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History

A Legacy of Cooperation

The Balkan Constitutional Courts Forum (the Forum/BCCF) is an association of the constitutional courts and analogous institutions of the countries of the Balkan region.

The foundations of the Forum were laid in 2023 in Sofia, Bulgaria, where the presidents of the constitutional courts of six countries – the Republic of Albania, the Republic of Bulgaria, the Republic of Kosovo, Montenegro, the Republic of North Macedonia, and the Republic of Türkiye – signed a Memorandum of understanding which expressed the parties’ will to engage in a long-term institutional partnership and laid the main legal framework of the Forum.

The Forum was established to foster the exchange of best practices, experiences, and ideas in the field of constitutional adjudication. It serves as a collaborative space for constitutional jurisdictions to share knowledge, support institutional development, and reinforce their independent roles as guardians of constitutional values.

To these ends, the Forum organises various events such as conferences and seminars in the field of constitutionalism. The BCCF also aspires to become a platform for partnership between the administrations of the member institutions developing the administrative capacity by conducting training programs for staff members, workshops, and seminars. The member courts of the Forum strive to further develop joint research activities, comparative studies, publications.

The Secretariat of the Balkan Constitutional Courts Forum is the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Bulgaria, in Sofia.

The presidency of the Forum is rotational and is held by the Court which is organising the upcoming Annual Meeting which typically takes place in the autumn. As of 2026, the Presidency is with the Constitutional Court of the Republic of North Macedonia.

Mission

Upholding the Rule of Law

The Balkan Constitutional Courts Forum (BCCF) is a regional association that brings together constitutional courts from across the Balkans, dedicated to promoting the rule of law, constitutional democracy, and the protection of fundamental rights through enhanced cooperation among the constitutional courts and analogous institutions of the region.

Our mission is to provide a platform for open dialogue, mutual learning, and exchange of best practices among member institutions. By fostering collaboration between constitutional judges and court administrations, the Forum strengthens institutional independence and supports the development of effective constitutional jurisprudence.

We are committed to:

- Facilitating judicial dialogue through conferences, seminars, and expert meetings;

- Supporting institutional capacity through training programs, workshops, and administrative cooperation;

- Advancing legal scholarship through joint research, comparative studies, and publications;

- Encouraging informal judicial diplomacy between constitutional courts in the region and their counterparts in the European Union.

Through these efforts, the BCCF aims to uphold the values of constitutionalism, reinforce the independence of the judiciary, and contribute to the development of democratic institutions across the Balkans.

The BCCF also seeks to build bridges between the constitutional courts of Southeast Europe and their counterparts in the European Union. In this context, the Forum offers a unique opportunity for informal judicial diplomacy, encouraging dialogue and mutual understanding between EU institutions and constitutional jurisdictions in the region.