52In order to answer that question, it should be noted, in the first place, that EU law is characterised by the fact that it stems from an independent source of law, the Treaties, by its primacy over the laws of the Member States and by the direct effect of a whole series of provisions which are applicable to their nationals and to the Member States themselves. These essential characteristics of EU law have given rise to a structured network of principles, rules and mutually interdependent legal relations linking the EU and its Member States, and its Member States with each other (see, inter alia, Opinion 2/13 of 18 December 2014, EU:C:2014:2454, paragraphs 166 and 167; judgment of 10 December 2018, Wightman and Others, C‑621/18, EU:C:2018:999, paragraph 45; and Opinion 1/17, of 30 April 2019, EU:C:2019:341, paragraph 109).
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