Law & Justice

National Leaders Call for More Flexible EU Competition Rules

July 10, 2019

Bloomberg reports that the French, German, and Polish governments published a joint paper calling on the European Commission (EC) to introduce a more flexible policy in evaluating whether to approve corporate mergers and consider global competition, especially from China, in the process.
EU Rules Establish Tax Dispute Resolution System

July 03, 2019

New EU rules have entered into force setting up a bloc-wide system for resolving tax disputes among EU member states that involves taxpayers requiring national governments to set up an independent Advisory Commission to settle individual double-taxation disputes.
CoE Official Criticizes Polish Judicial Reforms

July 01, 2019

The Council of Europe’s (CoE) Commissioner for Human Rights Dunja Mijatović has published a report warning the Polish government that it must not pursue reforms of its judicial system focused on increasing “accountability or efficiency” at the expense of judicial independence.
ECJ Adviser: Polish Court’s Disciplinary Chamber Lacks Independence

June 28, 2019

Court of Justice of the EU (ECJ) Advocate General Evgeni Tanchev has advised the ECJ to hold that the Disciplinary Chamber of the Polish Supreme Court does not satisfy EU standards on judicial independence because the body that appoints judges to the Disciplinary Chamber lacks independence from Polish lawmakers.
ECJ Strikes down Polish Judicial Retirement Law

June 25, 2019

The Court of Justice of the EU (ECJ) has ordered the Polish government to roll back legislation lowering the retirement age of Supreme Court Justices, finding that the change “undermines the principle of the irremovability of judges” and is contrary to EU law.
ECJ Adviser: Poland’s Judicial Retirement Changes Violate EU Law

June 20, 2019

Court of Justice of the EU (ECJ) Advocate General Evgeni Tanchev has issued an opinion asserting that a Polish law lowering the retirement age of judges, including of the country’s Supreme Court, to 60 for women and 65 for men, violates EU laws on discrimination and judicial independence.
ECJ Strikes down German Road Toll

June 19, 2019

The Court of Justice of the EU (ECJ) has held that Germany’s introduction of a toll on passenger vehicles violates EU law because the applicable legislation allows only German taxpayers relief from the country’s motor vehicle tax in at least the amount of the toll, in contrast to drivers from other countries.
EU Rules Harmonize Criminal Justice Standards

June 12, 2019

The European Commission has highlighted the entry into force of two directives on criminal proceedings, the first forcing EU member states to offer legal aid to people suspected or accused of crimes and the second setting up safeguards for children in the criminal justice system.
EC Files Complaint Against Spain over Asset Reporting Sanctions

June 12, 2019

The European Commission (EC) has referred the Spanish government to the Court of Justice of the EU for imposing what the EC considers to be disproportionate sanctions on taxpayers who fail to report assets they hold in other European countries.
EU Strategy Document Prioritizes Border Security

June 11, 2019

EurActiv reports that, according to a draft strategic agenda for the years 2019 through 2024 produced by the EU institutions, EU and national leaders respond to growing concerns about the impacts of migration on the bloc by prioritizing border security and finding a path toward a common internal migration and asylum policy.