EXAM
1 question on week 1&2 (direct actions)
1 question on week 3
1 question on PRP
1 question on anything
- Submission of written moot court → WEEK 6
Lecture 1: The ECJ as an institution
Institutions of the EU
● Before Lisbon 5 EU institutions:
1. Council (of the European Union)
- Made up of heads of state
- Belonging to all 3 pillars
2. European Parliament
3. Commission (of the European Communities)
- Most important powers found in 1st pillar
4. Court of Justice (of the European Communities); ECJ
- Most powers found in former EC Treaties
5. European Court of Auditors
○ One ‘truly’ EU institution → European Council
● Lisbon Treaty
○ 7 EU institutions:
1. Council
2. EP
3. Commission
4. CJEU of the EU
- Court of the whole EU
- Lisbon expanded jurisdiction of Court to some CFSP areas
5. European Court of auditors
6. European Council
7. European Central Bank
→ ART. 13 TEU
,The ECJ/CJEU
● The ECJ/CJEU
○ Seated in Luxembourg
○ Before lisbon:
■ used to consist of 3 bodies:
a. Court of Justice (ECJ)
b. Court of First Instance (CFI)
- Since SEA 1987
- Attached to ECJ
- Task: disputes between private individuals & EU institutions =
competition law
c. Judicial Chambers
○ After Lisbon → art. 19 TEU = ECJ is composed of:
1. Court of Justice
2. General Court
- Replaces court of 1st instance
- Task: private individuals & institutions
- Made of 54 judges
3. Specialized Courts
- Replaced judicial chambers
- Task: dispute between civil service of institutions & the institutions
they work for
- Does not exist anymore → since regulation 2016/1192 = general
court took over
→ problem: disagreement between different parts of the same institution:
Strack case
● Facts
○ Focuses on EU Social Policy
○ All 3 part of institution → come to different conclusions
○ Ms Strack → civil service worker wanted to transfer unused annual leave to next year
● Question: Whether an EU civil service can carry to the next year unused annual leave?
● Ruling
○ Commission → can’t do this
- Strack → brought case before CST
○ CST → YES you can bring it to next academic year
○ Commission → Wrong = launches appeal to General Court
, ○ General Court → Commission was right → it is not possible
○ Then appeal to ECJ →
○ ECJ: Strack is right you can carry it to next year
Composition of CJEU
● ECJ
○ 27 judges
○ Must be good lawyers → appointed by MS for 6 years (art. 253 TFEU)
○ New under lisbon (art. 255) → a panel consisting of 7 people
■ To give opinion on candidates’ suitability (non-binding)
○ 11 Advocate general
○ 6 permanent & 5 rotating from small countries
○ Have to be:
a. Impartial
b. Independent
○ Role:
■ Makes reasoned opinions on cases before ECJ , not GC (art. 252 TFEU)
○ Declaration (no. 38) ad Art. 252 TFEU regarding number of AG in ECJ
■ If the ECJ requests that number of AG be increased by three [11
instead of 8], Council will, acting unanimously, agree on increase
● General Court
○ 54 judges (2 per MS)
○ Requirements: be independent
Role of ECJ in EU Constitutional Order: its tasks & competences
● Lisbon
○ General tasks before Lisbon:
■ ECJ → ensure interpretation & application of the treaty & law is observed
○ General tasks after lisbon:
■ Shall ensure interpretation and application of the Treaties & ensure that law
is observed (art. 19(1) TEU)
● 3 categories of competences/jurisdiction: (art. 19(3) TEU)
1. Direct actions
- Dispute settlement → 4 types of disputes:
a. Institution vs institution
, b. MS vs MS
- Directly via court → not national court
c. MS vs institution (or vice versa)
- Action for annulment → art. 263 TFEU
- Infringement action (Commission vs MS) → art. 258 TFEU
d. Private individuals vs institution →
- first GC → then ECJ
- Mainly disputes on competition law
→ NOT individual vs individual
2. Give preliminary rulings
- Who?
- National court is competent
- Only ECJ can give PRP → Not the GC
- Binding rule of ECJ → but PSPP case
- When?
