Revisiting van Gend en Loos

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Fifty years have passed since the European Court of Justice gave what is arguably its most consequential decision : Van Gend en Loos. The UMR de droit comparé de Paris, the European Journal of International Law (EJIL), and the International Journal of Constitutional Law (I¤CON) decided to mark this anniversary with a workshop, held in Paris end of June 2013, on the case and the myriad of issues surrounding it. In orientation our purpose was not to « celebrate » Van Gend en Loos, but to revisit the case critically ; to problematize it ; to look at its distinct bright side but also at the dark side of the moon ; to examine its underlying assumptions and implications and to place it in a comparative context, using it as a yardstick to explore developments in other regions in the world. The result is a set of articles which both individually and as a whole demonstrate the legacy and the ongoing relevance of this landmark decision.