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THE EUROPEAN COUNCIL AGAINST EU LAW

COMITÉ CIENTÍFICO DE LA EDITORIAL TIRANT LO BLANCH María José añón roig

Catedrática de Filosofía del Derecho de la Universidad de Valencia

ana Cañizares Laso

Catedrática de Derecho Civil de la Universidad de Málaga

Jorge a. Cerdio Herrán

Catedrático de Teoría y Filosofía de Derecho. Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México

José raMón Cossío díaz

Ministro en retiro de la Suprema Corte de Justicia de la Nación y miembro de El Colegio Nacional

eduardo Ferrer MaC-gregor Poisot

Juez de la Corte Interamericana de Derechos Humanos. Investigador del Instituto de Investigaciones Jurídicas de la UNAM

owen Fiss

Catedrático emérito de Teoría del Derecho de la Universidad de Yale (EEUU)

José antonio garCía-CruCes gonzáLez

Catedrático de Derecho Mercantil de la UNED

Luis LóPez guerra

Catedrático de Derecho Constitucional de la Universidad Carlos III de Madrid

ángeL M. LóPez y LóPez

Catedrático de Derecho Civil de la Universidad de Sevilla

Marta Lorente sariñena

Catedrática de Historia del Derecho de la Universidad Autónoma de Madrid

Javier de LuCas Martín

Catedrático de Filosofía del Derecho y Filosofía Política de la Universidad de Valencia

víCtor Moreno Catena

Catedrático de Derecho Procesal de la Universidad Carlos III de Madrid

FranCisCo Muñoz Conde

Catedrático de Derecho Penal de la Universidad Pablo de Olavide de Sevilla

angeLika nussberger

Catedrática de Derecho Constitucional e Internacional de la Universidad de Colonia (Alemania). Miembro de la Comisión de Valencia

HéCtor oLasoLo aLonso

Catedrático de Derecho Internacional de la Universidad del Rosario (Colombia) y Presidente del Instituto Ibero-Americano de La Haya (Holanda)

LuCiano PareJo aLFonso

Catedrático de Derecho Administrativo de la Universidad Carlos III de Madrid

toMás saLa FranCo

Catedrático de Derecho del Trabajo y de la Seguridad Social de la Universidad de Valencia

ignaCio sanCHo gargaLLo

Magistrado de la Sala Primera (Civil) del Tribunal Supremo de España

toMás s. vives antón

Catedrático de Derecho Penal de la Universidad de Valencia

rutH ziMMerLing

Catedrática de Ciencia Política de la Universidad de Mainz (Alemania)

Procedimiento de selección de originales, ver página web: www.tirant.net/index.php/editorial/procedimiento-de-seleccion-de-originales

THE EUROPEAN COUNCIL AGAINST EU LAW

JOSÉ MANUEL MARTÍNEZ SIERRA

tirant lo blanch Valencia, 2022

Copyright ® 2022 Todos los derechos reservados. Ni la totalidad ni parte de este libro puede reproducirse o transmitirse por ningún procedimiento electrónico o mecánico, incluyendo fotocopia, grabación magnética, o cualquier almacenamiento de información y sistema de recuperación sin permiso escrito de los autores y del editor. En caso de erratas y actualizaciones, la Editorial Tirant lo Blanch publicará la pertinente corrección en la página web www.tirant.com.

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For my Harvard students.

Index

ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS...........................................................

I. INTRODUCTION......................................................................................

II. GENESIS AND FIRST STEPS.....................................................................

II.1. On the need for a European Council: reasons for creating a new institution........................................................................................... 25 II.1.1. International level.................................................................... 27 II.1.2. European Community level..................................................... 30 II.1.3. National level.......................................................................... 36 II.1.4. The Conception of the European Council................................ 42 II.2. The period preceding the Single European Act..................................... 44 II.3. The European Council within Primary Law......................................... 47

III. GERMAN UNIFICATION VERSUS ENLARGEMENT............................

III.1. The GDR and the European Community Integration.......................... 53 III.2. Grundgesetz as a starting point........................................................... 54 III.2.1 The position of the European Council..................................... 57 III.3. International Law as a starting point: a prima facie reading............... 57 III.4. Rebus sic stantibus: a long and winding reading................................. 61 III.4.1. A reading against the application of the rebus sic stantibus clause.................................................................................... 61 III.4.2. A reading in favor of the rebus sic stantibus clause................. 64 III.4.3. The rebus sic stantibus clause................................................. 69

Index

III.5. European Community Law after the Single European Act.................. 71 III.5.1. Article 237............................................................................. 72 III.5.2. Articles 137, 138, 148, 157, in fine......................................... 77 III.5.3. Article 273............................................................................. 81 III.5.4. Articles 157 and 189: The Commission’s independence and right of initiative................................................................... 82 III.5.5. Article 164............................................................................. 84 III.6. Article 2 of the Single European Act and the Declaration of the European Council............................................................................... 86

IV. THE EUROPEAN COUNCIL IN THE CONTEXT OF THE TREATY OF THE EUROPEAN UNION..........................................................................

