EU Accession to the Convention and the Protection of Autonomy
A Challenge for EU Primary Law
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.46282/syeul.2026.4.1471Keywords:
autonomy of EU Law, primary law, EU accession to the Convention, human rightsAbstract
The accession of the European Union to the European Convention on Human Rights appears more realistic than ever in light of the Revised Draft Accession Agreement of 2023. By taking this step, the European Union moves closer to fulfilling its obligation under Article 6 (2) of the Treaty on European Union, thereby assuming direct responsibility for the protection of human rights. However, it remains uncertain how the Union would respond in situations where judgments of the European Court of Human Rights require amendments to EU primary law, or where provisions of EU primary law are found incompatible with the European Convention on Human Rights. Such situations raise the question of whether, and to what extent, the autonomy of the EU legal order could be affected. This article, therefore, aims to examine the potential of conflicts between EU primary law and the European Convention on Human Rights following accession, the mechanisms available for resolving such conflicts, and whether their resolution could undermine the autonomy of the EU legal order as defined by the Court of Justice.
References
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Bílková V, ‘Equivalent Protection’ Max Planck Encyclopedia of International Procedural Law (2018)
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Callewaert J, ‘The European arrest warrant under the European Convention on Human Rights: A matter of Cooperation, Trust, Complementarity, Autonomy and Responsibility’. (2021) In ZEuS-Sonderband. 105
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CASE LAW
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Case C-29/69, Stauder, EU:C:1969:57
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Case, Haegemann v Belgian State, C-181/73, EU:C:1974:41
Cases C-402/05 P and C-415/05 P, Kadi and Al Barakaat International Foundation v Council and Commission, EU:C:2008:461
Opinion 1/09 Creation of a Unified Patent Litigation System, EU:C:2011:123
Case C-284/16, Achmea, EU:C:2018:158
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Opinion 2/13 Accession of the European Union to the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, EU:C:2014:2454
Opinion 2/94 Accession by the Community to the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, EU:C:1996:14
Case C-260/89, ERT, EU:C:1991:254
Case C-112/00, Schmidberger, EU:C:2003:333
Case T-289/11, Deutsche Bahn and Others v Commission, EU:T:2013:404
Case C 583/13 P, Deutsche Bahn and Others v Commission, EU:C:2015:404
Case C-334/12, Orlando Arango Jaramillo & Ors, EU:C:2013:134.
Case C-249/11, Byankov v Glaven sekretar na Ministerstvo na vatreshnite raboti, EU:C:2012:608
Case C-399/11, Melloni, EU:C:2013:107
Case C-542/13 Mohamad M’Bodj v Belgium, ECLI:EU:C:2014:2452
CJEU C-26/62, Van Gend en Loos, EU:C:1963:1
Matthews v. The United Kingdom, ECtHR, App. No. 24833/94, 18 February 1999
Michaud v France, ECtHR,App. No. 12323/11, 6 December 2012
Delta Pekárny a.s. v. Czech Republic, ECtHR, App. No. 97/11, 2 October 2014
Bosphorus v. Ireland, ECtHR, App. No. 45036/98, 30 June 2005
Avotinš v Latvia ECtHR,, App. No. 17502/07, 23 May 2016
LEGAL SOURCES
Protocol No. 8 relating to Article 6 (2) of the Treaty on European Union on the Accession of the Union to the European Convention on the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms
European Convention on Human Rights
Treaty on European Union
Treaty on Functioning of the European Union
Charter of Fundamental Rights
Agerbeek Ronkes F, ‘EU ‘Accession to the European Convention on Human Rights: A New Hope.’ (2024) 9 (2) European Papers 695. DOI: 10.15166/2499-8249/778
Bílková V, ‘Equivalent Protection’ Max Planck Encyclopedia of International Procedural Law (2018)
Brittain S, ‘The Relationship Between the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights and the European Convention on Human Rights: an Originalist Analysis.’ (2015) 11 (3) European Constitutional Law Review, 482. DOI:10.1017/S1574019615000255
Callewaert J, ‘The European arrest warrant under the European Convention on Human Rights: A matter of Cooperation, Trust, Complementarity, Autonomy and Responsibility’. (2021) In ZEuS-Sonderband. 105
Daukšienè I and GRIGONIS S, ‘Accession of the EU to the ECHR: Issues of the co-respondent mechanism. (2015) 1 (2) International Comparative Jurisprudence https://doi.org/10.1016/j.icj.2016.01.001
De Witte B, ‘European Union Law: How Autonomous is its Legal Order?’ (2010) 65 Zeitschrift für Öffentliches Recht
De Witte B, ‘A Selfish Court? The Court of Justice and the Design of International Dispute Settlement Beyond the European Union’ (2014) In M. Cremona & A. Thies (Ed.). The European Court of Justice and External Relations Law: Constitutional Challenges 33–46. London: Hart Publishing. DOI: 10.5040/9781474201599.ch-003
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Franssen V, “Melloni as a Wake-up Call - Setting Limits to Higher National Standards of Fundamental Rights’ Protection.” European Law Blog [online] 2014 https://doi.org/10.21428/9885764c.ca921b04
Gragl P, ‘Strasbourg’s External Review after the EU’s Accession to the European Convention on Human Rights: A Subordination of the Luxembourg Court?’ (2012) 17 In Tilburg Law Review, DOI 10.1163/221125912X638044.
