This document is a complete summary of the European law at AP University of Antwerp given by lecturer Baeyens Jasmien in the 2nd year.
This summary is 50% based on the powerpoint and 50% (supplemented) by the course itself (Understanding European Union Law - 8th Edition).
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EUROPEAN (UNION) LAW
INHOUDSOPGAVE
CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................ 4
CHAPTER II. HISTORY .................................................................................................................................. 5
the first treaties .................................................................................................................................................... 5
European communities ......................................................................................................................................... 8
HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT ................................................................................................................................. 8
common market ............................................................................................................................................... 9
the luxembourg compromise 1970 ................................................................................................................ 10
growth of the role of the European Parliament ............................................................................................. 11
historical evolution ............................................................................................................................................. 13
Treaty of Maastricht 1992 .............................................................................................................................. 13
treaty of amsterdam 1997 .............................................................................................................................. 14
treaty of Nice 2001 ......................................................................................................................................... 15
charter of fundamental rights ........................................................................................................................ 16
convention on the future of europe ............................................................................................................... 16
treaty of lisbon 2009....................................................................................................................................... 16
Enlargement and contraction ......................................................................................................................... 17
important dates and events in the creation of the EU ................................................................................... 18
CHAPTER III. WHO RUNS THE EU?.............................................................................................................. 20
power sharing in the eu ...................................................................................................................................... 20
theorie of governances ................................................................................................................................... 21
the principle of conferral of competences ..................................................................................................... 22
principles of subsidiarity and proportionality ................................................................................................ 23
european union institutions and bodies ............................................................................................................. 24
european parliament ...................................................................................................................................... 24
The European council ..................................................................................................................................... 27
the council of the european union ................................................................................................................. 29
the commission............................................................................................................................................... 31
the court of justice of the european union (cjeu) .......................................................................................... 33
the european central bank (ecb) .................................................................................................................... 36
the court of auditors ....................................................................................................................................... 38
Other Community bodies ............................................................................................................................... 38
institutional balance, accountability, and democracy in the eu......................................................................... 39
Institutional balance or ‘how the institutions share power’ .......................................................................... 39
legitimacy, accountability, and democracy in the eu ..................................................................................... 40
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,CHAPTER IV. SOURCES OF UNION LAW ...................................................................................................... 41
primary sources of eu law................................................................................................................................... 42
the (consolidated) treaties ............................................................................................................................. 42
general principles of Union law ...................................................................................................................... 43
secundary sources of eu law ............................................................................................................................... 44
secundary legislation ...................................................................................................................................... 44
Enacting secondary legislation ....................................................................................................................... 46
voting procedures ........................................................................................................................................... 48
2 types of legal acts ........................................................................................................................................ 49
CHAPTER V. THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN UNION LAW AND NATIONAL LEGAL SYSTEMS ............................ 50
the doctrines of direct effect and supremacy ..................................................................................................... 50
the original position of MS ............................................................................................................................. 50
the doctrine of supremacy of union law ........................................................................................................ 50
the doctrine of direct effect of eu law............................................................................................................ 52
CHAPTER VI. ENFORCING UNION LAW ....................................................................................................... 60
ENFORCING EU LAW RIGHTS IN NATIONAL COURTS.......................................................................................... 60
PRELIMINARY REFERENCES AND RULINGS ......................................................................................................... 62
The purpose of preliminary rulings ................................................................................................................ 62
The effects of Preliminary Rulings .................................................................................................................. 62
Which national bodies may make a reference? ............................................................................................. 63
The decision to refer ....................................................................................................................................... 63
Can the Court of Justice refuse to provide a ruling? ...................................................................................... 64
The referral procedure ................................................................................................................................... 64
The consequences of the preliminary reference procedure .......................................................................... 64
ENFORCEMENT ACTIONS AGAINST MEMBER STATES (ARTS 258 TO 260 TFEU)................................................ 65
Actions brought by the Commission (Art 258 TFEU) ...................................................................................... 65
Actions brought by Member States................................................................................................................ 66
The effectiveness of enforcement procedures .............................................................................................. 67
ACTIONS AGAINST EU INSTITUTIONS: JUDICIAL REVIEW OF THE ACTS AND OMISSIONS OF UNION BODIES ... 67
Judicial review: action to annul (Arts 263 and 264 TFEU) .............................................................................. 68
Judicial review: actions for failure to act (Arts 265 and 266 TFEU)................................................................ 71
Actions for damages (Art 340 TFEU)............................................................................................................... 72
CHAPTER VII. FREE MOVEMENT OF GOODS ............................................................................................... 73
THE ELIMINATION OF PECUNIARY (MONETARY) BARRIERS TO TRADE .............................................................. 74
The Customs Union and Common Customs Tariff (Arts 28 to 33 TFEU) ........................................................ 74
New customs duties and charges having equivalent effect (Art 30 TFEU) .................................................... 74
Discriminatory internal taxation (Arts 110 to 113 TFEU) ............................................................................... 75
Enforcing the rules relating to pecuniary barriers to trade ........................................................................... 76
THE ELIMINATION OF NON-PECUNIARY BARRIERS TO TRADE ........................................................................... 76
Article 34 TFEU and imports ........................................................................................................................... 77
Article 35 TFEU and exports ........................................................................................................................... 80
Derogation from the prohibitions contained in Arts 34 and 35: Art 36 TFEU .................................................... 81
what the treaty says ....................................................................................................................................... 81
2
,The jurisprudence of the Court of Justice The principle of 'mutual recognition' (the Second Cassis Principle)
........................................................................................................................................................................ 81
Grounds for derogation under Art 36 TFEU ................................................................................................... 81
The matter of 'arbitrary discrimination' ......................................................................................................... 82
Measures which are a ‘disguised restriction on trade' .................................................................................. 82
The requirement of 'proportionality' ............................................................................................................. 83
3
,CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION
EU law contains 2 aspects:
- A source of law (not a branch of law);
- A source of national law.
