62020CO0201_INF
Order of the Vice-President of the Court of 8 October 2020 – Junqueras i Vies v Parliament
(Case C‑201/20 P(R))
(Appeal – Application for interim relief – Institutional law – Members of the European Parliament – Disqualification from holding office following a criminal conviction – Decision of the President of the European Parliament finding the seat to be vacant – Application for annulment – Fumus boni juris)
1.
European Parliament – Verification of members’ credentials – Limits – Exercise taking note of the disqualification of a Member of Parliament from holding office as a result of the application of national law – Parliament’s lack of competence to rule on the lawfulness of the national electoral procedures having regard to EU law
(Arts 5(1) and 13(2) TEU; Arts 258 and 267 TFEU; act concerning the election of the members of the European Parliament by direct universal suffrage, Art. 13(3); Rules of Procedure of the European Parliament, Art. 4(4), second para.)
(see paras 57-66)
2.
Application for interim relief – Suspension of operation of a measure – Interim measures – Conditions for granting – Prima facie case – Prima facie examination of the pleas in law put forward in support of the main action – Appeal against a decision of the Parliament to take note of the disqualification from holding office following a criminal conviction – Prima facie examination of the pleas in law put forward in support of the main action – Pleas prima facie lacking foundation
(Arts 278 and 279 TFEU; act concerning the election of the members of the European Parliament by direct universal suffrage, Art. 13(3))
(see paras 67, 68, 84, 96, 110, 120)
3.
European Parliament – Verification of members’ credentials – Limits – Exercise taking note of the disqualification of a Member of Parliament from holding office as a result of the application of national law – Competence of the Parliament – Review of the material inaccuracy of the vacant seat and of the consent of the resigning MP – Concept – Review of an irregularity resulting from non-compliance with national or EU law – Precluded
(Act concerning the election of the members of the European Parliament by direct universal suffrage, Art. 13(3); Rules of Procedure of the European Parliament, Art. 4(4) and (7))
(see paras 71-77, 119)
4.
European Parliament – Elections – Competence of the Member States – Electoral procedure and official declaration of the electoral results
(Art. 6(1) TEU; Arts 258 and 267 TFEU; Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, Arts 39 and 51(2); act concerning the election of the members of the European Parliament by direct universal suffrage, Art. 13(3))
(see paras 81, 82)
5.
European Parliament – Verification of members’ credentials – Limits – Exercise taking note of the disqualification of a Member of Parliament from holding office as a result of the application of national law – Rights of defence – Obligation to hear the interested party before finding the seat to be vacant – None
(Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, Art. 41(2))
(see paras 91-95)
6.
Application for interim relief – Suspension of operation of a measure – Interim measures – Conditions for granting – Fumus boni juris – Urgency – Serious and irreparable damage – Cumulative nature – Balancing of all the interests involved
(Arts 278 and 279 TFEU; Rules of Procedure of the General Court, Art. 156(4))
(see paras 101, 125)
7.
Application for interim relief – Formal requirements – Submission of applications – Brief summary of the pleas in law on which the application is based – Insufficient explanation of the grounds constituting a fumus boni juris
(Arts 278 TFEU and 279 TFEU; Rules of Procedure of the General Court, Art. 156(4))
(see paras 102-105)
Operative part
1.
The appeal is dismissed.
2.
Mr Oriol Junqueras i Vies shall, in addition to bearing his own costs, pay those incurred by the Parliament.
3.
The Kingdom of Spain shall bear its own costs.