To launch and grow successful businesses in a dynamic and ever-changing European business environment, it is important to be familiar with the main features of the European legal environment.
The system of European law has evolved from public international law, but it is a separate, autonomous legal order. Already in one of its first rulings, The Court of Justice stated that „the European Economic Community constitutes a new legal order of international law” (case 26/62, van Gend & Loos). Although the system of European law exists simultaneously with the national legal systems of individual EU member states, it is independent from them. The independence of European law from the national legal systems of the member states is manifested in the autonomous interpretation of European law (case C-236/01, Monsanto Agricoltura Italia et al.[2]). It is therefore necessary to distinguish the system of European law from the systems of national law of the EU member states, as well as from the system of public international law. The EU legal system is sui generis. It is a special system of law of its own kind which has a supranational character. It has its own sources of law, as well as a law-making process. In addition, it has an independent system of legal protection.