IV.1. The traditional European Council....................................................... 89 IV.2. The Legislative Council....................................................................... 91 IV.2.1. The new Council.................................................................... 92 IV.2.2. The new rule........................................................................... 96

V. THE EUROPEAN COUNCIL IN THE 1992 EDINBURGH AND 1993 BRUSSELS SUMMITS.................................................................................

V.1. The “decisions” made........................................................................... 99 V.2. The nature of the institution............................................................... 107 V.2.1. The decisions adopted by the European Council.................... 107 V.2.2. The justifying position........................................................... 108 V.2.3. The critical position............................................................... 109 V.2.4. The soft law thesis................................................................. 111 V.2.4.1. Soft law in International Public Law............................. 111 V.2.4.2. Soft law in Community Law......................................... 114 V.2.4.3. The weakness in the classification of European Community soft law.......................................................... 117

Index

VI. THE EUROPEAN COUNCIL AFTER THE TREATY OF LISBON..........

123

VI.1 Composition...................................................................................... 123 VI.1.1. The Heads of State or Government and the President of the Commission......................................................................... 124 VI.1.2. The President of the European Council................................ 127 VI.2. Duties............................................................................................... 134 VI.2.1. Duties as the governing body of the Union.......................... 135 VI.2.1.1. General duties: providing political directions and impetus............................................................................. 135 VI.2.1.2. Roles in economic and monetary policy and employment policy................................................................. 138 VI.2.1.3. Foreign Action and CFSP functions............................. 145 VI.2.1.4. Functions within the Area of Freedom, Security and Justice......................................................................... 151 VI.2.2 Constitutional functions....................................................... 152 VI.2.2.1 Decision determining the composition of the European Parliament................................................................ 153 VI.2.2.2. List of Council formations and rotating presidency rules.................................................................................. 156 VI.2.2.3. Proposal of the candidate for the post of President of the Commission............................................................ 160 VI.2.2.4. Establishment of the system of equal rotation for the selection and appointment of the members of the Commission ..................................................................... 164 VI.2.2.5. Participation in the reform of the Treaties................... 169 VI.2.2.5.1. Participation in the ordinary review procedure.169 VI.2.2.5.2. Participation in simplified review procedures.... 174 VI.2.2.5.2.1. A decision to authorize the shift from unanimity to qualified majority voting, and from a special legislative procedure to the ordinary legislative procedure....... 177 VI.2.2.5.2.2. Adoption of simplified draft revisions of the Union's internal policies and actions............................................................. 179

Index

VI.2.2.5.2.3. Other bridging clauses........................ 181 VI.2.2.5.3. Other provisions enabling the European Council to amend the provisions of the Treaties......... 182 VI.2.2.6. Role upon the accession of a State to or the exit of a Member State from the Union........................................ 184 VI.2.2.7. Role in the appointment of certain senior positions.... 186 VI.2.3. Functions as arbitrator or dispute resolution institution...... 187 VI.2.4. Other Functions................................................................... 191 VI.3. Functioning...................................................................................... 194 VI.3.1. Decision-making: rules and types of acts the European Council may adopt.................................................................... 194 VI.3.2. Meetings: preparation, development, conclusions, and follow-up................................................................................... 202 VI.3.2.1. Meetings..................................................................... 202 VI.3.2.2. Preparation for meetings............................................. 204 VI.3.2.3. Carrying out work...................................................... 211 VI.3.2.4. Presidency Conclusions and follow-up........................ 215

VII. THE EUROPEAN COUNCIL DURING THE ECONOMIC CRISIS.......

219

VII.1. The Emergence of a New EU Economic Governance....................... 219 VII.2. The European Union’s Economic Constitution................................ 222 VII.2.1. The two coordination branches: Multilateral Surveillance and the Excessive Deficit Procedure................................. 225 VII.2.1.1. Multilateral surveillance: preventing excessive deficit.................................................................................... 226 VII.2.1.2. Excessive Deficit Procedure: correcting and sanctioning............................................................................... 227 VII.2.1.3. Economic coordination before and after the crisis..... 229 VII.3. The development of economic provisions following the financial and economic crisis........................................................................... 233

Index

13 VII.3.1.1. Measures for a stronger coordination and surveillance of Member States’ economic, fiscal, and budgetary policies....................................................................... 234 VII.3.1.2 Measures adopted to safeguard the financial stability of the euro zone and reform the financial sector.......... 238 VII.3.1.3 Multilateral surveillance............................................. 240 VII.3.1.4. Excessive Deficit Procedure........................................ 242 VII.3.1.5. The European Semester: the new cycle for economic and budgetary policy coordination............................. 243 VII.4. Two hypotheses about the actions of the European Council............ 247 VII.4.1. First Hypothesis: failure to comply with the existing decision-making method............................................................ 247 VII.4.1.1. Control of the legislative initiative by the European Council..................................................................... 248 VII.4.1.2. The reform of Article 136 TFEU and the entering into force of the Treaty Establishing the European Stability Mechanism............................................................... 251 VII.4.1.3. The simplified revision procedure in the case of Article 136 TFEU.............................................................. 256 VII.4.1.4. The principle of unanimity for adopting the ESM Treaty and the TSCG......................................................... 259 VII.4.1.5 Opaque decision-making by the European Council.... 262 VII.4.2 Second hypothesis: the economic governance measures adopted are in breach of the law................................................ 263 VII.4.2.1 The Treaty on Stability, Coordination and Governance in the Economic and Monetary Union and EU Law................................................................................... 263 VII.4.2.2 The ESM and the “no bail-out” clause........................ 264 VII.5. Overstepping competences and breaking EU Law........................... 267

