The EU Court's Use of International Law in the Engagement with Disputed Territories: A Consistent Approach?

Abstract

The EU could currently be described as one of the largest international legal entities with, previously unprecedented, legal competences originating from public international law (PIL). Both the European and international legal landscapes have changed and evolved in terms of nature, as well as their national and international competences in relation to each other. The relationship between these two legal systems has therefore also received increasing attention in recent years, most likely due to their unique interaction. In terms of the EU’s global influence, it undoubtedly played a role in reshaping the idea of international organizations, but were they influential towards each other in other ways? The aim of the present article is to assess to what extent and how the Court of Justice of the European Union’s (CJEU) takes international law into account when ruling on questions regarding international agreements with third countries concerning disputed territories.