BETA


2022/2143(INI) The implementation of the principle of primacy of EU law
Next event: Indicative plenary sitting date 2023/11/20

Progress: Awaiting Parliament's vote

RoleCommitteeRapporteurShadows
Joint Responsible Committee ['JURI', 'AFCO'] ENGERER Cyrus (icon: S&D S&D), TOOM Yana (icon: Renew Renew) HORTEFEUX Brice (icon: EPP EPP), POSPÍŠIL Jiří (icon: EPP EPP), REPASI René (icon: S&D S&D), IN 'T VELD Sophia (icon: Renew Renew), BOESELAGER Damian (icon: Verts/ALE Verts/ALE), BREYER Patrick (icon: Verts/ALE Verts/ALE), LEBRETON Gilles (icon: ID ID), SARYUSZ-WOLSKI Jacek (icon: ECR ECR), MAUREL Emmanuel (icon: GUE/NGL GUE/NGL), SCHOLZ Helmut (icon: GUE/NGL GUE/NGL)
Lead committee dossier:
Legal Basis:
RoP 54, RoP 58

Events

2023/11/20
   Indicative plenary sitting date
2023/11/07
   EP - Committee report tabled for plenary, single reading
Documents
2023/11/07
   EP - Committee report tabled for plenary
Details

The Committee on Legal Affairs and the Committee on Constitutional Affairs jointly adopted the own-initiative report by Yana TOOM (Renew, EE) and Cyrus ENGERER (S&D, MT) on the implementation of the principle of primacy of EU law.

Primacy is a core principle of EU law, which has been developed over time by the jurisprudence of the CJEU. It is crucial for ensuring the consistent application of EU law throughout the Union and guaranteeing equality of EU citizens before the law. Furthermore, the concept of primacy does not imply that there is a hierarchy between EU and national law. Instead, it means that, in case of a conflict, Member States have the obligation not to apply national law that is contrary to EU law. If the conditions for direct applicability are met, national authorities are obliged to apply the provision of EU law. If not, national authorities are obliged to interpret national law in conformity with EU law.

Noting that the vast majority of the courts of the Member States apply the principle of primacy of EU law, the principle is challenged or failed to be applied in certain Member States.

This implementation report shows the importance that Parliament attaches to the compliance with that principle and the monitoring of such compliance.

The research carried out on this matter has led to the following considerations, which constitute the basis for the following recommendations:

- executive and legislative bodies should take action to amend or withdraw legal acts that have been found to be in breach of EU law;

- the principle of primacy should be included as an explicit Treaty provision.

- the CJEU, as exclusively competent for the definitive interpretation of EU law, should define the scope of the principle of primacy;

- the principle of primacy should be binding on all bodies of the Member States at all times, and the executive force of EU law should not vary from one Member State to another;

- although, in their vast majority, courts of Member States comply with the principle of primacy of EU law, national courts have in a number of cases refused to draw the consequences of judgments of the CJEU;

- in the context of a systemic breach of the rule of law procedure under Article 7, Member States have strategically called into question the principle of the primacy of Union law for political reasons; such cases of systemic breach of the rule of law constitute a threat to the legal order in the Member State concerned and to sincere cooperation between Member States, as well as a failure by that Member State to fulfil its obligations under the Treaty;

- the effectiveness and uniformity of EU law and the authority of the CJEU must be preserved;

- the Commission should closely monitor the rulings of national courts with regard to the primacy of EU law, and initiate infringement procedures under Article 258 TFEU in response to judgments of national constitutional courts challenging that principle.

Documents
2023/10/24
   EP - Vote in committee
2022/09/15
   EP - Committee referral announced in Parliament
2022/09/15
   EP - Referral to joint committee announced in Parliament
2022/06/20
   EP - ENGERER Cyrus (S&D) appointed as rapporteur in ['JURI', 'AFCO']
2022/06/20
   EP - TOOM Yana (Renew) appointed as rapporteur in ['JURI', 'AFCO']

Documents

  • Committee report tabled for plenary, single reading: A9-0341/2023
  • Committee report tabled for plenary: A9-0341/2023
  • Committee report tabled for plenary, single reading: A9-0341/2023

Activities

AmendmentsDossier
254 2022/2143(INI)
2023/09/06 JURI, AFCO 254 amendments...
source: 752.807

