Judgment of the Court (Grand Chamber) of 6 October 2020

European Commission v Hungary

Failure of a Member State to fulfil obligations – Admissibility – Jurisdiction of the Court – General Agreement on Trade in Services – Article XVI – Market access – Schedule of specific commitments – Requirement of authorisation – Article XX(2) – Article XVII – National treatment – Service provider having its seat in a third country – National legislation of a Member State imposing conditions for the supply of higher education services within its territory – Requirement relating to the conclusion of an international treaty with the State in which the provider has its seat – Requirement relating to the provision of education in the State in which the provider has its seat – Modification of conditions of competition to the benefit of national providers – Justification – Public order – Prevention of deceptive practices – Article 49 TFEU – Freedom of establishment – Directive 2006/123/EC – Services in the internal market – Article 16 – Article 56 TFEU – Freedom to provide services – Existence of a restriction – Justification – Overriding reason in the public interest – Public order – Prevention of deceptive practices – High quality of the education – Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union – Article 13 – Academic freedom – Article 14(3) – Freedom to found educational establishments – Article 16 – Freedom to conduct a business – Article 52(1)

Case C-66/18


Top of the page Documents in the Case
Document Date Name of the parties Subject-matter Curia EUR-Lex Autres Liens
Judgment (OJ)
13/11/2020 Commission v Hungary (Enseignement supérieur)
Freedom of establishment
  • Freedom of establishment
  • Freedom to provide services
  • Fundamental rights
  • - Charter of Fundamental Rights
EUR-Lex text EUR-Lex bilingual text
Judgment
ECLI:EU:C:2020:792		 06/10/2020 Commission v Hungary (Enseignement supérieur)
Freedom of establishment
  • Freedom of establishment
  • Freedom to provide services
  • Fundamental rights
  • - Charter of Fundamental Rights
EUR-Lex text EUR-Lex bilingual text
Abstract
ECLI:EU:C:2020:792		 06/10/2020 Commission v Hungary (Enseignement supérieur)
Freedom of establishment
  • Freedom of establishment
  • Freedom to provide services
  • Fundamental rights
  • - Charter of Fundamental Rights
EUR-Lex text EUR-Lex bilingual text
Application (OJ)
01/06/2018 Commission v Hungary (Enseignement supérieur)
Freedom of establishment
  • Freedom of establishment
  • Freedom to provide services
  • Fundamental rights
  • - Charter of Fundamental Rights
View pdf documents
Opinion
ECLI:EU:C:2020:172		 05/03/2020 Commission v Hungary (Enseignement supérieur)
Freedom of establishment
  • Freedom of establishment
  • Freedom to provide services
  • Fundamental rights
  • - Charter of Fundamental Rights
EUR-Lex text EUR-Lex bilingual text
Top of the page Legal analysis of the decision or of the case

Reports of Cases

published in the electronic Reports of Cases (Court Reports - general)

Subject-matter

Information not available

Systematic classification scheme

1.
-
3 Legal proceedings
  3.01 Actions for failure to fulfil obligations
    3.01.00 General
-
3 Legal proceedings
  3.01 Actions for failure to fulfil obligations
    3.01.00 General
-
6 External policy
  6.07 International agreements
    6.07.07 GATT and WTO
-
1 The legal order of the European Union
  1.06 EU law and international law
-
3 Legal proceedings
  3.01 Actions for failure to fulfil obligations
    3.01.04 Effects of the judgment
-
6 External policy
  6.07 International agreements
    6.07.04 Effects, scope and limits
-
6 External policy
  6.07 International agreements
    6.07.07 GATT and WTO
-
6 External policy
  6.07 International agreements
    6.07.07 GATT and WTO
-
6 External policy
  6.07 International agreements
    6.07.07 GATT and WTO
-
6 External policy
  6.07 International agreements
    6.07.07 GATT and WTO
-
4 Internal policy of the European Union
  4.04 Free movement of persons and services
    4.04.02 Freedom of establishment
      4.04.02.00 General
-
4 Internal policy of the European Union
  4.04 Free movement of persons and services
    4.04.02 Freedom of establishment
      4.04.02.00 General
-
4 Internal policy of the European Union
  4.04 Free movement of persons and services
    4.04.03 Freedom to provide services
      4.04.03.00 General
-
4 Internal policy of the European Union
  4.04 Free movement of persons and services
    4.04.03 Freedom to provide services
      4.04.03.00 General
-
1 The legal order of the European Union
  1.04 Fundamental rights
    1.04.02 Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union
      1.04.02.01 Field of application of the Charter (Article 51(1) and (2) of the Charter of Fundamental Rights)
-
1 The legal order of the European Union
  1.04 Fundamental rights
    1.04.02 Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union
      1.04.02.00 General
-
1 The legal order of the European Union
  1.04 Fundamental rights
    1.04.02 Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union
      1.04.02.01 Field of application of the Charter (Article 51(1) and (2) of the Charter of Fundamental Rights)
-
3 Legal proceedings
  3.01 Actions for failure to fulfil obligations
    3.01.00 General
-
1 The legal order of the European Union
  1.04 Fundamental rights
    1.04.03 The fundamental rights
      1.04.03.13 Freedom of the arts and sciences
-
1 The legal order of the European Union
  1.04 Fundamental rights
    1.04.04 Effect of other instruments concerning the protection of fundamental rights (excluding ECHR)
-
1 The legal order of the European Union
  1.07 Interpretation of EU law
-
1 The legal order of the European Union
  1.04 Fundamental rights
    1.04.03 The fundamental rights
      1.04.03.13 Freedom of the arts and sciences
-
1 The legal order of the European Union
  1.04 Fundamental rights
    1.04.03 The fundamental rights
      1.04.03.14 Right to education
-
1 The legal order of the European Union
  1.04 Fundamental rights
    1.04.03 The fundamental rights
      1.04.03.16 Freedom to conduct a business


