European Law
Inhoudsopgave
Lecture 1: Setting the scene................................................................3
Introduction: the EU and its meaning..................................................................3
Some history....................................................................................................... 3
What you should (already) know about EU law...................................................3
Introduction into the internal market & free movement......................................5
How is the EU internal market realized?..........................................................6
Knowledge clip week 1: Overview fundamental freedoms......................7
..........................................................................................................7
Lecture 2: Establishment and services.................................................8
Introduction to the EU internal market................................................................8
Establishment & Services – introduction.............................................................8
Freedom of Establishment – Article 49 TFEU.......................................................9
Freedom of Services – Article 56 TFEU................................................................9
The Services Directive 2006/123/EC.................................................................11
Current affairs – digitalization............................................................................11
Services Directive 2006/123:..............................................................12
Lecture 3: Competition law I - anticompetitive agreements.................13
Competition law in the EU (and in Member States)...........................................13
Why Competition law is a hot topic...................................................................13
Article 101 TFEU – cartel prohibition.................................................................13
What is Competition law really for?...................................................................17
Lecture 4: Competition law II – abuse of dominance............................18
Why is abuse of dominance a hot topic?...........................................................18
Article 102 TFEU: abuse of dominance..............................................................18
Lecture 5: Free movement of Workers & Free movement of Persons. . . .23
Overview........................................................................................................... 23
Free movement of workers................................................................................ 23
Free movement of persons................................................................................ 25
Lecture 6: European citizenship & migration.......................................27
The development of EU citizenship...................................................................27
Specific EU citizenship rights............................................................................. 27
Article 21 TFEU and Directive 2004/38...........................................................27
Article 20 TFEU............................................................................................... 28
, Third Country Nationals: migration and asylum................................................29
Lecture 7: Equal treatment in employment.........................................30
Non-discrimination/equal treatment law on the ground of sex..........................30
Directive 2006/54........................................................................................... 30
Non-discrimination/equal treatment on other grounds: race, religion, belief,
age, disability, sexual orientation......................................................................32
Directive 2004/43 (race and ethnic origin).....................................................32
Directive 2000/78 Framework Directive for religion, belief, disability, age,
sexual orientation.......................................................................................... 33
(Indirect) horizontal effect of EU non-discrimination directives: the power of the
EU Charter of Fundamental Rights....................................................................34
Solving a case................................................................................................... 34
Solving an EU-case............................................................................36
Case about Free movement rules:.....................................................................36
Case about Competition law.............................................................................. 37
Two or more enterprises (Article 101 TFEU)...................................................37
One enterprise (Article 102 TFEU)..................................................................40
, Lecture 1: Setting the scene
Introduction: the EU and its meaning
The EU is an autonomous legal order. The Court of Justice decided in Van Gent
& Loos that the EU creates an autonomous legal order. Some principles deprived
from that legal order, e.g. direct effect (we can invoke provisions of EU law
before our national court) and supremacy (EU law always take precedence over
national law, Costa/E.N.E.L.).
Meaning of EU law for national laws:
- Broad scope of application of EU law & EU principles
- Hardly any aspect of socioeconomic life escapes EU law influence
- EU law cuts through all (traditional) legal disciplines
Some history
World War II: ‘The will to prevent war is what started European integration. And it
is still what propels it forward.’
- Innovative origins & fundament of the EU can be found in economic
cooperation (ECSC (1950), EEC (1957))
- 6 founding Member States
- Aim: socio-economic & political integration
- Now: economic and political integration
Fundamental values and principles of the European Union Article 2 and 3 TEU
History of the treaties:
- Treaty of Lisbon (2009)
o Constitutional foundations: TEU
o Elaboration: TFEU
- With each Treaty change strengthening of the supranational character
(principle of supremacy)
o Role and tasks of the European Parliament
o Decision-making procedure (European Parliament and the Council,
initiative by the European Commission) and qualified majority
(Member States can be overruled)
o Extension of policy areas
- Internal market remains crucial but note that the second E(E)C has
disappeared since Maastricht
What you should (already) know about EU law
EU institutions (art. 13 TEU):
- European Commission sole right of initiative
- Council representing EU citizens, EU legislature
- European Council
- European Parliament representing EU citizens, EU legislature
- Court of Justice of the EU
, - European Central Bank
Division of powers and institutional balance.
