EU Supremacy

Van Gend en Loos has been described as the most important decision of the ECJ. But things have developed. The EU Treaties represent international agreements made by a number of European states to cooperate in certain (primarily economic) areas. International agreements by their nature concern relations amongst nation states and override the national law of Member States. This is what is meant by the supremacy of EU law. The Q&A notes provide most recent developments in providing answers for 2024.

Cases

The rise of the new European legal order

Van Gend en Loos v Nederlandse Administratie der Belastingen (Case 26/62) [1963] ECR 1

Internationale Handelsgesellschaft mbH v Einfuhr- und Vorratsstelle für Getreide und Futtermittel (1970) Case 11/70

Flaminio Costa v ENEL (Case 6/64) [1964] ECR 585

Case 167/73, Commission v France (Re French Merchant Seamen) [1974] ECR 359

Amministrazione delle Finanze v Simmenthal SpA (1978) Case 106/77

The impact of supremacy on UK Law

R (Factortame Ltd) v Secretary of State for Transport (Case C-213/89) 1990 ECR 1-2433

The impact of supremacy on other Member States

Wunsche Hendelsgesellchaft (1987) 3 CMLR 225