The interpretation of Article 4, paragraph 3 of the Constitution in the practice of the Constitutional Court

Abstract

The provision of Article 4 (3) of the Constitution stipulates that the Republic of Bulgaria participates in the construction and development of the European Union. The Constitutional Court finds that this provision has rich interpretative potential and defines it as one of the fundamental principles in the core values of the Bulgarian constitutional order. Namely, the provision forms the constitutional basis for the accession and full membership of the Republic of Bulgaria to the EU and introduces the European dimension into the activities of the state. By expressing a commitment of constitutional rank for the participation of the Republic of Bulgaria in both the construction and the development of the EU, it creates a legal basis for the integration and application of Union law in the national legal system and commitment to the legal achievements of the Union, with all the consequences there of, including compliance with all obligations arising from its legally binding acts, without prescribing its relationship with the national legal order.