratic states based on the rule of law and respect for human rights and freedoms.
According to the Statute, the Association aims are promoting the protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms, guaranteeing democratic principles and values, ensuring and implementing principles of the rule of law, promoting the independence of Constitutional Courts in the exercise of constitutional justice, cooperation and exchange of experience among its members.
A member of the Association can only become a constitutional court or equivalent institution of a sovereign state member of the European Union or an Eastern Partnership program of the countries of the Baltic and Black Sea regions willing and able to promote the principles proclaimed in the Declaration on the Establishment of the Association and the achievement of the Association's goals and has submitted an appropriate written application and motivation letter. Membership is granted only to one institution of a state.
From the first days of operation, the Association sought to establish itself as a real regional forum for a regular, broad and multilateral exchange of ideas and experience, enriching practices, converging positions, and supporting each other. During this time, the Association adopted a number of statements in support of the constitutional courts with regard to interference in their activities and the pressure that was exerted on them.
The Constitutional Court of Ukraine presided in the Association in 2017. Within the framework of its presidency, the Second Congress of the Association of Constitutional Justice of the Countries of the Baltic and Black Sea Regions "The role of constitutional courts in interpreting the provisions of national constitutions in the context of the generally recognised principles and norms of international law and EU law, judgments of international courts" was held in Kharkiv on June 1-2, 2017.
Based on the results of the Congress, the Resolution was adopted and sent to the World Conference on Constitutional Justice, the Conference of European Constitutional Courts, the European Commission for Democracy through Law (Venice Commission), the European Court of Human Rights, the Court of European Justice.
On the initiative of the Constitutional Court of Ukraine, the official publication "The Journal" was established and the General Assembly resolutions were introduced.
