The European Union is founded upon the values enshrined in Article 2 TEU. In the past decade, it has become ever clearer that this commitment is far more than a symbolic statement. Since the Court’s judgment of 21 April 2026 in Commission v. Hungary, the role, enforceability and impact of Article 2 TEU have become the subject of intense debate. However, the influence of the Union’s values transcends the possibility of bringing an infringement procedure with Article 2 TEU as the sole legal basis. Through their concretisation in binding legal obligations or guiding principles, EU values permeate the EU legal order far beyond the justiciability of their Treaty basis. This collection explores how this concretisation of EU values transpires in specific areas of EU law.
Inspired by the question ‘A Union of Values: Quo Vadis?’, the contributions within the collection approach the impact and application of EU values in specific areas from four distinct angles: Brexit, judicial independence, asylum law and tax law. By delving deeper into how the values have shaped these specific areas of EU law, as well as how they can guide their future development, the contributions offer a broader perspective on what it means to have a Union of values in practice.
In light of the topicality and fundamental relevance of the EU values, and the collection’s exploration of those values through specific areas of EU law, the collection will appeal not only to academics, but also to legal practitioners and students who wish to understand the impact of the EU values within their specific field of interest.
