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Case Nos. 2 BvE2/08, 2 BvE 5/08, 2 BvR 1010/08, 2 BvR 1022/08, 2 BvR 1259/08, and 2 BvR 182/09

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 February 2017

Frank Schorkopf
Frank Schorkopf*
Affiliation:
Institute of International and European Law, University of Goettingen
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Type
International Decisions
Information
American Journal of International Law , Volume 104 , Issue 2 , April 2010 , pp. 259 - 265
Copyright
Copyright © American Society of International Law 2010

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References

1 Treaty of Lisbon Amending the Treaty on European Union and the Treaty Establishing the European Community, Dec. 13, 2007,2007 O.J. (C 306) 1 [hereinafter Lisbon Treaty]. EU treaty documents are available on the EU Web site, at http://www.eur-lex.europa.eu.

2 Bundesverfassungsgericht, June 30, 2009, Case Nos. 2 BvE 2/08,2 BvE 5/08,2 BvR 1010/08,2 BvR 1022/08, 2 BvR 1259/08, & 2 BvR 182/09,123 BVerfGE 267 (2009). The German cases and constitution cited in this case report are available on the Court’s Web site, at http://www.bundesverfassungsgericht.de. Unless otherwise noted, all translations from German to English are by the Court.

3 Accordingly, the German ratification had been halted until the introduction of a new implementation law. The ratification concluded on September 25, 2009, after new laws entered into force. BTDrucks 16/13923, at 1-11 (Aug. 21, 2009), at http://dip.bundestag.de/parfors/parfors.htm. For a summary by the research unit of the German parliament (Bundestag), see http://www.bundestag.de/dokumente/analysen/2009. A subsequent constitutional complaint against the new laws was rejected by the Court on September 22, 2009. Case No. 2 BvR 2136/09.

4 Maastricht Treaty on European Union, Preamble, Feb. 7, 1992, 1992 O.J. (C 191) [hereinafter Maastricht Treaty]; see also Nice Treaty on European Union, Art. 1 (2), Dec. 29, 2006,2006 O.J. (C 321E) 10; Lisbon Treaty, supra n.l, Recital 13.

5 Decision concerning the Maastricht Treaty, Oct. 12, 1993,89 BVerfGE 155, translated in 33ILM 388 (1994); see also Matthias, Herdegen Maastricht and the German Constitutional Court , 31 Common Mkt. L. Rev. 235 (1994)Google Scholar; Juliane, Kokott Report on Germany , in The European Courts and National Courts—Doctrine and Jurisprudence 77 (Anne-Marie, Slaughter Alec, Stone Sweet & Joseph, H. H. Weiler eds., 1998)Google Scholar; Julio, Baquero Cruz The Legacy of the Maastricht-Urteil and the Pluralist Movement , 14 Eur. L.J. 389 (2008).Google Scholar

6 According to Article 93.1 no. 1 of the Basic Law, the Bundesverfassungsgericht shall rule “on the interpretation of this Basic Law in the event of disputes concerning the extent of the rights and duties of a supreme federal body or of other parties vested with rights of their own by this Basic Law or by the rules of procedure of a supreme federal body.” Basic Law for the Federal Republic of Germany 82 (Christian, Tomuschat & David, P. Currie trans., 2010).Google Scholar

7 Article 38.1 of the Basic Law states: “Members of the German Bundestag shall be elected in general, direct, free, equal, and secret elections. They shall be representatives of the whole people, not bound by orders or instructions, and responsible only to their conscience.”

8 The proposition in this respect pointed to Articles 48.6 and 48.7 of the Lisbon Treaty as well as Articles 311 and 352 of the Treaty on the Functioning of die European Union, May 9, 2008,2008 O.J. (C 115) 47 [hereinafter TFEU].

9 Article 23.1 of the Basic Law states:

With a view to establishing a united Europe, the Federal Republic of Germany shall participate in the development of the European Union that is committed to democratic, social, and federal principles, to the rule of law, and to the principle of subsidiarity, and that guarantees a level of protection of basic rights essentially comparable to that afforded by this Basic Law. To this end the Federation may transfer sovereign powers by a law with the consent of the Bundesrat. The establishment of the European Union, as well as changes in its treaty foundations and comparable regulations that amend or supplement this Basic Law, or make such amendments or supplements possible, shall be subject to paragraphs (2) and (3) of Article 79.

