Judgment — ECLI:EU:C:2008:193
Date: 2008-04-03
Language of the case: French
Court formation: Fifth Chamber
Based on: Treaty establishing the European Economic Community (1957)
Subject matter: Environment
Concepts: General
Procedure: Action for failure to fulfil obligations - successful
Origin: Belgium

Judgment of the Court (Fifth Chamber) of 3 April 2008 - Commission of the European Communities v Kingdom of Belgium (Case C-522/06) 1 (Failure of a Member State to fulfil obligations - Regulation (EC) No 2037/2000 - Substances that deplete the ozone layer - Recovery, recycling, reclamation and destruction of those substances) Language of the case: French Parties Applicant: Commission of the European Communities (represented by: A. Alcover San Pedro and B. Stromsky, acting as Agents) Defendant: Kingdom of Belgium (represented by: A. Hubert, Agent) Re: Failure of a Member State to fulfil obligations - Regulation (EC) No 2037/2000 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 29 June 2000 on substances that deplete the ozone layer (OJ 2000 L 244, p. 1) - Articles 16(5) and 17(1) - Failing to adopt measures defining the minimum qualification requirements for personnel responsible for recovery, recycling, reclamation and destruction of controlled substances referred to in Article 2 of the Regulation and contained in refrigeration, air-conditioning and heat pump equipment, fire protection systems and fire extinguishers - Failure to adopt all precautionary measures practicable to prevent and minimise leakages of controlled substances and absence of checks on the possible presence of leakages. Operative part of the judgment The Court: 1. Declares that, - by failing to define the minimum qualification requirements for certain members of personnel working in recovery, recycling, reclamation and destruction of controlled substances in accordance with Article 16(5) of Regulation (EC) No 2037/2000 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 29 June 2000 on substances that deplete the ozone layer, and - in respect of the Walloon Region, by failing to take all precautionary measures practicable to prevent and minimise leakages of controlled substances and by failing to carry out annual checks to establish the presence or not of leakages in accordance with Article 17(1) of Regulation No 2037/2000, the Kingdom of Belgium has failed to fulfil its obligations under the provisions of that regulation; 2. Orders the Kingdom of Belgium to pay the costs. ____________ 1 - OJ C 42, 24.02.2007.