HUMAN RIGHTS PROTECTION IN THE EUROPEAN LEGAL ORDER:
THE INTERACTION BETWEEN THE EUROPEAN AND THE NATIONAL COURTS
HUMAN RIGHTS PROTECTION IN THE EUROPEAN LEGAL ORDER: THE INTER ACTION
BETWEEN THE EUROPEAN AND THE NATIONAL COURTS
Edited by
Patricia Popelier
Catherine Van de Heyning Piet Van Nuffel
Cambridge – Antwerp – Portland
Human rights protection in the European legal order: Th e interaction between the European and the national courts
Patricia Popelier, Catherine Van de Heyning and Piet Van Nuff el (eds.)
© 2011 Intersentia
Cambridge – Antwerp – Portland
www.intersentia.com | www.intersentia.co.uk
Doesburg, Th eo van (1883-1931): Simultaneous Counter-Composition, 1929-30. New York, Museum of Modern Art (MoMA). Oil on canvas, 19 3/4 × 19 5/8’
(50.1 × 49.8 cm). Th e Sidney and Harriet Janis Collection.
Acc. n.: 588.1967. © 2011. Digital image, Th e Museum of Modern Art, New York/Scala, Florence
ISBN 978-1-78068-010-1 NUR 828
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Intersentia v
CONTENTS
Th e interaction between European and national courts as to human rights
protection: Th e editors’ introduction . . . 1
1. Human rights protection by the European Court of Justice in the shadow of the European Convention on Human Rights . . . 3
2. Th e attitude of the European Court of Human Rights vis-à-vis European Union law . . . 6
3. Interaction between the European Court of Justice and the European Court of Human Rights . . . 7
4. Impact of the co-existence of European protection mechanisms on the national constitutional courts . . . 8
5. Impact of the ECHR on national constitutional courts . . . 10
6. Impact of EU fundamental rights on national constitutional courts . . . 11
7. Preserving human rights or preserving protection mechanisms? . . . 12
I. THE INTERACTION BETWEEN THE EUROPEAN COURT OF JUSTICE AND THE EUROPEAN COURT OF HUMAN RIGHTS . . . 15
Chapter 1. Th e use of the ECHR and Convention case law by the European Court of Justice Bruno De Witte . . . 17
1. Introduction . . . 17
2. Th e Convention: A source of special guidelines or of binding norms? . . . 19
3. Systematic or eclectic use of the Convention? . . . 24
4. Consequences of the Lisbon Treaty . . . 33
Chapter 2. Th e EU as a party to the European Convention of Human Rights: EU law and the European Court of Justice case law as inspiration and challenge to the European Court of Human Rights jurisprudence Catherine Van de Heyning and Rick Lawson . . . 35
1. Introduction . . . 35
2. Inspiration and challenge . . . 39
2.1. Th e Luxembourg case law as inspiration for the European Court of Human Rights jurisprudence – and more . . . 39
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2.1.1. Th e jurisprudence of the EU courts as inspiration for the
Strasbourg jurisdiction . . . 39
2.1.2. Taking into account EU law as ‘law of the land’ . . . 42
2.1.3. Th e ECtHR as a means to enforce compliance with EU law . . . 45
2.1.4. Regard of the Luxembourg case law, not reliance? . . . 46
2.2. European Union law as challenge for the European Court of Human Rights’ jurisprudence . . . 49
2.2.1. Th e Bosphorus doctrine and its application . . . 49
2.2.2. Th e doctrine aft er accession to the ECHR . . . 56
3. Future prospects of the relationship between the Strasbourg and Luxembourg courts . . . 61
4. Concluding remarks . . . 64
Chapter 3. No place like home: Discretionary space for the domestic protection of fundamental rights Catherine Van de Heyning . . . 65
1. Legitimate reasons for constitutional discretionary space: Diversity and subsidiarity . . . 67
2. Maximisation clauses: Application and critique . . . 71
2.1. Article 53 ECHR in the Strasbourg case law . . . 71
2.2. Th e rebirth of the maximisation clause? . . . 73
2.2.1. Th e maximisation clause in the EU Charter . . . 73
2.2.2. A new direction for the maximisation clause in the Strasbourg case law . . . 74
2.3. Limits of a maximisation clause . . . 78
3. Alternative approaches providing discretionary space . . . 82
3.1. Margin of appreciation and the domestic legal order . . . 83
3.1.1. Margin of appreciation doctrine . . . 83
3.1.2. A limited discretionary space . . . 86
3.2. A doctrine not without fl aws . . . 87
3.3. Restraint towards domestic judgments . . . 91
4. No place like home: Promising new direction? . . . 94
Chapter 4. European human rights, supranational judicial review and democracy. Th inking outside the judicial box Samantha Besson . . . 97
1. Introduction . . . 97
2. Th e notion of supranational judicial review . . . 102
3. Supranational judicial review in Europe . . . 104
3.1. Supranational judicial review by the ECtHR . . . 105