Article 79.3 of the Basic Law provides: “Amendments to this Basic Law affecting the division of the Federation into Lander, their participation on principle in the legislative process, or the principles laid down in Articles 1 and 20 shall be inadmissible.”

10 Georg, Nolte & Heike, Krieger Military Law in Germany , in European Military Law Systems 360 (Georg, Nolte ed., 2003).Google Scholar

11 Decision concerning the Maastricht Treaty, Oct. 12, 1993, 89 BVerfGE 155, 181-90.

12 Lisbon Treaty, supra n . l , Art. 16(4); TFEU, supra n.8, Art. 238(2).

13 Lisbon Treaty, supra n. 1, Art. 11.

14 Id., Ait. 12.

15 Daniel, Halberstam & Christoph, Möllers The German Constitutional Courts says “JazuDeutschland!” 10 German L.J. 1241 (2009)Google Scholar; Christoph, Schönberger Lisbon at Karlsruhe: Maastricht’s Epigones at Sea , 10 Germanl.J. 1201 (2009)Google Scholar; Editorial, Karlsruhe Has Spoken: “Yes” to the Lisbon Treaty, But... , 46 Common Mkt. L. Rev. 1023, 1030 (2009)Google Scholar; Sabino, Cassese L’Unione europea e ilguinzaglio tedesco , 15 Giornale di Diritto Amministrativo 1003 (2009)Google Scholar; Jacques, Ziller Tedesca sulk ratifica deltratato di Lisbona , Rlvista Italiana di Diritto Pubblico Comuniatrio 973 (2009)Google Scholar; Martin, Nettesheim EinIndividualrecht auf Staatlichkeifi. 62 Neue Juristische Wochenschrift 2967 (2009)Google Scholar; Claus, Dieter Classen Legitime Stärkung des Bundestages oder verfassungsrechtilches Prokrustesbett? 62 Juristenzeitung 881 (2009)Google Scholar; Matthias, Ruffert An den Grenzen des Integrationsverfassungsrechts , 124 Deutsches Verwaltungsblatt 1197 (2009)Google Scholar; Jörg, P. Terhechte Souveränität, Dynamik und Integration—Making up the Rules as We Go Along? 20 Europälsche Zeitschrift Fur Wirtschaftsrecht 724 (2009)Google Scholar; Daniel, Thym In the Name of Sovereign Statehood , 49 Common Mkt. L. Rev. 1795 (2009)Google Scholar; see also Frank, Schorkopf The European Union as an Association of Sovereign States , 10 German L.J. 1241 (2009)Google Scholar; Klaus, Ferdinand Gärditz & Christian, Hillgruber Volkssouveränität und Demokratie ernst genommen , 62 Juristenzeitung 872 (2009)Google Scholar; Dieter, Grimm Defending Sovereign Statehood Against Transforming the European Union into a State , 5 Eur. Const. L. Rev. 353 (2009)Google Scholar; Committee on the Affairs of the European Union and the Bundesrat Committee on European Union Questions, Joint Hearing on Draft Laws Within the Framework of Legislation Accompanying the Lisbon Treaty: Protocol No. 90 , 90th Sess. of the Bundestag (Aug. 26, 2009) (testimony of twelve legal scholars), at http://www.bundestag.de/bundestag/ausschuesse/a21/anhoerungen/90_ sitzung.Google Scholar

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17 Frank, Schorkopf Politische Herrschaft als verantwortete Selbstbestimmung , 84 Die Friedens-Warte 89, 93 (2009)Google Scholar.

18 Lisbon Treaty, supra n.l, Art. 14.2; see also Resolution on Composition of the European Parliament, Eur. Parl. Doc. A6–0351 (2007), available at http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=TA&reference=P6-TA-2007-0429&format=XML8danguage=EN.Google Scholar

19 Treaty Establishing a Constitution for Europe, Oct. 29, 2004, 2004 O.J. (C 310) 1 (unratified).

20 But see Ana Maria, Guerra Martins The Treaty of Lisbon—After All Another Step Towards a European Constitution? in Ceci N’est Pas une Constitution —Constitutionalisation Without A Constitution? 56 (Ingolf, Pernice & Evgenij, Tanchev eds., 2009).Google Scholar

21 Daniel, Lovric A Constitution Friendly to International Law: Germany and its Völkerrechtsfreundlichkeit , 25 Austl. Y.B. Int’l L. 75, 89 (2006)Google Scholar.