Summary

Last year was the tenth anniversary of Estonia’s accession to the European Union. During that time, all lawyers, regardless of their respective fields, have noticed the impacts of European Union law. In referring to the unexpected effects of European Union law, this article looks to the effects of contact between two judicial areas in which the requirements of one intertwine with the requirements of the other. Such concurrence is often unexpected even by experts. There are mainly two reasons. Firstly, no one has knowingly wished for such concurrence. From the point of view of European Union law, the only thing that matters is that its precepts would be implemented. From the side of Estonian law, however, the situation looks different. The transposed foreign body begins to have a life of its own here, changing the contents of the law, placing the established system of legal institutions under pressure, sometimes transforming the legal culture in general. The article lays down the main factors bringing about the most common legal impacts. The author emphasises that the unexpectedness is not inevitable, but in the end depends on our lack of knowledge. The better our understanding of the mechanisms of intertwining legal orders, the less unexpected are the future impacts of European Union law.