Heterogeneity  There is significant degree of heterogeneity in terms of size, geographical distribution, performance, financial strength as also in the IT and human resources endowment of the UCBs.
The judges themselves noted that “certain tensions are […] inherent in the design of the European Union; they must be resolved in a cooperative manner, in keeping with the spirit of European integration, and mitigated through mutual respect and understanding.”1 In this spirit, the ECB – which is exclusively subject to the jurisdiction of the Court of Justice of the European Union and accountable to the European Parliament – supports the Deutsche Bundesbank in its cooperation with the German Federal Government and the Bundestag.