The Treaty of Lisbon and the Court of Justice of the European Union
Organisation of the Court of Justice of the European Union
Structure and name
The European Union, which now has legal personality, has replaced the European Community1 . Accordingly, under the Treaty of Lisbon, the ‘pillar’ structure has disappeared and the Union has a new institutional framework. As a result, just as other institutions have been renamed, the institution is now known as the Court of Justice of the European Union, comprising:
- the Court of Justice,
- the General Court,
- the specialised courts.
 Article 19 TEU |
|
Article 19 1. The Court of Justice of the European Union shall include the Court of Justice, the General Court and specialised courts. It shall ensure that in the interpretation and application of the Treaties the law is observed. Member States shall provide remedies sufficient to ensure effective legal protection in the fields covered by Union law. 2. The Court of Justice shall consist of one judge from each Member State. It shall be assisted by Advocates-General. The General Court shall include at least one judge per Member State. The Judges and the Advocates-General of the Court of Justice and the Judges of the General Court shall be chosen from persons whose independence is beyond doubt and who satisfy the conditions set out in Articles 253 and 254 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union. They shall be appointed by common accord of the governments of the Member States for six years. Retiring Judges and Advocates-General may be reappointed. 3. The Court of Justice of the European Union shall, in accordance with the Treaties: (a) rule on actions brought by a Member State, an institution or a natural or legal person; (b) give preliminary rulings, at the request of courts or tribunals of the Member States, on the interpretation of Union law or the validity of acts adopted by the institutions; (c) rule in other cases provided for in the Treaties. |
The judicial chambers introduced by the Treaty of Nice are known as specialised courts. They are created in accordance with the ordinary legislative procedure (by co-decision with a qualified majority), either on a proposal from the Commission on which the Court of Justice has been consulted or on a proposal from the Court of Justice on which the Commission has been consulted (Article 257 TFEU). The same provision stipulates that they are to be attached to the General Court.
| Article 257 TFEU |
|
Article 257 The European Parliament and the Council, acting in accordance with the ordinary legislative procedure, may establish specialised courts attached to the General Court to hear and determine at first instance certain classes of action or proceeding brought in specific areas. The European Parliament and the Council shall act by means of regulations either on a proposal from the Commission after consultation of the Court of Justice or at the request of the Court of Justice after consultation of the Commission. The regulation establishing a specialised court shall lay down the rules on the organisation of the court and the extent of the jurisdiction conferred upon it. Decisions given by specialised courts may be subject to a right of appeal on points of law only or, when provided for in the regulation establishing the specialised court, a right of appeal also on matters of fact, before the General Court. The members of the specialised courts shall be chosen from persons whose independence is beyond doubt and who possess the ability required for appointment to judicial office. They shall be appointed by the Council, acting unanimously. The specialised courts shall establish their Rules of Procedure in agreement with the Court of Justice. Those Rules shall require the approval of the Council. Unless the regulation establishing the specialised court provides otherwise, the provisions of the Treaties relating to the Court of Justice of the European Union and the provisions of the Statute of the Court of Justice of the European Union shall apply to the specialised courts. Title I of the Statute and Article 64 thereof shall in any case apply to the specialised courts. |
The Civil Service Tribunal, whose status is unchanged, has therefore become a specialised court.
These Courts are, together, an institution of the European Union (Article 13 TEU). Luxembourg has been confirmed as the seat of the institution (Protocol No 6).
| Article 13 TEU |
|
Article 13 1. The Union shall have an institutional framework which shall aim to promote its values, advance its objectives, serve its interests, those of its citizens and those of the Member States, and ensure the consistency, effectiveness and continuity of its policies and actions. 2. Each institution shall act within the limits of the powers conferred on it in the Treaties, and in conformity with the procedures, conditions and objectives set out in them. The institutions shall practice mutual sincere cooperation. 3. The provisions relating to the European Central Bank and the Court of Auditors and detailed provisions on the other institutions are set out in the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union. 4. The European Parliament, the Council and the Commission shall be assisted by an Economic and Social Committee and a Committee of the Regions acting in an advisory capacity. |
| Protocol No 6 |
|
PROTOCOL (No 6) ON THE LOCATION OF THE SEATS OF THE INSTITUTIONS AND OF CERTAIN BODIES, OFFICES, AGENCIES AND DEPARTMENTS OF THE EUROPEAN UNION THE REPRESENTATIVES OF THE GOVERNMENTS OF THE MEMBER STATES, HAVING REGARD to Article 341 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union and Article 189 of the Treaty establishing the European Atomic Energy Community, RECALLING AND CONFIRMING the Decision of 8 April 1965, and without prejudice to the decisions concerning the seat of future institutions, bodies, offices, agencies and departments, HAVE AGREED UPON the following provisions, which shall be annexed to the Treaty on European Union and to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, and to the Treaty establishing the European Atomic Energy Community: Sole Article (a) The European Parliament shall have its seat in Strasbourg where the 12 periods of monthly plenary sessions, including the budget session, shall be held. The periods of additional plenary sessions shall be held in Brussels. The committees of the European Parliament shall meet in Brussels. The General Secretariat of the European Parliament and its departments shall remain in Luxembourg. (b) The Council shall have its seat in Brussels. During the months of April, June and October, the Council shall hold its meetings in Luxembourg. (c) The Commission shall have its seat in Brussels. The departments listed in Articles 7, 8 and 9 of the Decision of 8 April 1965 shall be established in Luxembourg. (d) The Court of Justice of the European Union shall have its seat in Luxembourg. (e) The Court of Auditors shall have its seat in Luxembourg. (f) The Economic and Social Committee shall have its seat in Brussels. (g) The Committee of the Regions shall have its seat in Brussels. (h) The European Investment Bank shall have its seat in Luxembourg. (i) The European Central Bank shall have its seat in Frankfurt. (j) The European Police Office (Europol) shall have its seat in The Hague. |
The Statute of the Court of Justice of the European Union is contained in Protocol No 3 . It follows from the Treaty of Lisbon that a request for amendment of the Statute is deemed to be a ‘draft legislative act’2 and must be subject to the ordinary legislative procedure (second paragraph of Article 281 TFEU). By contrast, the institution’s language arrangements remain subject to the unanimity rule. The rules on the Judges and Advocates-General can be amended only by amendment of the Treaties (Article 48 TEU).
