# C_2006131EN.01000501.xml

| 3.6.2006 | EN | Official Journal of the European Union | C 131/5 |
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Judgment of the Court (Second Chamber) of 9 March 2006 — Commission of the European Communities v Kingdom of Spain

(Case C-323/03)( 1 )

(Failure of a Member State to fulfil obligations - Regulation (EEC) No 3577/92 - Maritime cabotage - Whether applicable to passenger transport services in the Vigo estuary - Twenty-year concession to a single operator - Compatibility - Possibility of concluding public service contracts or imposing public service obligations - Standstill clause)

(2006/C 131/08)

Language of the Case: Spanish

Parties

Applicant: Commission of the European Communities (represented by: I. Martínez del Peral and K. Simonsson, Agents)

Defendant: Kingdom of Spain (represented by: L. Fraguas Gadea and J.M. Rodríguez Cárcamo, Agents)

Re:

Failure of a Member State to fulfil obligations — Infringement of Arts 1, 4, 7 and 9 of Council Regulation (EEC) No 3577/92 of 7 December 1992 applying the principle of freedom to provide services to maritime transport within Member States (maritime cabotage) (OJ 1992 L 364, p. 7) and the EC Treaty — National rules which allow maritime transport services in the Vigo estuary to be entrusted to a single operator for 20 years and which permit a more restrictive regime which is subject to public-service obligations.

Operative part of the judgment

The Court:

| 1. | Declares that: by maintaining in force legislation which:
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allows a concession for maritime transport services in the Vigo estuary to be granted to a single operator for a period of 20 years and which includes as a criterion for the award of that concession experience in transport acquired in that estuary, —
allows the imposition of public service obligations on seasonal transport services with the islands and regular transport services between mainland ports, —
was not the subject of any consultation with the Commission of the European Communities prior to being approved, the Kingdom of Spain has infringed Articles 1, 4 and 9 of Council Regulation (EEC) No 3577/92 of 7 December 1992 applying the principle of freedom to provide services to maritime transport within Member States (maritime cabotage) and has failed to fulfil its obligations under that regulation; | — | allows a concession for maritime transport services in the Vigo estuary to be granted to a single operator for a period of 20 years and which includes as a criterion for the award of that concession experience in transport acquired in that estuary, | — | allows the imposition of public service obligations on seasonal transport services with the islands and regular transport services between mainland ports, | — | was not the subject of any consultation with the Commission of the European Communities prior to being approved, |
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| — | allows a concession for maritime transport services in the Vigo estuary to be granted to a single operator for a period of 20 years and which includes as a criterion for the award of that concession experience in transport acquired in that estuary, | | | | | | |
| — | allows the imposition of public service obligations on seasonal transport services with the islands and regular transport services between mainland ports, | | | | | | |
| — | was not the subject of any consultation with the Commission of the European Communities prior to being approved, | | | | | | |

| 2. | Dismisses the remainder of the application; |
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| 3. | Orders the Kingdom of Spain to pay the costs. |
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( 1 )  OJ C 239, 04.10.2003.

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