Court of Justice of the European Union

Official_Emblem_of_the_Court_of_Justice_of_the_European_Union

The Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) is the judicial institution of the European Union (EU) responsible for interpreting EU law and ensuring its equal application across all EU member states. The CJEU is based in Luxembourg City, Luxembourg.

Structure

The CJEU consists of two main courts:

• The Court of Justice (commonly referred to as the European Court of Justice or ECJ)
• The General Court (formerly known as the Court of First Instance)

Court of Justice

The Court of Justice is composed of one judge from each EU member state, ensuring representation from all member states. It also includes eleven Advocates General who provide independent opinions on cases brought before the court. The primary role of the Court of Justice is to interpret EU law and ensure its uniform application across the EU.

General Court

The General Court deals with cases brought by individuals, companies, and, in some instances, EU governments. It handles a wide range of issues, including competition law, state aid, trade, agriculture, and trademarks.

Jurisdiction and Functions

The CJEU has several key functions:

• Interpreting EU law to ensure it is applied uniformly across all member states.
• Settling legal disputes between national governments and EU institutions.
• Hearing cases brought by individuals, companies, or organizations against EU institutions if they believe their rights have been infringed.

Procedures

Cases can be brought before the CJEU by national courts, EU institutions, member states, and, in certain circumstances, individuals and companies. The court's procedures include written and oral stages, and the judges deliberate in private before delivering their judgment.

Importance

The CJEU plays a crucial role in the development of EU law and the integration of the EU legal system. Its decisions have a significant impact on the interpretation and application of EU law, influencing legislation and policies across the EU.

Related Pages

• European Union
• European Commission
• European Parliament
• European Council
• European Court of Auditors
• European Central Bank
• European Economic Area
• European Free Trade Association

See Also

• Supreme Court of the United States
• European Convention on Human Rights
• International Court of Justice

Institutions of the European Union

European Council	Council of the European Union	European Parliament
Provides impetus and direction	Legislative	Legislative
Based in Brussels, Belgium .	Based in Brussels, Belgium . Meets in Luxembourg, Luxembourg for the months of April, June and October.	Meets in Strasbourg, France and Brussels, Belgium . Secretariat based in Luxembourg, Luxembourg .
summit of the Heads of state or government, the President of the European Council and the President of the European Commission. gives the necessary political impetus for the development of the Union and sets its general objectives and priorities does not legislate	composed of twenty-seven national ministers (one per state) formally known as "the Council"; informally known as the "Council of Ministers" acts together with the Parliament as a legislature shares with the Parliament the budgetary power ensures coordination of the broad economic and social policy and sets out guidelines for the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) concludes international agreements	acts together with the Council (of the European Union) as a legislature shares with the Council (of the European Union) the budgetary power exerts the democratic control over the institutions including the European Commission and approves the Commission members

European Commission	Court of Justice of the European Union	European Central Bank
Executive	Judicial	Central bank
Based in Brussels, Belgium . Various departments and services hosted in Luxembourg, Luxembourg .	Based in Luxembourg, Luxembourg .	Based in Frankfurt, Germany .
is the executive submits proposals for new legislation to the Parliament and Council (of the European Union) implements policies administers the budget ensures compliance with European law ("guardian of the treaties") negotiates international agreements	ensures the uniform application and interpretation of European law has the power to decide legal disputes between member states, the institutions, businesses and individuals	is the only among the 7 institutions, which also is an international entity with treaty capability in its own right forms together with the national central banks the European System of Central Banks and thereby determines the monetary policy of the eurozone ensures price stability in the eurozone by controlling the money supply

European Court of Auditors
Auditory
Based in Luxembourg, Luxembourg .
checks the proper implementation of the budget