EN Official Journal of the European Union C 164/14

Judgment of the General Court of 25 April 2013 — Inuit Tapiriit Kanatamiand Others v Commission

(Case T-526/10) (1)

(Trade in seal products - Regulation (EC) No 1007/2009 - Detailed rules for implementation - Regulation (EU) No 737/2010 - Prohibition on placing such products on the market - Exception in favour of Inuit communities - Plea of illegality - Legal basis - Subsidiarity - Proportionality - Misuse of powers)

2013/C 164/25

Language of the case: English

Parties

Applicants: Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami (Ottawa, Canada); Nattivak Hunters and Trappers Association (Qikiqtarjuaq, Canada); Pangnirtung Hunters’ and Trappers’ Association (Pangnirtung, Canada); Jaypootie Moesesie (Qikiqtarjuaq); Allen Kooneeliusie (Qikiqtarjuaq); Toomasie Newkingnak (Qikiqtarjuaq); David Kuptana (Ulukhaktok, Canada); Karliin Aariak (Iqaluit, Canada); Canadian Seal Marketing Group (Quebec, Canada); Ta Ma Su Seal Products, Inc. (Cap-aux-Meules, Canada); Fur Institute of Canada (Ottawa); NuTan Furs, Inc. (Catalina, Canada); GC Rieber Skinn AS (Bergen, Norway); Inuit Circumpolar Council Greenland (ICC-Greenland) (Nuuk, Groenland, Denmark); Johannes Egede (Nuuk); Kalaallit Nunaanni Aalisartut Piniartullu Kattuffiat (KNAPK) (Nuuk); William E. Scott & Son (Edinburgh, United Kingdom), Association des chasseurs de phoques des Îles-de-la-Madeleine (Cap-aux-Meules); Hatem Yavuz Deri Sanayi iç Ve Diș Ticaret Ltd Șirketi (Istanbul, Turkey); Northeast Coast Sealers’ Co-Operative Society, Ltd (Fleur de Lys, Canada) (represented by J. Bouckaert and H. Viaene, lawyers)

Defendant: European Commission (represented by: E. White, P. Oliver and K. Mifsud Bonnici, acting as Agents)

Interveners in support of the defendant before the General Court: European Parliament (represented: initially by I. Anagnostopoulou and L. Visaggio, and subsequently by L. Visaggio and D. Gauci, acting as Agents); and by the Council of the European Union (represented by: M. Moore and K. Michoel, acting as Agents)

Re:

Application for the annulment of Commission Regulation (EU) No 737/2010 of 10 August 2010, laying the detailed rules of Regulation (EC) No 1007/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council on the sale of seal products (OJ L 216, p. 1).

Operative part of the judgment

The Court:

1. Dismisses the action.

2. Orders Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, Nattivak Hunters and Trappers Association, Pangnirtung Hunters’ and Trappers’ Association, Mr Jaypootie Moesesie, Mr Allen Kooneeliusie, Mr Toomasie Newkingnak, Mr David Kuptana, Ms Karliin Aariak, the Canadian Seal Marketing Group, Ta Ma Su Seal Products, Inc., Fur Institute of Canada, NuTan Furs, Inc., GC Rieber Skinn AS, Inuit Circumpolar Council Greenland (ICC-Greenland), Mr Johannes Egede, Kalaallit Nunaanni Aalisartut Piniartullu Kattuffiat (KNAPK), William E. Scott & Son, Association des chasseurs de phoques des Îles-de-la-Madeleine, Hatem Yavuz Deri Sanayi iç Ve Diș Ticaret Ltd Șirketi and Northeast Coast Sealers’ Co-Operative Society, Ltd to bear their own costs and to pay those incurred by the European Commission.

3. Orders the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union to bear their own costs.

(1) OJ C 13, 15.1.2011.