Abstract
In Case C-376/98 Germany v Council the European Court of Justice annulled a Directive which banned the advertisement and sponsorship of tobacco. The judgment sanctions regulatory policy-making at the national rather than the Community level. The paper examines the legal basis of the annulment, its effect on economic efficiency and the implied role of the Court in the formulation of public policy in Europe. Within the institutional limits of the judicial power to determine policy, the Court focused on whether or not disparate national laws restrict free movement and distort competition and affirmed the primacy of the nation state to regulate economic activity.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Barents, R. (1993). “The Internal Market Unlimited: Some Observations on the Legal Basis of Community Legislation.”Common Market Law Review. 30, 85–108.
Bednar, J., Ferejohn, J., & Garrett, G. (1996). “The Politics of European Federalism.”International Review of Law and Economics. 16, 279–294.
Commission of the European Communities (1992). Stable Money-SoundFinances, European Economy, Luxembourg.
Cooter, R. D. & Drexl, J. (1994). “The Logic of Power in the Emerging EuropeanConstitution: Game Theory and the Division of Powers.” International Review of Law and Economics. 14, 307–326.
Ferejohn, J. A. & Weingast, B. R. (1992). “A Positive Theory of Statutory Interpretation.” International Review of Law and Economics. 12, 263–279.
Frey, B. S. & Eichenberger, R. (1996). “FOCJ: Competitive Governments for Europe.” International Review of Law and Economics. 16,315–327.
Gely, R. & Spiller, P. T. (1990). “A Rational Choice Theory of Supreme Court Statutory Decision with Applications to the StateFarm and Grove City Cases.” Journal of Law, Economics and Organization. 6, 277–300.
Inman, R. P. & Rubinfeld, D. L. (1992).“Fiscal Federalism in Europe.” European Economic Review. 46, 654–660.
Inman, R. P. & Rubinfeld, D. L. (1997). “ThePolitical Economy of Federalism.” In D. C. Mueller (ed.), Perspectives on Public Choice. A Handbook, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, pp. 73–105.
Khana, D. (2001). “The Defeat of the European Tobacco Advertising Directive: A Blow for Health.” Yearbook ofEuropean Law. 20, 113–138.
Mancini, G. F. (1991). “Institutional Change in Europe in the 1980s.” In R. O. Keohane & S. Hoffmann (eds.), The New European Community. Decision Making and Institutional Change, Boulder, CO: Westview, pp. 177–194.
Mattli, W. & Slaughter, A.-M. (1998). “Revisiting the European Court of Justice.” International Organization. 52, 177–209.
McNollGast (McCubbins, M., Noll, R. G., & Weingast, B. R.). (1990). “Positive and Normative Models of Procedural Rights: An Integrative Approach to Administrative Procedures.” Journal of Law, Economics and Organization. 6,Special Issue, 307–332.
Pollack, M. A.(1997). “Delegation, Agency, and Agenda Setting in the European Community.” International Organization. 51, 99–134.
Rubinfeld, D. L. (1987). “The Economics of the Local Public Sector.” In A. J. Auerbach & M. Feldstein (eds.), Handbook of PublicEconomics, vol. II, North Holland, pp. 571–645.
Tridimas, T. (1999). The General Principles of EC Law, Oxford: OxfordUniversity Press.
Tridimas, T. (2001). “Judicial Review and the Community Judicature; Towards a New European Constitutionalism?” InJ. Wouters & J. Stuyck (eds.), Principles of Proper Conduct for Supranational, State and Private Actors in the EU. Essays in honour of Walter Van Gerven, Intersentia, pp. 71–83.
Tsebelis, G. & Garrett, G. (2000). “Legislative Politics in the European Union.” European UnionPolitics. 1, 9–36.
Van den Bergh, R. (1996). “Economic Criteria for Applying the Subsidiarity Principle in the European Community:The Case of Competition Policy.” International Review of Law and Economics. 16, 363–383.
Van den Bergh, R. (2000). “Towardsan Institutional Legal Framework for Regulatory Competition in Europe.” Kyklos. 53, 435–466.
Weiler, Joseph, H. H. (1999). TheConstitution of Europe, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Tridimas, G., Tridimas, T. The European Court of Justice and the Annulment of the Tobacco Advertisement Directive: Friend of National Sovereignty or Foe of Public Health?. European Journal of Law and Economics 14, 171–183 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1016558909557
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1016558909557