The EU law is a supranational law. This law directly feeds into our national system (this means that it is directly
applicable) + it is established on European level.
It can be split in 2 types of law:
- EU constitutional law;
- EU substantive law.
The EU constiutional law implies treaties and all the rules that can be find for EU law.
The EU substantive law can have a significant impact on individuals, businesses, and various aspects of daily life.
E.g. on how EU law relevant is in the daily life:
- Consumer Rights - "Roam like at Home" Regulation (EU 2017/920, renewed in 2022):
Impact: This regulation allows EU citizens to use their mobile phones in other EU countries at the same cost
as they would at home. It eliminates roaming charges, making it more convenient and cost-effective for
individuals traveling within the EU.
Example: If you are an EU citizen traveling from France to Germany, you can use your mobile phone there
without incurring additional charges for calls, texts, or data usage, thanks to this regulation.
Impact: This directive aims to reduce the impact of certain plastic products on the environment by restricting
their use and promoting more sustainable alternatives. It addresses single-use plastic items that are
frequently found in the marine environment.
Example: The directive bans the sale of certain single-use plastic items like straws, cutlery, and plates and
requires member states to implement measures to reduce the consumption of other items, such as food
containers and cups. As a result, you may notice changes in the availability and use of these products in your
daily life.
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,CHAPTER II. HISTORY
“A day will come when all the nations of this continent, without losing their distinct qualities or their glorious
individuality, will fuse together in a higher unity and form of European brotherhood.
A day will come when the only battlefield will be the marketplace for competing ideas.
A day will come when bullets and bombs will be replaced by votes.”
- Victor Hugo 1849
In the 19th century there were already those ideas that war doesn’t solve any problem and that we must
cooperate.
THE FIRST TREATIES
The historical roots of the European project can be traced back to the aftermath of World War II, which had
devastated Europe and left the continent in ruins. The devastating consequences of the war led to a collective
realization that a new approach was needed to prevent future conflicts and promote stability, peace, and
prosperity. This realization laid the groundwork for the European project, which aimed to foster closer
cooperation and integration among European nations.
Several key figures played pivotal roles in shaping the European project. Often, they are called the “founding
fathers” (different people are pointed out as founding fathers by different contributions):
- Winston Churchill: Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1940 to 1945 during the Second World
War and again from 1951 to 1955. Churchill called for the creation of a "Council of Europe" to promote
cooperation among European nations in 1946;
- Konrad Adenauer: first Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany) from 1949 to
1963;
- Alcide De Gasperi: Christian Democratic Prime Minister of Italy in eight successive coalition governments
from 1945 to 1953;
- Robert Schuman: French Foreign Minister;
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, - Jean Monnet: a senior French civil servant;
- Simone Veil: Holocaust survivor, French magistrate and stateswoman who served as Health Minister in
several governments and was President of the European Parliament from 1979 to 1982.
Early forms of cooperation between the European states:
1948: Organisation for European Economic Cooperation: to oversee Marshall Plan (since 1961 OECD, now 34
MS).
1949: North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO, now 29 MS).
1949: Council of Europe (now 47 MS).
The Council of Europe is an intergovernmental organisation which adopted the European
Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) and established the European Court of Human Rights
(EctHR).
While performing a valuable role in the area of protection of human rights, democraty, and
the rule of lawn the Council failed to deliver the economic regeneration Europe needed after
the two World War’s.
