Prior Information and Cancellation

Prior Information (all Contracts) The provision of information is a key aspect of consumer protection. The information made available to consumers must be sufficiently clear and reliable so that they can make ...

Goods Standards

Consumer Goods Standards The Directive on Consumer Sales and Guarantees gives consumers additional rights in relation to the sale of goods and more effective remedies than existed under the (Irish and the UK) Sale of ...

Unfair Practices

Unfair Practices Directive The Unfair Commercial Practices Directive prohibits a wide range of potentially unfair practices. The unfair commercial practices directive applies to all business for consumer transactions ...

Consumer Remedies and Enforcement

General remedies EU has sought to address problems of rights enforcement and access to justice in consumer disputes. The EU Commission has set up a network of European Consumer Centres which offer free consumer ...

Agricultural Goods Trade

The CAP There are import and export controls and duties designed to maintain the single market in various agricultural products under the Common Agricultural Policy. CAP  controls and duties apply when goods enter or ...

Withdrawal Triggered

Article 50 Treaty on European Union Unlike the US Federal Constitution, withdrawal from the EU is a legal and political option. The irrevocability of state membership of the United States was effectively determined ...

Brexit and Employment Law

Background It has been claimed that over the years of EU membership that  EU employment and social legislation has been a drag on UK productivity. It is claimed that the UK’s international competitiveness could be ...

Atypical Worker Protection

Fixed Term Workers An EU directive establishes minimum requirements relating to fixed-term work. The purpose is to ensure equal treatment of workers and prevent abuse arising from successive employment contracts. The ...

Working Hours

Working Time The EU working time directives lay down general requirements in relation to the organization of working time. It deals with provisions of daily, weekly, rest, annual leave, night work and shift work. ...

White Paper on Withdrawal

Approach to Brexit The United Kingdom Government published its White Paper on Brexit and New Partnership with the European Union in February 2017. The White Paper points out that it is in no one’s interest for there ...

Information and Consultation

Terms of Employment The EU has enacted a number of directives designed to keep employees informed of basic information in respect of their employment. There is a directive which requires that employees be told ...

Employment Equality

Early Developments and Gender Pay The EU treaty provides the principle of equality of treatment in employment.  The provisions of equality have had a dramatic effect on employment equality through the European Union. ...

Withdrawal Negotiations

Initiation of Process On 29 June 2016, the EU heads of state/government in response to the referendum indicated that no negotiations could commence before Article 50 was triggered. In October 2016, the UK Prime ...

EU Basics

EU Mechanics Basics The EU is an international organisation comprised of 28 countries or member states with a population of over 500 million. It is an international institution conferred with powers by its member ...

Principles of EU Law

in EU Law
General Principles of EU Law General principles of European law are unwritten rules used and applied in the interpretation of European Union law.  They involve principles of justice and principles designed to protect ...

EU Laws

in EU Law
Treaties The European Union treatises are the constitution of the European Union and set out its powers and functions.  They are the primary source of law.  The Union must only act in accordance with the competences ...

Legal Action Against EU

in EU Law
Challenging Legality The EU treaty provides that the parties may claim in proceedings before the European courts that measures are invalid under the treaty for the reasons set out. The grounds for invalidity are as ...

Effect of EU Law

in EU Law
Overview Community law becomes part of national law through a number of mechanisms. In some legal systems, international treaties can become part of domestic law through a process of ratification.  In other states, ...

The Commission

The Institutions of the European Union The European Union treaties establish so-called supra-national institutions.  These are independent bodies with their own legal identity with set powers and competences.  Within ...

The Council

The Council The Council of the European Union or the Council is one of the most important bodies within the European Union.  The Council in conjunction with the European Parliament makes laws. The Council consists of ...

Favourable Customs Procedures

Duty Suspense and Relief There is a range of facilities provided by customs to enable duties and taxes on goods to be relieved or suspended for certain periods.  This would apply, for example, to goods being imported ...

Transit Procedures

Overview Custom transit procedures facilitate movement of both EU and non-EU goods between EU and EFTA States by removing border formalities and the requirement to pay tax at every frontier.  There are two similar ...

Development of the EU

The Composition of the European Union The European Union consists of 28 member state with nearly 500 million inhabitants.  Its member states account for over 30 percent of global output. The European Union has ...

European Parliament

Overview and Development The European Parliament was originally constituted as the Assembly of the European Community.  Its role has been progressively enhanced during the existence of the European Communities and ...

EU Law Making

Overview The law making bodies in the European Union are the Council and the European Parliament.  Originally the Council had complete law-making powers.  Over time, the Parliament’s role has grown so that many ...

Border Issues

Special Northern Ireland Issues in Negotiation The matter of the border between Ireland and Northern Ireland is complex and ambiguous. After Brexit, the internal Irish land border will be the EU-UK land border. The ...

The Repeal Act

The Great Repeal Bill A key element of Brexit is the removal of the principle of supremacy in EU Law. Once it is repealed and restated as national Law, EU derived law will no longer be based on an obligation to give ...

Northern Ireland’s Status

Northern Ireland and Devolution Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland have been separate legal jurisdictions since May 1921. Northern Ireland has also remained a separate jurisdiction from the rest of the ...

The Common Travel Area

The Common Travel Area The Common Travel Area did not formally involve aligned immigration rules. However, it involved sufficient alignment and continuing cooperation between the immigration authorities of Ireland ...

Ukraine DCFTA

Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreements The European neighbourhood policy seeks to provide comprehensive agreements with countries which politically are not in the position to join the EU whether for ...
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