The EU General Data Protection Regulation: Powerful Tool for Data Subjects?

Two months ago, the European Parliament and the Council have enacted the European General Data Protection Regulation as the result of a 4 years running legislative procedure. For a long time, it was uncertain whether the regulation could be passed at all: Not only has there been considerable opposition by EU Member States, but there have also been about 4.000 amendments by Parliament, accompanied by an enormous engagement of lobby groups.

Britain’s Neverendum on Europe

The UK Prime Minister has told us that the June 23rd vote will settle ‘once and for all’ Britain’s vexed relationship with Europe. I wouldn’t count on it. The current marathon is only beginning. The upcoming referendum has all the hallmarks of a ‘neverendum’: a campaign that tries to resolve an issue yet only succeeds in polarizing opinion yet further, guaranteeing its presence on the political agenda for years, if not decades, to come.

Supranationale Demokratie als Demokratieflucht: Die Kommission im Freihandelsmodus

In Sachen TTIP und CETA ist die Kommission nach mehrfachem Hin und Her offenbar entschlossen, den nationalen Parlamenten doch kein Recht zur Mitsprache einzuräumen. Das ist ein kognitiver Rückschritt der Kommission in Sachen Responsivität gegenüber demokratischer Öffentlichkeit und mit der Prämisse, durch das Europäische Parlament seien die Abkommen noch irgendwie durchzubringen, auch eine demokratische Milchmädchenrechnung.

Jurisdiction, legislation, and creative interpretations in the Opinion of AG Wathelet in C-72/15 Rosneft

The frequent legal challenges to the European Union’s economic sanctions regimes have resulted in several judgments chiseling out key issues of EU law. Case C-72/15 Rosneft, which will be decided in the coming months, provides the European Court of Justice (ECJ) yet another opportunity to do so. In particular, the Rosneft case invites the ECJ to clarify its jurisdiction and power of judicial review over decisions taken by the Council under the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) – in the context of a reference for preliminary ruling.

The Judicial Battle over Mutual Trust in the EU: Recent Cracks in the Façade

In a little-noticed decision in April, the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) significantly revised its approach to the doctrine of mutual trust among the member states. Even though the decision was issued only as an interpretation of the European Arrest Warrant, it will have profound consequences for the Area of Freedom Security and Justice more generally, including ongoing controversies concerning refugees.

Deutsche und Französische Verwaltungs­gerichtsbarkeit im europäischen Mehrebenensystem: ein Interview mit JEAN-MARC SAUVÉ und KLAUS RENNERT

Wie die Verfassungsgerichte in Europa zusammenarbeiten, darüber gibt es eine breite und intensive Debatte - aber wie sieht es mit den obersten Verwaltungsgerichten aus? Die obersten Repräsentanten des deutschen Bundesverwaltungsgerichts und des französischen Conseil d'Etat geben im Verfassungsblog-Interview Auskunft über Stand und Möglichkeiten ihrer Zusammenarbeit.