Directorate-General of the Library, Research and No. 2/2015 Documentation R E F L E T S Legal developments of interest to the European Union A. CASE LAW ............................................................................................................................................................. 6 I. European and international jurisdictions ................................................................................................................... 6 European court of human rights* .............................................................................................................................. 6 • Ruling dated 05.06.15 - Lambert e.a./France - Right to life - Decision to stop administering food and fluid intake to a quadriplegic person - No violation • Ruling dated 16.06.15 – Delfi AS/Estonia - Right to freedom of expression - Insulting comments left by users on a web-based news portal - Liability of the operator - No violation • Ruling dated 17.09.14, Morice/France - Right to freedom of expression - Criminal conviction of a lawyer for defamation of the investigation judges - Violation EFTA Court ................................................................................................................................................................ 13 • Ruling dated 09.04.15, Pharmaq AS/Intervet International BV - Advisory opinion on the interpretation of Regulation (EC) no. 1768/92, concerning the creation of supplementary protection certificate for medicines Briefs II. National courts ........................................................................................................................................................... 15 1. Member states ........................................................................................................................................................ 15 Germany ..................................................................................................................................................................... 15 Bundesverfassungsgericht • Order of 27.01.15 - Freedom of religion and belief - Equal treatment in access to public service Bundesgerichtshof (Federal Court of Justice) • Ruling dated 24.02.15 - Government bonds subscribed by private creditors - Insolvency of the issuing State and declaration of a state of necessity Briefs Austria ........................................................................................................................................................................ 19 Verfassungsgerichtshof (Constitutional Court) • Ruling dated 05.03.15 - Equal treatment - EU Citizenship - Discrimination owing to nationality - Access to higher education - Limitation - Justification Briefs Reflets No. 2/2015 . Belgium ...................................................................................................................................................................... 22 Constitutional Court • Ruling dated 12.03.15 - Right to education - Freedom of religion and expression Brief Bulgaria ...................................................................................................................................................................... 24 Brief Cyprus ........................................................................................................................................................................ 25 Brief Spain ........................................................................................................................................................................... 26 Tribunal Supremo • Ruling dated 25.03.15 - Unfair terms in contracts concluded with consumers - Directive 93/13/EC - Recognition by the court of the unfairness of a term • Rulings dated 27.01.15, 24.03.15 and 07.05.15 - Police and judicial co-operation in criminal matters - Cumulative sentences imposed in another Member State • Ruling dated 19.02.15 - Social policy - Framework agreement ETUC, UNICE and CEEP on fixed-term work - Applicability of Directive 1999/70/EC to substitute judges Briefs France… ..................................................................................................................................................................... 31 Council of State and Court of Cassation • Decision of 27.02.15 and ruling dated 05.03.15 - Rights of airline passengers - Regulation (EC) No. 261/2004 - Compensation for cancellations or denied boarding Council of State • Ruling dated 27.03.15 - Social policy - Male and female workers - Equal pay - Child-related bonus Briefs Greece ......................................................................................................................................................................... 35 Briefs Hungary ..................................................................................................................................................................... 37 Supreme Court • Order of 12.11.14 - Preliminary rulings - Referral to the Court of Justice - Request for a preliminary ruling - Refusal without reasons Ireland ........................................................................................................................................................................ 38 Supreme Court • Ruling dated 15.04.15 - Criminal law - Admissibility of evidence in criminal trials High Court • Ruling dated 22.12.14 - EU Citizenship - Directive 2004/38/EC - Violation of the right to good reputation guaranteed by the Constitution - Compensation • Ruling dated 15.04.15 - Police and judicial cooperation in criminal matters - Directive 2011/36/EU - Victims of human trafficking Italy ............................................................................................................................................................................. 42 Corte di Cassazione (Court of Cassation) • Ruling dated 15.04.15 - Judicial cooperation in civil matters - Regulation (EC) No. 44/2001 - Execution of a penalty - Violation of internal public policy - Exclusion Corte constituzionale • Ruling dated 01.04.15 - International agreements - ECHR - “Interposed standards” between the law and the Constitution - Conflict Briefs Reflets No. 2/2015 2 . Latvia .......................................................................................................................................................................... 45 Supreme Court • Ruling dated 27.02.15 - Freedom to provide services - Posting of workers as part of the provision of services - Directive 96/71/EC Luxembourg ............................................................................................................................................................... 46 Court of Appeal (in chambers) • Ruling dated 20.01.14 - Police and judicial cooperation in criminal matters - Directive 2010/64/EU - Detention warrant - Right to a written translation Malta ........................................................................................................................................................................... 47 Court of first instance • Judgement of 21.04.15 - Fundamental rights - Right to a fair trial by an independent and impartial court Netherlands ................................................................................................................................................................ 48 Briefs Poland ......................................................................................................................................................................... 49 Constitutional Court • Ruling dated 11.03.15 - Approximation of laws - Directive 98/34/EC - National regulations on gambling Brief Portugal ...................................................................................................................................................................... 51 Supreme Court • Ruling dated 24.02.15 - Rights granted to individuals - Extra-contractual civil liability of the State Brief Czech Republic .......................................................................................................................................................... 53 Supreme Administrative Court • Ruling dated 23.10.14 - Consumer protection - Unfair commercial practices of companies vis-à-vis consumers - Directive 2005/29/EC Romania ..................................................................................................................................................................... 54 Constitutional Court • Ruling dated 15.01.15 - Review procedures concerning the award of public supply and public works contracts - Directive 89/665/EEC United Kingdom......................................................................................................................................................... 55 Supreme Court • Ruling dated 25.03.15 - 1954 Convention relating to the status of stateless persons - Definition of stateless person Brief 2. Other countries ...................................................................................................................................................... 56 United States .............................................................................................................................................................. 56 Supreme Court • Ruling dated 26.06.15 - Recognition of the legality of same-sex marriage at the federal level US Court of Appeals • Ruling dated 23.04.14 - National law on the organisations