Translation of "Imperative law " (English → French) :

8. Member States may exempt individual installations from being required, by the authorisation and permit criteria referred to in paragraph 7, to implement options whose benefits exceed their costs, if there are imperative reasons of law, ownership or finance for so doing.

J. whereas, notwithstanding this, with the Union's accession to the ECHR, the Union may over time have to find a common yardstick in cross-border cases relating to the freedoms to supply goods and services as a result of the ‘dialectical development’ looked forward to by Advocate General Mancini in the Bond van Adverteerders case, having regard also to the judgments in Elliniki Radiofonia Tileorasi and Society for the Protection of Unborn Children Ireland Ltd and Advocate General Jacobs' opinion in Christos Konstantinidis ; indeed, in the case Society for the Protection of Unborn Children Ireland Ltd , Advocate General Van Gerven put forward the proposition that ‘a national rule which in order to show that it is compatible with [Union] la ...[+++]w has to rely on legal concepts, such as imperative requirements of public interest or public policy .falls ’within the scope' of [Union] law' on the ground that, although the Member States have some discretion in defining the public interest or public policy concepts, the scope of those concepts in the case of measures falling within the scope of Union law is nevertheless subject to Union control and they have to be ‘justified and delimited in a uniform manner for the whole [Union] under [Union] law and therefore taking into account the general principles in regard to fundamental rights and freedoms’;

J. whereas, notwithstanding this, with the Union's accession to the ECHR, the Union may over time have to find a common yardstick in cross-border cases relating to the freedoms to supply goods and services as a result of the "dialectical development" looked forward to by Advocate General Mancini in the Bond van Adverteerders case, having regard also to the judgments in Elliniki Radiofonia Tileorasi and Society for the Protection of Unborn Children Ireland Ltd and Advocate General Jacobs’ opinion in Christos Konstantinidis; indeed, in the case Society for the Protection of Unborn Children Ireland Ltd, Advocate General Van Gerven put forward the proposition that "a national rule which in order to show that it is compatible with [Union] law h ...[+++]as to rely on legal concepts, such as imperative requirements of public interest or public policy .falls 'within the scope' of [Union] law" on the ground that, although the Member States have some discretion in defining the public interest or public policy concepts, the scope of those concepts in the case of measures falling within the scope of Union law is nevertheless subject to Union control and they have to be "justified and delimited in a uniform manner for the whole [Union] under [Union] law and therefore taking into account the general principles in regard to fundamental rights and freedoms";

2. Is of the opinion that soft law cannot, on the other hand, replace formal law; notes that soft law appears at first sight to be legally non-binding, but can give rise to a ‘political commitment’ that can even assume the character of a legally binding obligation; considers that democracy and the imperative of the rule of law therefore require the legislature, Parliament and the Council, to be involved whenever obligations are to be imposed on individuals; considers that the parties concerned should likewise not be deprived of the legal protection afforded by the Court of Justice; calls on the Commission to consult with Parliament o ...[+++]n how Parliament may be consulted before soft law instruments are adopted, in order to enable proposed soft law measures to be scrutinised and to avoid any misuse of powers on the part of the executive;

We are in favour of measures if they respect the interests and equal rights of the people and companies that operate in the area in question. But it is absolutely imperative that contractual law be upheld, both now and in the future.

I am of the view that it is imperative for any report on the application of Community law to incorporate the Committee on Petitions’ conclusions, as this committee plays such a key role in ensuring Member States apply Community law.