Direct Effect

Direct effect is a principle that gives individuals the power to claim rights conferred directly by EU treaties, regulations, decisions and directives (after their effective date) even if their member states have failed to introduce them into domestic law or have not implemented them correctly. These rights may be claimed by an individual in relation to the state and related public bodies (vertical direct effect), or in relation to another individual (horizontal direct effect) because they are also subject to the same overarching framework of EU rules. However, the European Court of Justice has been reluctant to rule in favour of horizontal direct effect in the application of directives.