What are the limits of the European Union's energy emergency law?

Jakie są ograniczenia unijnego prawa dotyczącego sytuacji nadzwyczajnych w sektorze energetycznym?

Sudden and difficult-to-predict events, such as the financial crisis, COVID-19, and the war in Ukraine, made it necessary for Member States as well as EU institutions to counter them. The legal system proved unprepared and it was necessary to resort to special emergency law procedures, which have existed since the beginning of the EU, but were rarely used. The legal framework points out conditions that should be considered (emergency, temporary nature and solidarity). This raises questions – which this article seeks to answer – of the limits to the application of the EU emergency law in the energy sector, particularly in connection with the Lisbon Treaty's creation of a separate EU energy policy.

Nagłe i trudne do przewidzenia wydarzenia, takie jak kryzys finansowy, pandemia COVID-19 oraz wojna w Ukrainie, wymusiły konieczność podjęcia działań przez państwa członkowskie oraz instytucje UE. System prawny okazał się nieprzygotowany, co sprawiło, że konieczne stało się odwołanie do specjalnych procedur prawnych dotyczących sytuacji nadzwyczajnych, które istniały od początku istnienia UE, lecz były rzadko stosowane. Ramy prawne wskazują na warunki, które powinny być brane pod uwagę (stan nadzwyczajny, tymczasowy charakter oraz solidarność). To rodzi pytania – na które niniejszy artykuł stara się odpowiedzieć – o granice stosowania prawa nadzwyczajnego UE w sektorze energetycznym, zwłaszcza w kontekście ustanowienia odrębnej polityki energetycznej UE na mocy Traktatu z Lizbony.

References/Bibliografia

Barcz, M., Mik, C., & Nowak-Far, A. (2003). Ocena Traktatu Konstytucyjnego: wyzwania dla Polski. Instytut Spraw Publicznych.

Barnard, C. (2006). Solidarity and New Governance in Social Policy. In: G. de Burca, & J. Scott (Eds.), Law and New Governance in the EU and the US. Hart Publishing.

Bastos, F. B., & de Ruijter, A. (2019). Break or Bend in Case of Emergency? Rule of Law and State of Emergency in European Public Health Administration. Amsterdam Law School Research Paper No. 2019–38, Amsterdam Centre for European Law and Governance Research Paper No. 2019–07. http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3489240

Beukers, T. (2015). Legal writing(s) on the eurozone crisis. EUI Working Papers, (2015/11), 19–39.

Biondi, A., Dagilyte, E., & Küçük E. (Eds). (2018). The solidarity in EU Law. Legal principle in the making. Edward Elgar.

Braun, J. F. (2011). EU Energy Policy under the Treaty of Lisbon Rules: Between a new policy and business as usual. Politics and Institutions. EPIN Working Papers, (31).

Carreau, D. (1992). Chaptitre 2. La Politique de Conjoncture. Commentaire. In: V. Constantinesco, J.-P. Jacqué, R. Kovar, & D. Simon, Traité instituant la CEE (commentaire article par article) (595–599). Centre D'etudes Internationales Et Europeennes.

Ciornei, I., & Recchi, E. (2017). At the source of European solidarity: Assessing the effects of cross-border practices and political attitudes. Journal of Common Market Studies, 55(3). https://doi.org/10.1111/jcms.12507

Dagilyte, E. (2018). Solidarity: A general principle of EU law? Two variations on the solidarity theme. In: A. Biondi, E. Dagilyte, & E. Küçük (Eds), The solidarity in EU Law. Legal principle in the making. Edward Elgar.

Dyzenhaus, D. (2008). The compulsion of legality. In: V. Ramraj (Ed.), Emergencies and the limits of legality. Cambridge University Press.

Egner, B., Heinelt, H., & Steffek, J. (2024). How Europeans understand solidarity, reciprocity and fairness in the EU. Insights from conversations among citizens. Routledge.

Fossum, J. E., & Menéndez, A. (Eds.). (2014). The European Union in crises or the European Union as crises? ARENA Report No 2/14.

de Gregorio Merino, A. (2023). Follow the money, follow the value. In: R. Weber (Ed.) The financial constitution of European integration. Follow the money? Hart Publishing.

Gross, O. (2008). Extra-legality and the ethic of political responsibility. In: V. Ramraj (Ed.), Emergencies and the limits of legality (60–93). Cambridge University Press.

Hilpold, P. (2015). Understanding solidarity within EU law: An analysis of the "islands of solidarity" with particular regard to monetary union. Yearbook of European Law, 34. 257–285. http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2599725

Hinarejos, A. (2015). The Euro Area crisis in constitutional perspective. Oxford University Press.

