European Economic Law
Inhoudsopgave
1 BASIC CONCEPTS OF EU LAW ...................................................................................................................... 2
2 THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE INTERNAL MARKET......................................................................................... 5
PART I : EU Competition Law ..................................................................................................................... 6
3 EU Competition Law: Essentials .................................................................................................................. 6
4 EU Competition Law: Field of application.................................................................................................. 10
5 EU Competition Law: Restrictive practices (art. 101 TFEU) ....................................................................... 12
6 EU Competition Law: Abuse of dominance (art. 102 TFEU) ...................................................................... 17
7 Enforcement of Articles 101-102 TFEU ...................................................................................................... 26
8 Merger control .......................................................................................................................................... 33
PART II : Internal market law.................................................................................................................... 39
9 introduction ............................................................................................................................................... 39
10 Free movement of goods (FMG) ............................................................................................................ 41
11 Freedom of Establishment Free Provision of Services............................................................................ 55
12 Public procurement law ......................................................................................................................... 63
PART III : Consumer Protection Law .......................................................................................................... 67
13 Unfair commercial practices directive 2005/29/ec on unfair business-toconsumer commercial
practices (“UCPD”) ............................................................................................................................................ 67
14 Out-of-premises contracts anddistance contracts directive 2011/83/eu on consumer rights(“crd”).... 83
15 Unfair contract terms directive 93/13/eec on unfair terms in consumer contracts (“uctd”) ................ 88
16 Consumer sales Sale of Goods directive (EU) 2019/771 (“SGD”) ........................................................... 93
,1 BASIC CONCEPTS OF EU LAW
1.1. M AIN POLITICAL ACTORS
The 7 European institutions:
1.1.1 European Commission " executive body
Main tasks
- Propose EU legislation
- Enforce (implement) EU law - ("Guardian of Treaties")
Are chosen by the European Parliament
1.1.2 The European Parliament " decision – making body
It is directly elected by EU voters every 5 years (" defends Citizens’ interest)
Main tasks
- EU legislation (co-legislator) = negotiates and adopts EU laws
- Appointment of the Commission
- Controlling the Commission
- Mainly " Establishing the EU budget
1.1.3 Council of the European Union = the Council " decision – making body
Main tasks
- EU legislation
- EU budget
Composition
- Members of government of Member States
- Rotating presidency (6 months), currently Spain (" defends Member States’ interest)
ó Council of Europe !!!
1.1.4 European Council
Brings together EU leaders to set the EU's political agenda
Main tasks
- Political direction of the EU
- Crisis management
Composition
- Heads of state / government
- European Council President
- President of the European Commission
- Elects President for 2,5 years, renewable once
1.1.5 Court of Justice of the European Union
Ensuring EU law is interpreted and applied the same in every EU country " Two-tier court
European Court of Justice (ECJ)
- 1 judge/Member State
- Reserved competence: important cases
General Court (GC)
- 2 judges/Member State
- General competence, unless reserved for the ECJ
,1.1.6 European Central Bank
- Specialized institution
- Functions: exclusive right to authorize the issuance of the Euro
- Participates in the governance of the EU monetary policy with the main objective of maintaining price
stability
- Composition: Governing Council and Executive Board (members appointed by European Council for 8
years)
1.1.7 Court of Auditors
- Control of EU finances
- 1 citizen per Member State, independent (accountants)
- Nominated by Council after consulting the EP for 6 years
1.2. H ISTORY
Idea of cooperation → preventing war through establishing economic dependencies, and creating a free trade
area to gain economies of scale
Started as intergovernmentalism " Now: supranational cooperation
1.3. M AIN SOURCES
The 9 sources of law make up the ACQUIS COMMUNAUTAIRE (the EU as it is ) are: Decisions; Directives;
Regulations; the Treaties; CJEU case law; General principles; Charter of fundamental rights; international
agreements; recommendations and opinions.