| Article 281 TFEU |
|
Article 281 The Statute of the Court of Justice of the European Union shall be laid down in a separate Protocol. The European Parliament and the Council, acting in accordance with the ordinary legislative procedure, may amend the provisions of the Statute, with the exception of Title I and Article 64. The European Parliament and the Council shall act either at the request of the Court of Justice and after consultation of the Commission, or on a proposal from the Commission and after consultation of the Court of Justice. |
| Article 48 TEU |
|
Article 48 1. The Treaties may be amended in accordance with an ordinary revision procedure. They may also be amended in accordance with simplified revision procedures. Ordinary revision procedure 2. The Government of any Member State, the European Parliament or the Commission may submit to the Council proposals for the amendment of the Treaties. These proposals may, inter alia, serve either to increase or to reduce the competences conferred on the Union in the Treaties. These proposals shall be submitted to the European Council by the Council and the national Parliaments shall be notified. 3. If the European Council, after consulting the European Parliament and the Commission, adopts by a simple majority a decision in favour of examining the proposed amendments, the President of the European Council shall convene a Convention composed of representatives of the national Parliaments, of the Heads of State or Government of the Member States, of the European Parliament and of the Commission. The European Central Bank shall also be consulted in the case of institutional changes in the monetary area. The Convention shall examine the proposals for amendments and shall adopt by consensus a recommendation to a conference of representatives of the governments of the Member States as provided for in paragraph 4. The European Council may decide by a simple majority, after obtaining the consent of the European Parliament, not to convene a Convention should this not be justified by the extent of the proposed amendments. In the latter case, the European Council shall define the terms of reference for a conference of representatives of the governments of the Member States. 4. A conference of representatives of the governments of the Member States shall be convened by the President of the Council for the purpose of determining by common accord the amendments to be made to the Treaties. 5. If, two years after the signature of a treaty amending the Treaties, four fifths of the Member States have ratified it and one or more Member States have encountered difficulties in proceeding with ratification, the matter shall be referred to the European Council. Simplified revision procedures 6. The Government of any Member State, the European Parliament or the Commission may submit to the European Council proposals for revising all or part of the provisions of Part Three of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union relating to the internal policies and action of the Union. The European Council may adopt a decision amending all or part of the provisions of Part Three of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union. The European Council shall act by unanimity after consulting the European Parliament and the Commission, and the European Central Bank in the case of institutional changes in the monetary area. That decision shall not enter into force until it is approved by the Member States in accordance with their respective constitutional requirements. 7. Where the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union or Title V of this Treaty provides for the Council to act by unanimity in a given area or case, the European Council may adopt a decision authorising the Council to act by a qualified majority in that area or in that case. This subparagraph shall not apply to decisions with military implications or those in the area of defence. Any initiative taken by the European Council on the basis of the first or the second subparagraph shall be notified to the national Parliaments. If a national Parliament makes known its opposition within six months of the date of such notification, the decision referred to in the first or the second subparagraph shall not be adopted. In the absence of opposition, the European Council may adopt the decision. For the adoption of the decisions referred to in the first and second subparagraphs, the European Council shall act by unanimity after obtaining the consent of the European Parliament, which shall be given by a majority of its component members. |
Composition
The composition of the Court of Justice and of the General Court is unchanged (Article 19 TEU): the Court of Justice consists of one judge from each Member State and the General Court includes at least one judge per Member State. The Civil Service Tribunal continues to consist of seven judges.
| Article 19 TEU |
|
Article 19 TEU 1. The Court of Justice of the European Union shall include the Court of Justice, the General Court and specialised courts. It shall ensure that in the interpretation and application of the Treaties the law is observed. Member States shall provide remedies sufficient to ensure effective legal protection in the fields covered by Union law. 2. The Court of Justice shall consist of one judge from each Member State. It shall be assisted by Advocates-General. The General Court shall include at least one judge per Member State. The Judges and the Advocates-General of the Court of Justice and the Judges of the General Court shall be chosen from persons whose independence is beyond doubt and who satisfy the conditions set out in Articles 253 and 254 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union. They shall be appointed by common accord of the governments of the Member States for six years. Retiring Judges and Advocates-General may be reappointed. 3. The Court of Justice of the European Union shall, in accordance with the Treaties: (a) rule on actions brought by a Member State, an institution or a natural or legal person; (b) give preliminary rulings, at the request of courts or tribunals of the Member States, on the interpretation of Union law or the validity of acts adopted by the institutions; (c) rule in other cases provided for in the Treaties. |
The procedure for the appointment of Assistant Rapporteurs has been eased in that the Treaty of Lisbon provides for them to be appointed in accordance with the ordinary legislative procedure rather than by unanimity (Protocol No 3, Article 13).
| Protocol No 3, Article 13 |
|
Article 13 At the request of the Court of Justice, the European Parliament and the Council may, acting in accordance with the ordinary legislative procedure, provide for the appointment of Assistant Rapporteurs and lay down the rules governing their service. The Assistant Rapporteurs may be required, under conditions laid down in the Rules of Procedure, to participate in preparatory inquiries in cases pending before the Court and to cooperate with the Judge who acts as Rapporteur. The Assistant Rapporteurs shall be chosen from persons whose independence is beyond doubt and who possess the necessary legal qualifications; they shall be appointed by the Council, acting by a simple majority. They shall take an oath before the Court to perform their duties impartially and conscientiously and to preserve the secrecy of the deliberations of the Court. |
The Court is assisted by eight Advocates-General (Article 252 TFEU). Declaration No 383 of the Intergovernmental Conference provides for the possibility of an increase in their number from 8 to 11 at the request of the Court of Justice and on a decision of the Council, acting unanimously. In that case, a permanent post would be allotted to Poland (as is the case for Germany, France, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom) and two posts would be added to those assigned by rotation.
| Article 252 TFEU |
|
Article 252 The Court of Justice shall be assisted by eight Advocates-General. Should the Court of Justice so request, the Council, acting unanimously, may increase the number of Advocates-General. It shall be the duty of the Advocate-General, acting with complete impartiality and independence, to make, in open court, reasoned submissions on cases which, in accordance with the Statute of the Court of Justice of the European Union, require his involvement. |
| Declaration No 38 |
|
38. Declaration on Article 252 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union regarding the number of Advocates-General in the Court of Justice The Conference declares that if, in accordance with Article 252, first paragraph, of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, the Court of Justice requests that the number of Advocates-General be increased by three (eleven instead of eight), the Council will, acting unanimously, agree on such an increase. In that case, the Conference agrees that Poland will, as is already the case for Germany, France, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom, have a permanent Advocate-General and no longer take part in the rotation system, while the existing rotation system will involve the rotation of five Advocates-General instead of three. |
Appointment: requisite qualities and procedure
The qualities required in order for Members to be appointed to the Court of Justice of the European Union are unchanged.
