62018TJ0187_INF
Judgment of the General Court (Sixth Chamber) of 16 December 2020 –VP v Cedefop
(Case T‑187/18)
(Civil service – Members of the temporary staff – Request for renewal of a contract for an indefinite period – Decision not to renew – Manifest error of assessment – Right to be heard – Article 26 of the Staff Regulations – Liability – Material damage – Non-material damage)
1.
Actions brought by officials – Action against a decision rejecting a complaint – Effect – Disputed measure referred to the Court – Exception – Decision not confirmatory in character – Account taken of the reasoning therein
(Staff Regulations of Officials, Arts 90 and 91)
(see paras 75-80)
2.
Actions brought by officials – Prior administrative complaint – Correspondence between the complaint and the application – Same subject matter and legal basis – Submissions and arguments not made in the complaint but closely related to it – Admissibility
(Staff Regulations of Officials, Arts 90 and 91)
(see para. 84)
3.
Judicial proceedings – Statement of reasons for judgments – Scope – Obligation to rule on all the pleas in law and arguments submitted by the parties – Own resources of the Communities – Absence
(see para. 87)
4.
Officials – Members of the temporary staff – Recruitment – Renewal of a fixed-term contract – Administration’s discretion – Judicial review – Limits – Manifest error of assessment – Concept
(Conditions of Employment of Other Servants, Arts 2(f) and 8)
(see paras 103, 106, 107, 151)
5.
Officials – Organization of departments – Assignment of staff – Administration's discretion – Freedom to organise administrative units – Scope
(see paras 104, 105)
6.
Officials – Members of the temporary staff – Recruitment – Non-renewal of a fixed-term contract – Adoption of the decision without first giving the person concerned the opportunity to express his views on all the elements available to the administration – Infringement of the right to be heard – Consequences
(Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, Art. 41(2)(a))
(see paras 152-156, 165)
7.
Officials – Members of the temporary staff – Decision affecting the administrative situation of a member of the temporary staff – Matters taken into account which did not appear on the personal file, but which had been brought to the official’s attention before the decision was made – Legality – Conditions
(Staff Regulations of Officials, Art. 26; Conditions of Employment of Other Servants, Art. 11)
(see paras 172-175, 178-181)
8.
Officials – Non-contractual liability of the institutions – Conditions – Unlawfulness – Damage – Causal link – Cumulative conditions
(Art. 340, second para., TFEU)
(see para. 191)
9.
Actions brought by officials – Unlimited jurisdiction – Compensation for material harm associated with loss of opportunity – Assessment – Criteria
(Staff Regulations of Officials, Art. 91(1))
(see paras 196, 198-200)
10.
Actions brought by officials – Actions for damages – Annulment of the contested act not providing appropriate compensation for non-material damage – Award of financial compensation
(Art. 340, second para., TFEU)
(see paras 205, 206)
Re:
Application under Article 270 TFEU for (i) annulment of Cedefop’s decision of 12 May 2017 not to renew the applicant’s contract as a member of the temporary staff for an indefinite period and, as far as necessary, of the decision of 1 December 2017 rejecting her complaint of 9 August 2017 against the decision of 12 May 2017 and (ii) compensation for the material and non-material damage which the applicant allegedly suffered as a result of those decisions.
Operative part
The Court:
1.
Annuls the decision of the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training (Cedefop) of 12 May 2017 not to renew VP’s contract as a member of the temporary staff;
2.
Annuls the decision of 1 December 2017 rejecting VP’s complaint;
3.
Orders Cedefop to pay EUR 30000 as compensation for the material damage sustained by VP;
4.
Orders Cedefop to pay EUR 10000 as compensation for the non-material damage sustained by VP;
5.
Dismisses the action as to the remainder;
6.
Orders Cedefop to pay the costs.