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Doctrine: Direct Effect

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Doctrine: Direct Effect

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  • directly effective: provisions EU law / give rise rights or obligations / individual assert in national court
  • Article 267 TFEU preliminary ruling referral to ECJ if necessary
  • national courts: must apply EU law / supreme over domestic legislation

Treaty Articles:

  • directly applicable / do not require further domestic legislation / take effect on passing

Vertical: Individual v State

  • vertical direct effect / purposive approach / concerns individuals not just state / joining EU limited sovereignty (Van Gend en Loos)
  • Van Gend criteria: clear / precise / unconditional / no room for discretion in implementation

Horizontal: Individual v Individual

  • horizontal direct effect / if Van Gend criteria satisfied (Defrenne v SABENA)

Regulations:

  • Article 288 TFEU: directly applicable / do not require further domestic legislation / take effect on passing

Vertical: Individual v State

  • vertical direct effect / if Van Gend criteria satisfied (Leonesio v Italian Ministry of Agriculture)

Horizontal: Individual v Individual

  • horizontal direct effect / if Van Gend criteria satisfied (Antonio Munoz v Frumar)
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Doctrine: Direct Effect

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Directives:

  • Article 288 TFEU: binding as to result / State choice form & methods / implementing legislation required
  • properly implemented: not directly applicable / rely on domestic legislation
  • non-implementation or faulty implementation: State breaches Article 288 TFEU / direct action to ECJ: Commission (Article 258 TFEU) or other Member State (Article 259 TFEU)

Vertical: Individual v Public Body

  • vertical direct effect / Van Duyn: clear / precise / unconditional / Ratti: implementation date expired
  • unclear: Article 267 TFEU preliminary ruling referral to ECJ

Horizontal: Individual v Individual

  • no horizontal direct effect (Marshall) / confirmed (Faccini Dori v Recreb SRL)

Public body

  • Emanation of the State: ECJ from HoL: whatever legal form / responsible for public service / under control of State / special powers for that purpose (Foster v British Gas)
  • Kampelmann: special powers / or public service
  • Reiser Internationale: 3 Foster principles apply: public service / control of State / special powers
  • privatised water company / Emanation of State (Griffin v South West Water)
bits of law
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