The Status in EU Law of International Agreements Concluded by EU Member States

This Essay will, first, provide a general discussion on the status in Union law of agreements concluded by EU Member States. Second, brief discussions will follow on the specific nature of agreements concluded between the Member States inter se as well as on the special status of agreements concluded before the Member State concerned became a member of the Union. Third, the main part of this Essay will address different categories of agreements concluded by Member States in order to provide a more refined picture of the legal relevance of such agreements for Union law. The final Section will provide a summary and some basic conclusions.