Judgment of the Court of 24 June 2003 in Case C-72/02: Commission of the European Communities v Portuguese Republic (Failure of a Member State to fulfil its obligations — Directives 92/43/EEC and 79/409/EEC — Conservation of natural habitats and wild birds)
Date: 2003-08-02
Institutions: Court of Justice
Subjects: European Commission, Portugal, action for failure to fulfil an obligation, environmental protection, protected area, protected species, protection of animal life, protection of plant life, wildlife

2.8.2003

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 184/15

1. Declares that, by failing to adopt

the measures necessary to
ensure, as regards the waste-disposal sites at Torreblanca, San
Lorenzo de Tormes, Santalla del Bierzo, Sa Roca and Campello
(Spain),
the implementation of Articles 4 and 9 of Council
Directive 75/442/EEC of 15 July 1975 on waste, as amended
by Council Directive 91/156/EEC of 18 March 1991, and, as
regards
implementation of
Article 13 thereof, the Kingdom of Spain has failed to fulfil
its obligations under that directive;

two disposal

sites,

first

the

the

2. Orders the Kingdom of Spain to pay the costs.

(1) OJ C 31 of 2.2.2002.

JUDGMENT OF THE COURT

(Fifth Chamber)

of 19 June 2003

in Case C-34/02 (Reference for a preliminary ruling from
the Tribunale ordinario di Roma): Sante Pasquini v Isti-
tuto Nazionale della Previdenza Sociale (INPS) (1)

(Social security — Old-age pensions — Recalculation —
Recovery of sums paid though not due — Limitation —
Law applicable — Detailed procedural rules — Concept)

(2003/C 184/28)

(Language of the case: Italian)

(Provisional translation; the definitive translation will be published in
the European Court Reports)

In Case C-34/02: Reference to the Court under Article 234 EC
by the Tribunale Ordinario di Roma (Italy) for a preliminary
ruling in the proceedings pending before that court between
Sante Pasquini and Istituto Nazionale della Previdenza Sociale
(INPS), on the interpretation of Regulation (EEC) No 1408/71
of the Council of 14 June 1971 on the application of social
security schemes
to self-employed
to employed persons,
persons and to members of their families moving within the
Community, as amended and updated by Council Regulation
(EC) No 118/97 of 2 December 1996 (OJ 1997 L 28, p. 1) and
Regulation (EEC) No 574/72 laying down the procedure for
implementing Regulation (EEC) No 1408/71, the Court (Fifth
Chamber),
the
Chamber, C.W.A. Timmermans, D.A.O. Edward, P.
Jann and
Judges; S. Alber, Advocate General;
A. Rosas (Rapporteur),
H. von Holstein, Deputy Registrar, has given a judgment on
19 June 2003, in which it has ruled:

composed of: M. Wathelet, President of

Since Regulation (EEC) No 1408/71 of the Council of 14 June 1971
on the application of social security schemes to employed persons, to
self-employed persons and to members of their families moving within
the Community, as amended and updated by Council Regulation (EC)
No 118/97 of 2 December 1996, does no more than ensure
coordination of provisions of national legislation in the field of social
security, it is national law which is applicable to a situation arising out

of the payment of sums not due, made to a person in receipt of more
than one pension by virtue of his belonging to social security schemes
in various Member States, in the form of a pension supplement where
the maximum authorised income is exceeded. The two year time-limit
referred to in Articles 94, 95, 95a and 95b of Regulation No 1408/
71 cannot be applied by analogy to such a situation.

law must, however, observe the Community principle of
National
equivalence,
in accordance with which the detailed procedural rules
governing the treatment of situations arising out of the exercise of a
Community freedom must be no less favourable than those governing
in
purely
situations, and the principle of
accordance with which those procedural
render
virtually impossible or excessively difficult the exercise of rights arising
out of the situation of Community origin.

rules must not

effectiveness,

internal

the procedural

Those principles apply to all
rules governing the
treatment of situations arising out of the exercise of a Community
freedom, whether those rules are administrative or judicial, such as
the provisions of national law applicable to the limitation of actions
and the recovery of sums paid though not due or those requiring the
the
competent
to take account of
persons concerned or to carry out proper checks of
their situation
with regard to pensions.

the good faith of

institutions

(1) OJ C 84 of 6.4.2002.

