ABSTRACT – The paper analyzes the Trojan judgment of the Court of Justice, situating it within the case law concerning Union citizenship and the cross-border recognition of personal and family status. Starting from an examination of the factual context and the legal issues at stake, the analysis reconstructs the balance struck by the Court between respecting the national identity of Member States and the need to ensure the effectiveness of the rights deriving from Articles 20 and 21 TFEU. Particular attention is given to the strengthening of the obligation to recognize personal status acquired in another Member State, as a tool for legal certainty and for the continuity of the private and family life of Union citizens. From this perspective, the Trojan judgment is significant for its joint use of the principle of effet utile and the non-discrimination rule enshrined in Article 21 of the Charter, which allows the Court to delimit the Member States’ margin of discretion without directly affecting national competences in family law matters. The analysis demonstrates how European citizenship emerges as a substantive standard of protection, capable of ensuring that the exercise of freedom of movement does not lead to a regression in the protection of personal identity, dignity, and the family life of Union citizens.
