24 June 2021
Is UEFA on “the Other Side of the Rainbow”?
UEFA's stance on the rainbow flag has generated attention around the world. The disciplinary proceedings against Manuel Neuer by UEFA show: sport governing bodies still massively limit the freedom of political expressions by the athletes during big sporting events. Continue reading >>
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26 November 2019
Enforcement of EU Values and the Tyranny of National Identity – Polish Examples and Excuses
Professor A. von Bogdandy in his recent piece published at Verfassungsblog analyzes difficulties regarding enforcement of the EU values. He argues that the application of Treaty provisions relating to EU fundamental values should be cautious in order to avoid controversy or pressure. However, the ‘national identity argument’ is not convincing in the Polish case. It cannot be used by a Member State in an arbitrary or blanket way without being checked and confirmed. Continue reading >>
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26 November 2019
The Perils of Passivity in the Rule of Law Crisis: A Response to von Bogdandy
In a recent contribution to Verfassungsblog, Professor Armin von Bogdandy observes, “European constitutionalism is perhaps facing a ‘constitutional moment’. But rather than calling on the EU to stand up to increasingly authoritarian member governments, von Bogdandy concludes that, “Powerful arguments suggest caution.” His admonitions offer a lesson into how scholars can inadvertently propagate what political economist Albert Hirschman described in his 1991 book as The Rhetoric of Reaction. Continue reading >>25 May 2019
Interoperability of Databases and Interstate Trust: a Perilous Combination for Fundamental Rights
On 14 May 2019, the Council adopted two regulations, Regulation 2019/817 and Regulation 2019/818, establishing a framework for the interoperability between EU information systems in the Area of Freedom, Security, and Justice. The new rules on interoperability, upon which the European Parliament agreed in April 2019, will allegedly provide for easier information sharing and ‘considerably improve security in the EU, allow for more efficient checks at external borders, improve detection of multiple identities and help prevent and combat illegal migration’. All this, according to the press release of the Council, ‘while safeguarding fundamental rights’. It is questionable whether this commitment made by the EU legislator is justified. Continue reading >>
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07 April 2016
Mit den eigenen Waffen geschlagen: Die Reaktion des EuGH auf den unbedingten Vorrang der Menschenwürde vor dem Unionsrecht nach dem BVerfG
Der EuGH bewegt sich – aber er gibt dabei klar die Richtung vor. Das ist das Fazit zu seinem Urteil von vorgestern zum europäischen Haftbefehl. Die Antwort auf eine Vorlage des OLG Bremen, in der es um die Auslieferung aufgrund eines europäischen Haftbefehls bei der Gefahr menschenrechtswidriger Haftbedingungen im ersuchenden Staat ging, war zuletzt mit besonderer Spannung erwartet worden. Denn das BVerfG hatte vor kurzem einen Auslieferungsfall nach Italien zum Anlass genommen, nach Jahrzehnten die Solange-Rechtsprechung für den Anwendungsbereich der Menschenwürde in den Ruhestand zu verabschieden: Künftig hat Art. 1 Abs. 1 GG über den Hebel der Identitätskontrolle, und zwar ungeachtet des generellen Grundrechtsschutzstandards in der EU, immer Vorrang vor kollidierenden unionsrechtlichen Verpflichtungen. Dies konnte von europäischer Seite kaum unwidersprochen bleiben. Continue reading >>
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18 February 2016
Sind Staaten auch nur Menschen?
Grundrechte sind für Menschen da, nicht für Staaten. Das ist nach deutscher Verfassungsdoktrin so selbstverständlich, dass man sich kaum traut es hinzuschreiben. Der Staat hat keine Grundrechte, kann schon aus denklogischen Gründen keine haben. Grundrechte binden die öffentliche Gewalt: Sie sollen ihr nicht Freiheit geben, sondern welche nehmen. Gilt das auch für europäische Grundrechte? Das könnte zweifelhaft erscheinen, wenn man das heute verkündete Urteil Bank Mellat des Europäischen Gerichtshofs ansieht. Continue reading >>24 October 2015
The Delvigne judgment and the European franchise: going boldly… but perhaps not boldly enough
In it's recent "Delvigne" decision, the Court took a rather bold stance on the material scope of the right to vote and to stand as a candidate at elections to the European Parliament. I will however also argue that, in some respect, this stance was not bold enough. Continue reading >>
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16 October 2015
What Schrems, Delvigne and Celaj tell us about the state of fundamental rights in the EU
The overall message looks puzzling. First, privacy is a super-fundamental right that reigns supreme above all other rights after the Court’s decision in Schrems. Second, national electoral rules governing the right to vote in elections to the European Parliament come under the scope of application of the Charter, but Member States can restrict such a right as long they do so in a proportionate way, says the Court in Delvigne. And third, illegal immigrants who have already been ordered to abandon the territory of the EU can be subject to criminal prosecution if they ever return, according to the Court in Celaj. In sum, Privacy is a super-fundamental right. The right to vote is quite super, but not as much. The rights to liberty and free movement are not super at all, at least when they concern third country nationals. Is this the kind of case-law one would expect from a fundamental rights court? Does this make any sense at all? Maybe it does. Continue reading >>16 October 2015
The Force awakens – The Schrems case from a German perspective
Just like Star Wars, the "Solange" saga about German constitutional order’s approach to fundamental rights protection in the context of European integration appeared as a story told and settled. But now there are rumours that in Germany Solange Episode III is in the making, with a release date around 2016. The ECJ’s Schrems decision will bring some turmoil to the Solange Episode III production in Germany. Continue reading >>
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01 October 2015