62020TJ0127_INF
Judgment of the General Court (Fourth Chamber) of 15 September 2021 –France v ECHA
(Case T‑127/20)
(REACH – Substance evaluation – Aluminium chloride – Aluminium chloride, basic – Aluminium sulphate – ECHA decisions requesting further information – Article 46(1) of Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 – Appeal brought before the Board of Appeal – Multiple grounds for the decision of the Board of Appeal – Grounds capable of justifying the decision – Inoperative nature of the pleas directed against the other grounds)
1.
Action for annulment – Pleas in law – Pleas and complaints not capable of giving rise to annulment of the contested act – Ineffective pleas in law
(Art. 263 TFEU)
(see para. 32)
2.
Action for annulment – Subject matter – Decision based on several pillars of reasoning, each sufficient to justify the operative part – Annulment of such a decision – Conditions
(Art. 263 TFEU)
(see para. 33)
3.
Judicial proceedings – Application initiating proceedings – Formal requirements – Brief statement of the pleas in law on which the application is based – Considered of Court's own motion – Consideration of its own motion by the General Court of a plea in law not relied on by the applicant concerning the substantive legality of the contested decision – Precluded
(Art. 263 TFEU; Statute of the Court of Justice, Arts 21, first para., and 53, first para.; Rules of Procedure of the General Court, Art. 76(d))
(see para. 35)
4.
Approximation of laws – Registration, evaluation and authorisation of chemicals – REACH Regulation – Assessment procedure – Decision of the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) requesting further information in the context of a substance evaluation – Need for the additional study requested – Burden of proof on ECHA – Scope – Observance of the principle of proportionality – Requirement for the specific identification of the substance or substances referred to in a request for additional information
(European Parliament and Council Regulation No 1907/2006, Recital 66 and Art. 46)
(see paras 37-39, 43-46, 51, 52, 57, 62)
Re:
Application under Article 263 TFEU seeking the annulment of the decision of the Board of Appeal of ECHA of 17 December 2019 annulling three decisions of ECHA of 21 December 2017 requesting the registrants concerned to carry out new tests in the context of the evaluation of aluminium chloride, aluminium chloride, basic and aluminium sulphate (joined cases A-003-2018, A-004-2018 and A-005-2018).
Operative part
The Court:
1.
Dismisses the action;
2.
Orders the French Republic to bear its own costs and to pay those incurred by the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA), Kemira Oyj and Grace Silica GmbH;
3.
Orders the Federal Republic of Germany to bear its own costs.