3.1.1. Th e status of ECHR rights in domestic law . . . 105
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3.1.2. Th e jurisdiction of the ECtHR . . . 106
3.1.3. Th e eff ects of a ECtHR’s judgement in domestic law . . . 108
3.2. Supranational judicial review by the ECJ . . . 112
3.2.1. Th e status of EU fundamental rights in domestic law . . . 112
3.2.2. Th e jurisdiction of the ECJ on fundamental rights . . . 116
3.2.3. Th e eff ects of an ECJ’s judgement in domestic law . . . 118
3.3. European supranational judicial review compared . . . 120
4. Th e democratic legitimacy of supranational judicial review . . . 123
4.1. Th e democratic legitimacy of judicial review tout court . . . 123
4.2. Th e democratic legitimacy of judicial review in the supranational context . . . 126
4.2.1. Reassessing the issue . . . 126
4.2.2. Diff erent questions . . . 128
4.2.3. Diff erent answers . . . 133
5. European legal pluralism and the relationship between European courts . . . 138
5.1. Th e role of European human rights review in circumstances of legal pluralism . . . 138
5.2. Th e consequences for the relationships between European courts . . . 140
6. Conclusion . . . 143
II. THE IMPACT OF THE COEXISTENCE OF THE EUROPEAN COURTS ON THE NATIONAL CONSTITUTIONAL COURTS . . . 147
Chapter 5. Belgium. Th e supremacy dilemma: Th e Belgian Constitutional Court caught between the European Court of Human Rights and the European Court of Justice Patricia Popelier . . . 149
1. Th e protection of fundamental rights by the Belgian courts . . . 149
1.1. First track: Case law of the Court of Cassation (Supreme Court) . . . . 149
1.2. Second track: Th e establishment of the Belgian Constitutional Court . . . 150
2. Th e relationship between national law and international law according to Belgian law . . . 151
2.1. Th e primacy of international law: A (moderated) monist view . . . 151
2.2. EU law . . . 153
3. Th e infl uence of ECHR and EU law on the national protection of human rights . . . 154
3.1. Th e infl uence of the ECHR on the national protection of human rights . . . 154
3.2. Th e infl uence of EU law on the national protection of human rights . . . 156
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4. Th e relation between the national and the European protection of
human rights . . . 158
4.1. Th e position of the Constitutional Court in human rights proceedings . . . 158
4.1.1. An exhaustive remedy? . . . 158
4.1.2. Reference to the Constitutional Court in the case of analogous human rights . . . 159
4.2. Consequences of the Simmenthal case . . . 161
4.3. Preliminary references to the European Court of Justice . . . 164
4.4. Th e maximisation clause . . . 166
5. Th e protection of human rights in converging legal orders: Th e Money Laundering Case . . . 168
6. Conclusion . . . 170
Chapter 6. East European Countries. On secret legislation, blanket data recording, arrest warrants and property rights: Questions on the rule of law and judicial review in the EU in the light of post-communist constitutions Anneli Albi . . . 173
1. Th e centrality of the rule of law in the post-communist constitutional reforms and the commitment to the ECHR . . . 173
2. Past criticisms regarding judicial review and rights protection by the ECJ . . . 177
3. Recent questions on the review of EU measures . . . 181
3.1. On secret legislation: Heinrich case . . . 181
3.2. On blanket electronic surveillance: Th e EU Electronic Data Retention Directive 2006/24 . . . 184
3.3. Th e European Arrest Warrant: An erosion of nulla poena sine lege? . 185
3.4. On property rights and legal certainty: From the ‘Banana saga’ to a ‘Sugar saga’ . . . 189
3.4.1. Retroactive fi nes on undertakings: Overview of direct actions and domestic cases . . . 190
3.4.2. Impossibility of removing stocks held by private individuals and households . . . 191
4. Supremacy of EU law: A case for rigorous rather than minimal judicial review? . . . 195
5. Teleological interpretation and eff ectiveness of EU law: Questions regarding balancing, limits, fi nes and double standards . . . 199
6. Revisiting the role of constitutions and constitutional courts in EU scholarly discourse: Beyond the lens of sovereignty and euro-friendliness . . . 204
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Chapter 7. France. Th e impact of European fundamental rights on the French Constitutional Court
Laurence Burgorgue-Larsen . . . 211
1. Introduction. Th e ‘Europeanization’ of the French Constitution . . . 211
2. Th e Constitutional Council and European Union Law . . . 214
2.1. Th e Constitutional Council and Primacy . . . 214
2.2. Th e Constitutional Council and the Reference for a Preliminary Ruling (Article 267 TFEU) . . . 218