The failure of the European Defence Community was due to the fact that European states doesn’t wanted to give
away their power (sovereinity) to a higher autority because transfering power is an engagement, you can’t take
it back.
Jean Monnet and Robert Shuman suggested to create a higher autority that will be concentrate on specific topics.
They will come together in 3 different communities and will be concentrate on 3 domaines: political, military and
economical:
- European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC)
An alternative vision for European cooperation emerged through the efforts of French economist Jean Monnet
and French Foreign Minister Robert Schuman. The initial concept, known as the Schuman Plan, took a
functionalist approach, proposing the integration of the French and German coal and steel industries. This move
aimed to bind and stabilize relations between the two countries and prevent secret rearmament. The plan,
designed to ensure security on a broader European scale, extended invitations to other European countries.
The European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) was formally established in 1951 with an initial membership of
six countries: France, Germany, Italy, Belgium, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands. It's noteworthy that the UK,
under Prime Minister Sir Anthony Eden, chose not to join, emphasizing its strong links with the Commonwealth
and the USA.
The creation of the ECSC marked a departure from traditional intergovernmental cooperation. Four independent
bodies, now known as EU Institutions (the High Authority, the Assembly, the Council, and the Court of Justice
(ECJ)) were established to oversee the ECSC. This shift towards a supranational approach meant that the power
to supervise and organize coal and steel industries moved from individual states to these new institutions.
While the ECSC's focus seemed economic, aiming to create a common market for coal and steel by eliminating
trade barriers (customs duties), the participating states viewed this cooperation as a means to achieve the
broader goal of maintaining peace and unity in Europe. The Treaty of Paris, establishing the ECSC, emphasized
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,the economic community as a foundation for a more profound and united community among nations historically
divided by conflicts, laying the groundwork for shared destiny and institutions.
- European Atomic Energy Community (EURATOM)
The EURATOM Treaty, signed in Rome on March 25, 1957, involved the same six countries that formed the
European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC). This new community aimed to advance atomic energy for peaceful
uses while maintaining consistent safety standards. Similar to the ECSC, the control of each member state's
atomic industries was transferred to four independent institutions. The Assembly and the European Court of
Justice (ECJ) were shared by both the European Atomic Energy Community (EURATOM) and the European Coal
and Steel Community (ECSC).
- European Economic Community (EEC)
Similar to EURATOM, the European Economic Community (EEC) originated from the Spaak Report, and the treaty
establishing the EEC, often referred to as the Treaty of Rome, was signed in Rome by the same six founding states
on the same day as the EURATOM Treaty. Like EURATOM and the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC),
the EEC was administered by four institutions to which member states delegated the authority to act
independently in specified areas.
However, a key distinction existed between the first two communities (ECSC and EURATOM) and the EEC. While
the former were limited in scope, focusing on creating a common market in coal and steel and atomic energy,
respectively, the EEC took a more extensive approach. Its goal was the gradual integration of all aspects of the
economies of its member states, rather than concentrating on specific industries.
Although the primary focus remained economic for European integration, the preamble to the EEC Treaty
emphasized broader, longer-term objectives, including the establishment of an ever closer union among the
peoples of Europe. This aligned with the views of Jean Monnet and Robert Schuman, who believed that economic
integration would extend into political and social domains. It is crucial to note that despite the broader goals, the
creation of the EEC limited the power to make decisions on behalf of member states to specific, agreed-upon
areas, with a significant emphasis on the establishment of a common market.
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, EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
European Coal and Steel European Economic Community European Atomic Energy
Community 1951 1957 Community 1957
o 6 countries o 6 countries
o 6 countries o For unlimited period o For unlimited period
o For 50 years o Common market (free o Speedy establishment
o Common market in coal movement of goods, and growth of nuclear
and steel persons, services and sector
capital)
o Common policies
INSTITUTIONS
The Merger Treaty 1965
The Merger Treaty is an important milestone as it was the first amendment to the Treaties of Paris and Rome.
Its main purpose was to merge the Institutions of all three Communities, creating one common Council of
Ministers and one common Commission (formerly known as the High Authority). The remaining two bodies, the
European Parliament EP, formerly the Assembly) and the Court of Justice (ECJ), already served all three.
HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT
The concepts of "deepening" and "enlargement" are key aspects of European integration, particularly of the
European Union (EU). These terms refer to two different dimensions of the EU's development.
Deepening involves the strengthening and broadening of cooperation among EU member states in various policy
areas. It focuses on enhancing integration by creating more profound links and harmonization between member
states in terms of policies, institutions, and decision-making processes.
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