ABSTRACT
This chapter is devoted to a general principle of EU law that is most often invoked in the course of fining proceedings at the EU level but is rarely accepted. It aims to uncover the conditions that must be met in national proceedings for the principle of protection of legitimate expectations to apply. It examines the functions of that principle in both the assessment of the validity of EU acts and national laws, and in their interpretation and application in fining proceedings. This chapter identifies various informal assurances and administrative practices that may allow a fined individual to successfully raise the claim of infringement of the principle discussed.