Sources of EU law:
- Primary law
o EU Treaties (TEU & TFEU), including the Charter
- General principles of EU law
o Proportionality
- Secondary hard law (art. 288 TFEU) legislative acts
o Regulations (verordeningen)
o Directives (richtlijnen)
o Decisions (besluiten)
- Secondary soft law
o Recommendations
o Opinions
- Case-law of the CJ EU
Secondary hard law (art. 288 TFEU):
1. Regulations
o Directly applicable: does not have to be implemented in national law
o Direct effect: you can rely on this regulation before national courts if
the provision is sufficiently clear, precise and unconditional
2. Directives
o Binding as to the result to be achieved
o Not directly applicable: need to be implemented in national law
o Can have direct effect if the provision of the directive is sufficiently
clear, precise, and unconditional (principle of direct effect). When
that is the case, you can rely on it immediately without needing it to
be implemented in national law first.
o Indirect effect: national law must be interpreted ‘in the light of’ the
directives (‘harmonious interpretation’). This exists after the
transposition period has expired
3. Decisions
o Addressed to a Member State particular
EU competences:
The EU only has competences conferred on it by the Treaties (principle of
conferral):
- Exclusive (art. 3 TFEU): adopt binding laws
- Shared (art. 4 TFEU, together with Member States): adopt soft law
measures
- Supporting (art. 6 TFEU)
Those competences are subject to the following principles:
1. Principle of subsidiarity: decisions should always be taken as close as
possible to the citizen (at the lowest level possible). So if the EU does not
need to take action in a certain area, it’s better that a Member State does
so. It prevents that everything is regulated at EU level.
Step 1: the measures cannot be sufficiently taken by the Member States.
Step 2: it is better that it is being achieved at EU-level
Inhoudsopgave
Lecture 1: Setting the scene................................................................3
Introduction: the EU and its meaning..................................................................3
Some history....................................................................................................... 3
What you should (already) know about EU law...................................................3
Introduction into the internal market & free movement......................................5
How is the EU internal market realized?..........................................................6
Knowledge clip week 1: Overview fundamental freedoms......................7
..........................................................................................................7
Lecture 2: Establishment and services.................................................8
Introduction to the EU internal market................................................................8
Establishment & Services – introduction.............................................................8
Freedom of Establishment – Article 49 TFEU.......................................................9
Freedom of Services – Article 56 TFEU................................................................9
The Services Directive 2006/123/EC.................................................................11
Current affairs – digitalization............................................................................11
Services Directive 2006/123:..............................................................12
Lecture 3: Competition law I - anticompetitive agreements.................13
Competition law in the EU (and in Member States)...........................................13
Why Competition law is a hot topic...................................................................13
Article 101 TFEU – cartel prohibition.................................................................13
What is Competition law really for?...................................................................17
Lecture 4: Competition law II – abuse of dominance............................18
Why is abuse of dominance a hot topic?...........................................................18
Article 102 TFEU: abuse of dominance..............................................................18
Lecture 5: Free movement of Workers & Free movement of Persons. . . .23
Overview........................................................................................................... 23
Free movement of workers................................................................................ 23
Free movement of persons................................................................................ 25
Lecture 6: European citizenship & migration.......................................27
The development of EU citizenship...................................................................27
Specific EU citizenship rights............................................................................. 27
Article 21 TFEU and Directive 2004/38...........................................................27
Article 20 TFEU............................................................................................... 28
, Third Country Nationals: migration and asylum................................................29
Lecture 7: Equal treatment in employment.........................................30
Non-discrimination/equal treatment law on the ground of sex..........................30
Directive 2006/54........................................................................................... 30
Non-discrimination/equal treatment on other grounds: race, religion, belief,
age, disability, sexual orientation......................................................................32
Directive 2004/43 (race and ethnic origin).....................................................32
Directive 2000/78 Framework Directive for religion, belief, disability, age,
sexual orientation.......................................................................................... 33
(Indirect) horizontal effect of EU non-discrimination directives: the power of the
EU Charter of Fundamental Rights....................................................................34
Solving a case................................................................................................... 34
Solving an EU-case............................................................................36
Case about Free movement rules:.....................................................................36
Case about Competition law.............................................................................. 37
Two or more enterprises (Article 101 TFEU)...................................................37
One enterprise (Article 102 TFEU)..................................................................40
, Lecture 1: Setting the scene
Introduction: the EU and its meaning
The EU is an autonomous legal order. The Court of Justice decided in Van Gent
& Loos that the EU creates an autonomous legal order. Some principles deprived
from that legal order, e.g. direct effect (we can invoke provisions of EU law
before our national court) and supremacy (EU law always take precedence over
national law, Costa/E.N.E.L.).
