The General Principles of EU Law

by Tridimas, Takis

• ISBN13: 9780199258062
• ISBN10: 0199258066
• Edition: 2nd
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2006-07-27
• Publisher: Oxford University Press

Summary

The European Court of Justice has profoundly influenced the development of the legal order of the European Community through the elaboration of unwritten general principles of law derived from the fundamental values underlying the national legal systems. This fully revised and updated Second Edition provides a detailed and systematic analysis of the general principles as applied by the European Court of Justice and the Court of First Instance. It assesses the impact of the EU Constitution on the relationship between the EU and the Member States and the protection of Community rights in national courts.

Author Biography

Takis Tridimas is the Sir John Lubbock Professor of Banking aw and head of the International Financial Law Unit of the Centre for Commercial Law Studies at Queen Mary, University of London. He is the co-editor of the Yearbook of European Law. He is a Barrister (Middle Temple) and a qualified Greek advocate. In 2003 he was senior legal adviser to the EU Presidency and chairman of the Committee for the Drafting of the Treaty of Accession to the EU by which ten new States joined the European Union. He is also visiting Professor at the College of Europe, Bruges.

Table of Contents

Table of Cases	xxiii
Table of Legislation	cv
Chapter 1: The General Principles of Law in the European Union Legal Order	1	(58)
1.1. Introduction	1	(4)
1.2. The general principles of law derived from the laws of Member States: An overview	5	(2)
1.3. Origins and development of general principles	7	(4)
1.4. From general principles to constitutional texts: The gradual formalization of EU Law	11	(3)
1.5. The Constitution and its values	14	(3)
1.6. The general principles as a source of Community law	17	(12)
1.6.1. The gap-filling function of general principles	17	(2)
1.6.2. Article 220	19	(1)
1.6.3. The Court's evaluative approach	20	(3)
1.6.4. The influence of national laws	23	(2)
1.6.5. Attributes of general principles	25	(4)
1.7. The function of general principles in the Community legal order	29	(7)
1.7.1. Aid to interpretation	29	(2)
1.7.2. Grounds for review	31	(4)
1.7.3. Breach of general principles and liability in damages	35	(1)
1.8. The scope of application of general principles	36	(14)
1.8.1. Implementing measures	36	(2)
1.8.2. Measures adopted under an express Treaty derogation	38	(1)
1.8.3. Measures which fall within the scope of Community law	39	(3)
1.8.4. The reaction of English courts	42	(2)
1.8.5. Public authorities bound by the general principles	44	(3)
1.8.6. The application of general principles against individuals	47	(3)
1.9. The general principles of law and the EC Treaty	50	(6)
1.9.1. The general principles in the hierarchy of Community rules	50	(1)
1.9.2. The general principles as rules of Treaty interpretation	51	(5)
1.10. The general principles as sources of international law	56	(3)
Chapter 2: The Principle of Equality	59	(77)
2.1. The principle of equality as a general principle of Community law	59	(5)
2.2. Formalizing equality: Article 13 EC and the Charter	64	(8)
2.2.1. Article 13 EC	64	(2)
2.2.2. The Charter of Fundamental Rights	66	(1)
2.2.3. The anti-discrimination directives	67	(5)
2.3. The principle of non-discrimination in the ECHR	72	(2)
2.4. The application of equality in Community law: General observations	74	(4)
2.5. Agricultural law	78	(17)
2.5.1. The Royal Scholten-Honig case	80	(1)
2.5.2. Comparability	81	(2)
2.5.3. Objective justification	83	(19)
2.5.3.1. Discretion of the Community institutions	84	(4)
2.5.3.2. Different treatment of products of different Member States	88	(2)
2.5.3.3. Similar treatment of dissimilar situations	90	(2)
2.5.3.3.1. Individual circumstances of producers	90	(1)
2.5.3.3.2. Similar treatment of products of different Members States	91	(1)
2.5.3.4. Other considerations	92	(3)
2.6. Equal treatment and harmonization of national laws	95	(2)
2.7. Staff cases	97	(5)
2.8. Prohibition of discrimination on grounds of sex and sexual orientation	102	(16)
2.8.1. Sex equality as a fundamental right	102	(2)
2.8.2. Beyond discrimination on grounds of sex	104	(7)
2.8.3. Positive discrimination	111	(7)
2.9. Article 12 EC: The prohibition of discrimination on grounds of nationality	118	(18)
2.9.1. The content of the prohibition	118	(5)
2.9.2. Scope of application	123	(12)
2.9.2.1. Access to education	124	(4)