For the Court of Justice (Article 253 TFEU), the Judges and Advocates-General are chosen from persons whose independence is beyond doubt and who possess the qualifications required for appointment to the highest judicial offices in their respective countries or who are jurisconsults of recognised competence.
| Article 253 TFEU |
|
Article 253 The Judges and Advocates-General of the Court of Justice shall be chosen from persons whose independence is beyond doubt and who possess the qualifications required for appointment to the highest judicial offices in their respective countries or who are jurisconsults of recognised competence; they shall be appointed by common accord of the governments of the Member States for a term of six years, after consultation of the panel provided for in Article 255. Every three years there shall be a partial replacement of the Judges and Advocates-General, in accordance with the conditions laid down in the Statute of the Court of Justice of the European Union. The Judges shall elect the President of the Court of Justice from among their number for a term of three years. He may be re-elected. Retiring Judges and Advocates-General may be reappointed. The Court of Justice shall appoint its Registrar and lay down the rules governing his service. The Court of Justice shall establish its Rules of Procedure. Those Rules shall require the approval of the Council. |
For the General Court (Article 254 TFEU), the Judges are chosen from persons whose independence is beyond doubt and who possess the ability required for appointment to high judicial office.
As regards the appointment procedure, the Members continue to be appointed by common accord of the Governments of the Member States for a renewable term of six years, but from now on they will be appointed after consultation of a panel responsible for giving an opinion on candidates’ suitability to perform the duties of Judge and Advocate-General of the Court of Justice and the General Court.
| Article 254 TFEU |
|
Article 254 The number of Judges of the General Court shall be determined by the Statute of the Court of Justice of the European Union. The Statute may provide for the General Court to be assisted by Advocates-General. The members of the General Court shall be chosen from persons whose independence is beyond doubt and who possess the ability required for appointment to high judicial office. They shall be appointed by common accord of the governments of the Member States for a term of six years, after consultation of the panel provided for in Article 255. The membership shall be partially renewed every three years. Retiring members shall be eligible for reappointment. The Judges shall elect the President of the General Court from among their number for a term of three years. He may be re-elected. The General Court shall appoint its Registrar and lay down the rules governing his service. The General Court shall establish its Rules of Procedure in agreement with the Court of Justice. Those Rules shall require the approval of the Council.
Unless the Statute of the Court of Justice of the European Union provides otherwise, the provisions of the Treaties relating to the Court of Justice shall apply to the General Court. |
That panel comprises seven persons chosen from among former members of the Court of Justice and the General Court, members of national supreme courts and lawyers of recognised competence, one of whom is proposed by the European Parliament (Article 255 TFEU).
| Article 255 TFEU |
|
Article 255 A panel shall be set up in order to give an opinion on candidates' suitability to perform the duties of Judge and Advocate-General of the Court of Justice and the General Court before the governments of the Member States make the appointments referred to in Articles 253 and 254. The panel shall comprise seven persons chosen from among former members of the Court of Justice and the General Court, members of national supreme courts and lawyers of recognised competence, one of whom shall be proposed by the European Parliament. The Council shall adopt a decision establishing the panel's operating rules and a decision appointing its members. It shall act on the initiative of the President of the Court of Justice. |
Jurisdiction of the Court of Justice of the European Union
Areas
The three-pillar structure introduced by the Treaty of Maastricht has disappeared. Consequently, the jurisdiction of the Court of Justice of the European Union extends to the law of the European Union4 , unless the Treaties provide otherwise (Article 19 TEU).
| Article 19 TEU |
|
Article 19 1. The Court of Justice of the European Union shall include the Court of Justice, the General Court and specialised courts. It shall ensure that in the interpretation and application of the Treaties the law is observed. Member States shall provide remedies sufficient to ensure effective legal protection in the fields covered by Union law. 2. The Court of Justice shall consist of one judge from each Member State. It shall be assisted by Advocates-General. The General Court shall include at least one judge per Member State. The Judges and the Advocates-General of the Court of Justice and the Judges of the General Court shall be chosen from persons whose independence is beyond doubt and who satisfy the conditions set out in Articles 253 and 254 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union. They shall be appointed by common accord of the governments of the Member States for six years. Retiring Judges and Advocates-General may be reappointed. 3. The Court of Justice of the European Union shall, in accordance with the Treaties: (a) rule on actions brought by a Member State, an institution or a natural or legal person; (b) give preliminary rulings, at the request of courts or tribunals of the Member States, on the interpretation of Union law or the validity of acts adopted by the institutions; (c) rule in other cases provided for in the Treaties. |
Areas in which the Court has jurisdiction:
- The area of freedom, security and justice
On the one hand, the Treaty of Lisbon repealed former Article 35 EU concerning police and judicial cooperation in criminal matters (formerly Title VI of the EU Treaty); therefore the jurisdiction of the Court of Justice to give preliminary rulings has become binding and is no longer subject to a declaration by which each Member State recognises the jurisdiction of the Court of Justice and specifies the national courts that may request a preliminary ruling. Since that article has been repealed, those restrictions have disappeared and the Court of Justice has acquired full jurisdiction in that area. However, transitional provisions (Protocol No 36, Article 10)5 provide that such jurisdiction will not apply fully until five years after the entry into force of the Treaty.
| Protocol No 36, Article 10 |
|
Protocol (No 36) ON TRANSITIONAL PROVISIONS Article 10 1. As a transitional measure, and with respect to acts of the Union in the field of police cooperation and judicial cooperation in criminal matters which have been adopted before the entry into force of the Treaty of Lisbon, the powers of the institutions shall be the following at the date of entry into force of that Treaty: the powers of the Commission under Article 258 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union shall not be applicable and the powers of the Court of Justice of the European Union under Title VI of the Treaty on European Union, in the version in force before the entry into force of the Treaty of Lisbon, shall remain the same, including where they have been accepted under Article 35(2) of the said Treaty on European Union. 2. The amendment of an act referred to in paragraph 1 shall entail the applicability of the powers of the institutions referred to in that paragraph as set out in the Treaties with respect to the amended act for those Member States to which that amended act shall apply. 3. In any case, the transitional measure mentioned in paragraph 1 shall cease to have effect five years after the date of entry into force of the Treaty of Lisbon. 4. At the latest six months before the expiry of the transitional period referred to in paragraph 3, the United Kingdom may notify to the Council that it does not accept, with respect to the acts referred to in paragraph 1, the powers of the institutions referred to in paragraph 1 as set out in the Treaties. In case the United Kingdom has made that notification, all acts referred to in paragraph 1 shall cease to apply to it as from the date of expiry of the transitional period referred to in paragraph 3. This subparagraph shall not apply with respect to the amended acts which are applicable to the United Kingdom as referred to in paragraph 2. The Council, acting by a qualified majority on a proposal from the Commission, shall determine the necessary consequential and transitional arrangements. The United Kingdom shall not participate in the adoption of this decision. A qualified majority of the Council shall be defined in accordance with Article 238(3)(a) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union. The Council, acting by a qualified majority on a proposal from the Commission, may also adopt a decision determining that the United Kingdom shall bear the direct financial consequences, if any, necessarily and unavoidably incurred as a result of the cessation of its participation in those acts. 5. The United Kingdom may, at any time afterwards, notify the Council of its wish to participate in acts which have ceased to apply to it pursuant to paragraph 4, first subparagraph. In that case, the relevant provisions of the Protocol on the Schengen acquis integrated into the framework of the European Union or of the Protocol on the position of the United Kingdom and Ireland in respect of the area of freedom, security and justice, as the case may be, shall apply. The powers of the institutions with regard to those acts shall be those set out in the Treaties. When acting under the relevant Protocols, the Union institutions and the United Kingdom shall seek to re-establish the widest possible measure of participation of the United Kingdom in the acquis of the Union in the area of freedom, security and justice without seriously affecting the practical operability of the various parts thereof, while respecting their coherence. |
On the other hand, the Treaty of Lisbon repealed former Article 68 EC which appeared under Title IV of the EC Treaty on visas, asylum, immigration and other policies related to free movement of persons, an area which had been transferred to the Community pillar by the Treaty of Amsterdam. The Treaty of Lisbon completes that development by providing for those areas to be fully integrated under Title V of the TFEU, bringing together policies on border checks, asylum and immigration, judicial cooperation in civil matters, cooperation in criminal matters and police cooperation.