Huhta, K., & Reins, L. (2023). Solidarity in European Union law and its application in the energy sector. International and Comparative Law Quarterly, 73(3), 771–791. https://doi.org/10.1017/S002058932300026X

Klamert, M. (2014). The principle of loyalty in EU law. Oxford University Press.

Kotzur, M. (2017). Solidarity as a legal concept. In: A. Grimmel, & M. Giang (Eds.), Solidarity in the European Union. A fundamental value in crisis (37–45). Springer.

Küçük, E. (2018). Solidarity in EU law: An elusive political statement or a legal principle with substance? In: A. Biondi, E. Dagilyte, & E. Küçük (Eds), The solidarity in EU law. Legal principle in the making. Edward Elgar.

Leino-Sandberg, P., & Ruffert, M. (2022). Next generation EU and its constitutional ramifications: A critical assessment. Common Market Law Review, 59(2), 433–472. https://kluwerlawonline.com/journalarticle/Common+Market+Law+Review/59.2/COLA2022031

Léger, P. (Ed.). (2000). Commentaire article par article des traités UN et CE. Dalloz.

Martucci, F. (2010). Article 100 CE. In: I. Pingel (Ed.), De Rome a Lisbonne. Commentaire article par article des traités UN et CE (757–856). Dalloz.

Nicolosi, S. F. (2021). Addressing a crisis through law: EU emergency legislation and its limits in the field of asylum. Utrecht Law Review, 17(4), 19–30. https://doi.org/10.36633/ulr.776

Nowak-Far, A. (2009). Artykuł 100. in: A. Wróbel (Ed.), Traktat ustanawiający Wspólnotę Europejską. Komentarz. Tom II (697–762). Wolters Kluwer.

Nowak-Far, A. (2012). Komentarz do art. 122. In: A. Wróbel, K. Kowalik-Bańczyk, & M. Szwarc-Kuczer (red.), Traktat o funkcjonowaniu Unii Europejskiej. Komentarz. Tom III. Lex. A Wolters Kluwer business.

Rodríguez, P. M. (2016). A missing piece of European Emergency Law: Legal certainty and individuals' expectations in the EU response to the crisis. European Constitutional Law Review, 12(2), 265–293. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1574019616000158

Rosamond, B. (2000). Theories of European Integration. Palgrave Macmillan.

Ross, M. (2007). Promoting solidarity: From public service to a European model of competition? Common Market Law Review, 44(4), 1057–1080. https://doi.org/10.54648/COLA2007089

Ross, M. (2010). Solidarity: A new constitutional paradigm for the EU? In: M. Ross, & Y. Borgmann-Prebil (Eds), Promoting solidarity in the European Union (23–45). Oxford University Press.

Ross, M. (2013). SSGIs and solidarity: Constitutive elements of the EU's social market economy? In: U. Neergaard et al. (Eds), Social services of general interest in the EU. TMC Asser Press.

Sánchez-Bordon, C. (2021). Opinion of Advocate General on 18 March 2021 in Case C-848/19P, ECLI:EU:C:2021:218.

Saracino, D. (2024). Understanding solidarity in the European Union: An analytical framework. Theory and Society. 53, 1093–1118. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11186-024-09566-3

Sangiovanni, A. (2013). Solidarity in the European Union. Oxford Journal of Legal Studies 33(2), 213–241. https://doi.org/10.1093/ojls/gqs033

Seabrooke, L., & Tsingou, E. (2019). Europe's fast and slow-burning crises. Journal of European Public Policy, 26, 468–481. https://doi.org/10.1080/13501763.2018.1446456

Storr, S., & Wallner, J. (2023). Eu emergency measures in energy law – opportunities and challenges of a new legal instrument. Acta Universitatis Wratislaviensis, (4187), 163–183. https://doi.org/10.19195/0524-4544.337.13

Tsourdi, E. (2019). Solidarity in EU asylum policy: From an emergency-driven approach to the fair sharing of responsibility. Challenge Europe, 24, 85–92.

de Witte, B. (2010). Institutional principles: A special category of general principles of EC law. In: U. Bernitz, J. Nergelius, & C. Cardner (Eds), General principles of European Community Law. Kluwer Law International.

de Witte, B. (2022). EU emergency law and its impact on the EU legal order. Common Market Law Review, 59(1), 3–18. https://doi.org/10.54648/cola2022002

Zajdler, R. (2024). The notion of energy solidarity in EU law. Conclusions of the CJEU judgement in the OPAL case, C-848/19P. Przegląd Ustawodawstwa Gospodarczego, (2), 2–7. https://doi.org/10.33226/0137-5490.2024.2.1