Dimitri Spieker's new book "EU Values Before the Court of Justice. Foundations, Potential, Risks" has been published with Oxford University Press. The book is based on his dissertation which he completed between 2018 and 2021 under the supervision of Armin von Bogdandy.

The European Union's values - enshrined in Article 2 TEU - have come under severe pressure in several Member States. In response, the Court of Justice has set a spectacular development in motion. With its ruling in Associação Sindical dos Juízes Portugueses it activated the Union's common values and positioned Article 2 TEU at the very heart of its jurisprudence. Since then, the jurisprudence has evolved with remarkable speed.​​​​​​​

 

EU Values Before the Court of Justice provides a first comprehensive study of the judicial mobilisation of Article 2 TEU. It starts by developing the foundations of this emerging jurisprudence in empirical, doctrinal, and theoretical terms. In this book, Spieker seeks to advance a new understanding of Article 2. He argues that the provision should be understood as having a dual character that resonates between two dimensions, namely an EU dimension limited to the EU legal order and a 'Verbund' dimension that extends to the common whole of the Union and its Member States. Article 2 plays different roles in these two spheres - as thick constitutional core of the EU legal order and as thin constitutional frame for the 'Verbund'. This dual character should guide the provision's future judicial development.

The book sets out to explore the multifaceted potential of Article 2 TEU in each of these two dimensions. As such, it goes far beyond the current focus on illiberal developments in Member States and strives to broaden our horizon for the judicial mobilisation of EU values. The book closes by assessing the risks of placing an activated Article 2 into the hands of Luxembourg judges and proposes ways to recalibrate the jurisprudence.

 

For more details, see here. The book is also available on Oxford Academic, click here.

 

What critics say:

"Spieker's work is a comprehensive, well-thought out, and highly innovative legal analysis of the EU values provided in Article 2 TEU." - Takis Tridimas, Professor of European Law, King's College London & Nancy A. Patterson Distinguished Scholar, Penn State Law

"The book offers a profound analysis of and precise methodology for the CJEU's application of Article 2 TEU. One of its most remarkable innovations is the concept of "mutual amplification", which captures the Court's approach in a succint and original way." - Juliane Kokott, Advocate General, Court of Justice of the European Union

"An impressive piece of scholarship, which is both scientifically sound, compellingly argued, and elegantly written. The book is an invaluable source of inspiration for future discussions on (and application of) Article 2 TEU." - Christophe Hillion, Professor of European law, University of Oslo; Editor of the Common Market Law Review

"What is the constitutional 'value' of Article 2 TEU protecting the foundational 'values' of the Union? This new monograph offers a brilliant and comprehensive analysis of this complex issue. It not only examines the jurisprudence of the Court with great technical skill, but also explores the broader constitutional questions that a 'tyranny of values' might pose for the federal balance and the separation of powers in the European Union." - Robert Schütze, Durham University and Luiss (Rome)

"This is a brilliant monograph analysing the functions of Article 2 TEU and exploring its potential. The book makes a significant contribution to current debates on the role of values in (EU) law and the nature of the EU legal order. A must read for European and constitutional lawyers and a very enjoyable one indeed!" - Anastasia Iliopoulou-Penot, Professor, Université Panthéon-Assas (Paris 2)