62021TO0631_INF
Order of the General Court (First Chamber) of 18 October 2023 –BZ v ECB
(Case T‑631/21)
(Civil service – ECB staff – Complaint of discrimination and psychological harassment – Internal administrative inquiry – Compliance with a judgment of the General Court – Time limit for bringing proceedings – Point from which time starts to run – Pre-litigation procedure – Liability – Action in part manifestly inadmissible and in part manifestly lacking any foundation in law)
1.
Actions brought by officials – Staff of the European Central Bank – Action directed against the decision rejecting the special appeal – Effect – Contested measure brought before the Court – Exception – Decision not confirmatory in character – Account taken of the reasoning therein
(Staff Regulations of Officials, Art. 90; Conditions of Employment for Staff of the European Central Bank, Arts 9(c) and 41; European Central Bank Staff Rules, Art. 8.1)
(see paragraphs 34-36, 63, 64)
2.
Actions brought by officials – Staff of the European Central Bank – Action directed against a final decision taken in a special appeals procedure – Time limits – Mandatory – To be considered of the Court’s own motion
(Rules of Procedure of the General Court, Art. 60; European Central Bank Staff Rules, Arts 8.1.6 and 8.2.1)
(see paragraphs 65-67, 72, 73, 81-83)
3.
Actions brought by officials – Application for damages linked to an application for annulment – Dismissal of application for annulment leading to dismissal of the application for damages
(Staff Regulations of Officials, Art. 91)
(see paragraphs 98-100)
4.
Officials – Non-contractual liability of the institutions – Conditions – Unlawfulness – Damage – Causal link – Burden of proof
(Art. 340, second para., TFEU)
(see paragraphs 105-107, 115, 119-121, 128)
5.
Judicial proceedings – Measures of organisation of procedure – Request for production of documents – Discretion of the EU judicature
(Rules of Procedure of the General Court, Art. 90)
(see paragraph 132)
Operative part
1.
The action is dismissed.
2.
BZ shall pay the costs.