The Odd Couple: a Legal Reflection on the Interaction Between Loyalty and Solidarity in the EU Legal System

Abstract

This contribution seeks to explore the legal interaction between loyalty and solidarity at EU level, also when it comes to crisis situations. Section 1 identifies the major features of the principle of loyalty – also known today as principle of sincere cooperation – and briefly illustrates the role that the principle plays in the EU legal order. After having stressed the multifaceted nature of the concept of solidarity in the EU legal order, Section 2 discusses the possible interactions this concept may have with loyalty in securing the constitutional framework of the Union. Section 3 traces the ways in which loyalty and solidarity may interact in crisis scenarios. The major findings of the analysis are summarized in Section 5.