Green light from Karlsruhe for the ratification of new EU own resources decision. First fractures in the prohibition of fiscal integration?

With a decision issued on the 15th April 2021, the German Federal Constitutional Court (GFCC) declined the request for preliminary injunction against the promulgation of the domestic act ratifying the 2020 Own Resources Decision (ORD), on which the activation of Next Generation EU (NGEU) depends. Once the remaining Member States complete the ratification process in accordance with by art. 311 TFEU, the Union will finally be allowed to collect resources on the market to reinforce its budget and develop a recovery plan for Europe in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. While the decision of the Court brings great relief to those who believe that NGEU represents a turning point in the process of European integration, the outcome wasn’t something expected due to the well-known hostility of the GFCC towards any form of fiscal integration in the Union.