Published online by Cambridge University Press: 06 March 2019
The European Court of Human Rights, on 30 June 2005, handed down its long awaited judgment in the case Bosphorus Hava Yollari Turizm v. Ireland. The case concerned the responsibility of contracting parties for legal measures induced by the European Community.
1 Bosphorus Hava Yollari Turizm v. Ireland, App. No. 45036/98 (Eur. Ct. H. R. 30 June 2005), available at http://cmiskp.echr.coe.int/tkp197/portal.asp?sessionId=3666597&skin=hudoc-en&action=request.Google Scholar
2 Council Regulation 990/93, Concerning Trade Between the European Economic Community and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (Serbia and Montenegro), 1993 O.J. (L 102) 14 (EEC).Google Scholar
3 Council Regulation 1432/92, ProhibitingTrade Between the European Economic Community and the Republics of Serbia and Montenegro, 1992 O.J. (L 151) 4 (EEC); Council Regulation 2656/92, Concerning Certain Technical Modalities in Connection with the Application of Regulation (EEC) No 1432/92 Prohibiting Trade Between the European Economic Community and the Republics of Serbia and Montenegro, 1992 O.J. (L 266) 27 (EEC).Google Scholar
4 See U.N. Charter art. 39-51.Google Scholar
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6 S.C. Res. 820, ¶ 24, U.N. Doc S/RES/820 (April 17, 1993) (“Decides that all States shall impound all vessels, freight vehicles, rolling stock and aircraft in their territories in which a majority or controlling interest is held by a person or undertaking in or operating from the [FRY] and that these vessels, freight vehicles, rolling stock or aircraft may be forfeited to the seizing State upon a determination that they have been in violation of resolutions […] 713 (1991), 757 (1992), 787 (1992) or the present resolution; …”).Google Scholar
7 Bosphorus Hava Yollari Turizm v. Ireland, App. No. 45036/98 at paras. 35-36 (Eur. Ct. H. R. 30 June 2005), available at http://cmiskp.echr.coe.int/tkp197/portal.asp?sessionId=3666597&skin=hudocen&action=request.Google Scholar
8 Treaty Establishing the European Community, art. 234, Nov. 10, 1997, 1997 O.J. (C 340) [hereinafter EC Treaty].Google Scholar
9 Case C-84/95, Bosphorus Hava Yollari Turizm ve Ticaret AS, 1996 E.C.R. I-3953, paras. 11-18.Google Scholar
10 Id. at paras. 19-26.Google Scholar
11 Bosphorus Hava Yollari Turizm v. Ireland, App. No. 45036/98 at para. 40 (Eur. Ct. H. R. 30 June 2005), available at http://cmiskp.echr.coe.int/tkp197/portal.asp?sessionId=3666597&skin=hudocen&action=request.Google Scholar
12 Id. at para. 6.Google Scholar
13 Id. at para. 7. See Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, art. 30, Nov. 4, 1950, 213 U.N.T.S. 222 [hereinafter ECHR]; Rule 72 of the Rules of Court of the European Court of Human Rights [hereinafter ECtHR Rules], available at http://www.echr.coe.int/NR/rdonlyres/94F95200-874C-4E83-9E76-689344E8A3C8/0/RulesOfCourtMarch2005.pdf.Google Scholar
14 The NGO, Institut de Formation en Droits de L'Homme Du Barreau de Paris, was given leave to appear by the President of the Court. See ECHR art. 36 § 2; Rule 44 § 2 ECtHR Rules.Google Scholar
15 ECHR art. 1 (“The High Contracting Parties shall secure to everyone within their jurisdiction the rights and freedoms defined in Section I of this Convention.”).Google Scholar
16 Protocol No. 1 to the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, art. 1, March 20, 1952, 213 U.N.T.S. 262. Article 1 of Protocol 1 reads:Google Scholar
Every natural or legal person is entitled to the peaceful enjoyment of his possessions. No one shall be deprived of his possessions except in the public interest and subject to the conditions provided for by law and by the general principles of international law.Google Scholar
The preceding provisions shall not, however, in any way impair the right of a State to enforce such laws as it deems necessary to control the use of property in accordance with the general interest or to secure the payment of taxes or other contributions or penalties.Google Scholar
17 The ECJ characterizes the preliminary ruling procedure asGoogle Scholar
an instrument of cooperation between the Court of Justice and national courts by means of which the former provides the latter with interpretation of such Community law as is necessary for them to give judgment in cases upon which they are called to adjudicate […] In the context of that cooperation, it is for the national court seized of the dispute, which alone has direct knowledge of the facts giving rise to the dispute and must assume responsibility for the subsequent judicial decision, to determine in the light of the particular circumstances of the case both the need for a preliminary ruling in order to enable it to deliver judgment and the relevance of the questions which it submits to the Court. Consequently, where the questions submitted concern the interpretation of Community law, the Court of Justice is, in principle, bound to give a ruling […]Google Scholar
Case C-112/00, Eugen Schmidberger, 2003 E.C.R. I-5659, paras. 30-31.Google Scholar
18 Bosphorus Hava Yollari Turizm v. Ireland, App. No. 45036/98 at para. 135-137 (Eur. Ct. H. R. 30 June 2005), available at http://cmiskp.echr.coe.int/tkp197/portal.asp?sessionId=3666597&skin=hudocen&action=request.Google Scholar
19 Id. at para. 154, with reference to Matthews v. the United Kingdom, 1999-I Eur. Ct. H. R. paras. 29 and 32-34; Prince Hans-Adam II of Liechtenstein v. Germany, 2001-VIII Eur. Ct. H. R. para 47.Google Scholar
20 Bosphorus Hava Yollari Turizm v. Ireland, App. No. 45036/98 at para. 147 (Eur. Ct. H. R. 30 June 2005), available at http://cmiskp.echr.coe.int/tkp197/portal.asp?sessionId=3666597&skin=hudocen&action=request.Google Scholar
21 Id. at paras. 150, 157.Google Scholar
22 Id. at para. 149.Google Scholar
23 Id. at paras. 145-150.Google Scholar
24 Id. at para. 156.Google Scholar
25 Id.Google Scholar
26 Id. at paras. 161-165.Google Scholar
27 Id. at para. 166.Google Scholar
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29 BVerfGE 73, 339 (378-381); BVerfGE 102, 147.Google Scholar
30 See Federal Constitutional Court Concedes Applicability of European Community Law in Banana Case, 1 German Law Journal No. 2 (01 November 2000), at http://www.germanlawjournal.com/article.php?id=9.Google Scholar
31 BVerfG, Neue Juristische Wochenschrift (NJW), 54 (2001), 2705.Google Scholar
32 Id. at 2705, 2706.Google Scholar