The ruling is non-binding; it does not have legal force.

VOA: special.2010.07.24

The bill would have had no binding force, and the president had vowed to ignore it.

ECONOMIST: Politics this week

If the dispute cannot be resolved using these mechanisms, then the matter will be referred on the next business day to a disputes resolution task force for a binding decision.

WHITEHOUSE: M-03-01, Business Rules for Intragovernmental Transactions, Attachment B | The White House

The next best thing might be binding rules that force southern governments to take seriously those things dear to German voters.

ECONOMIST: Charlemagne