Citations of case-law or legislation

References in grounds of judgment

Operative part

Opinion


Dates

Date of the lodging of the application initiating proceedings

  • 01/02/2018

Date of the Opinion

  • 05/03/2020

Date of the hearing

Information not available

Date of delivery

06/10/2020


References

Publication in the Official Journal

Information not available

Name of the parties

Commission v Hungary (Enseignement supérieur)

Notes on Academic Writings

  1. Simon, Denys: Établissement et services - Droit international et droit de l'Union, Europe 2020, n° 12 Décembre, Comm. 389 (FR)
  2. Fromont, Louise ; Van Waeyenberge, Arnaud: La liberté académique au sein de l'Union européenne : une première consécration jurisprudentielle, Journal de droit européen 2021 nº 279 p. 224-227 (FR)
  3. Hernández Fernández, Francisco: The application of WTO law in the EU after the Case Commission v Hungary, Revista General de Derecho Europeo 2021, nº 54, p. 172--195 (EN)
  4. Delgado Casteleiro, Andrés ; Contartese, Cristina: Educational services, common commercial policy and breach of WTO provisions: the CJEU’s perspective in the Central European University Case (Case C-66/18), Revista General de Derecho Europeo 2021, nº 54, p. 196-215 (EN)
  5. Babirad, Robert Miklós: Commission v Hungary (Higher Education) : (C-66/18), European Competition Law Review 2021, n° 5, p. 276-279 (EN)
  6. De Cock, Wout ; Timbermont, Evelien: Hof van Justitie kiest voor brede benadering van het concept "academische vrijheid" : Zaak C-66/18, Commissie/Hongarije, S.E.W. : Tijdschrift voor Europees en economisch recht 2021 p. 359-364 (NL)
  7. Tinière, Romain: III. Droits fondamentaux - Cour de justice, gde ch., 6 octobre 2020, Commission c/ Hongrie (Enseignement supérieur), aff. C-66/18, ECLI:EU:C:2020:792, Jurisprudence de la CJUE 2020. Décisions et commentaires (Ed. Bruylant - Bruxelles) 2021, p. 144-148 (FR)
  8. Vranes, Erich: Enforcing WTO/GATS law and fundamental rights in EU infringement proceedings : an analysis of the ECJ’s ruling in Case C-66/18 Central European University, Maastricht Journal of European and Comparative Law 2021 p. 699–713 (EN)
  9. Chronowski, Nora ; Vincze, Attila: The Hungarian Constitutional Court and the Central European University case: justice delayed is justice denied, European Constitutional Law Review 2021 Vol. 17 Issue 4 p. 688-706 (EN)
  10. Kosta, Vasiliki ; Piqani, Darinka: Where trade and academic freedom meet : Commission v. Hungary (LEX CEU) : case C-66/18, European Commission v. Hungary, Common Market Law Review 2022 p. 813-852 (EN)
  11. Hoxhaj, Andi: The CJEU in Commission v Hungary Higher Education Defends Academic Freedom Through WTO Provisions, The Modern Law Review 2022 n° 3 p. 773-786 (EN)
  12. Andersen, Henrik: Time to reconsider direct applicability of WTO law to ECJ jurisprudence? - The three arguments from Commission v Hungary (higher education), European Law Review 2022, n° 4, p. 550-567 (EN)



Procedural Analysis Information

Source of the question referred for a preliminary ruling

Information not available

Subject-matter

  • Freedom of establishment
  • Freedom to provide services
  • Fundamental rights
  • - Charter of Fundamental Rights

Provisions of national law referred to

Information not available

Provisions of international law referred to

Information not available

Procedure and result

  • Action for a declaration of failure to fulfil obligations : application granted

Formation of the Court

grande chambre (Cour)

Judge-Rapporteur

Malenovský

Advocate General

Kokott

Language(s) of the Case

  • Hungarian

Language(s) of the Opinion

  • German