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Imamović Š, ‘Post-EU Accession to the ECHR: The Argument for Why the ECtHR Should Abandon the Bosphorus Doctrine’. (2024) 39 (1) Utrecht Journal of International and European Law 17. DOI: https:// doi.org/10.5334/ujiel.639
Khan N & Kerse C S, ‘Kerse & Khan on EU antitrust procedure.’(2012) 6th ed. London: Sweet & Maxwell/Thomson Reuters
Kochenov D, ‘EU Law without the Rule of Law: Is the Veneration of Autonomy Worth It?’ (2015) In Yearbook of European Law, doi:10.1093/yel/yev009
Krommendijk J, ‘EU Accession to the ECHR. Completing the Complete System of EU Remedies?’ In FINK, M. (ed.), Redressing Fundamental Rights Violations by the EU. The promise of the 'complete system of remedies', Cambridge University Press, 2024
Kukovec D, ‘Autonomy: The Central Idea of the Reasoning of the Court of Justice.’ (2023) 8 (3) European Papers. DOI: 10.15166/2499-8249/723
Lawson R, ‘Atlas Shrugged: An Analysis of the ECtHR Case Law Involving Issues of EU Law Since Opinion 2/13.’ (2024) 9 (2)European Papers 647. DOI: 10.15166/2499-8249/775
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Odermatt J, ‘When a Fence Becomes a Cage: The Principle of Autonomy in EU External Relations Law.’ (2016) In EUI Working Papers MWP 2016/07. http://cadmus.eui.eu/handle/1814/41046
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Spaventa E, ‘A Very Fearful Court ? The protection of Fundamental Rights in the European Union after Opinion 2/13’ (2015) 22 (1) Maastricht journal of European and comparative law. https://doi.org/10.1177/1023263x1502200103
Timmermans CH, ‘Will the Accession of the EU to the European Convention on Human Rights fundamentally change the relationship between the Luxemburg and the Strasbourg courts?’ (2014) EUI Distinguished Lectures. (Speech delivered at the ’Judicial Cooperation in Private Law’ of 15 and 16 April 2013)
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Case C-11/70, Internationale Handelsgesellschaft, EU:C:1970:114
Case, Haegemann v Belgian State, C-181/73, EU:C:1974:41
Cases C-402/05 P and C-415/05 P, Kadi and Al Barakaat International Foundation v Council and Commission, EU:C:2008:461
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Case C-284/16, Achmea, EU:C:2018:158
Opinion 1/91 Creation of the European Economic Area, EU:C:1991:490
Opinion 2/13 Accession of the European Union to the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, EU:C:2014:2454
Opinion 2/94 Accession by the Community to the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, EU:C:1996:14
Case C-260/89, ERT, EU:C:1991:254
Case C-112/00, Schmidberger, EU:C:2003:333
Case T-289/11, Deutsche Bahn and Others v Commission, EU:T:2013:404
Case C 583/13 P, Deutsche Bahn and Others v Commission, EU:C:2015:404
Case C-334/12, Orlando Arango Jaramillo & Ors, EU:C:2013:134.
Case C-249/11, Byankov v Glaven sekretar na Ministerstvo na vatreshnite raboti, EU:C:2012:608
Case C-399/11, Melloni, EU:C:2013:107
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CJEU C-26/62, Van Gend en Loos, EU:C:1963:1
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Michaud v France, ECtHR,App. No. 12323/11, 6 December 2012
Delta Pekárny a.s. v. Czech Republic, ECtHR, App. No. 97/11, 2 October 2014
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