Prof. Dr. Carl Baudenbacher President of the EFTA Court

1. Prof. Dr. Carl Baudenbacher President of the EFTA Court EC Law, Fundamental Rights, and the EEA Agreement Amicale des référendaires et anciens référendaires  de la Cour de Justice et du Tribunal de première instance  des Communautés Européennes 15 June 2006

2. A. Introduction From Solange to Bosphorus Equivalence of EC law What about EEA law? Law on the books and law in action

3. B. Fundamental rights as part of EC law • Substantive law • 1. No provisions in the EEC Treaty • 2. Development of ECJ case law • * 1969: Fundamental rights recognized • * 1975: First reference to the Convention • * Since 1991: Reference to judgments of the ECHR.  • 3. Recent ECJ case law • 4. Treaty amendments • SEA 1986 • Maastricht 1992 • Amsterdam 1997 • Nice (Charter) 2000

4. B. Fundamental rights as part of EC law • Plurality of control mechanisms • No locus standi of individuals under Articles 226 and 227 EC • Restricted right to bring actions under Articles 230 and 232 EC • Non-contractual liability of institutions • The role of national courts • Direct effect, supremacy, indirect effect, State liability

5. C. Fundamental rights as part of EEA law • Recital 1 of the preamble to the EEA Agreement • Human rights weakness? • Case law of the EFTA Court • * TV 1000 (1998): Article 10 Human Rights Convention; ECHR Handyside • * Bellona (2003): Access to justice • * Ásgeirsson (2003): Article 6(1) Human Rights Convention; ECHR Pafitis • Rec. 37 of the Preamble to Reg. 1/2003: This Regulation respects the fundamental rights and observes the principles recognised in particular by the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the EU. Accordingly, this Regulation should be interpreted and applied with respect to those rights and principles. • Chapter II of Part I of Protocol 4 SCA

6. D. Control mechanisms in EEA law • I. The rule of Art. 3 I SCA as a starting point • No homogeneity obligation • But relevance of ECJ case law • And of CFI case law

7. D. Control mechanisms in EEA law • II. Infringment action • * No right of individuals to sue an EFTA State • * No participation rights in actions brought by the EFTA Surveillance Authority

8. D. Control mechanisms in EEA law • III. Action for nullity • 1. Legislation • 2. No two tier-system in the EFTA pillar • Locus standi • No open deviation from ECJ Plaumann • But pragmatism and result-orientation • Tendency of being liberal • EFTA Court Bellona in particular • IV. Non-contractual liability of institutions • Comparable situation to the one under EC law

9. D. Control mechanisms in EEA law • V. The role of national courts • 1. The duty of loyalty • General • Case law of the Norwegian Supreme Court • 2. The preliminary reference procedure • No duty to refer of the Supreme Courts • No legally, but factually binding force of rulings • The notion of court or tribunal

10. D. Control mechanisms in EEA law • V. The role of national courts • 3. Effect, supremacy and state liability • Quasi-direct effect • Quasi-primacy • Full state liability • Indirect effect

11. E. Conclusions • General • Situation in EEA/EFTA differs from the one in the Community • But broad formula in EFTA Court Ásgeirsson

12. E. Conclusions • Acceptance of the EFTA Court’s fundamental • rights jurisprudence • Commission • Governments • EFTA Surveillance Authority • Academic literature

13. E. Conclusions • Assessment of the judicial mechanisms • Equivalence of EC and EEA law? • Fulfilling an obligation de résultat • Luxembourg judicial dialogue