Index

VIII. THE EUROPEAN COUNCIL DURING THE MIGRATION CRISIS.....

275

VIII.1. The “EU-Turkey Statement”: A European Legal System in Jeopardy................................................................................................ 275 VIII.2. The European Council finally before EU Court of Justice............... 276 VIII.3. Was the European Council the one the blame?............................... 280 VIII.4. The European Council actions were legally binding....................... 288 VIII.5. The European Council without effective control............................ 299

IX. THE EUROPEAN COUNCIL DURING BREXIT.....................................

303

IX.1. A Sui Generis Crisis.......................................................................... 303 IX.2 Understanding Article 50: What it says and What it does not say...... 304 IX.2.1 Understanding the CJEU interpretation of article 50: The importance of what is left unsaid............................................... 324 IX.3. Back to the Future: The New Settlement for the UK within the EU.................................................................................................... 331 IX.3.1 Before Article 50: The made-up procedure and its justification........................................................................................ 333 IX.3.2. The actual content of the New Settlement for the UK.......... 343 IX.4. Brexit: What Remains for the Council after the UK has left the European Union................................................................................ 353

X. THE IMPACT OF THE EUROPEAN COUNCIL ON THE INSTITUTIONAL SYSTEM OF THE UNION.................................................................

363

X.1. Impact on the Council....................................................................... 364 X.2. Impact on the Commission................................................................ 367 X.3. Impact on the European Parliament.................................................. 369

XI. ABOUT CONTROL FROM EU LEADERS..............................................

375

XI.1. Political control mechanisms............................................................ 376 XI.2. Judicial control mechanisms............................................................. 386

Index

XI.2.1 The formal situation after the reform of the Lisbon Treaty: Primary Law......................................................................... 394 XI.2.2 The actual situation after the reform of the Lisbon Treaty: CJEU Case Law.................................................................... 401

XII. CONCLUSIONS AND SOLUTIONS......................................................

405

XIII. BIBLIOGRAPHY....................................................................................

433

ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS

AFCO

European Parliament Committee on Constitutional Affairs

AFSJ

Area of Freedom, Security and Justice

AGS

Annual Growth Survey

AMR

Alert Mechanism Report

Benelux

Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg Union

CFREU

Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union

CFSP

Common Foreign and Security Policy

CJEC

Court of Justice of the European Communities

CJEU

Court of Justice of the European Union

CMFA

Council of Ministers of Foreign Affairs

COM

European Commission (alternative)

CoE

Council of Europe

COREPER

Committee of Permanent Representatives

CSRs

Country-Specific Recommendations

DGSD

Deposit Guarantee Scheme Directive

EBA

European Banking Authority

European Commission (sometimes used for European Communities)

ECB

European Central Bank

José Manuel Martínez Sierra

ECHR

European Convention on Human Rights

ECtHR

European Court of Human Rights

ECSC

European Coal and Steel Community

ECOFIN

Economics and Financial Affairs Council

EDP

Excessive Deficit Procedure

EEC

European Economic Community

EET

European Employment Taskforce

EFC

Economic and Financial Committee

EFSF

European Financial Stability Facility

EFSM

European Financial Stabilization Mechanism

EMP

Economic and Monetary Policy

EMU

Economic and Monetary Union

European Parliament

EPC

European Political Cooperation

ESDP

European Security and Defense Policy

ESM

European Stability Mechanism

European Union

EUCO

European Council

Euratom

European Atomic Energy Community

FRG

Federal Republic of Germany

GAC

General Affairs Council

General Court

ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS

GDR

German Democratic Republic

IGC

Intergovernmental Conference

IMF

International Monetary Fund

JHA

Justice and Home Affairs Council

MoU

Memorandum of Understanding

MTBO

Medium Term Budgetary Objective

NRPs

National Reform Programs

TEC

Treaty Establishing the European Community

ORPI

Overriding Reasons of Public Interest

SEA

Single European Act

SGP

Stability and Growth Pact

SRB

Single Resolution Board

SRF

Single Resolution Fund

SRM

Single Resolution Mechanism

SWIFT

Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunications Interim Agreement

TCE

Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe

TESM

Treaty establishing the European Stability Mechanism

TEU

Treaty on European Union

TFEU

Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union

TSCG

Treaty on Stability, Coordination and Governance

United Nations

José Manuel Martínez Sierra

UNHCR

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees

URF

Union Resettlement Framework

VCLT

Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties