EU INSTITUTIONAL LAW: LESNOTITIES
CHAPTER 1: THE FOUNDATIONS OF EU LAW
1. European integration: objectives, principles, and values
Essential purpose <art 1, §2 TEU => EU is about creating, an ever-closer union among the
peoples of Europe. The founding member states (ms) (Benelux-countries, France, Germany,
and Italy) agreed to engage in an ambitious political and legal project, with a view to
reunifying the continent.
=> For this to happen the EU is built on 2 principles: <art 4 TEU
1° Equality of the member states
A first precondition was to avoid the mistake of the past, and instead to postulate equality of
the ms. The EU must indeed respect the equality of ms under the Treaties on which it is
founded. Every ms that signed into the Treaty, no matter what size, economic or geopolitical
power, would be represented equally. That equality between the ms also applies between
the citizens of every ms.
Er zijn altijd nuanceringen maar wij gaan in de EU uit van het ‘vermoeden van gelijkheid’
The equality of the ms is combined with respect for their ‘national identities’.
2° Sincere cooperation
The EU and the ms have always been expected to jointly contribute to achieving the
objectives of the process of EU integration, as agreed upon in the EU treaties. They must do
so in full respect for each other, including in reciprocal relations between ms.
- Ms shall ensure the fulfilment of their obligations and falcificate the achievement of
the EU’s objectives. (lidstaten moeten hun verplichtingen nakomen en waken erover
dat de doelstelling van de eu worden verwezenkijkt)
- Ms shall refrain from any measure which could jeopardise the attainment of the EU’s
objectives (de lidstaten onthouden zich van alle maatregelen die de verwezenlijkingen
van de doelstellingen van de eu in gevaar kunnen brengen)
= loyal corporation = legal principal enforced by the EU = ethical duty
This is intended to pave the way for a spirited collaboration between the ms, which is
also sometimes referred to in terms of ‘solidarity’.
These principles are grounded in a set of values, common to the ms and providing the
foundations of the EU construct. <art 2 TEU
‘The Union is founded on the values of respect for human dignity, freedom, democracy,
equality, the rule of law and respect for human rights, including the rights of persons
belonging to minorities. These values are common to the Member States in a society in
which pluralism, non-discrimination, tolerance, justice, solidarity and equality between
women and men prevail.’
Because the EU legal order is based on the fundamental premise that’s its ms share and
therefore recognize the founding values listed in art 2 TEU, it is often said that there is a
‘mutual trust’ between the ms. => create a presumption that those values will be recognized
by all ms, and that the EU law that implements these values will be respected.
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,Definitions? Contested, it remains to something that deserve our attention <art 2 TEU
If the union is founded bases on these values, then we can speak about ‘mutual trust’ =>
once u join the club, then we can trust that u are trustworthy = mutual trust
But: concerns about the risks of serious breaches of the rule of law (Poland and Hungary)
Defining its key concepts is not an easy task => what is meant by ‘rule of law’?
<art 6 TEU => complementary source
2. A unique form of regional integration
The EU was conceived, and further developed, as a unique form of regional integration.
EU is not the only form of regional integration, but it is a unique form its integration
Forms of economic integration: (bottom to top of integration scale)
- Free trade area (free movement of good) = a group of two or more customs
territories in which duties and other regulations having a restrictive effect on
commerce are eliminated on substantially all trade between the constituent
territories in products originating in such territories. (een groep van twee of meer
douanegebieden waarbinnen de rechten en andere regelingen die een beperkende
invloed op de handel hebben, worden opgeheven voor nagenoeg de gehele handel
tussen de samenstellende gebieden in producten van oorsprong uit die gebieden)
▪ No charges when people/goods cross countries = free movement of goods
and services
- Customs union = there is a single customs territory instead of two or more customs
territories. These territories not only benefit from a free trade area between them,
but also apply substantially the same duties and other regulations of commerce to
the trade of territories from outside of the contracting parties. (er is één enkel
douanegebied in plaats van twee of meer douanegebieden. Deze gebieden profiteren
niet alleen van een onderlinge vrijhandelszone, maar passen ook in wezen dezelfde
rechten en andere handelsvoorschriften toe op het handelsverkeer van gebieden van
buiten de overeenkomstsluitende partijen)
▪ if a good or service comes from outside the participant countries, the charge
is the same whether it is meant for a member state or not
▪ Production of a car in A (ms) to B (ms) = same charge as A (ms) to C (no ms)
- Internal market = this includes a customs union, which covers all trade goods with
free movement between the ms as well as a common customs tariff. It also provides
for an area without internal frontiers in which the free movement of persons,
services and capital is ensured. (Dit omvat een douane-unie, die alle handelsgoederen
omvat met vrij verkeer tussen de ms, alsmede een gemeenschappelijk douanetarief.
