European Union – Treaty provisions. The second subparagraph of art 19(1) of the Treaty on the European Union (TEU) had to be interpreted as meaning that the principle of judicial independence did not preclude general salary-reduction measures, such as those at issue in the main proceedings, linked to requirements to eliminate an excessive budget deficit and to an EU financial assistance programme, from being applied to the members of the Court of Auditors, Portugal. The Court of Justice of the European Union so held in a preliminary ruling in proceedings brought by the Trade Union of Portuguese Judges concerning the temporary reduction in the amount of remuneration paid to that court's members, in the context of Portugal's budgetary policy guidelines.