Thus, the Treaty of Lisbon6 removes those restrictions on the jurisdiction of the Court of Justice to give preliminary rulings in that, previously, only national courts or tribunals ruling at last instance could bring matters before the Court and the Court could not rule on measures taken on grounds of public policy in connection with border controls. Accordingly, the Court of Justice acquired general jurisdiction from the date of entry into force of the Treaty of Lisbon7 . It should be noted, however, that the Court still has no jurisdiction to review the validity or proportionality of operations carried out by the police or other law-enforcement services of a Member State or the exercise of the responsibilities incumbent upon Member States with regard to the maintenance of law and order and the safeguarding of internal security (Article 276 TFEU).
| Article 276 TFEU |
|
Article 276 In exercising its powers regarding the provisions of Chapters 4 and 5 of Title V of Part Three relating to the area of freedom, security and justice, the Court of Justice of the European Union shall have no jurisdiction to review the validity or proportionality of operations carried out by the police or other law-enforcement services of a Member State or the exercise of the responsibilities incumbent upon Member States with regard to the maintenance of law and order and the safeguarding of internal security. |
- The Charter of Fundamental Rights
The Charter8 , which has legally binding force (Declaration No 1), has the same legal value as the Treaties (Article 6(1) TEU) and is therefore within the general jurisdiction of the Court of Justice.
| Declaration No 1 |
|
1. Declaration concerning the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union The Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, which has legally binding force, confirms the fundamental rights guaranteed by the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms and as they result from the constitutional traditions common to the Member States. The Charter does not extend the field of application of Union law beyond the powers of the Union or establish any new power or task for the Union, or modify powers and tasks as defined by the Treaties. |
| Article 6 TEU |
|
Article 6 1. The Union recognises the rights, freedoms and principles set out in the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union of 7 December 2000, as adapted at Strasbourg, on 12 December 2007, which shall have the same legal value as the Treaties. The provisions of the Charter shall not extend in any way the competences of the Union as defined in the Treaties. The rights, freedoms and principles in the Charter shall be interpreted in accordance with the general provisions in Title VII of the Charter governing its interpretation and application and with due regard to the explanations referred to in the Charter, that set out the sources of those provisions. 2. The Union shall accede to the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms. Such accession shall not affect the Union's competences as defined in the Treaties. 3. Fundamental rights, as guaranteed by the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms and as they result from the constitutional traditions common to the Member States, shall constitute general principles of the Union's law. |
However, for the United Kingdom and Poland it follows from Protocol No 30, annexed to the TFEU, that the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union does not extend the ability of the Court of Justice or of any court or tribunal of those two Member States to find that laws, regulations or administrative provisions, practices or action are inconsistent with the fundamental rights, freedoms and principles that it reaffirms.
In addition, the Conclusions of the European Council of 29 and 30 October 20099 state that the Heads of State or Government have agreed to extend that Protocol to the Czech Republic in the future.
| Protocol No 30 |
|
PROTOCOL (No 30) ON THE APPLICATION OF THE CHARTER OF FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS OF THE EUROPEAN UNION TO POLAND AND TO THE UNITED KINGDOM THE HIGH CONTRACTING PARTIES,
WHEREAS in Article 6 of the Treaty on European Union, the Union recognises the rights, freedoms and principles set out in the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, WHEREAS the Charter is to be applied in strict accordance with the provisions of the aforementioned Article 6 and Title VII of the Charter itself, WHEREAS the aforementioned Article 6 requires the Charter to be applied and interpreted by the courts of Poland and of the United Kingdom strictly in accordance with the explanations referred to in that Article, WHEREAS the Charter contains both rights and principles, WHEREAS the Charter contains both provisions which are civil and political in character and those which are economic and social in character, WHEREAS the Charter reaffirms the rights, freedoms and principles recognised in the Union and makes those rights more visible, but does not create new rights or principles, RECALLING the obligations devolving upon Poland and the United Kingdom under the Treaty on European Union, the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, and Union law generally, NOTING the wish of Poland and the United Kingdom to clarify certain aspects of the application of the Charter, DESIROUS therefore of clarifying the application of the Charter in relation to the laws and administrative action of Poland and of the United Kingdom and of its justiciability within Poland and within the United Kingdom, REAFFIRMING that references in this Protocol to the operation of specific provisions of the Charter are strictly without prejudice to the operation of other provisions of the Charter, REAFFIRMING that this Protocol is without prejudice to the application of the Charter to other Member States, REAFFIRMING that this Protocol is without prejudice to other obligations devolving upon Poland and the United Kingdom under the Treaty on European Union, the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, and Union law generally, HAVE AGREED UPON the following provisions, which shall be annexed to the Treaty on European Union and to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union: Article 1 1. The Charter does not extend the ability of the Court of Justice of the European Union, or any court or tribunal of Poland or of the United Kingdom, to find that the laws, regulations or administrative provisions, practices or action of Poland or of the United Kingdom are inconsistent with the fundamental rights, freedoms and principles that it reaffirms. 2. In particular, and for the avoidance of doubt, nothing in Title IV of the Charter creates justiciable rights applicable to Poland or the United Kingdom except in so far as Poland or the United Kingdom has provided for such rights in its national law. Article 2 To the extent that a provision of the Charter refers to national laws and practices, it shall only apply to Poland or the United Kingdom to the extent that the rights or principles that it contains are recognised in the law or practices of Poland or of the United Kingdom. |
- The European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms
Similarly, Article 6(2) TEU provides that the Union is to accede to the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms. Protocol No 8 states that the accession agreement is to specify, in particular, the specific arrangements for the Union’s possible participation in the control bodies of the Convention and the mechanisms necessary to ensure that proceedings by non-Member States and individual applications are correctly addressed to Member States and/or the Union as appropriate. This accession does not affect the competences of the Union or the powers of its institutions.