History

(these mark the time of scraping, not the official date of the change)

forecasts/0
date
2023-11-21T00:00:00
title
Debate in plenary scheduled
forecasts/0
date
2023-11-20T00:00:00
title
Indicative plenary sitting date
events/3/summary
  • The Committee on Legal Affairs and the Committee on Constitutional Affairs jointly adopted the own-initiative report by Yana TOOM (Renew, EE) and Cyrus ENGERER (S&D, MT) on the implementation of the principle of primacy of EU law.
  • Primacy is a core principle of EU law, which has been developed over time by the jurisprudence of the CJEU. It is crucial for ensuring the consistent application of EU law throughout the Union and guaranteeing equality of EU citizens before the law. Furthermore, the concept of primacy does not imply that there is a hierarchy between EU and national law. Instead, it means that, in case of a conflict, Member States have the obligation not to apply national law that is contrary to EU law. If the conditions for direct applicability are met, national authorities are obliged to apply the provision of EU law. If not, national authorities are obliged to interpret national law in conformity with EU law.
  • Noting that the vast majority of the courts of the Member States apply the principle of primacy of EU law, the principle is challenged or failed to be applied in certain Member States.
  • This implementation report shows the importance that Parliament attaches to the compliance with that principle and the monitoring of such compliance.
  • The research carried out on this matter has led to the following considerations, which constitute the basis for the following recommendations:
  • - executive and legislative bodies should take action to amend or withdraw legal acts that have been found to be in breach of EU law;
  • - the principle of primacy should be included as an explicit Treaty provision.
  • - the CJEU, as exclusively competent for the definitive interpretation of EU law, should define the scope of the principle of primacy;
  • - the principle of primacy should be binding on all bodies of the Member States at all times, and the executive force of EU law should not vary from one Member State to another;
  • - although, in their vast majority, courts of Member States comply with the principle of primacy of EU law, national courts have in a number of cases refused to draw the consequences of judgments of the CJEU;
  • - in the context of a systemic breach of the rule of law procedure under Article 7, Member States have strategically called into question the principle of the primacy of Union law for political reasons; such cases of systemic breach of the rule of law constitute a threat to the legal order in the Member State concerned and to sincere cooperation between Member States, as well as a failure by that Member State to fulfil its obligations under the Treaty;
  • - the effectiveness and uniformity of EU law and the authority of the CJEU must be preserved;
  • - the Commission should closely monitor the rulings of national courts with regard to the primacy of EU law, and initiate infringement procedures under Article 258 TFEU in response to judgments of national constitutional courts challenging that principle.
docs
  • date: 2023-11-07T00:00:00 docs: url: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/A-9-2023-0341_EN.html title: A9-0341/2023 type: Committee report tabled for plenary, single reading body: EP
events/3/docs
  • url: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/A-9-2023-0341_EN.html title: A9-0341/2023
events/3
date
2023-11-07T00:00:00
type
Committee report tabled for plenary
body
EP
procedure/stage_reached
Old
Awaiting committee decision
New
Awaiting Parliament's vote
events/2
date
2023-10-24T00:00:00
type
Vote in committee
body
EP
committees/0/shadows/6
name
LEBRETON Gilles
group
Identity and Democracy
abbr
ID
forecasts
  • date: 2023-11-20T00:00:00 title: Indicative plenary sitting date
committees/0
type
Joint Responsible Committee
body
EP
committee_full
committee
associated
False
rapporteur
shadows
committees/0
type
Joint Responsible Committee
body
EP
committee_full
committee
associated
False
rapporteur
shadows
commission
  • body: EC dg: Legal Service commissioner: REYNDERS Didier
committees/0/shadows/3
name
SARYUSZ-WOLSKI Jacek
group
European Conservatives and Reformists Group
abbr
ECR
committees/0/shadows
  • name: HORTEFEUX Brice group: Group of European People's Party abbr: EPP
  • name: IN 'T VELD Sophia group: Renew Europe group abbr: Renew
  • name: BOESELAGER Damian group: Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance abbr: Verts/ALE
  • name: SCHOLZ Helmut group: The Left group in the European Parliament - GUE/NGL abbr: GUE/NGL
committees/0
type
Joint Responsible Committee
body
EP
committee_full
committee
associated
False
rapporteur
committees/0
type
Joint Responsible Committee
body
EP
committee_full
committee
associated
False
rapporteur
committees/0/rapporteur
  • name: ENGERER Cyrus date: 2022-07-13T00:00:00 group: Group of Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats abbr: S&D
  • name: TOOM Yana date: 2022-07-13T00:00:00 group: Renew Europe group abbr: Renew
events
  • date: 2022-09-15T00:00:00 type: Committee referral announced in Parliament body: EP
  • date: 2022-09-15T00:00:00 type: Referral to joint committee announced in Parliament body: EP
procedure/dossier_of_the_committee
  • CJ22/9/10050
procedure/stage_reached
Old
Preparatory phase in Parliament
New
Awaiting committee decision