European Union Law
Court of
Justice
of the
European
Union
(CJEU / ECJ)
General
Court of
Justice
of
European
Union
European
Commission
~
European
Parliament
European
Court
of
Human
Rights
(ECHR)
Court of Justice
of European Union (CJEU)
The CJEU is responsible for ensuring compliance with EU law. It has jurisdiction in actions brought by EU countries, EU institutions and EU citizens. There are several types of procedure:
action for annulment;
proceedings for failure to fulfil an obligation;
proceedings for failure to act;
action for damages;
reference for a preliminary ruling.
International courts
General Court of Justice
of the European Union
The Court has jurisdiction to rule on:
direct actions brought by individuals and companies against acts of the European Union (EU) institutions which are addressed to them or that affect them directly and individually;
actions brought by EU countries against the European Commission and also against the Council, e.g. on measures taken in the area of state aid;
actions seeking compensation for damage caused by EU institutions or bodies;
disputes between the EU and its civil servants;
actions relating to intellectual property.
Along with the Court of Justice, the General Court is one of the EU’s judicial institutions making up the Court of Justice of the European Union. Their purpose is to ensure a uniform interpretation and application of EU law.
European Commission
European Parliamentt
The Commission makes sure that EU countries comply with their obligations under EU law. If they fail to properly implement EU laws, the Commission can launch a formal infringement procedure against them, reaching up to European Parliament. The objective is to align national laws and practices with EU law
European Court
of Human Rights (ECHR)
The Court has jurisdiction to decide complaints (“applications”) submitted by individuals and States concerning violations of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (commonly referred to as the “European Convention on Human Rights“), which principally concerns civil and political rights. It cannot take up a case on its own initiative. Notably, the person, group or non-governmental organization submitting the complaint (“the applicant”) does not have to be a citizen of a State party.
However, complaints submitted to the Court must concern violations of the Convention allegedly committed by a State party to the Convention and that directly and significantly affected the applicant. As of October 2023, there are 46 State parties to the Convention; these include the Member States of the Council of Europe and of the European Union. Some of these States have also ratified one or more of the Additional Protocols to the Convention, which protect additional rights.