| Article 6 TEU |
|
Article 6 1. The Union recognises the rights, freedoms and principles set out in the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union of 7 December 2000, as adapted at Strasbourg, on 12 December 2007, which shall have the same legal value as the Treaties. The provisions of the Charter shall not extend in any way the competences of the Union as defined in the Treaties. The rights, freedoms and principles in the Charter shall be interpreted in accordance with the general provisions in Title VII of the Charter governing its interpretation and application and with due regard to the explanations referred to in the Charter, that set out the sources of those provisions. 2. The Union shall accede to the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms. Such accession shall not affect the Union's competences as defined in the Treaties. 3. Fundamental rights, as guaranteed by the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms and as they result from the constitutional traditions common to the Member States, shall constitute general principles of the Union's law. |
| Protocol No 8 |
|
PROTOCOL (No 8) RELATING TO ARTICLE 6(2) OF THE TREATY ON EUROPEAN UNION ON THE ACCESSION OF THE UNION TO THE EUROPEAN CONVENTION ON THE PROTECTION OF HUMAN RIGHTS AND FUNDAMENTAL FREEDOMS THE HIGH CONTRACTING PARTIES
HAVE AGREED UPON the following provisions, which shall be annexed to the Treaty on European Union and to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union: Article 1 The agreement relating to the accession of the Union to the European Convention on the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (hereinafter referred to as the ‘European Convention’) provided for in Article 6(2) of the Treaty on European Union shall make provision for preserving the specific characteristics of the Union and Union law, in particular with regard to: (a) the specific arrangements for the Union's possible participation in the control bodies of the European Convention; (b) the mechanisms necessary to ensure that proceedings by non-Member States and individual applications are correctly addressed to Member States and/or the Union as appropriate. Article 2 The agreement referred to in Article 1 shall ensure that accession of the Union shall not affect the competences of the Union or the powers of its institutions. It shall ensure that nothing therein affects the situation of Member States in relation to the European Convention, in particular in relation to the Protocols thereto, measures taken by Member States derogating from the European Convention in accordance with Article 15 thereof and reservations to the European Convention made by Member States in accordance with Article 57 thereof. Article 3 Nothing in the agreement referred to in Article 1 shall affect Article 344 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union. |
Restrictions on the jurisdiction of the Court:
- The common foreign and security policy (CFSP)
Although the pillar concept has disappeared with the Treaty of Lisbon, the common foreign and security policy (CFSP) , under Title V of the EU Treaty, (second subparagraph of Article 24(1) TEU) remains ‘subject to special rules and procedures’. Accordingly, under that same article, the Court of Justice of the European Union does not have jurisdiction to monitor those provisions, or with respect to acts adopted on the basis of those provisions (first paragraph of Article 275 TFEU).
| Article 24 TEU |
|
Article 24 1. The Union's competence in matters of common foreign and security policy shall cover all areas of foreign policy and all questions relating to the Union's security, including the progressive framing of a common defence policy that might lead to a common defence. The common foreign and security policy is subject to specific rules and procedures. It shall be defined and implemented by the European Council and the Council acting unanimously, except where the Treaties provide otherwise. The adoption of legislative acts shall be excluded. The common foreign and security policy shall be put into effect by the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and by Member States, in accordance with the Treaties. The specific role of the European Parliament and of the Commission in this area is defined by the Treaties. The Court of Justice of the European Union shall not have jurisdiction with respect to these provisions, with the exception of its jurisdiction to monitor compliance with Article 40 of this Treaty and to review the legality of certain decisions as provided for by the second paragraph of Article 275 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union. 2. Within the framework of the principles and objectives of its external action, the Union shall conduct, define and implement a common foreign and security policy, based on the development of mutual political solidarity among Member States, the identification of questions of general interest and the achievement of an ever-increasing degree of convergence of Member States' actions. 3. The Member States shall support the Union's external and security policy actively and unreservedly in a spirit of loyalty and mutual solidarity and shall comply with the Union's action in this area. The Member States shall work together to enhance and develop their mutual political solidarity. They shall refrain from any action which is contrary to the interests of the Union or likely to impair its effectiveness as a cohesive force in international relations. The Council and the High Representative shall ensure compliance with these principles. |
| Article 275 TFEU |
|
Article 275 The Court of Justice of the European Union shall not have jurisdiction with respect to the provisions relating to the common foreign and security policy nor with respect to acts adopted on the basis of those provisions. However, the Court shall have jurisdiction to monitor compliance with Article 40 of the Treaty on European Union and to rule on proceedings, brought in accordance with the conditions laid down in the fourth paragraph of Article 263 of this Treaty, reviewing the legality of decisions providing for restrictive measures against natural or legal persons adopted by the Council on the basis of Chapter 2 of Title V of the Treaty on European Union. |
However, Article 275 TFEU provides for two exceptions:
1) The Court has jurisdiction to monitor observance of the delimitation of the CFSP and the Union’s other competences, because, under Article 40 TEU, the implementation of the CFSP must not affect the exercise of the European Union’s competences.
| Article 40 TEU |
|
Article 40 The implementation of the common foreign and security policy shall not affect the application of the procedures and the extent of the powers of the institutions laid down by the Treaties for the exercise of the Union competences referred to in Articles 3 to 6 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union. Similarly, the implementation of the policies listed in those Articles shall not affect the application of the procedures and the extent of the powers of the institutions laid down by the Treaties for the exercise of the Union competences under this Chapter. |
2) The Court continues to have jurisdiction over actions for annulment brought against decisions providing for restrictive measures against natural or legal persons adopted by the Council in the context, for example, of the freezing of assets in connection with combating terrorism (second paragraph of Article 275 TFEU).
| Article 275 TFEU |
|
Article 275 The Court of Justice of the European Union shall not have jurisdiction with respect to the provisions relating to the common foreign and security policy nor with respect to acts adopted on the basis of those provisions. However, the Court shall have jurisdiction to monitor compliance with Article 40 of the Treaty on European Union and to rule on proceedings, brought in accordance with the conditions laid down in the fourth paragraph of Article 263 of this Treaty, reviewing the legality of decisions providing for restrictive measures against natural or legal persons adopted by the Council on the basis of Chapter 2 of Title V of the Treaty on European Union. |
- Operations carried out by the police or other law-enforcement services of a Member State
Procedures
Preliminary ruling procedure
The preliminary ruling procedure (Article 267 TFEU) has been extended to acts of European Union bodies, offices or agencies. The Court can interpret and review their validity at the request of national courts or tribunals, enabling those courts or tribunals, for example, to ascertain whether their national legislation is in conformity with European Union law.
| Article 267 TFEU |
|
Article 267 The Court of Justice of the European Union shall have jurisdiction to give preliminary rulings concerning: (a) the interpretation of the Treaties; (b) the validity and interpretation of acts of the institutions, bodies, offices or agencies of the Union; Where such a question is raised before any court or tribunal of a Member State, that court or tribunal may, if it considers that a decision on the question is necessary to enable it to give judgment, request the Court to give a ruling thereon. Where any such question is raised in a case pending before a court or tribunal of a Member State against whose decisions there is no judicial remedy under national law, that court or tribunal shall bring the matter before the Court. If such a question is raised in a case pending before a court or tribunal of a Member State with regard to a person in custody, the Court of Justice of the European Union shall act with the minimum of delay. |
Urgent preliminary ruling procedure (PPU)
The Treaty of Lisbon introduced a provision requiring the Court of Justice to act with the minimum of delay if a question referred for a preliminary ruling is raised in a case pending before any court or tribunal of a Member State with regard to a person in custody. Reference is thus made in the body of the Treaty itself to the urgent preliminary ruling procedure (PPU), which came into effect on 1 March 2008, and which applies to the area of freedom, security and justice ( see Press Information 12/08 ).
Conditions for the admissibility of actions brought by individuals
The Treaty of Lisbon eased the conditions for the admissibility of actions brought by individuals (natural or legal persons) against decisions of the institutions, bodies, offices or agencies of the European Union.
Individuals may bring proceedings against a regulatory act if they are directly affected by it and if it does not entail implementing measures. Consequently, as regards that type of act, individuals no longer have to show that they are individually concerned by the act in question (Article 263 TFEU).
| Article 263 TFEU |
|
Article 263 The Court of Justice of the European Union shall review the legality of legislative acts, of acts of the Council, of the Commission and of the European Central Bank, other than recommendations and opinions, and of acts of the European Parliament and of the European Council intended to produce legal effects vis-à-vis third parties. It shall also review the legality of acts of bodies, offices or agencies of the Union intended to produce legal effects vis-à-vis third parties. It shall for this purpose have jurisdiction in actions brought by a Member State, the European Parliament, the Council or the Commission on grounds of lack of competence, infringement of an essential procedural requirement, infringement of the Treaties or of any rule of law relating to their application, or misuse of powers. The Court shall have jurisdiction under the same conditions in actions brought by the Court of Auditors, by the European Central Bank and by the Committee of the Regions for the purpose of protecting their prerogatives. Any natural or legal person may, under the conditions laid down in the first and second paragraphs, institute proceedings against an act addressed to that person or which is of direct and individual concern to them, and against a regulatory act which is of direct concern to them and does not entail implementing measures. Acts setting up bodies, offices and agencies of the Union may lay down specific conditions and arrangements concerning actions brought by natural or legal persons against acts of these bodies, offices or agencies intended to produce legal effects in relation to them. The proceedings provided for in this Article shall be instituted within two months of the publication of the measure, or of its notification to the plaintiff, or, in the absence thereof, of the day on which it came to the knowledge of the latter, as the case may be. |
Monitoring of compliance with the principle of subsidiarity
In the monitoring of the principle of subsidiarity referred to by Article 5 TEU, it will be possible for a Member State to bring before the Court of Justice an action for annulment of a legislative act on grounds of infringement of the principle of subsidiarity emanating from a national Parliament or one of its chambers. The action must be formally lodged by the Government of a State but may also simply be ‘notified’ by that Government, the true author of the action being the national Parliament or a chamber thereof. Similarly, the Committee of the Regions will be able to invoke an infringement of those principles, provided the acts in question are acts on which it is required to be consulted.
| Article 5 TEU |
|
Article 5 1. The limits of Union competences are governed by the principle of conferral. The use of Union competences is governed by the principles of subsidiarity and proportionality. 2. Under the principle of conferral, the Union shall act only within the limits of the competences conferred upon it by the Member States in the Treaties to attain the objectives set out therein. Competences not conferred upon the Union in the Treaties remain with the Member States. 3. Under the principle of subsidiarity, in areas which do not fall within its exclusive competence, the Union shall act only if and in so far as the objectives of the proposed action cannot be sufficiently achieved by the Member States, either at central level or at regional and local level, but can rather, by reason of the scale or effects of the proposed action, be better achieved at Union level. The institutions of the Union shall apply the principle of subsidiarity as laid down in the Protocol on the application of the principles of subsidiarity and proportionality. National Parliaments ensure compliance with the principle of subsidiarity in accordance with the procedure set out in that Protocol. 4. Under the principle of proportionality, the content and form of Union action shall not exceed what is necessary to achieve the objectives of the Treaties. The institutions of the Union shall apply the principle of proportionality as laid down in the Protocol on the application of the principles of subsidiarity and proportionality. |
Extension of judicial review to acts of the European Council, the Committee of the Regions and European Union bodies
The Court of Justice has jurisdiction to examine the legality of acts of the institutions, bodies, offices and agencies of the European Union intended to produce legal effects vis-à-vis third parties (Article 263 TFEU).
| Article 263 TFEU |
|
Article 263 The Court of Justice of the European Union shall review the legality of legislative acts, of acts of the Council, of the Commission and of the European Central Bank, other than recommendations and opinions, and of acts of the European Parliament and of the European Council intended to produce legal effects vis-à-vis third parties. It shall also review the legality of acts of bodies, offices or agencies of the Union intended to produce legal effects vis-à-vis third parties. It shall for this purpose have jurisdiction in actions brought by a Member State, the European Parliament, the Council or the Commission on grounds of lack of competence, infringement of an essential procedural requirement, infringement of the Treaties or of any rule of law relating to their application, or misuse of powers. The Court shall have jurisdiction under the same conditions in actions brought by the Court of Auditors, by the European Central Bank and by the Committee of the Regions for the purpose of protecting their prerogatives. Any natural or legal person may, under the conditions laid down in the first and second paragraphs, institute proceedings against an act addressed to that person or which is of direct and individual concern to them, and against a regulatory act which is of direct concern to them and does not entail implementing measures. Acts setting up bodies, offices and agencies of the Union may lay down specific conditions and arrangements concerning actions brought by natural or legal persons against acts of these bodies, offices or agencies intended to produce legal effects in relation to them. The proceedings provided for in this Article shall be instituted within two months of the publication of the measure, or of its notification to the plaintiff, or, in the absence thereof, of the day on which it came to the knowledge of the latter, as the case may be. |
Under the same conditions, the Court of Justice now has jurisdiction over actions brought against acts of the European Council – including where it unlawfully fails to act – the latter having been recognised by the Treaty of Lisbon as a separate institution.
