ODKAZ SÚDNEHO DVORA EÚ VNÚTROŠTÁTNYM SÚDOM O APLIKOVATEĽNOSTI A PÔSOBNOSTI CHARTY ZÁKLADNÝCH PRÁV EÚ: ROZSUDKY VO VECIACH ÅKLAGAREN FRANSSON A MELLONI

The article intends to contribute to the theoretical and practical debates concerning the scope of application of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union (hereafter „the Charter“) in relation to the recent judgments of the Court of Justice in the cases Åklagaren Fransson and Melloni. An analysis of these judgments is concentrated on the interpretation of the general provisions of the Charter, namely of Articles 51, 52 and 53. The key element of the application of the Charter within the Member States is a proper interprreation of Article 51 paragraph 1 which uses, regarding to the Member States, the term: only when they are implementing the EU law. The interpretation of that Article in the recent case law goes visibly beyond its mere wording since the Court of Justice wants to connect the application of the Charter with its previous case law on the general principles. The authors deal also with the levels of protection of fundamental rights in interaction between the Charter and national constitutions and the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms. The conclusions of the treatise should open the door for further research of the question of applicability of the Charter within the Member States.