Skip to content
Media
Valtioneuvoston kanslia frontpage

Justice Tuula Pynnä starts as Finland's Judge at the EU General Court

valtioneuvoston viestintäosasto
Publication date 2.9.2019 9.27
Press release 423/2019

Justice of the Supreme Court Tuula Pynnä’s term at the General Court of the European Union started on 1 September 2019. The vacancy was part of the process of gradually increasing the number of judges in the General Court so that by 1 September 2019 each Member State would have two judges in the Court. This is in response to the General Court’s mounting workload.

The Finnish Government decided on Pynnä’s candidacy on 20 September 2018. The EU-level evaluation panel gave a positive opinion on her candidacy, and the Representatives of the Governments of the Member States decided on the nomination on 6 March 2019. The term is three years.

Pynnä has long and extensive experience in national judiciary as a member in courts of first instance, the Supreme Court and the Supreme Administrative Court. She has served as Agent of the Finnish Government before the Court of Justice of the EU and in duties related to EU and international cooperation. Pynnä holds a Master of Laws degree and is trained on the bench. She has also gained two postgraduate degrees in law from abroad (Magister der Rechte and Mastère en Études Juridiques Européennes).

Along with the European Parliament, the Council of the European Union and the European Commission, the Court of Justice is one of the key institutions of the European Union. The Court has its seat in Luxembourg and it consists of two courts: the Court of Justice of the European Union and the General Court. Among cases where the General Court has jurisdiction are actions brought by private citizens or companies against EU institutions. The cases may relate to matters such as competition law, state aid, intellectual property rights or EU staff regulations. The other Finnish judge at the General Court is Heikki Kanninen.

Read more about the EU courts and the General Court:

Prime Minister’s Office website
Website of the Court of Justice of the European Union

Inquiries: Kare Halonen, State Secretary for EU Affairs, tel. +358 295 160 319 and Heidi Kaila, Senior Adviser for Legislative Affairs, tel. +358 295 160 313, Prime Minister’s Office