As citizens of an EU Member State, we expect to be able to live under fair conditions. Linked to this expectation is the idea that every person should be treated, supported and challenged in accordance with their abilities.As citizens of an EU member state, we expect to live in just conditions. This expectation is linked to the idea that every person is treated, supported, and challenged according to their abilities.
However, one of the constitutionally guaranteed principles underpinning coexistence in the EU is that all people are equal before the law. Does this not give rise to a contradiction – a contradiction between justice and the law? A contradiction such as that depicted in this cartoon…
The European Union resolves this dilemma by establishing rules that are binding on all its member states – whilst allowing these rules to be implemented at national level. This creates a European legal area that is fundamentally robust yet flexible – the best guarantee of the greatest possible fairness in a united Europe.