62021CO0374_SUM
Case C‑374/21
Instituto de Financiamento da Agricultura e Pescas IP (IFAP)
v
AB and Others
(Request for a preliminary rulingfrom the Supremo Tribunal Administrativo)
Order of the Court (Ninth Chamber) of 20 October 2022
(Reference for a preliminary ruling – Article 53(2) and Article 99 of the Rules of Procedure of the Court of Justice – Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 2988/95 – Own resources of the European Union – Protection of the European Union’s financial interests – Proceedings relating to irregularities – Article 4 – Adoption of administrative measures – Article 3(1) – Limitation period for proceedings – Expiry – Whether it may be relied on in the context of the enforced recovery procedure – Article 3(2) – Period for implementation – Applicability – Starting point of the limitation period – Interruption and suspension)
Own resources of the European Union – Regulation on protection of the financial interests of the Union – Proceedings relating to irregularities – Limitation period –Decision requiring the recovery of amounts wrongly received adopted after the expiry of that period – Challenge
(Council Regulation No 2988/95, Art. 3(1))
(see paragraphs 24-34, operative part 1)
Own resources of the European Union – Regulation on protection of the financial interests of the Union – Proceedings relating to irregularities – Period for implementing a decision adopted following proceedings relating to irregularities
(Council Regulation No 2988/95, Arts 3(1) and (2), 4(1) and 5(1))
(see paragraphs 36-38)
Own resources of the European Union – Regulation on protection of the financial interests of the Union – Proceedings relating to irregularities – Period for implementing a decision adopted following proceedings relating to irregularities –Effects of the expiry of that period – Not possible to enforce a decision requiring the recovery of amounts wrongly received
(Council Regulation No 2988/95, Art. 3(2), first para. and (3))
(see paragraphs 40-43, 45, operative part 2)
Own resources of the European Union – Regulation on protection of the financial interests of the Union – Proceedings relating to irregularities – Period for implementing a decision adopted following proceedings relating to irregularities – Starting point of that period – Final decision – Concept – Scope
(Council Regulation No 2988/95, Art. 3(2), first subpara.)
(see paragraphs 47-52, operative part 3)
Questions referred for a preliminary ruling – Admissibility – Need to provide the Court with sufficient information on the factual and legislative context – Scope – Application not providing sufficient detail on the factual and legislative context – Impossibility for the Court to provide a useful answer to the referring court – Manifest inadmissibility
(Art. 267 TFEU; Rules of Procedure of the Court of Justice, Arts 53(2) and 94)
(see paragraphs 56-58, 65-69)
See the text of the decision.