European law - CHAPTER 1 (incl. notes - extended) - summary
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Course
Publiekrecht 2
Institution
Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (KU Leuven)
Full notes and learning material for European Law. This document has been supplemented with everything that was said in the lesson and with documents from previous years.
I myself obtained a 9/10 for European law on these documents.
(I apologize for any spelling errors፦))
CHAPTER 1
THE FOUNDATIONS OF THE EUROPEAN UNION LEGAL ORDER
Why European Union integration?
INTRODUCTION
N.b. See also the introductory document available on Toledo.
Why this course?
Who is involved in this course?
What will we do?
How will the course be taught and assessed?
And why again?
National identities (’90): reconciling European integration with national identities = challenge
A. Principles and values guiding the process of European integration
EU Law has a different legal authority than international public law
primacy over national law = automatic & inherent
+ same value as national law everyone is concerned
A. Quest for the essence of the European project
The EU seeks to achieve ‘an ever closer union among the people of Europe’ (Art.1(2) TEU)
goal since 1957
The UK doens’t want this Brexit
− EU is a peaceful project; after WOII the Member States (MS) wanted to rebuild peace between them;
trying to avoid WOIII
but how do you achieve this? Asserting a number of fundamental principles:
o Equality of Member States before the Treaties as well as respect for their national identities. Eg. Art.
4(2) TEU: EU respects national identities: ‘united in diversity’;
Created in 50s to reunite the continent after WO 2, to pacify the continent ( >) Germany
that was badly treated in the past)
o Principle of sincere cooperation between the Union and the Member States. Eg.
Art. 4(3) TEU
o Principle of sincere cooperation between EU institutions. Eg. Art. 13(2) TEU
they represent different interests, so when they work together they also have to do this in good faith
The EU is founded on a system of values
Which values underlie the founding of the European Union?
There is not always a clear definition of what the values may mean precisely
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,European Law Chapter 1 2019-2020
Values are listed in art. 2 TEU, but not always clearly defined: what do they mean in practice? Do we all have
the same definition?
but this may be fine, because the EU respects the diversity of the MS
Still, some of these values are further defined by provisions of the EU Treaties themselves and instruments
adopted to implement the EU Treaties…
o provisions on democratic principles
Eg. Article 11 TEU : openness, transparency & dialogue
o provisions on non-discrimination between persons
Eg. Article 9 TEU : ‘In all its activities, the Union shall observe the principle of the equality of its citizens,
who shall receive equal attention from its institutions, bodies, offices and agencies […]’
Eg. Article 18(1) TFEU: prohibition of discrimination on grounds of nationality
o EU directives implementing the principle of equal treatment between persons irrespective of
racial or ethnic origin, religion or belief, disability, age or sexual orientation
…as well as by instruments that complement the EU Treaties for the purpose of giving flesh to these
values.
o Art 6 TEU
6(1) TEU: Charter of Fundamental Rights of the EU (or CFEU)
6(2) TEU: the EU shall accede to the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights
and Fundamental Freedoms (or ECHR)
6(3) TEU: general principles of the Union's law (including ECHR + constitutional traditions
common to the Member States)
principles are not exhaustedly explained, but there are elements in the most Treaties
most principles only apply to EU citizens (and not foreigners from outside the Union)
· CFEU: list of fundamental rights that the MS have promised to respect (some of these come back in the
Treaties)
· ECHR
· General principles of the Union’s Law à are unwritten
The EU is founded on these values and these values are common to the Member States
Do you think the same values apply in Belgium or other EU countries?
MS are all members of most human rights treaties, so they do share these values, but not all of them are as
respectful as they should be;
Any European State which respects the values referred to in Article 2 and is committed to
promoting them may apply to become a member of the Union. (Art.49(1) TEU)
You cannot be a MS if you don’t respect the values of the EU, this is on paper (art. 2 TEU) – but in practice one
may be skeptical;
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· Art. 7 TEU = ‘the atomic bomb’ = m Mechanisms when there is a risk of a serious breach or existence
of a serious and persistent breach by a Member State of the values referred to in art 2. (it may be used
against Poland)
· Adhering to these values is not easy
Mechanism when there is a risk of a serious breach or existence of a serious and persistent
breach by a Member State of the values referred to in Article 2. (Art.7 TEU)
B. Different models of regional integration
B. The choice of format
1. Integration may have different ‘ranges’
From free trade area (free movement of goods between the Member States)...
...to full Union (complete integration)
with multiple intermediary stages such as customs union, common market, monetary union
and political union.
2. The choice of ‘range’ depends upon the objectives identified
The EU is somewhere between an common market and a political union
how does one choose which degree they want? Look at their objectives
The objectives of the European Union
Goes further than a common market
o some have the same currency
o but still not fully integrated
o but how far does the EU want to go? Art. 3 TEU: not a full integration, not full cooperation; just
facilitate cooperation in certain institutions
The degree of European Union integration: towards a political union?
Other examples of regional integration
European Free Trade Area (EFTA) ) (free movement of goods): some members of this union are not part of the
EU (vb. Norway); most have signed an agreement with the EU to have the EEA (free movement of goods +
common market + other EU policies that have an impact on the EU market)
− European Economic Area (EEA, 1994)
− Norway (EEA partner) and the EU
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