Judgment of the General Court (Seventh Chamber) of 12 July 2018 –PA v Parliament
(Case T‑608/16)
(Civil service — Officials — Staff report — 2014 appraisal period — Promotion — 2015 appraisal period — Obligation to state reasons — Misuse of power — Article 41(1) of the Charter of Fundamental Rights)
1.      Actions brought by officials — Action against a decision rejecting a complaint — Admissibility — Obligation to rule on pleas directed against the decision rejecting the complaint — Pleas devoid of independent content or purely confirmatory decision — None
(Staff Regulations of Officials, Arts 90 and 91)
(see paras 22-24)
2.      Officials — Reports procedure — Staff report — Appraisal less favourable than the previous appraisal — Obligation to state reasons — Descriptive comments must be consistent with marks awarded
(Staff Regulations of Officials, Art. 43)
(see paras 30-32)
3.      Actions brought by officials — Pleas in law — Misuse of powers — Meaning — Burden and administration of proof
(see para. 42)
4.      Officials — Reports procedure — Existence of differences between an official and his immediate superior — No effect on the latter’s ability to assess the official’s merits
(Staff Regulations of Officials, Art. 43)
(see paras 45, 67)
5.      Officials — Promotion — Consideration of comparative merits — Procedures — Quantification of merits through the allocation of points — Administration’s discretion — Judicial review — Limits
(Staff Regulations of Officials, Art. 45(1))
(see para. 86)
Re:
Application based on Article 270 TFEU and seeking annulment, first, of the applicant’s staff report for 2014, as finalised by the decision of the Secretary-General of the Parliament of 20 October 2015, second, of the decision of the Secretary-General of the Parliament of 9 December 2015 awarding him one merit point for 2014, third, of the Parliament’s decision, communicated to the staff of that institution on 30 November 2015, not to promote the applicant to Grade AST 11 in the 2015 promotion exercise and, in so far as necessary, annulment of the Parliament’s decision of 9 June 2016 rejecting the applicant’s complaint of 21 January 2016.
Operative part
The Court:
1.
Dismisses the action;
2.
Orders PA to pay the costs.