Appraisal of the Current Situation and Future Prospects

This chapter describes the characteristics of the ECJ appeal system, distinguishing it from comparable judicial remedies in national legal systems. One distinguishing feature is that it is a new remedy, created with a few rules that were not always clear. Lawyers working for the Court or pleading before it are not specialised in appeals and are influenced by national laws. Referral of a case back to the same judges as those who decided the quashed judgment is a possibility absent in many national systems. Judgments of the EU Courts have a specific style and content. The interpretation of EU law seems sometimes more important than a limited resolution of a dispute. The second section recalls the objectives underlying the creation of the Court of First Instance (General Court/GCEU) and assesses whether those objectives have been met as regards the ECJ’s caseload and the judicial protection of individuals.