Carl Baudenbacher – författare

This book is about law, but it is not a law book. It is aimed at all interested contemporaries, lawyers and non-lawyers alike. Richly seasoned with personal memories and anecdotes, it offers unique insights into how European courts actually work.

It is generally assumed that independence is part and parcel of the role and function of a judge. Nevertheless, European judges sometimes face difficulties in this regard. Owing to their being nominated by a government, their limited term of appointment, and the possibility of being reappointed or not, their judicial independence can be jeopardized. Certain governments have a track record of choosing candidates who they believe they can keep on a leash. When this happens, private parties are at risk of losing out.

The EFTA Court is under even more pressure, since the EEA/EFTA states Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway essentially constitute a pond with one big fish (Norway) and two minnows. For quite some time now, certain Norwegian protagonists have sought to effectively transform the EEA into a bilateral agreement with the EU. This attitude has led to political implications that have affected the author himself.

Since EEA Single Market law is economic law, the importance of economics, an often-overlooked aspect, is also addressed. In closing, the book explores Switzerland’s complicated relationship with, and Britain’s impending departure from, the EU. In this regard, it argues that the EFTA pillar should be expanded into a second European structure under British leadership and with Swiss participation.

This Handbook comprehensively addresses the breadth of law encompassed by the EEA Agreement, which extends the European Union’s Single Market to three EFTA countries: Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway.

The Handbook is first and foremost intended for practitioners and legal scholars, but its approachable style makes it readily accessible for students. The Handbook provides the reader with a thorough grounding in the EEA Agreement, detailing how secondary EU law becomes applicable in the EFTA pillar, and the roles played by the EFTA Surveillance Authority and the EFTA Court. It considers the EEA Agreement from the respective perspectives of the national authorities, courts, and the legal professions of Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway. The book meticulously examines substantive EEA law, beginning with the general principles and the four freedoms, through competition law and State aid to such aspects as the precautionary principle, tax law and mutual administrative and legal assistance. Emphasis is placed on jurisprudence and especially that of the EFTA Court.

Each chapter has been written by a judge, noted practitioner or eminent academic in their respective fields and the book is divided into twelve parts:

This book features eleven contributions on the fundamental principles of EEA law: legislative and judicial homogeneity, reciprocity, prosperity, priority, authority, loyalty, proportionality, equality, liability and sovereignty. Written by EFTA Court and national judges, high EFTA officials, private practitioners and scholars, it raises awareness of EEA law and provides insights for EEA and EU law practitioners and researchers. It focuses on the principles at the core of EEA law, some of which are common to EU and EEA law, while others have a specific place in EEA law and some ensure consistency between the EEA Agreement and the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union. It is the only book to focus on the fundamental principles of EEA law.

The present book is a comprehensive survey of the rules and regulations relating to State aid in the European Union and their role in the overall competition policy of the EU. It examines the provisions and implications of articles 92 and 93 and covers both the substantive law as well as the procedural questions. Despite severe criticism, the rules on State aid have been adopted in the EEA Agreement and the association agreements between the EU and the countries of Central and Eastern Europe and have been incorporated in the WTO Agreement on subsidies and equalization measures. This work aims to provide a useful introduction to practitioners and academics who may have limited experience in dealing with matters of State aid.