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How EEA law is interpreted

Learn about the EFTA Court's role in interpreting the EEA agreement, its two-pillar structure, organization, legal basis, types of cases, procedures, relationships with EU Courts, and recent trends in case load.

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How EEA law is interpreted

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  1. How EEA law is interpreted Gunnar SELVIK Registrar EFTA Court www.eftacourt.int gunnar.selvik@eftacourt.int Brussels 4 February 2015

  2. General points • Established as a part of the EEA cooperation • the judicial function • Independent international Court with clearly defined competences • Seated in Luxembourg

  3. Two pillars – one agreement • The EFTA Court interprets the EEA agreement in the EFTA states • The EU Courts interpret the EEA agreement in the EU states

  4. THE TWO PILLAR STRUCTURE UNDER THE EEA AGREEMENT EU COUNCIL EEAS+EUROPEAN COMMISSION Commission Services EU COURTS EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT EP Secretariat EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE (EESC) EESC Secretariat ICELAND LIECHTENSTEIN NORWAY EFTA STANDING COMMITTEE* EFTA Secretariat EFTA SURVEILLANCE AUTHORITY EFTA COURT COMMITTEE OF MPs OF THE EFTA STATES EFTA Secretariat EFTA CONSULTATIVE COMMITTEE EFTA Secretariat EEA COUNCIL Ministers of EU and EFTA EEA states EEA JOINT COMMITTEE EEAS, Commission and EU and EFTA government representatives EEA JOINT PARLIAMENTARY COMMITTEE * MPs from the EFTA parliaments and MEPs EEA CONSULTATIVE COMMITTEE* * Switzerland has observer status

  5. Legal basis • EEA agreement article 108(2): provides that the EFTA States shall establish the EFTA Court • Surveillance and Court Agreement (SCA) article 27:the legal basis for the establishment of the EFTA Court • Protocol 5 SCA: Statutes • Rules of Procedure • Instructions to the Registrar

  6. Organisation • 3 judges → Each EFTA state nominates one judge • One cabinet per judge, legal secretaries and personal assistants • Registrar responsible for procedural questions and for the administration of the Court • No Advocate General, no General Court (≠ ECJ) • Guest office for researchers etc. • Total staff: 18 + trainees

  7. Mr Carl BAUDENBACHER Judge/President CH Mr Páll HREINSSON Judge ICE Mr Per CHRISTIANSEN Judge NOR Mr Gunnar SELVIK Registrar NOR Organigram Mr Philipp SPEITLER Legal Secretary GER Mr Kjartan BJÖRGVINSSON Legal Secretary ICE Mr Jørgen REINHOLDTSEN Legal Secretary NOR Mr Michael James CLIFTON Legal Secretary (temp) UK Ms Bryndis PALMARSDÓTTIR Transl./Adm.Officer ICE Ms Giulia PREDONZANI Research Lawyer (temp) ITA Ms Harriet BRUHN Sen. Adm.&Fin.Off. NOR Ms Hrafnhildur EYJÓLFSDÓTTIR Personal Assistant ICE Ms Kerstin Schwiesow Personal Assistant GER Ms Silje NÆSHEIM Personal Assistant NOR Mr Tomasz Mazur Adm.&Fin. Officer (temp) POL Ms Sharon WORTELBOER Adm. Assistant UK/LUX Mr Salim GUETTAF Man. premises FRA Ms Mary COX, Info/Comm Coord UK

  8. Types of cases - I DIRECT ACTIONS (DA) • Infringement actions vs. ESA: • Validity of ESA’s decisions (art 36 SCA) • ESA’s failure to act (art 37 SCA) • Liability of ESA (art 39 SCA) • Parties: ESA, EFTA States and in some cases private entities • Infringement actions vs. EFTA States: • Initiated by ESA (art 31 SCA) • Initiated by another EFTA State (art 32 SCA)

  9. Types of cases - II ADVISORY OPINIONS (AO) • Who can request? • ”..any court or tribunal in an EFTA-State..” (Art 34(2) SCA) • When request? • ”Where... that court or tribunal considers it necessary to enable it to give judgment..” (Art 34(2) SCA) • Effect? • Always followed, but formally speaking not binding (≠ ECJ’s preliminary rulings) • National courts’ incorrect interpretation of the EEA agreement is in principle a breach of treaty obligations

  10. Procedure • Main focus on written procedure • Usually followed by an oral hearing • Right to make written observations and to participate in the oral hearing: • EFTA states, EU states, ESA, Commission and also private parties (if legal standing)

  11. Relationship EU Courts - EFTA Court • Article 105(2,3) EEA – formal equality • Art. 6 EEA and Art. 3 SCA: EEA to be interpreted in conformity with the relevant case law of the ECJ • EFTA Court following the ECJ • EFTA Court goes first • EFTA Court rulings on EEA specific problems

  12. Increase of new cases in recent years: Total 1994–2015: 227 cases (57% DA/43% AO) Annual average: ≈ 11 cases First 15 years: 107 cases (7/year) Last 6 years: 120 cases (20/year) ”Low point”: 2 cases (1999) ”High point”: 30 cases (2013) 2014: 25 cases (83% DA/17% AO) 2015 so far: 4 cases (4 DA/1AO) Statistics (case load) - I

  13. Statistics (case load) - II Trends: • Direct Actions: • Surge in non-implementations (especially against Iceland), state aid, access to documents... • Advisory Opinions: • Norway underrepresented, aftermath of financial crisis, increased complexity... • Maintain effective case handling time: • 6-8 months (ECJ: 22-24 months)

  14. Pending cases: Total 12: 10 Direct Actions (state aid/access documents/work as dentist/non-implementations/regionally differentiated social security contributions) 2 Advisory Opinions (medicinal products, environmental impact assessments in building projects) Statistics (case load) - III

  15. Pending cases Total 13: 12 Direct Actions (state aid/access documents/work as dentist/non-implementation/regionally differentiated social security contributions) 1 Advisory Opinion (medicinal products) Statistics (case load) - III

  16. WWW.EFTACOURT.INT • Court Diary • Composition of the Court • Legal Sources regarding the Court • Decided and Pending Cases • Yearly Reports of the Court as from 2004 • Contact Info: eftacourt@eftacourt.int

  17. Advisory Opinions – 1994 - 2015 5

  18. Direct Actions – 1994 - 2015 3

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