2.9.2.2. Intellectual property rights	128	(2)
2.9.2.3. Judicial proceedings	130	(2)
2.9.2.4. European citizenship	132	(3)
2.9.3. Article 12, second paragraph	135	(1)
Chapter 3: The Principle of Proportionality: Review of Community Measures	136	(39)
3.1. The principle of proportionality and its function in Community law	136	(3)
3.2. What does proportionality entail?	139	(2)
3.3. The development of the principle in Community law	141	(1)
3.4. Review of policy measures: The 'manifestly inappropriate' test	142	(7)
3.5. Agricultural law	149	(12)
3.5.1. Market regulation measures	150	(1)
3.5.2. Production control measures	150	(4)
3.5.2.1. Co-responsibility levy	151	(1)
3.5.2.2. Maximum guaranteed quantities	152	(1)
3.5.2.3. Individual quotas	152	(1)
3.5.2.4. The Skimmed Milk cases	153	(1)
3.5.3. Establishment of a common organization of the market	154	(1)
3.5.4. Monetary compensatory amounts	155	(1)
3.5.5. Administrative measures: Forfeiture of deposits and securities	156	(5)
3.6. Health and consumer protection measures	161	(3)
3.7. Protective measures in trade with third States	164	(4)
3.8. Flat-rate reductions	168	(1)
3.9. Sanctions	169	(4)
3.10. Overview of factors to be taken into account	173	(2)
Chapter 4: The Principle of Proportionality: Relationship with Competence and Subsidiarity	175	(18)
4.1. Proportionality as a principle governing the exercise of Community competence	175	(2)
4.2. Case law on proportionality	177	(3)
4.3. Community competence	180	(3)
4.4. Subsidiarity and the ECJ	183	(5)
4.5. Subsidiarity and proportionality under the EU Constitution: An assessment of the Protocol	188	(5)
Chapter 5: The Principle of Proportionality: Review of National Measures	193	(49)
5.1. From the rule of law to economic integration	193	(3)
5.2. Equality and proportionality: Complementary or alternative patterns of integration?	196	(13)
5.2.1. Patterns of integration and the judgment in Keck	196	(3)
5.2.2. Post-Keck developments and initial reactions	199	(2)
5.2.3. Refining Keck: The rediscovery of 'the access to the market' spirit?	201	(8)
5.3. The 'less restrictive alternative' test	209	(11)
5.3.1. Article 30	209	(3)
5.3.2. Mandatory requirements	212	(2)
5.3.3. The limits of the less restrictive alternative test	214	(4)
5.3.4. Equivalence and duplication	218	(2)
5.4. Specific grounds	220	(14)
5.4.1. Public health	221	(4)
5.4.2. Public security	225	(6)
5.4.3. Consumer protection	231	(3)
5.5. Criminal penalties	234	(4)
5.6. The role of national courts	238	(4)
Chapter 6: Legal Certainty and Protection of Legitimate Expectations	242	(56)
6.1. Legal certainty	242	(9)
6.2. Protection of legitimate expectations	251	(1)
6.3. Non-retroactivity	252	(21)
6.3.1. Criminal measures	252	(2)
6.3.2. Non-criminal measures	254	(2)
6.3.3. The conditions of retroactivity	256	(1)
6.3.4. Cases where the Court has annulled retroactive measures	257	(2)
6.3.5. Monetary compensatory amounts	259	(1)
6.3.6. Reinstatement of effects of a measure declared void	260	(2)
6.3.7. Obligation to provide for retroactive effect	262	(3)
6.3.8. The criterion of forseeability	265	(1)
6.3.9. Immediate application of the law	266	(3)
6.3.10. Maintenance of existing advantages and benefits	269	(2)
6.3.11. The presumption against retroactivity	271	(2)
6.4. Legitimate expectations arising from legislation	273	(7)
6.4.1. Protection of specific interests	273	(2)
6.4.2. Milk quotas	275	(5)
6.5. Legitimate expectations arising from conduct of the Community institutions	280	(4)
6.6 Revocation of beneficial administrative acts	284	(1)
6.7. Expectations of a non-commercial nature	285	(1)
6.8. Legitimate expectations and national measures	286	(3)
6.9. Recovery of unduly paid Community monies	289	(3)
6.10. Recovery of unlawful State aid	292	(6)
Chapter 7: Fundamental Rights	298	(72)
7.1. Introduction	298	(2)
7.2. Review of Community measures	300	(19)
7.2.1. The early years	300	(1)
7.2.2. From Internationale Handelsgesellschaft to Hauer	301	(3)
7.2.3. Legislative developments	304	(1)
7.2.4. The national reaction	305	(2)
7.2.5. What is a fundamental right?	307	(4)
7.2.6. Searching for the appropriate standard of protection	311	(2)
7.2.7. The right to property and the freedom to trade	313	(6)
7.3. Review of national measures	319	(18)
7.3.1. Implementing measures	320	(3)
7.3.2. Measures derogating from the fundamental freedoms	323	(4)
7.3.3. Other measures falling within the scope of Community law	327	(2)
7.3.4. The Grogan case: Deference or intervention?	329	(3)
7.3.5. Stretching the scope of Community law: An ever-expanding jurisdiction?	332	(9)