3. Th e Constitutional Council and the Power of the European Convention on Human Rights . . . 225
3.1. Th e Constitutional Council is controlled by the European Court of Human Rights . . . 226
3.1.1. Decision control by the Constitutional Council . . . 226
3.1.2. Procedure control before the Constitutional Council . . . 229
3.2. Th e Constitutional Council under the infl uence of the European Court of Human Rights’ case law . . . 234
Chapter 8. Germany. Th e Federal Constitutional Court of Germany in the context of the European integration Rainer Arnold . . . 237
1. Th e dual function of the Constitutional Court . . . 237
1.1. Constitutional Court and the EU: Some basic observations . . . 237
1.2. Th e Constitutional Court and traditional international law . . . 238
1.3. Th e jurisdictional means of control . . . 239
1.4. Approximation of the national and inter/supranational orders by interpretation . . . 241
2. Th e basic order of the European Communities and its acceptance by the Federal Constitutional Court . . . 241
2.1. Th e three elements of the supranational order . . . 241
2.2. Th e EU not a State but a ‘Staatenverbund’ – Th e vagueness of this term . . . 242
3. Constitutional limits of the European integration . . . 244
3.1. Formal and substantive limits – Article 23 §1 BL . . . 244
3.2. Th ree substantive integration limits developed by the jurisprudence . . . 245
3.2.1. Constitutional parallelism . . . 245
3.2.2. Th e ultra vires concept . . . 245
3.2.3. Constitutional identity . . . 246
3.3. Values and substitutive parallelism: A functional integration approach . . . 246
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3.3.1. Th e dignity of man as a basis of fundamental rights . . . 246
3.3.2. Supranational fundamental rights for the supranational order . . . 246
3.3.3. From unwritten to written fundamental rights in the EU . . . 246
3.3.4. Joining the ECHR . . . 247
3.4. National or supranational fundamental rights? – Th e Solange I and II decisions . . . 247
3.5. Th e functional-substitutive approach of the Constitutional Court . . 249
3.6. Rule of law . . . 249
3.7. Limits of integration: Ultra vires and constitutional review . . . 250
3.7.1. Th e principle of compétences d’attribution and ultra vires actions . . . 250
3.7.2. Th e obligation to address the ECJ . . . 250
3.7.3. Th e Maastricht decision and the ultra vires concept . . . 251
3.7.4. Th e journey back to EU law conformity: Th e Mangold case . . 251
3.8. Limits of integration: Constitutional identity . . . 252
3.8.1. Constitutional identity through Article 79 §3 BL? . . . 252
3.8.2. National identity in the sense of Article 4 §2 of the new EU Treaty . . . 252
3.8.3. Th e term of constitutional identity going back to the Solange jurisprudence . . . 253
3.8.4. A functional approach to identity? . . . 253
3.8.5. Th e involvement of the ECJ. . . 254
3.8.6. Harmonising the national and supranational perspectives on constitutional identity . . . 254
4. Th e Constitutional Court as a protector of supranational law . . . 255
4.1. Th e Constitutional Court as a guardian of the ECJ . . . 255
4.2. What is a violation of this guarantee? . . . 255
4.3. Th e ‘cooperation’ between the Constitutional Court and the ECJ . . . 256
5. Th e Constitutional Court and the European Convention of Human Rights (ECHR) . . . 257
5.1. Th e ECHR as an international treaty transformed into German law . . . 257
5.2. Constitutionalising the ECHR . . . 257
5.3. Th e monistic eff ect of rule of law . . . 257
5.4. Th e Görgülü decision and its defi ciencies . . . 258
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Chapter 9. Italy. Th e impact of the European courts on the Italian Constitutional Court
Giuseppe Martinico and Oreste Pollicino . . . 261
1. Th e protection of fundamental rights by the Italian courts . . . 261
2. Th e relation of national law and international law according to Italian law . . . 262
2.1. Italian dualism as a starting point of the national Constitutional Court . . . 262
2.2. EU Law . . . 264
2.2.1. Th e Italian Constitutional Court before EU law: Th e counter-limits doctrine . . . 265
2.2.2. Preliminary references to the European Court of Justice . . . . 266
2.2.3. Th e impact of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights on Italian case law . . . 269
3. Th e European Convention on Human Rights . . . 273
3.1. Th e Simmenthal doctrine for the ECHR? Th e viewpoint of the national non-constitutional judges . . . 275
3.2. Th e landmark decisions of 2007 . . . 276
3.2.1. Th e new parameter of Article 117, paragraph 1, of the Constitution . . . 277
