62024CJ0317_INF
Judgment of the Court (Eighth Chamber) of 19 June 2025 –Commission v Greece (Combating late payment)
(Case C‑317/24)
(Failure of a Member State to fulfil obligations – Directive 2011/7/EU – Combating late payment in commercial transactions – Article 4(4)(b) – Commercial transactions between undertakings and public authorities – Power conferred on Member States to extend up to a maximum of 60 calendar days the time limit for payment for public entities providing healthcare – Duty of Member States to ensure that those public entities do not in practice exceed that time limit)
1.
Actions for failure to fulfil obligations – Admissibility criteria – Jurisdiction of the EU judicature – Considered of Court’s own motion
(Art. 258 TFEU)
(see paragraph 15)
2.
Actions for failure to fulfil obligations – Subject matter of the dispute – Determined by the reasoned opinion – Subsequent enlargement – Not permissible
(Art. 258 TFEU)
(see paragraph 16)
3.
Approximation of laws – Combating late payment in commercial transactions – Directive 2011/7 – Commercial transactions between undertakings and public authorities – Obligation of Member States to ensure effective compliance, by their public authorities, with periods for payment not exceeding 30 to 60 calendar days – Obligation to achieve a result – Failure to fulfil obligations
(Art. 258 TFEU; European Parliament and Council Directive 2011/7, Art. 4(3) and (4)(b))
(see paragraphs 20-22, 33, 35, 36, operative part)
4.
Actions for failure to fulfil obligations – Subject matter of the dispute – Determination during the pre-litigation procedure – Consideration of events which took place after the delivery of the reasoned opinion – Conditions – Facts of the same kind and constituting the same conduct as those referred to originally
(Art. 258 TFEU)
(see paragraphs 23, 24)
Operative part
The Court:
1.
Declares that, by failing to ensure that:
(a)
in June, September and December 2018, the Athens General Military Hospital 401, the General Military Training Hospital 424 and the Air Force General Hospital 251; between January and June 2022, the Athens General Military Hospital 401, the Athens Naval Hospital, the Air Force General Hospital 251, the General Military Training Hospital 424 and the Crete Naval Hospital; between July and December 2022, the Athens General Military Hospital 401, the General Military Training Hospital 424, the Athens Naval Hospital, the Crete Naval Hospital and the Air Force General Hospital 251; in 2023, the Athens Naval Hospital;
(b)
from April 2023 until the end of the first quarter of 2024, Preveza General Hospital, Siteia General Hospital and Health Centre, Naxos General Hospital and Health Centre, Krestenon General Hospital and Health Centre, Neapolis General Hospital and Health Centre Dialinakeio, Goumenissa General Hospital and Health Centre, Amaliada General Hospital, Argos General Hospital, Didymoteicho General Hospital, Yanitsa General Hospital, Xanthi General Hospital and Edessa General Hospital;
(c)
from April 2023 until at least the end of the second quarter of 2024, the following public hospitals: Agrinios General Hospital, Mesolongios Chatzikostas General Hospital, Nafplio General Hospital, Tripoli Panarcadian General Hospital Evangelistria, Artas General Hospital, Athens General Hospital G. Gennimatas, Attikon General University Hospital, Athens General Hospital for Thoracic Diseases Sotiria, Athens General Hospital Korgialeneio Benakeio Hellenic Red Cross, Athens General Hospital Laïko, Athens General Hospital Ippokrateio, Athens General Hospital Alexandra, Athens General Hospital Evangelismos, Athens Hospital for General Pathology Spiliopouleio Agia Eleni, Athens General Hospital Elpis, Athens General Hospital for Oncology Agios Savvas, Athens Hospital for Venereology and Dermatology Andreas Syngros, Athens General Pediatric Hospital Aglaia Kyriakou, Athens General Pediatric Hospital Agia Sofia, Athens General Hospital Pammakaristos, Athens Maternity Hospital Elena Venizelou, Piraeus General Hospital for Oncology Metaxas, Piraeus General Hospital Tzaneio, Voula General Hospital Asklepeion, Kythira General Hospital and Health Centre, Penteli General Pediatric Hospital, Kifissia General Hospital for Oncology Agioi Anargyroi; Attika Psychiatric Hospital Dafni, Attika Psychiatric Hospital Dromokaiteio, Patras General University Hospital Panagia i Voitheia, Patras Pediatric Hospital Karamandaneio, Aigio General Hospital, Kalavryta General Hospital and Health Centre, Livadeia General Hospital, Tebe General Hospital, Grevena General Hospital, Drama General Hospital, Rhodes General Hospital, Kos General Hospital and Health Centre Ippokrateio, Kalymnos General Hospital and Health Centre Vouvaleio, Leros General State Hospital, Alexandroupolis General University Hospital, Chalkida General Hospital, Kymi General Hospital and Health Centre, Karystos General Hospital and Health Centre, Karpenisi General Hospital, Zakynthos General Hospital Agios Dionysios, Pyrgos General Hospital, Verroia General Hospital, Naoussa General Hospital, Heraklion Crete General Hospital Venizeleio-Pananeio, Heraklion General University Hospital, Filiaton General Hospital and Health Centre, Thessaloniki General University Hospital ‘AHEPA’, Thessaloniki General Hospital G. Gennimatas, Thessaloniki General Hospital Agios Dimitrios, Thessaloniki Psychiatric Hospital, Thessaloniki General Hospital G. Papanikolaou, Thessaloniki Hospital for Specific Conditions, Thessaloniki Hospital for Oncology Theageneio, Thessaloniki First General Hospital Agios Pavlos, Ioannina General Hospital G. Chatzikosta, Ioannina General University Hospital, Kavala General Departmental Hospital, Karditsa General Hospital, Kastoria General Hospital, Corfu General Hospital, Kefalonia General Hospital, Lixouri General Hospital Manzavinateio, Kilkis General Hospital, Kozani Mamatseio General Hospital, Ptolemaida General Hospital Bodosakeio, Corinth General Hospital, Sparta General Hospital, Molaoi General Hospital, Larissa General Hospital Koutlimpanio and Triantafylleion, Ierapetra General Hospital and Health Centre, Lefkada General Hospital, Volos General Hospital Achillopouleio, Kalamata General Hospital, Kyparissia General Hospital and Health Centre, Katerini General Hospital, Rethymno General Hospital, Komotini General Hospital Sismanoglio, Serres General Hospital, Trikala General Hospital, Lamia General Hospital, Florina General Hospital, Amfissa General Hospital, Chalkidiki General Hospital, Chania General Hospital Agios Georgios, Chios General Hospital Skylitseio, Elefsina General Hospital Thriasio, Larissa General University Hospital, Mytileni General Hospital Vostaneio, Thessaloniki General Hospital Ippokrateio, Patras General Hospital, Nikaia General Hospital Agios Panteleimon – West Attica General Hospital, Attica General Hospital Sismanogleio-Amalia Fleming, Attica General Hospital KAT, N. Ionia Konstantopoulio General Hospital Patision, Syros Vardakeio kai Proio General Hospital, Samos General Hospital Agios Panteleimon, Limnos General Hospital and Health Centre, Ikaria General Hospital and Health Centre, National Rehabilitation Centre, Agios Nikolaos, Crete, General Hospital, Karpathos General Hospital,
pay private providers of medical equipment and devices within the time limits laid down in Article 4(4)(b) of Directive 2011/7/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 February 2011 on combating late payment in commercial transactions, the Hellenic Republic has failed to fulfil its obligations under that directive;
2.
Orders the Hellenic Republic to pay the costs.