Meaning of EU law for national laws:
- Broad scope of application of EU law & EU principles
- Hardly any aspect of socioeconomic life escapes EU law influence
- EU law cuts through all (traditional) legal disciplines
Some history
World War II: ‘The will to prevent war is what started European integration. And it
is still what propels it forward.’
- Innovative origins & fundament of the EU can be found in economic
cooperation (ECSC (1950), EEC (1957))
- 6 founding Member States
- Aim: socio-economic & political integration
- Now: economic and political integration
Fundamental values and principles of the European Union Article 2 and 3 TEU
History of the treaties:
- Treaty of Lisbon (2009)
o Constitutional foundations: TEU
o Elaboration: TFEU
- With each Treaty change strengthening of the supranational character
(principle of supremacy)
o Role and tasks of the European Parliament
o Decision-making procedure (European Parliament and the Council,
initiative by the European Commission) and qualified majority
(Member States can be overruled)
o Extension of policy areas
- Internal market remains crucial but note that the second E(E)C has
disappeared since Maastricht
What you should (already) know about EU law
EU institutions (art. 13 TEU):
- European Commission sole right of initiative
- Council representing EU citizens, EU legislature
- European Council
- European Parliament representing EU citizens, EU legislature
- Court of Justice of the EU
, - European Central Bank
Division of powers and institutional balance.
Sources of EU law:
- Primary law
o EU Treaties (TEU & TFEU), including the Charter
- General principles of EU law
o Proportionality
- Secondary hard law (art. 288 TFEU) legislative acts
o Regulations (verordeningen)
o Directives (richtlijnen)
o Decisions (besluiten)
- Secondary soft law
o Recommendations
o Opinions
- Case-law of the CJ EU
Secondary hard law (art. 288 TFEU):
1. Regulations
o Directly applicable: does not have to be implemented in national law
o Direct effect: you can rely on this regulation before national courts if
the provision is sufficiently clear, precise and unconditional
2. Directives
o Binding as to the result to be achieved
o Not directly applicable: need to be implemented in national law
o Can have direct effect if the provision of the directive is sufficiently
clear, precise, and unconditional (principle of direct effect). When
that is the case, you can rely on it immediately without needing it to
be implemented in national law first.
o Indirect effect: national law must be interpreted ‘in the light of’ the
directives (‘harmonious interpretation’). This exists after the
transposition period has expired
3. Decisions
o Addressed to a Member State particular
EU competences:
The EU only has competences conferred on it by the Treaties (principle of
conferral):
- Exclusive (art. 3 TFEU): adopt binding laws
- Shared (art. 4 TFEU, together with Member States): adopt soft law
measures
- Supporting (art. 6 TFEU)
Those competences are subject to the following principles:
1. Principle of subsidiarity: decisions should always be taken as close as
possible to the citizen (at the lowest level possible). So if the EU does not
need to take action in a certain area, it’s better that a Member State does
so. It prevents that everything is regulated at EU level.
Step 1: the measures cannot be sufficiently taken by the Member States.
Step 2: it is better that it is being achieved at EU-level
