By Sebastian Lukic

Pursuant to Article 267 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (“TFEU“), the Court of Justice of the European Union (“CJEU“) shall give preliminary rulings, at the request of courts or tribunals of the Member States, on the interpretation of Union law or the validity of acts adopted by the institutions.

The procedure in Article 67 TFEU operates as the keystone to ensure coherence and unity in the interpretation and application of EU law; a fundamental mechanism of the EU legal system. Indeed, the preliminary reference procedure has been regarded as the “jewel in the crown” of the CJEU’s jurisdiction.