“Fluctuations” in the understanding of values are a challenge and a threat to the European Union, stated EU Court Judge Ineta Ziemele in an interview for the Latvian Television program “Morning Panorama,” LETA reports.
In response to a question about the main threats she faces as a judge of the EU Court, Ziemele pointed to instances where the understanding of values among EU member states is not as unified as one would hope.
“ This common legal space, within which our citizens, businesses, and capital can move freely across a fairly large territory, requires that the understanding of values underlying this legal system be unified,” she emphasized, citing values related to the independence of the judiciary.
“At the moment when this understanding of values begins to ‘wobble’ in any given country, it becomes a challenge and a serious threat to the European Union,” Ziemele stated.
The judge also noted that it is the task of Latvian lawyers to know EU law seriously and deeply. According to her, 20 years in this legal space is ‘nothing’ compared to how it has developed over more than 70 years. “We still have quite a serious job ahead of us to truly feel confident in this legal space,” she said.
Ziemele emphasized that it is important not to be afraid to refer to the EU Court with preliminary questions when there is uncertainty in the application of a specific EU legal norm.
She also reported that next week the Grand Chamber of the EU Court will consider a case from Latvia that has come from the Constitutional Court. According to her, the case relates to a critically important element in Latvian constitutional law and how it may be affected in connection with procedural issues of the European Central Bank.
