Law & Justice

EU Bodies Agree to Travel Screening Mechanism

June 27, 2018

In April, the European Council and the European Parliament reached an agreement to advance a proposal creating a European Travel Information and Authorisation System to perform pre-travel screening for security and migration risks posed by travelers who have visa-free access to the passport-free Schengen area.
Poland Faces Potential ECJ Ruling on Judiciary Changes

June 26, 2018

An article in The Economist examines the broad potential policy impact of an upcoming ruling by the Court of Justice of the EU (ECJ) on the state of judicial independence in Poland - noting that, unlike the European Commission, the ECJ remains unbound by the need for "respect for democratically elected governments."
Peers Seek "Limited" ECJ Oversight After Brexit

June 25, 2018

A recent report issued by the UK House of Lords' EU Committee calls for the UK government to accept "specified and limited" jurisdiction of the Court of Justice of the EU (ECJ) to continue dealing with EU agencies after Brexit and laments that the loss of ECJ jurisdiction will "weaken" the rights of British individuals.
Belgian PM Seeks Rule of Law "Peer Review" in EU

June 22, 2018

Politico reports that Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel has called for a "peer review" system among European countries to review potential threats to the rule of law in the region, arguing that such a mechanism would sidestep national sovereignty concerns inherent in a process that centers in the EU institutions.
EU Struggles to Confront Migration Crisis

June 20, 2018

Lorne Cooke writes that policies on the treatment of migrants from North Africa and the Middle East are serving as the foremost wedge driving apart EU member states and could throw the supranational bloc into political disarray.
Austria Seeks External Migration Centers Outside EU Structures

June 13, 2018

EUobserver reports that, in an effort to revive support for free movement rules within the Schengen area in light of mass migration, a group of EU member states led by Austria is negotiating a proposal to fund migrant camps outside the EU through which asylum seekers could apply to enter the bloc.
EU Bodies Agree to European Content Mandate for Video Services

June 07, 2018

Engadget reports that the EU institutions have reached a deal on legislation that would require on-demand video streaming services such as Netflix and Amazon Prime Video to ensure that at least 30 percent of their content originates in Europe and would guard against "hate speech" on these platforms.
ECJ Recognizes Residency Rights for Same-Sex Couples

June 06, 2018

The Court of Justice of the EU (ECJ) has ruled that EU member states are not permitted to reject a request for residency by a citizen's same-sex spouse married in a different EU country on the basis that the country does not recognize same-sex marriages or civil unions.
Hungarian Official Claims EU Retaliation over Policy Positions

June 06, 2018

Politico reports that, in remarks before the European Parliament’s Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs, Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó accused the body of criticizing Hungary because the country's government is preventing it from implementing the EU's "radical immigration plan."
EC Proposes Centralized Rules on Corporate Moves, Mergers

June 05, 2018

The European Commission (EC) recently proposed a set of centralized EU rules governing the procedures through which European companies can move across national borders, merge with other entities, or divide into multiple entities, including "effective safeguards against abusive arrangements to circumvent tax rules" or labor rights.