Taking stock of the Court of Justice of the European Union architecture: assessment and prospects of the General Court reform. (RI §424668)  

La arquitectura del Tribunal de Justicia de la Unión Europea a debate: balance y perspectivas de la reforma del Tribunal General - José Martín Pérez de Nanclares

Los Reglamentos (UE, Euratom) 2015/2422, 2016/1992 y 2019/629 del Parlamento Europeo y del Consejo, de 16 de diciembre de 2015, 6 de julio de 2016 y 17 de abril de 2019, respectivamente (DO L 341, de 24 de diciembre de 2015, L 200 de 26 de julio de 2016 y L 111 de 25 de abril de 2019) han supuesto una reforma importante del Tribunal General de la UE. Introdujeron medidas de naturaleza organizativa, estructural y procedimental, incluida la duplicación del número de jueces y la extinción del Tribunal de la Función Pública. La reforma se materializó de manera progresiva, en tres fases, que concluyeron en septiembre de 2019 y está siendo en la actualidad objeto de evaluación. Dichas reformas no suponen un punto final, sino que se insertan más bien dentro de un proceso aún abierto de adaptación de la arquitectura judicial de la UE. Este trabajo hace un balance razonablemente positivo de los resultados a la luz de las causas concretas que motivaron la reforma (la duración excesiva de los procedimientos y el número de asuntos pendientes), si bien se muestran elementos que reclaman aún una mejora. Analiza igualmente las medidas complementarias adoptadas por el Tribunal General encaminadas a mejorar la eficiencia de su funcionamiento. Finalmente, se realizan algunas propuestas de lege ferenda, entre las que se incluye medidas en relación con la regulación de la casación o la posible transferencia al Tribunal General por parte del Tribunal de Justicia de determinadas cuestiones prejudiciales.

Palabras clave: Tribunal General de la Unión Europea; Tribunal de Justicia de la Unión Europea; sistema judicial UE; Reglamento 2015/2422; reforma del Tribunal General; transferencia de competencias judiciales; cuestiones prejudiciales; eficiencia; coherencia.;

Regulations (EU, Euratom) 2015/2422, 2016/1192 and 2019/629 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 December 2015, of 6 July 2016 and 17 April 2019 (OJ L 341 of 24 December 2015, OJ L 200 of 26 July 2016 and OJ L 111 of 25 April 2019) entailed a major reform of the General Court of the EU. They introduced measures of an organisational, structural and procedural nature, including the doubling of the number of judges and the abolition of the Civil Service Tribunal. The reform was implemented progressively, in three phases, which were completed in September 2019 and are currently under evaluation. These reforms do not represent an end point, but are rather part of a still open process of adaptation of the EU's judicial architecture. This work makes a reasonably positive assessment of the results in the light of the specific causes that led to the reform (the excessive length of proceedings and the number of pending cases), although it shows elements that still need to be improved. It also analyses the complementary measures taken by the General Court to improve the efficiency of its functioning. Finally, it makes some lege ferenda proposals, including measures relating to the regulation of cassation or the possible transfer of certain preliminary rulings by the Court of Justice to the General Court.

I GENERAL ASPECTS: THE UNION'S JUDICIAL ARCHITECTURE UNDER DEBATE. II. THE GENERAL COURT REFORM PROCESS: RATIONALE AND SCOPE OF THE REFORM. 1. The rationale of the reform: increase of pending cases and duration of proceedings. 2. Scope of the reform: the doubling of the number of General Court judges. III. TIME TO TAKE STOCK: REASONS FOR A REASONABLY POSITIVE ASSESSMENT. 1. Assessment under the scope of the specific causes leading to Regulation 2015/2422: a positive assessment, but there is room for improvement; a) The duration of the proceedings; b) Number of pending cases before the General Court. 2. Assessment of the Court’s own complementary measures: some structural changes and other measures to make better use of resources; a) Some additional structural changes; b) Other measures for the improvement of the efficiency of the General Court. IV. FINAL CONSIDERATIONS: SOME OUTSTANDING ISSUES FOR DISCUSSION.

Keywords: General Court of the European Union; Court of Justice of the European Union; EU judicial system; Regulation 2015/2422; reform of the General Court; transfer of judicial powers; preliminary references; efficiency; coherence.;