I padroni dei trattati? Capi di Stato o di governo degli Stati membri e prassi informale del Consiglio europeo, tra equilibrio istituzionale e sistema di tutela giurisdizionale dell’Unione europea [Owners of the Treaties? Heads of State or government of EU Member States and informal practice of the European Council, between institutional balance and EU system of judicial protection]

In the "post-Lisbon Era" European Council informal meetings and/or meetings between the Heads of State or of government take place more frequently. This informal practice paves the way to direct involvement of national governments in questions and policies of the EU. The real question is what are the implications for the EU institutional balance and what are the legal remedies before the ECJ to guarantee the autonomy of EU Law and its nature as legal system with its own rules and principles that even the Member States are subdued to. After all, Member States are the Masters of the Treaties, not their "Owners".