Information;Judgment — ECLI:EU:T:2021:398
Date: 2021-06-30
Language of the case: French
Court formation: Fifth Chamber
Subject matter: Provisions governing the Institutions
Procedure: Action for annulment - unfounded
Origin: France

Judgment of the General Court (Fifth Chamber) of 30 June 2021 – Mélin v Parliament (Case T‑51/20) (Law governing the institutions – Rules governing the payment of expenses and allowances to Members of the Parliament – Parliamentary assistance allowance – Recovery of sums unduly paid – Plea of illegality – Rights of the defence – Error of fact) 1. EU law – Principles – Legal certainty – EU rules – Requirements of clarity and foreseeability – Use of undetermined legal concepts requiring interpretation and application by the administration – Whether permissible (see paras 32-35) 2. EU law – Principles – Protection of legitimate expectations – Conditions – Specific assurances given by the authorities – Meaning (see para. 36) 3. European Parliament – Members – Payment of expenses and allowances – Parliamentary assistance allowances – Check relating to the use of parliamentary assistance expenses – Burden of proof (Decision of the Bureau of the European Parliament concerning implementing measures for the Statute for Members of the European Parliament, Art. 33(1) and (2)) (see paras 41, 42) 4. European Parliament – Members – Payment of expenses and allowances – Parliamentary assistance allowances – Defrayal of expenses not linked to the exercise of a parliamentary mandate – Precluded (Decision of the Bureau of the European Parliament concerning implementing measures for the Statute for Members of the European Parliament, Art. 33(2)) (see para. 46) 5. European Parliament – Regulation governing the payment of expenses and allowances to Members of the European Parliament – Parliamentary assistance allowances – Paying agent to manage amounts paid – Lack of documents to evidence use in accordance with rules – Obligation to repay – Burden of proof in the event of challenge before the EU judicature (see paras 52, 53) 6. Action for annulment – Judgment annulling a measure – Effects – Obligation to implement – Scope (Art. 266 TFEU) (see paras 69-71) 7. European Parliament – Rules on costs and indemnities of MEPs – Parliamentary assistance allowances – Decision ordering the recovery of sums unduly paid – Obligation to state reasons – Failure to communicate the annex to that decision – Annulment of the decision (Art. 296, second para., TFEU) (see para. 73) 8. European Parliament – Members – Payment of expenses and allowances – Establishment of undue payment – Recovery of sums unduly paid – Power of the Secretary-General of the Parliament – Lack of obligation to start the whole procedure leading to the adoption of the decision afresh (Decision of the Bureau of the European Parliament concerning implementing measures for the Statute for Members of the European Parliament, Article 68(1); Rules of Procedure of the European Parliament, Art. 25(3)) (see paras 74, 75, 95) 9. EU law – Principles – Rights of the defence – Right to be heard – Scope – Obligation to make it possible for the interested party to express herself orally – None (see paras 78, 79) 10. European Parliament – Rules on costs and indemnities of MEPs – Parliamentary assistance allowances – Decision ordering the recovery of sums unduly paid – Judicial review – Limits – Manifest error or misuse of power (Decision of the Bureau of the European Parliament concerning implementing measures for the Statute for Members of the European Parliament, Art. 68) (see paras 106-109) Re: Application under Article 263 TFEU, seeking annulment of the decision of the Secretary-General of the Parliament of 17 December 2019 relating to the recovery from the applicant of a sum of EUR 130 339.35 unduly paid by way of parliamentary assistance and the related debit note of 18 December 2019. Operative part The Court: 1. Dismisses the action; 2. Orders Ms Joëlle Mélin to pay the costs.