There are three sources of EU law:
1) Primary Law
§ EU Treaties
2) Secondary Law
§ Regulations
§ Directives EU acts
§ Decisions
3) Judgments of the CJEU
1.3.1 Primary law
1.3.1.1 EU Treaties
- Treaty on European Union (TEU)
§ Basic constitutional rules
§ " states that fundamental rights constitute general principles of EU law.
- Treaty of the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU)
§ Powers of the EU
§ Decision-making procedures
§ European Economic Law
§ " states the conditions under which the European Union (EU) may conclude agreements
with non-EU countries and international organizations.
3
, 1.3.2 Secondary Law " EU acts: Regulations, Directives, Decisions
1.3.2.1 Regulation
- Ordinary law
- General application
- Binding in its entirety
- Directly applicable in all MSs (= no transposition in a national law)
- Example: General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)
1.3.2.2 Directive
- Framework Law
- Binding upon MSs with respect to the result to be achieved
- MSs can choose form and method to achieve the result
- Not directly applicable (= transposition into national law required)
- Example: Directive on electronic commerce (E-Commerce Directive)
1.3.2.3 Decisions
- Binding in their entirety
- Only on addressee(s): individual application (e.g. competition law - fine)
1.3.3 Judgments of the Court
- Broad rules
- Important source of European economic law
- For instance: Article 34 TFEU: "Quantitative restrictions on imports and all measures having equivalent
effect shall be prohibited between Member States"
- Does that include packing requirements? Ban on e cigarettes?
1.4. E NFORCEMENT
- Infringement proceedings against a company or a MS
- Preliminary references
1.4.1 Infringement proceedings against a MS
- Purpose: taking action against a MS that acts in breach of its Union obligations
- Applicant: European Commission or (rare) another MS
- Defendant: the Member State
§ Broadly interpreted
- Possible lump sum or penalty
1.4.2 Preliminary Reference on Interpretation
- ECJ interprets EU law upon request by national courts
- Court’s ruling
§ does not decide the case before the national court, but only answers the questions referred
§ binding upon the referring Court, but also more general in scope
4
Inhoudsopgave
1 BASIC CONCEPTS OF EU LAW ...................................................................................................................... 2
2 THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE INTERNAL MARKET......................................................................................... 5
PART I : EU Competition Law ..................................................................................................................... 6
3 EU Competition Law: Essentials .................................................................................................................. 6
4 EU Competition Law: Field of application.................................................................................................. 10
5 EU Competition Law: Restrictive practices (art. 101 TFEU) ....................................................................... 12
6 EU Competition Law: Abuse of dominance (art. 102 TFEU) ...................................................................... 17
7 Enforcement of Articles 101-102 TFEU ...................................................................................................... 26
8 Merger control .......................................................................................................................................... 33
PART II : Internal market law.................................................................................................................... 39
9 introduction ............................................................................................................................................... 39
10 Free movement of goods (FMG) ............................................................................................................ 41
11 Freedom of Establishment Free Provision of Services............................................................................ 55
12 Public procurement law ......................................................................................................................... 63
PART III : Consumer Protection Law .......................................................................................................... 67
13 Unfair commercial practices directive 2005/29/ec on unfair business-toconsumer commercial
practices (“UCPD”) ............................................................................................................................................ 67
14 Out-of-premises contracts anddistance contracts directive 2011/83/eu on consumer rights(“crd”).... 83
15 Unfair contract terms directive 93/13/eec on unfair terms in consumer contracts (“uctd”) ................ 88
16 Consumer sales Sale of Goods directive (EU) 2019/771 (“SGD”) ........................................................... 93
,1 BASIC CONCEPTS OF EU LAW
1.1. M AIN POLITICAL ACTORS
The 7 European institutions:
1.1.1 European Commission " executive body
Main tasks
- Propose EU legislation
- Enforce (implement) EU law - ("Guardian of Treaties")
Are chosen by the European Parliament
1.1.2 The European Parliament " decision – making body
It is directly elected by EU voters every 5 years (" defends Citizens’ interest)
Main tasks
- EU legislation (co-legislator) = negotiates and adopts EU laws
- Appointment of the Commission
- Controlling the Commission
- Mainly " Establishing the EU budget
1.1.3 Council of the European Union = the Council " decision – making body
Main tasks
- EU legislation
- EU budget
Composition
- Members of government of Member States
- Rotating presidency (6 months), currently Spain (" defends Member States’ interest)
ó Council of Europe !!!
