62019TJ0705_INF
Judgment of the General Court (First Chamber) of 9 December 2020 –GV v Commission
(Case T‑705/19)
(Civil service – Officials – Psychological harassment – Request for assistance – Rejection of the request – Interests of the service – Equivalence of posts – Reasonable period – Absence of prima facie evidence – Responsibility)
1.
Actions brought by officials – Action against a decision rejecting a complaint – Effect – Disputed measure referred to the Court – Exception – Decision not confirmatory in character
(Staff Regulations of Officials, Arts 90 and 91)
(see para. 27)
2.
Officials – Obligation of administration to provide assistance – Scope – Scope – Judicial review – Limits
(Staff Regulations of Officials, Arts 12a(3) and 24)
(see paras 33, 65, 67, 76, 81, 82, 135, 138)
3.
Actions brought by officials – Prior administrative complaint – Time limits – Mandatory – Time-barred – Re-opening by a request for assistance – Precluded
(Staff Regulations of Officials, Arts 24, 90 and 91)
(see paras 42, 43)
4.
Actions brought by officials – Pleas in law – Plea alleging psychological harassment – Obligation to take into account the relevant factual context as a whole
(see para. 44)
5.
Officials – Psychological harassment – Definition – Conduct intended to discredit the person concerned or to impair his or her working conditions or having that effect – Requirement that conduct must be repetitive – Requirement that conduct must be intentional – Scope – No requirement that harasser should have malicious intent
(Staff Regulations of Officials, Art. 12a(3))
(see paras 77-79)
6.
Officials – Psychological harassment – Burden of proof – Obligation for the party concerned to provide prima facie evidence
(Staff Regulations of Officials, Art. 12a(3))
(see para. 80)
7.
Officials – Organization of departments – Assignment of staff – Administration’s discretion – Freedom to organise administrative units – Scope
(see para. 120)
8.
Officials – Psychological harassment – Definition – Administrative decisions and disagreements with the administration on questions related to the organisation of the services – Not included
(Staff Regulations of Officials, Art. 12a(3))
(see para. 121)
9.
Officials – Organization of departments – Assignment of staff – Reassignment – Compliance with the rule on correspondence between grade and post – Scope
(Staff Regulations of Officials, Art. 7(1))
(see para. 126)
10.
Actions brought by officials – Application for damages linked to an application for annulment – Dismissal of claim for annulment leading to dismissal of the claim for compensation
(Staff Regulations of Officials, Arts 90 and 91)
(see para. 148)
11.
Actions brought by officials – Purpose – Directions to the administration – Inadmissibility
(Staff Regulations of Officials, Art. 91)
(see para. 155)
Re:
Application based on Article 270 TFEU seeking, first, annulment of the decision of the Commission of 5 February 2019 rejecting the applicant's request for assistance and, second, compensation for the physical and psychological harm that the applicant allegedly suffered as a result of that decision.
Operative part
The Court:
1.
Dismisses the action;
2.
Orders GV to bear his own costs and to pay those incurred by the European Commission.