7.3.5.1. From free movement to human rights protection	332	(3)
7.3.5.2. Measures which potentially interfere with free movement	335	(2)
7.4. Human rights versus fundamental freedoms	337	(4)
7.5. Community law and the European Convention on Human Rights	341	(15)
7.5.1. The status of the Convention in Community law	341	(1)
7.5.2. The relationship between the ECJ and the ECtHR: Deference and convergence	342	(2)
7.5.3. The status of the advocate general	344	(4)
7.5.4. From the Straits of Gibraltar to the straits of Bosphorus	348	(5)
7.5.5. EU accession to the ECHR	353	(3)
7.6. The Charter of Fundamental Rights	356	(14)
7.6.1. Origins, objectives, and content of the Charter	356	(3)
7.6.2. Status and effect	359	(3)
7.6.3. Horizontal provisions	362	(8)
Chapter 8: The Rights of Defence	370	(48)
8.1. Introduction	370	(4)
8.2. The right against self-incrimination	374	(4)
8.3. When does the right to a fair hearing apply?	378	(5)
8.4. Member States' rights	383	(2)
8.5. Content of the right to a fair hearing	385	(3)
8.6. Fair hearing and confidentiality	388	(3)
8.7. Consequences of failure to observe	391	(3)
8.8. Competition proceedings	394	(9)
8.8.1. The right to a hearing	394	(3)
8.8.2. Access to the file	397	(4)
8.8.3. Complainants	401	(2)
8.9. Anti-dumping proceedings	403	(2)
8.10. Staff cases	405	(1)
8.11. The relationship between the right to a hearing and other procedural rights	406	(4)
8.12. The principle of good administration	410	(5)
8.13. The right to a hearing before national authorities	415	(3)
Chapter 9: The Principle of Effectiveness	418	(59)
9.1. A decentralized model of justice	418	(2)
9.2. Three phases in the Court's case law	420	(3)
9.3. The dual requirement of equivalence and effectiveness	423	(4)
9.3.1. The principle of effectiveness	424	(1)
9.3.2. The principle of equivalence	424	(3)
9.4. Limitation periods	427	(7)
9.5. Rules specifically introduced to limit Community claims	434	(4)
9.6. Unjust enrichment and the defence of passing on	438	(5)
9.7. Effective judicial review	443	(13)
9.7.1. The right to judicial review before national courts	443	(4)
9.7.2. Intensity of review	447	(6)
9.7.3. Locus standi before national courts	453	(2)
9.7.4. The right to an effective remedy under the Charter	455	(1)
9.8. Compensation	456	(5)
9.8.1. Damages	456	(2)
9.8.2. The payment of interest	458	(3)
9.9. Is a national court required to raise a point of Community law on its own motion?	461	(5)
9.10. Obligation to review final administrative decisions	466	(1)
9.11. Interim measures	467	(10)
9.11.1. Interim relief in national courts to protect Community rights	467	(2)
9.11.2. Interim relief in national courts to suspend national measures implementing Community regulations	469	(8)
Chapter 10: The Liability of Community Institutions	477	(21)
10.1. Article 288(2)	477	(1)
10.2. The case law before Bergaderm	478	(8)
10.2.1. Administrative action	478	(1)
10.2.2. Legislative measures	479	(6)
10.2.2.1. Superior rule of law for the protection of the individual	480	(2)
10.2.2.2. Seriousness of the violation	482	(3)
10.2.3. Measures other than measures of economic policy	485	(1)
10.3. The judgment in Bergaderni	486	(3)
10.4. The post-Bergaderm case law: Discretion and duty of care	489	(3)
10.5. Liability for lawful acts	492	(3)
10.6. Causal link	495	(3)
Chapter 11: State Liability for Breach of EU Law	498	(50)
11.1. The legal basis of State liability	498	(5)
11.2. The conditions of State liability: An overview	503	(1)
11.3. Failure to transpose a directive into national law	504	(5)
11.4. Breach of Community law as a result of action by the national legislature	509	(3)
11.4.1. The case law	509	(2)
11.4.2. A critique of the Court's reasoning	511	(1)
11.5. Breach of the Treaty by the national administration	512	(2)
11.6. Incorrect transposition of a directive	514	(2)
11.7. Seriousness of breach and Member State discretion	516	(5)
11.8. Breach of Union law by the national judiciary	521	(8)
11.8.1. The judgment in Köbler	521	(4)
11.8.2. Assessment and implications	525	(4)
11.9. Causation	529	(4)
11.10. The right to reparation: The importance of national law	533	(1)
11.11. Which authority is responsible for providing reparation?	534	(3)
11.12. The aftermath of Francovich	537	(3)
11.12.1. Time limit	538	(1)
11.12.2. Retroactive application of implementing measures	539	(1)
11.13. The national reaction	540	(1)
11.14. Relationship with other remedies	541	(2)
11.15. Liability of private parties	543	(5)
11.15.1. Horizontal provisions	543	(2)
11.15.2. Implied rights of action	545	(3)
Chapter 12: Conclusions	548	(13)
Bibliography	561	(16)
Index	577