JUDGMENT OF THE COURT

of 24 June 2003

in Case C-72/02: Commission of the European Commu-
nities v Portuguese Republic (1)

its obligations —
(Failure of a Member State to fulfil
Directives 92/43/EEC and 79/409/EEC — Conservation of
natural habitats and wild birds)

(2003/C 184/29)

(Language of the case: Portuguese)

(Provisional translation; the definitive translation will be published in
the European Court Reports)

In Case C-72/02, Commission of the European Communities
(Agent: A.
(Agents:
L. Fernandes and M. Telles Romão and M. João Lois): Applica-
tion for a declaration that,

Portuguese

Republic

Caeiros)

v

by failing to implement in national law:

— Article 3(3), Article 10, Article 11 and Article 12(4) of
Council Directive 92/43/EEC of 21 May 1992 on the
conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and
flora (OJ 1992 L 206, p. 7), and

— Article 7, Article 8 and Article 12 of Council Directive
79/409/EEC of 2 April 1979 on the conservation of wild
birds (OJ 1979 L 103, p. 1), and

C 184/16

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

2.8.2003

by failing to implement correctly:
— Article 1, Article 6(1)
Directive 92/43, and

to (4) and Article 12(1)(d) of

— Article 2, Article 4(1) and (4) and Article 6 of Directive

79/409,

the Portuguese Republic has failed to fulfil its obligations under
Article 23 of Directive 92/43 and Article 18 of Directive 79/
409, the Court, composed of: G.C. Rodríguez Iglesias, Presi-
J.-P. Puissochet, M. Wathelet, R. Schintgen and C.W.
dent,
(Presidents of Chambers), C. Gulmann
A. Timmermans
(Rapporteur), D.A.O.
Jann,
Pergola,
La
V. Skouris, F. Macken, N. Colneric, S. von Bahr,
J.N. Cunha
Rodrigues and A. Rosas,
Judges; S. Alber, Advocate General;
R. Grass, Registrar, has given a judgment on 24 June 2003, in
which it:

Edward, A.

P.

1. Declares that by failing to implement in national law:

Article 3(3), Article 10, Article 11 and Article 12(4) of
Council Directive 92/43/EEC of 21 May 1992 on the conser-
vation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora, and
— Article 7 and Article 8 of Council Directive 79/409/EEC
of 2 April 1979 on the conservation of wild birds, and

— by failing to implement correctly:

Article 1, Article 6(1) to (4) and Article 12(1)(d) of Directive
92/43, and
— Article 2, Article 4(1) and (4) and Article 6 of Directive

79/409,

— the Portuguese Republic has failed to fulfil its obligations

under the EC Treaty;

2. Dismisses the remainder of the application;

3. Orders the Portuguese Republic to pay the costs.

(1) OJ C 97 of 20.4.2002.

JUDGMENT OF THE COURT

(Fourth Chamber)

of 5 June 2003

in Case C-83/02: Commission of the European Commu-
nities v Hellenic Republic (1)

(Failure of a Member State to fulfil obligations — Waste
management — Articles 4(1) and 11 of Directive 96/59/EC
on the disposal of polychlorinated biphenyls and polychlori-
nated terphenyls (PCB/PCT))

(2003/C 184/30)

(Language of the case: Greek)

(Provisional translation; the definitive translation will be published in
the European Court Reports)

the plans, outlines and summaries

Republic (Agent: E. Skandalou): Application for a declaration
that, by failing to draw up or, in any event, to communicate to
the Commission within the prescribed period (by 16 September
1999)
required under
Articles 4(1) and 11 of Council Directive 96/59/EC of
16 September 1996 on the disposal of polychlorinated biphe-
nyls and polychlorinated terphenyls (PCB/PCT),
the Hellenic
Republic has failed to fulfil its obligations under that directive
and the EC Treaty, the Court (Fourth Chamber), composed of:
C.W.A. Timmermans, President of the Chamber, A. La Pergola
(Rapporteur) and S. von Bahr, Judges; L.A. Geelhoed, Advocate
General; R. Grass, Registrar, has given a judgment on 5 June
2003, in which it:

of

summaries of

inventoried equipment

1. Declares that, by failing to draw up, within the prescribed
period,
equipment with PCB
inventories of
volumes of more than 5 dm3, plans for the decontamination
and/or disposal
and the PCBs
contained therein, and outlines for the collection and subsequent
in
disposal of equipment which is not subject
accordance with Articles 4(1) and 11 of Council Directive 96/
59/EC of 16 September 1996 on the disposal of polychlori-
nated biphenyls and polychlorinated terphenyls (PCB/PCT), the
Hellenic Republic has failed to fulfil its obligations under that
directive.

to inventory,

2. Orders the Hellenic Republic to pay the costs.

(1) OJ C 118 of 18.05.2002.

JUDGMENT OF THE COURT

(Fifth Chamber)

of 19 June 2003

in Case C-161/02: Commission of the European Commu-
nities v French Republic (1)

(Failure of a Member State to fulfil obligations — Directive
1999/94/EC — Failure
implementing
to

communicate

measures)

(2003/C 184/31)

(Language of the case: French)

(Provisional translation; the definitive translation will be published in
the European Court Reports)

In Case C-83/02, Commission of the European Communities
(Agents: H. Støvlbæk and M. Konstantinidis) v Hellenic

In Case C-161/02, Commission of the European Communities
(Agents: G. Valero Jordana and J. Adda) v French Republic
(Agents: G. de Bergues and E. Puisais): Application for a