1.1.4 European Council
Brings together EU leaders to set the EU's political agenda
Main tasks
- Political direction of the EU
- Crisis management
Composition
- Heads of state / government
- European Council President
- President of the European Commission
- Elects President for 2,5 years, renewable once
1.1.5 Court of Justice of the European Union
Ensuring EU law is interpreted and applied the same in every EU country " Two-tier court
European Court of Justice (ECJ)
- 1 judge/Member State
- Reserved competence: important cases
General Court (GC)
- 2 judges/Member State
- General competence, unless reserved for the ECJ
,1.1.6 European Central Bank
- Specialized institution
- Functions: exclusive right to authorize the issuance of the Euro
- Participates in the governance of the EU monetary policy with the main objective of maintaining price
stability
- Composition: Governing Council and Executive Board (members appointed by European Council for 8
years)
1.1.7 Court of Auditors
- Control of EU finances
- 1 citizen per Member State, independent (accountants)
- Nominated by Council after consulting the EP for 6 years
1.2. H ISTORY
Idea of cooperation → preventing war through establishing economic dependencies, and creating a free trade
area to gain economies of scale
Started as intergovernmentalism " Now: supranational cooperation
1.3. M AIN SOURCES
The 9 sources of law make up the ACQUIS COMMUNAUTAIRE (the EU as it is ) are: Decisions; Directives;
Regulations; the Treaties; CJEU case law; General principles; Charter of fundamental rights; international
agreements; recommendations and opinions.
There are three sources of EU law:
1) Primary Law
§ EU Treaties
2) Secondary Law
§ Regulations
§ Directives EU acts
§ Decisions
3) Judgments of the CJEU
1.3.1 Primary law
1.3.1.1 EU Treaties
- Treaty on European Union (TEU)
§ Basic constitutional rules
§ " states that fundamental rights constitute general principles of EU law.
- Treaty of the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU)
§ Powers of the EU
§ Decision-making procedures
§ European Economic Law
§ " states the conditions under which the European Union (EU) may conclude agreements
with non-EU countries and international organizations.
3
, 1.3.2 Secondary Law " EU acts: Regulations, Directives, Decisions
1.3.2.1 Regulation
- Ordinary law
- General application
- Binding in its entirety
- Directly applicable in all MSs (= no transposition in a national law)
- Example: General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)
1.3.2.2 Directive
- Framework Law
- Binding upon MSs with respect to the result to be achieved
- MSs can choose form and method to achieve the result
- Not directly applicable (= transposition into national law required)
- Example: Directive on electronic commerce (E-Commerce Directive)
1.3.2.3 Decisions
- Binding in their entirety
- Only on addressee(s): individual application (e.g. competition law - fine)
1.3.3 Judgments of the Court
- Broad rules
- Important source of European economic law
- For instance: Article 34 TFEU: "Quantitative restrictions on imports and all measures having equivalent
effect shall be prohibited between Member States"
- Does that include packing requirements? Ban on e cigarettes?
1.4. E NFORCEMENT
- Infringement proceedings against a company or a MS
- Preliminary references
1.4.1 Infringement proceedings against a MS
- Purpose: taking action against a MS that acts in breach of its Union obligations
- Applicant: European Commission or (rare) another MS
- Defendant: the Member State
§ Broadly interpreted
- Possible lump sum or penalty
1.4.2 Preliminary Reference on Interpretation
- ECJ interprets EU law upon request by national courts
- Court’s ruling
§ does not decide the case before the national court, but only answers the questions referred
§ binding upon the referring Court, but also more general in scope
4
