Directives in EC Law [Hardcover]

This fully revised and updated new edition offers a detailed exposition of EC Directives, individual rights, and the protection of those rights in national courts. Throughout the text, the author's empirical argument is enriched by discussion of doctrine and theory. In an updated conclusion, the prospects of Directives in the future and in the light of the nascent European Constitution are discussed. The result is an extensive and in-depth analysis of Directives, the case-law of the ECJ, and legal writing on the topic, which also engages with the more practical issues of implementation and enforcement in the courts.


1. Introduction
2. Directives as binding instruments of legislative action
3. On the Content of Directives
4. The Addressees of Directives
5. Implementation of Directives
6. Directives as a Part of the National Legal Order
7. The Role of National Courts
8. Consistent Interpretation
9. Direct Effect of Directives
10. Liability of the State in Cases of Inadequate Implementation of Directives
11. Drawing the Lines Together

Sacha Prechalis Professor of International and European Institutional Law, University of Utrecht Faculty of Law.