Practice what you Preach: EU law extends to third countries the right to an effective legal remedy

The signs already bode well, but now it is firmly established: third countries are potential litigants before the EU courts in annulment actions (Article 263 TFEU). Although ‘court watchers’ may have predicted this outcome of Case C-872/19 P Venezuela v. Council (hereafter: ‘the Venezuela case’), this ruling is one that merits close attention for several reasons. There is an issue of consistency (with other lines of case law on direct concern, see below) and there is the issue of the potential wider repercussions for EU Common Foreign and Security CFSP. Yet foremost, the case merits attention (and applause) for the fact that the CJEU signals once more that the right to an effective remedy is a core value of the EU legal order, to be enforced domestically, internationally …and upon the EU itself.