The publication contains key overarching principles relevant to determining key issues. Also, the second part of the publication includes a summary of important cases of the European Court, which serve as practical examples of how this article should be applied in practice. In the third part of this guide, an overview of the relevant European court practice related to the Balkan countries is given. The publication aims to expand the knowledge and capacities of the judicial authorities in the Western Balkans in order to ensure the proper application of international standards at the local level.