Visit of the Supreme Court of Estonia
On 7-8 September 2026, a delegation from the Supreme Court of Estonia, led by its President Villu Kõve, visited the Court of Justice of the European Union. They were welcomed by Koen Lenaerts, President of the Court of Justice, together with two of the institution’s Members from Estonia: Küllike Jürimäe, President of Chamber at the Court of Justice, and Iko Nõmm, Judge at the General Court.
The visit took place in the context of the close and longstanding relations that the Court maintains with national courts of the Member States and provided an opportunity to further strengthen judicial dialogue.
On Monday 7 September, the members of the delegation and of the EU courts took part in a number of working sessions covering
- the importance of dialogue between judges in the light of the rule of law and EU values
- the dialogue between national supreme courts and the Court of Justice of the European Union, in light of recent case-law concerning the obligation to provide reasons when a supreme court decides not to refer a question for a preliminary ruling
- the application of the GDPR in the context of judicial proceedings
- the challenges of ensuring effective judicial protection for individuals whose personal data are used in criminal proceedings, including in the context of the European Investigation Order
These sessions provided an opportunity for the participants to engage in discussions, exchange views and share their respective experiences on matters of common interest.
On Tuesday 8 September, the participants attended the hearing of the Grand Chamber of the Court of Justice in Joined Cases C-296/25 P and C-297/25 P Poland v Commission. They also received a guided tour and attended a presentation of the General Court by Estonian Judges Lauri Madise and Iko Nõmm.
