EU Legal Information

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Introduction to EU legal sources for non-EU
students
Margaret Watson Academic Services
Librarian Bodleian Law Library
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Objectives this session will look at...

• the legal process and its documents
• printed sources for EU legislation and case law
• free web resources
• (subscription databases)

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Primary legislation Treaties
Treaty on European Union (consolidated
text) Treaty establishing the European Community
(consolidated text) Lisbon Treaty (not fully
ratified) Accession treaties
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Click here for the Treaties
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Click here for the full text of the Lisbon Treaty
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Secondary legislation legal process

• The Commission proposes legislation
• The Parliament is consulted
• The Council decides
• Implementation in the member states
• Interpretation and enforcement

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1. Formative phase

• Internal Commission documents
• SEC documents
• COM documents
• COM final documents

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Preparatory Documents

• COM Documents
• EP Reports

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COM Docs

• Three categories
• Consultative documents
• Proposals for legislation
• Reports on the implementation of policy
•  

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Example of a COM doc

• http//ec.europa.eu/taxation_customs/resources/doc
  uments/common/whats_new/tobacco-20080716/COM459_en
  .pdf

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Citation of COM Docs

• COM
• (year)
• Running number final
• (Date of adoption by Commission)
• Example
• COM(2001) 510 final 12.9.2001

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COM Docs additional codes

• COD Codecision
• SYN Cooperation
• AVC Assent
• CNS Consultation
• Example 2001/0207 (CNS)

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COM Docs in the Library

• 1963-1982 paper format at EC/1 per.7
• 1983-2002 microfiches
• OJ (lacks explanatory memoranda)
• Online http//ec.europa.eu/prelex/apcnet.cfm?CLen

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2. Consultation

• European Parliament Reports (PEDOCS)
• European Parliament Opinions
• ESC Opinions
• CoR Opinions
• Council Common Positions

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European Parliament documentation

• Reports from committees
• Resolutions and other texts
• Minutes of plenary debates and agendas
• Questions (written, oral and at Question Time)

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Example of an EP Report

• http//www.europarl.europa.eu/oeil/file.jsp?id185
  312

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EP document citation

• PE DOC A5-0123/2000
• produced during the 5th parliament
• number 0123
• in the year 2000

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EP Documentation in the Library

• Reports
• 1953-1985 paper format, EC/3 per. 7
• 1985-1997 microfiches
• 1998 - online
• Debates
• 1952 to May 1999 paper format, EC/3 per.5
• 1996 online
• Resolutions
• OJ C series
• Questions
• OJ C series

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3. Decision Phase

• Reflected in the Secondary Legislation

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Secondary Legislation

• Regulations
• Directives
• Decisions

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Citation Regulations

• Council Regulation (EEC) 1408/71
• Institution, e.g. Council
• Form (Regulation)
• Treaty basis
• Number
• Year
• n.b. number precedes year

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Citation Directives

• Commission Directive 2005/86/EC
• Institution
• Form (Directive)
• Year
• Number
• Treaty basis
• n.b. year precedes number

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Treaties and legislation are published in the
Official Journal
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Official Journal

• L series adopted legislation
• C series information of public interest
• (S series invitations to tender for public
  contracts)

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Mode of citation of OJ

• OJ
• series (L or C)
• issue number
• year
• page number

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OJ Citations

• OJ L145 2001 p.43
• OJ L42 1987 p.48
• OJ C80 2001 p.1

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4. Implementation in Member States

• EUR-Lex
• http//eur-lex.europa.eu/en/index.htm

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Implementation in Member Statese.g. United
Kingdom

• House of Commons European Scrutiny Committee
• House of Lords Select Committee on the European
  Union
• Hansard
• Statutes and SIs

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5. Interpretation and enforcement

• Cases in national courts
• Cases before the ECJ and CFI
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Case Law European Court of Justice

• Court of First Instance (CFI)
• European Court of Justice (ECJ)
• (EU Civil Service Tribunal)
• http//curia.europa.eu/jcms/jcms/j_6/

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Citation of Cases

• C (ECJ) or T (CFI) or F (Civil Service Tribunal)
• -
• Number of case
• /
• Year (last 2 digits)
• The parties
• e.g. Case C-2/00 Hölterhoff v Freiesleben

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Case Documentation

• ECJ until 1993
• Report for the Hearing AG Opinion Judgment
• ECJ 1993-
• AG Opinion and Judgment only
• CFI
• Judgment (no AG Opinion)

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Paper Publication of Case Law

• OJ C series
• Transcripts
• European Court Reports
• Common Market Law Reports
• All England Law Reports European Cases

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Finding Case Law

• The Courts website
• Index A-Z numerical and alphabetical index of
  cases before the Court of Justice of the European
  Communities since 1953
• http//curia.europa.eu/en/content/juris/index_note
  .htm
• Search form
• http//curia.europa.eu/jurisp/cgi-bin/form.pl?lang
  en
• EUR-Lex
• http//eur-lex.europa.eu/RECH_jurisprudence.do

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Please ask for help!

• Margaret Watson
• margaret.watson_at_bodley.ox.ac.uk
• (2)71464