Under the new Article 269 TFEU, the Court of Justice may, at the request of the Member State concerned, decide on the legality of an act adopted by the European Council or by the Council where they have identified, in the context of the application of Article 7 TEU, a clear risk of a serious breach or the existence of a serious and persistent breach by that Member State of the values referred to in Article 2 TEU (respect for human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, human rights etc).
| Article 269 TFEU |
|
Article 269 The Court of Justice shall have jurisdiction to decide on the legality of an act adopted by the European Council or by the Council pursuant to Article 7 of the Treaty on European Union solely at the request of the Member State concerned by a determination of the European Council or of the Council and in respect solely of the procedural stipulations contained in that Article. Such a request must be made within one month from the date of such determination. The Court shall rule within one month from the date of the request. |
| Article 7 TEU |
|
Article 7 1. On a reasoned proposal by one third of the Member States, by the European Parliament or by the European Commission, the Council, acting by a majority of four fifths of its members after obtaining the consent of the European Parliament, may determine that there is a clear risk of a serious breach by a Member State of the values referred to in Article 2. Before making such a determination, the Council shall hear the Member State in question and may address recommendations to it, acting in accordance with the same procedure. The Council shall regularly verify that the grounds on which such a determination was made continue to apply. 2. The European Council, acting by unanimity on a proposal by one third of the Member States or by the Commission and after obtaining the consent of the European Parliament, may determine the existence of a serious and persistent breach by a Member State of the values referred to in Article 2, after inviting the Member State in question to submit its observations. 3. Where a determination under paragraph 2 has been made, the Council, acting by a qualified majority, may decide to suspend certain of the rights deriving from the application of the Treaties to the Member State in question, including the voting rights of the representative of the government of that Member State in the Council. In doing so, the Council shall take into account the possible consequences of such a suspension on the rights and obligations of natural and legal persons. The obligations of the Member State in question under this Treaty shall in any case continue to be binding on that State. 4. The Council, acting by a qualified majority, may decide subsequently to vary or revoke measures taken under paragraph 3 in response to changes in the situation which led to their being imposed. 5. The voting arrangements applying to the European Parliament, the European Council and the Council for the purposes of this Article are laid down in Article 354 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union. |
| Article 2 TEU |
|
Article 2 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. |
Such proceedings must be brought within one month from the date of that determination and the Court must rule within one month from the date of the request.
Actions for annulment brought by the Committee of the Regions on the same basis as the Court of Auditors and the European Central Bank
The Committee of the Regions may now - as the Court of Auditors and the European Central Bank were already able to do - challenge acts which adversely affect their prerogatives (third paragraph of Article 263 TFEU). The Treaty of Lisbon extended actions for failure to act to bodies, offices or agencies of the Union which unlawfully fail to act (Article 265 TFEU). Article 265 TFEU also states that any natural or legal person may complain to the Court that an institution, body, office or agency of the Union has failed to address to that person any act other than a recommendation or an opinion (third paragraph of Article 265 TFEU).
| Article 263 TFEU |
|
Article 263 The Court of Justice of the European Union shall review the legality of legislative acts, of acts of the Council, of the Commission and of the European Central Bank, other than recommendations and opinions, and of acts of the European Parliament and of the European Council intended to produce legal effects vis-à-vis third parties. It shall also review the legality of acts of bodies, offices or agencies of the Union intended to produce legal effects vis-à-vis third parties. It shall for this purpose have jurisdiction in actions brought by a Member State, the European Parliament, the Council or the Commission on grounds of lack of competence, infringement of an essential procedural requirement, infringement of the Treaties or of any rule of law relating to their application, or misuse of powers. The Court shall have jurisdiction under the same conditions in actions brought by the Court of Auditors, by the European Central Bank and by the Committee of the Regions for the purpose of protecting their prerogatives. Any natural or legal person may, under the conditions laid down in the first and second paragraphs, institute proceedings against an act addressed to that person or which is of direct and individual concern to them, and against a regulatory act which is of direct concern to them and does not entail implementing measures. Acts setting up bodies, offices and agencies of the Union may lay down specific conditions and arrangements concerning actions brought by natural or legal persons against acts of these bodies, offices or agencies intended to produce legal effects in relation to them. The proceedings provided for in this Article shall be instituted within two months of the publication of the measure, or of its notification to the plaintiff, or, in the absence thereof, of the day on which it came to the knowledge of the latter, as the case may be. |
| Article 265 TFEU |
|
Article 265 Should the European Parliament, the European Council, the Council, the Commission or the European Central Bank, in infringement of the Treaties, fail to act, the Member States and the other institutions of the Union may bring an action before the Court of Justice of the European Union to have the infringement established. This Article shall apply, under the same conditions, to bodies, offices and agencies of the Union which fail to act. The action shall be admissible only if the institution, body, office or agency concerned has first been called upon to act. If, within two months of being so called upon, the institution, body, office or agency concerned has not defined its position, the action may be brought within a further period of two months. Any natural or legal person may, under the conditions laid down in the preceding paragraphs, complain to the Court that an institution, body, office or agency of the Union has failed to address to that person any act other than a recommendation or an opinion. |
| Article 264 TFEU |
|
Article 264 If the action is well founded, the Court of Justice of the European Union shall declare the act concerned to be void. However, the Court shall, if it considers this necessary, state which of the effects of the act which it has declared void shall be considered as definitive. |
Actions for failure to fulfil obligations
An action for failure to fulfil obligations may be brought against a Member State which has failed to fulfil its obligations under European Union law. It may be brought by the Commission or by another Member State.
If an infringement is found by the Court of Justice, the Member State concerned must comply with the judgment promptly. In the event of non-compliance with that first judgment establishing a failure to fulfil obligations, the Commission may initiate a new infringement procedure but is no longer obliged, following the entry into force of the Treaty of Lisbon, to deliver a reasoned opinion against the Member State before bringing the matter before the Court of Justice for the second time. The Court of Justice may impose pecuniary sanctions on the Member State (lump sum and/or penalty payment) by a second judgment establishing a failure to fulfil obligations (Article 260(1) and (2) TFEU).