Zij voorziet ook in een ruimte zonder binnengrenzen waarin het vrije verkeer van
personen, diensten en kapitaal is gewaarborgd. )
EU = a broader political project
It started as a project for economic integration, as the reconstruction went on, the political
interested started growing. The EU allows the nationals of the ms, who hold the
fundamental status of EU citizens, to move and reside within the EU even if they do not
engage in an economic activity.
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,Sub-objectives of the EU, art 3 TEU:
- Fundamental status of EU citizen (since 1992)
- Common economic and monetary policy => pay in euros
- An area of freedom, security and justice => u are allowed to cross the border without
border control
- A common foreign and security policy => when there is a crisis, the EU tries to have a
common voice to react to what’s happening outside the EU
Among others in Europe: Regional organizations
The EU (27 states) is surrounded with partners:
- EFTA-states (European free trade area)
▪ Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, The Swiss Confederation
▪ Not EU-member states but they have a trade agreement between them
▪ Focused on the promotion of free trade and economic integration
- EEA-states (European economic area)
▪ Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway
▪ = advanced form of EFTA between Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and the
EU =/ Swiss Confederation
▪ Goal: bring those EFTA states closer to the process of the EU integration, and
its internal market in particular – promote economic relations between the
EU and the EFTA-states
▪ EEA = free trade area but more forms of collaboration: agriculture,
competition policy, …
▪ They incorporate and accept the rules of the EU, they do not take part of all
EU economic policies, but they have joined additional selected EU policies =>
Schengen area
The Swiss Confederation isn’t part of the meta-agreement of the EEA, but it has a lot of
‘links’ with the EEA, so it is a very close partner, even though it isn’t a EU-member or a EEA-
member (now also member of the Schengen area)
Close relationship with Norway and the Swiss Confederation
The EU is not alone in Europa
Special situation with the UK, left the EU => new form of economic corporation, it has
used and implied the EU-law for lots of years
Next to 27 EU-states, there are a lot of partners!!
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, Tools
More ambitious because of this tool (vicious circle)
Intergovernmental method
Agreements between states are traditionally concluded at international level by
representations of the governments of the contracting parties. The implementation of most
agreements of the sort is then commonly ensured through equally ‘intergovernmental’
methods primarily reflecting the interests of each individual state.
(Overeenkomsten tussen staten worden van oudsher op internationaal niveau gesloten door
vertegenwoordigingen van de regeringen van de overeenkomstsluitende partijen. De
uitvoering van de meeste van dit soort overeenkomsten wordt dan gewoonlijk verzekerd door
middel van even "intergouvernementele" methoden die in de eerste plaats de belangen van
elke afzonderlijke staat weerspiegelen.)
Once u are part of the EU, the methods that apply to u are different of common EU-law =>
supranational method
Supranational method/ community method
1° supranational method
This system acknowledges the importance of the interests of each individual state party to
the organization. The system also makes space for the representation of other interests.
Operates with institutions that are independent form the wheel of independent states
=> they exist above the state-level and operate above it = independent
Relies on a particularly powerful set of institutions
2° community method
This characterizes the dynamics of decision-making within the EU. This approach consists in
empowering institutions at supranational level to balance the various interests and to work
towards the general interests of the EU.
Integration through law
We bring together the member states and their citizens around a common good; in order
to achieve this, we adopt legal rules that apply equally for these member states
3. Evolution
The most visible expression of integration through law is the centrality of the EU treaties.
The introduction to Treaty change
EEC created by ‘Treaty establishing the EEC’
The history of EU date back to Rome, 1957 => at this time there were 6 ms
Second type (chapter 2)
Each time a new ms joined the club, the treaties had to be changed
Integration = treaty reforms (political objectives, material scope of action) + enlargements
(accession of new ms)
It started with the treaty of Rome, but how did we get there?
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