62021TJ0010_INF
Judgment of the General Court (Fifth Chamber) of 8 September 2021 –Griesbeck v Parliament
(Case T‑10/21)
(Law governing the institutions – Rules governing the payment of expenses and allowances to Members of the Parliament – Parliamentary assistance allowance – Recovery of sums unduly paid – Burden of proof – Rights of the defence – Error of assessment – Proportionality)
1.
European Parliament – Members – Payment of expenses and allowances – Parliamentary assistance allowances – Check relating to the use of parliamentary assistance expenses – Burden of proof
(Decision of the Bureau of the European Parliament concerning implementing measures for the Statute for Members of the European Parliament, Arts 33(1), second sentence, and 68)
(see paras 40-42)
2.
European Parliament – Members – Payment of expenses and allowances – Recovery of sums unduly paid – Decision of the Secretary General of the Parliament – Article 47 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights inapplicable to a procedure for the adoption of a decision
(Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, Art. 47, second para.; Decision of the Bureau of the European Parliament concerning implementing measures for the Statute for Members of the European Parliament, Art. 68)
(see para. 50)
3.
European Parliament – Members – Payment of expenses and allowances – Parliamentary assistance allowances – Defrayal of expenses not linked to the exercise of a parliamentary mandate – Precluded
(Decision of the Bureau of the European Parliament concerning implementing measures for the Statute for Members of the European Parliament, Art. 33(2))
(see para. 88)
4.
European Parliament – Members – Payment of expenses and allowances – Recovery of sums unduly paid – Amount to be recovered – Parliament’s lack of discretion – Claim by the Member concerned of infringement of the principle of proportionality – Rejection
(Decision of the Bureau of the European Parliament concerning implementing measures for the Statute for Members of the European Parliament, Art. 68(1))
(see paras 97-100)
Re:
Application under Article 263 TFEU seeking annulment of (i) the decision of the Bureau of the Parliament of 5 October 2020 which confirmed the decision of the Quaestors of 21 April 2020 rejecting the complaint directed against the decision of the Secretary-General of the Parliament of 18 October 2019 concerning the recovery from the applicant of a sum of EUR 111 872.18 unduly paid as parliamentary assistance, (ii) that decision of the Secretary-General of the Parliament, and (iii) the corresponding debit note of 24 October 2019.
Operative part
The Court:
1.
Dismisses the action;
2.
Orders Ms Nathalie Griesbeck to pay, in addition to her costs, those incurred by the European Parliament.