- At request of national judges → art. 267 TFEU
- National court of the MS has to try & solve dispute
- First go to national court → then can ask PRP
- 2 options:
a. Vertical → Private individuals vs MS
b. Horizontal → Private individuals vs private individuals
- 2 different national courts:
- Subordinate court → may refer
- Supreme court → must refer
1 question on week 1&2 (direct actions)
1 question on week 3
1 question on PRP
1 question on anything
- Submission of written moot court → WEEK 6
Lecture 1: The ECJ as an institution
Institutions of the EU
● Before Lisbon 5 EU institutions:
1. Council (of the European Union)
- Made up of heads of state
- Belonging to all 3 pillars
2. European Parliament
3. Commission (of the European Communities)
- Most important powers found in 1st pillar
4. Court of Justice (of the European Communities); ECJ
- Most powers found in former EC Treaties
5. European Court of Auditors
○ One ‘truly’ EU institution → European Council
● Lisbon Treaty
○ 7 EU institutions:
1. Council
2. EP
3. Commission
4. CJEU of the EU
- Court of the whole EU
- Lisbon expanded jurisdiction of Court to some CFSP areas
5. European Court of auditors
6. European Council
7. European Central Bank
→ ART. 13 TEU
,The ECJ/CJEU
● The ECJ/CJEU
○ Seated in Luxembourg
○ Before lisbon:
■ used to consist of 3 bodies:
a. Court of Justice (ECJ)
b. Court of First Instance (CFI)
- Since SEA 1987
- Attached to ECJ
- Task: disputes between private individuals & EU institutions =
competition law
c. Judicial Chambers
○ After Lisbon → art. 19 TEU = ECJ is composed of:
1. Court of Justice
2. General Court
- Replaces court of 1st instance
- Task: private individuals & institutions
- Made of 54 judges
3. Specialized Courts
- Replaced judicial chambers
- Task: dispute between civil service of institutions & the institutions
they work for
- Does not exist anymore → since regulation 2016/1192 = general
court took over
→ problem: disagreement between different parts of the same institution:
Strack case
● Facts
○ Focuses on EU Social Policy
○ All 3 part of institution → come to different conclusions
○ Ms Strack → civil service worker wanted to transfer unused annual leave to next year
● Question: Whether an EU civil service can carry to the next year unused annual leave?
● Ruling
○ Commission → can’t do this
- Strack → brought case before CST
○ CST → YES you can bring it to next academic year
○ Commission → Wrong = launches appeal to General Court
, ○ General Court → Commission was right → it is not possible
○ Then appeal to ECJ →
○ ECJ: Strack is right you can carry it to next year
Composition of CJEU
● ECJ
○ 27 judges
○ Must be good lawyers → appointed by MS for 6 years (art. 253 TFEU)
○ New under lisbon (art. 255) → a panel consisting of 7 people
■ To give opinion on candidates’ suitability (non-binding)
○ 11 Advocate general
○ 6 permanent & 5 rotating from small countries
○ Have to be:
a. Impartial
b. Independent
○ Role:
■ Makes reasoned opinions on cases before ECJ , not GC (art. 252 TFEU)
○ Declaration (no. 38) ad Art. 252 TFEU regarding number of AG in ECJ
■ If the ECJ requests that number of AG be increased by three [11
instead of 8], Council will, acting unanimously, agree on increase
● General Court
○ 54 judges (2 per MS)
○ Requirements: be independent
Role of ECJ in EU Constitutional Order: its tasks & competences
● Lisbon
○ General tasks before Lisbon:
■ ECJ → ensure interpretation & application of the treaty & law is observed
○ General tasks after lisbon:
■ Shall ensure interpretation and application of the Treaties & ensure that law
is observed (art. 19(1) TEU)
● 3 categories of competences/jurisdiction: (art. 19(3) TEU)
1. Direct actions
- Dispute settlement → 4 types of disputes:
a. Institution vs institution
, b. MS vs MS
- Directly via court → not national court
c. MS vs institution (or vice versa)
- Action for annulment → art. 263 TFEU
- Infringement action (Commission vs MS) → art. 258 TFEU
d. Private individuals vs institution →
- first GC → then ECJ
- Mainly disputes on competition law
→ NOT individual vs individual
2. Give preliminary rulings
- Who?
- National court is competent
- Only ECJ can give PRP → Not the GC
- Binding rule of ECJ → but PSPP case
- When?
- At request of national judges → art. 267 TFEU
- National court of the MS has to try & solve dispute
- First go to national court → then can ask PRP
- 2 options:
a. Vertical → Private individuals vs MS
b. Horizontal → Private individuals vs private individuals
- 2 different national courts:
- Subordinate court → may refer
- Supreme court → must refer
