Property and European Integration: Dimensions of Article 345 TFEU

Tidskrift utgiven av Juridiska Föreningen i Finland, 2012 148:3.

Helsinki Legal Studies Research Paper No. 17

25 Pages Posted: 1 Mar 2012 Last revised: 13 Aug 2015

See all articles by Fernando Losada Fraga

Fernando Losada Fraga

University of Helsinki, Centre of Excellence in Foundations of European Law and Polity

Teemu Juutilainen

University of Helsinki

Katri Havu

University of Helsinki

Juha Vesala

University of Lapland; University of Helsinki - Faculty of Law

Date Written: February 29, 2012

Abstract

The relevance of the concept of property for European integration is recognised in a treaty provision whose origin can be traced back to the Schuman Declaration and the Treaty establishing the European Coal and Steel Community. Its present wording is found in Article 345 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU): “The Treaties shall in no way prejudice the rules in Member States governing the system of property ownership.” However, the provision leaves several fundamental questions unanswered. For example, does it establish a division of competences between the European Union and the Member States? If so, what competences does it concern and how are they divided? Is it to be interpreted differently in different contexts? Does it affect the prospects for developing a European property law or other property-related law at European Union level? Moreover, different viewpoints, such as those of integration history and the various property-related fields of law reveal different dimensions of Article 345 TFEU, for example the functions the provision is perceived to serve.

This article examines the provision of Article 345 TFEU from four perspectives. First, the provision is explored in the light of the early stages of European integration and multilingualism. Second, the provision is reviewed with respect to unification and harmonisation efforts in the field of property law. Third, the relation of the provision to competition law is explained. Fourth, the provision is examined at the intersection of competition law and the law of intellectual property.

Keywords: Property, European integration, Article 345 TFEU, interpretation of the Treaties, internal market, property law, harmonisation, unification, competition law, intellectual property

Suggested Citation

Losada Fraga, Fernando and Juutilainen, Teemu and Havu, Katri and Vesala, Juha and Vesala, Juha, Property and European Integration: Dimensions of Article 345 TFEU (February 29, 2012). Tidskrift utgiven av Juridiska Föreningen i Finland, 2012 148:3., Helsinki Legal Studies Research Paper No. 17, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2012983

Fernando Losada Fraga

University of Helsinki, Centre of Excellence in Foundations of European Law and Polity ( email )

P.O. Box 4
Helsinki, FIN-00014
Finland

Teemu Juutilainen (Contact Author)

University of Helsinki ( email )

Institute of International Economic Law
P.O. Box 4 (Yliopistonkatu 3)
Helsinki, FI-00014
Finland

Katri Havu

University of Helsinki ( email )

Faculty of Law
Yliopistonkatu 3, P.O. Box 4
Helsinki, FIN-00014
Finland

Juha Vesala

University of Helsinki - Faculty of Law ( email )

P.O. Box 4
Helsinki, FIN-00014
Finland

HOME PAGE: http://https://researchportal.helsinki.fi/fi/persons/juha-vesala

University of Lapland ( email )

Rovaniemi, Lapland
Finland

HOME PAGE: http://https://research.ulapland.fi/en/persons/juha-vesala

Do you have negative results from your research you’d like to share?

Paper statistics

Downloads
525
Abstract Views
3,101
Rank
97,933
PlumX Metrics