3.2.2. A possible alternative judicial path for the Constitutional Court? . . . 279
3.2.3. A look at the follow up to such decisions . . . 282
4. Th e key role of the ordinary judges: From the risk of a ‘double standard’ to the reaction of the ordinary judges . . . 285
Chapter 10. Th e Netherlands. A Case of constitutional leapfrog. Fundamental rights protection under the Constitution, the ECHR and the EU Charter in the Netherlands Monica Claes and Gert Jan Leenknegt . . . 287
1. Introduction . . . 287
2. Introducing the actors: A brief overview of the Dutch court system . . . 289
3. Constitutional review: Not a judicial matter . . . 290
4. Dutch law and international law . . . 293
5. Th e Dutch Constitution and the European Union: Don’t ask, don’t tell . . 295
6. EU law in Dutch courts: Routine, or is it? . . . 298
7. Th e ECtHR: A substitute constitutional court? . . . 301
8. Competition from the other Europe? Th e ECJ and fundamental rights . . 302
9. Caught in the middle? Dutch courts and confl icts between ECtHR and ECJ case law . . . 305
10. Talking to the neighbours: On judicial dialogues . . . 306
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Chapter 11. Spain. Th e impact of the European Convention of Human Rights and the Charter of Fundamental rights of the European Union on Spanish constitutional law: Make a virtue of necessity
Enrique Guillén López . . . 309 1. Preliminary observations. Law and rights in the formation of a
new Europe . . . 309 2. Th e theoretical framework of the impact of the doctrine of the European
Court of Human Rights and the European Court of Justice on the fundamental rights expressed in the Spanish constitutional system.
Th e legal instruments for integration . . . 313 3. Th e European Convention on Human Rights and the case law of the
European Court of Human Rights, confl ict and dialogue . . . 319 3.1. Th e theoretical framework behind the Constitutional Court.
Article 10.2 as an interpretative mandate and not as a mechanism for creating new rights (Constitutional Court judgment 236/2007) . 320 3.2. Th e Constitutional Court is as an instrument for the protection of
fundamental rights enshrined in the Spanish Constitution – and not other rights . . . 321 3.3. Analysis of the internal constitutional case law cited for various
rights under the European Convention on Human Rights.
Analysis of the rights that may create a new framework . . . 322 3.3.1. Sexual equality (Article 14 of the European Convention on
Human Rights) . . . 323 3.3.2. Right to a fair trial (Article 6 of the European Convention
on Human Rights) . . . 324 3.3.3. Right to respect for private and family life (Article 8.1
European Convention on European Rights) . . . 326 3.3.4. Confi dential correspondence (Article 8 of the European
Convention on European Rights) . . . 328 3.3.5. Freedom of expression (Article 10 European Convention
on Human Rights) . . . 329 3.3.6. Right to free elections (Article 3 of the Additional Protocol) . 330 3.3.7. Protection of property (Article 1 of the Additional Protocol) 330 3.4. Condemnatory judgments made against Spain by the European
Court of Human Rights . . . 332 4. Fundamental rights within the European Union and the Spanish
constitutional system . . . 333 5. Conclusions . . . 340
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Chapter 12. Th e United Kingdom. Th e infl uence of European law on the protection of fundamental human rights in United Kingdom law
Brice Dickson . . . 343
1. Introduction . . . 343
2. Fundamental human rights protection at the EU level . . . 345
3. Pre- and post-2000 approaches to the ECHR . . . 350
4. Infl uences on the UK Parliament . . . 352
5. Infl uences on the relationship between UK judges and the UK Parliament . . . 353
6. Infl uences on the UK’s common law per se . . . 355
6.1. Th e right to privacy and refusal to develop the common law . . . 356
6.2. Developing the common law beyond the ECHR . . . 359
6.3. Hesitation and doubts . . . 361
7. Conclusion . . . 363
Chapter 13. Protection of European human rights by highest courts in Europe: Th e art of triangulation Wim Voermans . . . 365
1. At the heart of the matter: Observing European human rights requires constitutional balancing . . . 365
2. Th e European compound human rights system: Sharing rights and courts . . . 367
3. Constitutional calibration of European human rights review . . . 370
3.1. Th e search for coherence . . . 370
3.2. Th e dilemma of autonomy . . . 373
4. Coordination and confl ict resolution strategies . . . 375
5. In conclusion: Adding to Europe’s common human rights gene pool . . . . 378
About the authors and editors . . . 379