In addition, where national measures transposing a directive have not been notified, the Court of Justice may find that there is an infringement and may, from the stage of the first judgment establishing a failure to fulfil obligations, impose pecuniary sanctions directly on the Member State not exceeding the amount specified by the Commission, taking effect on the date set by the Court in its judgment (Article 260(3) TFEU).
| Article 260 TFEU |
|
Article 260 1. If the Court of Justice of the European Union finds that a Member State has failed to fulfil an obligation under the Treaties, the State shall be required to take the necessary measures to comply with the judgment of the Court. 2. If the Commission considers that the Member State concerned has not taken the necessary measures to comply with the judgment of the Court, it may bring the case before the Court after giving that State the opportunity to submit its observations. It shall specify the amount of the lump sum or penalty payment to be paid by the Member State concerned which it considers appropriate in the circumstances. If the Court finds that the Member State concerned has not complied with its judgment it may impose a lump sum or penalty payment on it. This procedure shall be without prejudice to Article 259. 3. When the Commission brings a case before the Court pursuant to Article 258 on the grounds that the Member State concerned has failed to fulfil its obligation to notify measures transposing a directive adopted under a legislative procedure, it may, when it deems appropriate, specify the amount of the lump sum or penalty payment to be paid by the Member State concerned which it considers appropriate in the circumstances. If the Court finds that there is an infringement it may impose a lump sum or penalty payment on the Member State concerned not exceeding the amount specified by the Commission. The payment obligation shall take effect on the date set by the Court in its judgment. |
Failure to fulfil obligations in connection with police cooperation and judicial cooperation in criminal matters
Article 10 of Protocol No 36 now provides that the Commission may, after a period of five years, bring actions for failure to fulfil obligations in relation to measures concerning police cooperation and judicial cooperation in criminal matters adopted before the entry into force of the Treaty of Lisbon.
| Protocol No 36, Article 10 |
|
PROTOCOL (No 36) ON TRANSITIONAL PROVISIONS Article 10 1. As a transitional measure, and with respect to acts of the Union in the field of police cooperation and judicial cooperation in criminal matters which have been adopted before the entry into force of the Treaty of Lisbon, the powers of the institutions shall be the following at the date of entry into force of that Treaty: the powers of the Commission under Article 258 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union shall not be applicable and the powers of the Court of Justice of the European Union under Title VI of the Treaty on European Union, in the version in force before the entry into force of the Treaty of Lisbon, shall remain the same, including where they have been accepted under Article 35 (2) of the said Treaty on European Union. 2. The amendment of an act referred to in paragraph 1 shall entail the applicability of the powers of the institutions referred to in that paragraph as set out in the Treaties with respect to the amended act for those Member States to which that amended act shall apply. 3. In any case, the transitional measure mentioned in paragraph 1 shall cease to have effect five years after the date of entry into force of the Treaty of Lisbon. 4. At the latest six months before the expiry of the transitional period referred to in paragraph 3, the United Kingdom may notify to the Council that it does not accept, with respect to the acts referred to in paragraph 1, the powers of the institutions referred to in paragraph 1 as set out in the Treaties. In case the United Kingdom has made that notification, all acts referred to in paragraph 1 shall cease to apply to it as from the date of expiry of the transitional period referred to in paragraph 3. This subparagraph shall not apply with respect to the amended acts which are applicable to the United Kingdom as referred to in paragraph 2. The Council, acting by a qualified majority on a proposal from the Commission, shall determine the necessary consequential and transitional arrangements. The United Kingdom shall not participate in the adoption of this decision. A qualified majority of the Council shall be defined in accordance with Article 238(3)(a) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union. The Council, acting by a qualified majority on a proposal from the Commission, may also adopt a decision determining that the United Kingdom shall bear the direct financial consequences, if any, necessarily and unavoidably incurred as a result of the cessation of its participation in those acts. 5. The United Kingdom may, at any time afterwards, notify the Council of its wish to participate in acts which have ceased to apply to it pursuant to paragraph 4, first subparagraph. In that case, the relevant provisions of the Protocol on the Schengen acquis integrated into the framework of the European Union or of the Protocol on the position of the United Kingdom and Ireland in respect of the area of freedom, security and justice, as the case may be, shall apply. The powers of the institutions with regard to those acts shall be those set out in the Treaties. When acting under the relevant Protocols, the Union institutions and the United Kingdom shall seek to re-establish the widest possible measure of participation of the United Kingdom in the acquis of the Union in the area of freedom, security and justice without seriously affecting the practical operability of the various parts thereof, while respecting their coherence. |
.tdcss { border-top-width: 1px; border-top-style: solid; border-top-color: #3D2E32; width: 25%; } .tdnocss { border-style: none; } .trcss { font-size: 1px; }
| 1 . Only the European Atomic Energy Community or ‘Euratom’ remains ( Protocol No 2 amending the Treaty establishing the European Atomic Energy Community, annexed to the Treaty of Lisbon). 2 . Article 3 of Protocol No 2 on the application of the principles of subsidiarity and proportionality, annexed to the TEU and TFEU. 3 . Declaration (No 38) on Article 252 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union regarding the number of Advocates-General in the Court of Justice. 4 . Declaration (No 17) concerning primacy recalls that, ‘in accordance with well settled case-law of the Court of Justice of the European Union, the Treaties and the law adopted by the Union on the basis of the Treaties have primacy over the law of Member States, under the conditions laid down by the said case-law’. In addition there is, at the end of that declaration, an opinion of the Council Legal Service of 22 June 2007 on primacy which states: ‘It results from the case-law of the Court of Justice that primacy of EC law is a cornerstone principle of Community law. … The fact that the principle of primacy will not be included in the future treaty shall not in any way change the existence of the principle and the existing case-law of the Court of Justice’. 5 . With regard to acts which were adopted before the entry into force of the Treaty of Lisbon, ‘the powers of the Court of Justice of the European Union under Title VI of the Treaty on European Union, in the version in force before the entry into force of the Treaty of Lisbon, shall remain the same, including where they have been accepted under Article 35 (2) of the said Treaty on European Union.’ This transitional measure ‘shall cease to have effect five years after the date of entry into force of the Treaty of Lisbon.’ 6 . By contrast, the Treaty of Lisbon preserves the unanimity rule for matters relating to family law, but includes a bridging clause enabling the Council, acting unanimously, to extend the ordinary legislative procedure, although any national Parliament can oppose such a change. 7 . The United Kingdom and Ireland have, since the Treaty of Amsterdam, been covered by a derogation in regard to measures relating to the free movement of persons, asylum, immigration and judicial cooperation in civil matters, and to new measures developing the ‘Schengen acquis’ in which they do not participate. The Treaty of Lisbon maintains those derogations. Protocol No 21 , annexed to the TFEU, extends them to the whole of the area of freedom, security and justice. Similarly, Denmark is covered by a derogation under Protocol No 22 . 8 . The text of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union is published in OJEU C 303 of 14.12.2007 . 9 . Doc 15265/09 CONCL 3. Those conclusions (point 2) state that, ‘…taking into account the position taken by the Czech Republic, the Heads of State or Government have agreed that they will, at the time of the conclusion of the next Accession Treaty and in accordance with their respective constitutional requirements, attach the Protocol (in Annex I) to the Treaty on European Union and the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union.’ |
|
