The Principle of Ne Bis In Idem (Article 50 of the Charter) at the Cross-Border Interface of Punitive Administrative and Criminal Proceedings in the European Union

Article 50 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the EU enshrines the principle of ne bis in idem: no one shall be liable to be tried or punished again in criminal proceedings for an offence for which he or she has already been finally acquitted or convicted within the Union in accordance with the law. In Case 27/22 Volkswagen Group Italia SpA and Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft, the Court of Justice rules on the cross-border application of and limitations to the principle of ne bis in idem against the background of the ‘punitive follow-up’ in Germany and Italy of the Volkswagen emission scandal. In this contribution, I discuss the judgment of the Court of Justice and provide some comments on the case. In my commentary, I specifically focus on the complex and controversial aspects of the cross-border application of and limitations to the principle of ne bis in idem, and the broader relevance of the judgment as an illustration of the current ‘asymmetry’ in the EU at the interface of punitive administrative and criminal law proceedings.