How to protect the fundamental rights of own citizens in the situation of the EU law predominance? Some reflection based on the case law of FCC and EU court of justice concerning the European Arrest Warrant (EAW)

Abstract

The decision of the German Federal Constitutional Court of December 14, 2015 in the Identitätskontrolle case is crucial for understanding the limits of the possibility to protect national fundamental rights in the European Union. FCC de facto carried out a review of compliance with the obligation under European Union law to unconditionally execute the European Arrest Warrant (EAW) with constitutional guarantees to protect the right to dignity, but ultimately concluded that constitutional guarantees essentially coincide with the EU provisions. When issuing its ruling, although it was clearly different from the EU CJ case law on EAW, the FCC stated that there is no need to ask a question for a preliminary ruling. In spite of this, the ruling clearly influenced the subsequent development of the EU CJ case law, above all, the Aranyosi and Căldăraru cases. Moreover, it seems that it has also significantly influenced the further dynamics of relations between national constitutional courts and the EU CJ in the field of protection of fundamental rights. It can even be said that it is crucial for understanding the dynamics of the process of a judicial dialogue within the EU.