The European Court of Justice (ECJ) aims to ensure that EU legislation is interpreted and applied in the same way across the European Union.
A Court of First Instance was created in 1989 to hear certain types of case (particularly those involving private individuals) in order to share the workload of ‘the Court’. The ECJ gives rulings on cases brought before it.
The ECJ has one judge per Member State and 8 advocates-general. Their role is to present reasoned opinions on the cases brought before the Court. They must do so publicly and impartially. They are appointed by the governments of the Member States for a period of six years.
The national courts in each EU country are responsible for ensuring that EU law is properly applied in that country. AGE monitors relevant ECJ rulings and let its members know across the EU as this may have an impact on the way national courts take decisions.
