On December 5, the European Court of Justice will hear pleadings in a case brought by the Commission against a Council decision on common foreign and security policy. The Commission contests the legality of the Council’s decision to contribute to ECOWAS (the Economic Community of West African States) through the Moratorium on Small Arms and Light Weapons. According to the Commission, the Council has infringed the European Community’s powers in the field of development aid. For more information see here.
ECJ to Rule on Interpretation and Application of TRIPS
On November 28, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) will hold hearings in Merck Genéricos Produtos Farmacêuticos addressing the issues of the ECJ’s competence to interpret Article 33 of the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) and whether its interpretation will have direct effect on litigation pending in the national courts. More information available here.