75 Years of the European Court of Justice (ECJ)

75th Anniversary of the Court of Justice of the European Union

The Court of Justice of the European Union is the EU's highest judicial authority and has ensured, since its founding in 1952, that European law is interpreted and applied uniformly across all member states. It is headquartered in Luxembourg, on the Kirchberg plateau, making it one of the few major EU institutions permanently based in the Grand Duchy. The Court comprises two tiers — the Court of Justice proper and the General Court — and rules, among other things, on infringement proceedings against member states, preliminary rulings requested by national courts, and actions against EU institutions. Its judgments have direct binding force and have decisively shaped the development of the single market, fundamental rights within the Union, and the relationship between European and national law.

For Luxembourg, the Court is not merely an institutional fact but a central part of its role within the European framework. The Grand Duchy was among the founding states of the European Coal and Steel Community, from which the later EU emerged, and has hosted the seat of the Court continuously ever since. In 2027 the establishment of the Court marks its 75th anniversary — an occasion that highlights the institutional continuity and legal history of European integration. Luxembourg commemorates this anniversary with a 2-euro coin recalling the significance of the EU Court of Justice as guardian of Union law.