Judgment of the Court (Grand Chamber) of 5 November 2019

European Commission v Republic of Poland

Failure of a Member State to fulfil obligations — Second subparagraph of Article 19(1) TEU — Rule of law — Effective judicial protection in the fields covered by EU law — Principles of the irremovability of judges and judicial independence — Lowering of the retirement age of judges of the ordinary Polish courts — Possibility of continuing to carry out the duties of judge beyond the newly set age, by authorisation of the Minister for Justice — Article 157 TFEU — Directive 2006/54/EC — Articles 5(a) and 9(1)(f) — Prohibition of discrimination based on sex in matters of pay, employment and occupation — Establishment of different retirement ages for men and women holding the position of judge of the ordinary Polish courts or of the Sąd Najwyższy (Supreme Court, Poland) or that of public prosecutor in Poland

Case C-192/18


Top of the page Documents in the Case
Document Date Name of the parties Subject-matter Curia EUR-Lex
Judgment (OJ)
06/12/2019 Commission v Poland (Independence of ordinary courts)
Principles, objectives and tasks of the Treaties
  • Principles, objectives and tasks of the Treaties
  • Provisions governing the institutions
  • Social policy
  • Fundamental rights
  • - Charter of Fundamental Rights
Judgment
ECLI:EU:C:2019:924		 05/11/2019 Commission v Poland (Independence of ordinary courts)
Principles, objectives and tasks of the Treaties
  • Principles, objectives and tasks of the Treaties
  • Provisions governing the institutions
  • Social policy
  • Fundamental rights
  • - Charter of Fundamental Rights
EUR-Lex text EUR-Lex bilingual text
Abstract
ECLI:EU:C:2019:924		 05/11/2019 Commission v Poland (Independence of ordinary courts)
Principles, objectives and tasks of the Treaties
  • Principles, objectives and tasks of the Treaties
  • Provisions governing the institutions
  • Social policy
  • Fundamental rights
  • - Charter of Fundamental Rights
Opinion
ECLI:EU:C:2019:529		 20/06/2019 Commission v Poland (Independence of ordinary courts)
Principles, objectives and tasks of the Treaties
  • Principles, objectives and tasks of the Treaties
  • Provisions governing the institutions
  • Social policy
  • Fundamental rights
  • - Charter of Fundamental Rights
EUR-Lex text EUR-Lex bilingual text
Application (OJ)
04/05/2018 Commission v Poland (Independence of ordinary courts)
Principles, objectives and tasks of the Treaties
  • Principles, objectives and tasks of the Treaties
  • Provisions governing the institutions
  • Social policy
  • Fundamental rights
  • - Charter of Fundamental Rights
View pdf documents
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
-
4 Internal policy of the European Union
  4.14 Social policy
    4.14.01 Equality and non-discrimination
      4.14.01.02 Equality for men and women
-
4 Internal policy of the European Union
  4.14 Social policy
    4.14.01 Equality and non-discrimination
      4.14.01.02 Equality for men and women
-
4 Internal policy of the European Union
  4.14 Social policy
    4.14.01 Equality and non-discrimination
      4.14.01.02 Equality for men and women
-
1 The legal order of the European Union
  1.03 Respective powers and obligations of the European Union and of the Member States
    1.03.03 Obligation of good faith
-
1 The legal order of the European Union
  1.04 Fundamental rights
    1.04.03 The fundamental rights
      1.04.03.47 Right to an effective remedy and to a fair trial
-
1 The legal order of the European Union
  1.04 Fundamental rights
    1.04.03 The fundamental rights
      1.04.03.47 Right to an effective remedy and to a fair trial
-
1 The legal order of the European Union
  1.03 Respective powers and obligations of the European Union and of the Member States
    1.03.03 Obligation of good faith


Citations of case-law or legislation

References in grounds of judgment

Operative part

Opinion


Dates

Date of the lodging of the application initiating proceedings

  • 15/03/2018

Date of the Opinion

  • 20/06/2019

Date of the hearing

Information not available

Date of delivery

05/11/2019


References

Publication in the Official Journal

Judgment: OJ C 432 from 23.12.2019, p.6

Application: OJ C 182 from 28.05.2018, p.14

Name of the parties

Commission v Poland (Independence of ordinary courts)

Notes on Academic Writings

  1. Giannopoulos, Christos: L’inamovibilité des juges et l’État de droit – la Cour de justice retoque la réforme polonaise de la retraite des magistrats. CJUE, gde ch., 5 novembre 2019, Commission/Pologne, aff. C-192/18, Revue des affaires européennes 2019, n. 4, p. 815-822 (FR)
  2. Simon, Denys: Droits fondamentaux - Indépendance des juges nationaux, Europe 2020 Janvier Comm. nº 1 p.1 (FR)
  3. Leloup, Mathieu: Het arrest Europese Commissie/Polen (C-192/18): een nieuwe overwinning voor de Europese Unie in de strijd om de rechtsstaat, S.E.W. : Tijdschrift voor Europees en economisch recht 2020 p.149-153 (NL)
  4. Krzywoń, Adam: La defensa y el desarrollo del principio de independencia judicial en la Unión Europea, Revista española de Derecho Constitucional 2020 nº 119 p. 85-117 (ES)



Procedural Analysis Information

Source of the question referred for a preliminary ruling

Information not available

Subject-matter

  • Principles, objectives and tasks of the Treaties
  • Provisions governing the institutions
  • Social policy
  • 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

Prechal

Advocate General

Tanchev

Language(s) of the Case

  • Polish

Language(s) of the Opinion

  • English