The NVER

The Dutch European Law Society (NVER) was established in the early stages of the European integration, on September 24th, 1960, just two and a
half years after the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community entered into force.

The NVER is a broadly orientated and academic association. Its members, academics and practitioners such as lawyers and judges, are active in various fields of European law: for instance European public law and European private law. The Association has approximately 400 members.

The main objective of the NVER is to stimulate and promote the interest in and knowledge of European Community Law and European Union Law, as well as to encourage harmonization of the laws of Member States of the European Community. The NVER is affiliated to the Fédération International de Droit Européen (FIDE), the coordinating organization in which the sister associations of almost all Member States participate.

Board
The board of the NVER consists of the following members:

   - Prof. mr. A.T. Ottow, Chair
   - Mr. drs. M.A. Fierstra, Treasurer
   - Mr. B.P.M. Smulders
   - Prof. mr. A. Prechal
   - Prof. dr. J.W. de Zwaan
   - Mw. mr. J.E. van den Brink
   - Mr. H.J. van Harten
   - Mr. R.J.M. van den Tweel, Secretary

Contact
For more information regarding the NVER and our activities, please don't hesitate to contact our secretary, mr. Van den Tweel, via these means:

NVER, Att. mr. Van den Tweel	T: +31 70 515 3801
P.O. Box 11756	F: +31 70 515 3145
2502 AT The Hague	E: nver@nver.nl
The Netherlands

NVER Activities

The NVER organizes various activities in the field of
European law.

Twice a year a meeting is held on various topical subjects of European law, both material and constitutional. On the basis of elaborated reports or
short and stimulating positions, which will be distributed beforehand, the subject will be discussed after a short introduction by several keynote speakers. Sometimes a report of the discussion is published in the Dutch/Belgian journal on European and economic law, SEW.

To promote European law interest amongst young lawyers the NVER organizes the NVER Moot Court, during which law students of Dutch and Belgian universities compete in teams for the title of best pleading party. The competition starts off with a written round and culminates in oral pleadings before the ‘ECJ’.

Furthermore, the NVER will annually select and reward the best thesis in European law with the NVER Thesis Award. Students of Dutch and Belgian universities are invited to submit their theses on European law, graded eight or higher. The thesis may be written in either Dutch, English or French.

Last, but not least, the NVER participates in the Fédération International de Droit Européen (FIDE),
which organizes a congress once every two years.
In principle, the association of each member state can organize a FIDE Congress. In 2006 for example, it took place in Cyprus. In 2008, the XXIII'th FIDE Congress will be held in Austria. During a Congress in general three topics are discussed on the basis of national and general reports prepared beforehand.

More information in detail about the NVER and its activities is available in Dutch on this website.
For more information in English you can contact us
via email at nver@nver.nl.