Libertà religiosa collettiva e principio di non discriminazione nel sistema "costituzionale" dell'Unione europea

In the two recently handed down Judgments in the cases Vera Egenberger and JQ, the Court of Justice of the European Union for the first time interpreted Article 4, par. 2 of the Anti-discrimination Framework Directive (Directive 2000/78/EC) admitting a ‘religious exemption’ in favour of Churches and other religious organisation, and ruled on the horizontal application of the right not to be discriminated against in situations coming within the scope of EU law. The paper explores the substantive implications of those Judgments for the collective religious freedom and their contribution in clarifying the horizontal direct effect of the fundamental rights and principles enshrined in the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union.