Judgment of the Court (Ninth Chamber) of 11 July 2019 — Commission v Italy (National programme —radioactive waste)
(Case C‑434/18)(1)
(Failure of a Member State to fulfil obligations — Directive 2011/70/Euratom — Responsible and safe management of spent fuel and radioactive waste — National programme — Obligation to submit to the European Commission)
1.      EU law — Interpretation — Methods — Literal, systematic and teleological interpretation
(see para. 27)
2.      Energy — Responsible and safe management of spent fuel and radioactive waste — Directive 2011/70 — National programme — Obligation to notify the Commission — Communication to the Commission of the final version of the national programme
(Council Directive 2011/70, Arts 5, 11, 12, 13(1) and 15(4))
(see paras 33, 35-39)
3.      Acts of the institutions — Directives — Implementation by Member States — Transposition of a directive into national law — Requirements of clarity and legal certainty
(Art. 288, third para., TFEU)
(see para. 34)
4.      Member States — Obligations — Implementation of directives — Failure to fulfil obligations — National system pleaded as justification — Not permissible
(see para. 41)
5.      Actions for failure to fulfil obligations — Examination of the merits by the Court — Situation to be taken into consideration — Situation on expiry of the period laid down in the reasoned opinion
(Art. 258 TFEU)
(see para. 41)
Operative part
The Court:
1.
Declares that, by failing to notify the European Commission of its national programme for the implementation of spent fuel and radioactive waste management policy, the Italian Republic has failed to fulfil its obligations under Article 15(4), in conjunction with Article 13(1), of Council Directive 2011/70/Euratom of 19 July 2011 establishing a Community framework for the responsible and safe management of spent fuel and radioactive waste;
2.
Orders the Italian Republic to pay the costs.
1 OJ C 285, 13.8.2018.