Bratislava, 05/02/2001 (Agence Europe) - On 5 and 6 February, the European Commission, the European Institute of Public Administration (Antenna Luxembourg), representatives of Finland, France, Italy and Sweden, and of all the 13 EU applicant countries are meeting in Bratislava to launch a 1.3 million euro project, the aim of which is to strengthen the capacity of the candidate countries to train their judges in Community law. This project, says a press release, aims at contributing to the creation of a vast area of freedom, security and justice in which the rule of law is a reality. This notion of the rule of law means not only the respect of national legislation, but also the capacity of judicial systems to implement Community law. It is also a question of ensuring that the courts of the candidate countries can themselves decide when to interpret and implement Community law and when to consult the Communities' Court of Justice. Implementation of the project will continue until April 2002. Important backing will be provided to training national judges and experts. A training manual will be published and pilot seminars organised. The participation of the 10 candidate countries of Central and Eastern Europe will be funded through the Phare programme, with distinct funding being provided for Cyprus, Malta and Turkey.