Case C-239/04: Judgment of the Court (Second Chamber) of 26 October 2006 — Commission of the European Communities v Portuguese Republic (Failure of a Member State to fulfil obligations — Directive 92/43/EEC — Conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora — Article 6(4) — Castro Verde special protection area — Lack of alternative solutions)
Date: 2006-12-30
Institutions: Court of Justice
Subjects: European Commission, Portugal, action for failure to fulfil an obligation, environmental impact, environmental protection, motorway, project evaluation, protected area, protection of animal life

C 326/4

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

30.12.2006

Judgment of the Court (Second Chamber) of 26 October
the European Communities v
2006 — Commission of

Portuguese Republic

(Case C-239/04) (1)

Judgment of the Court (First Chamber) of 26 October 2006
(reference for a preliminary ruling from the College van
Beroep voor het bedrijfsleven –Netherlands) — Koninklijke
Coöperatie Cosun UA v Minister van Landbouw, Natuur en
Voedselkwaliteit

(Failure of a Member State to fulfil obligations — Directive
92/43/EEC — Conservation of natural habitats and of wild
fauna and flora — Article 6(4) — Castro Verde special protec-
tion area — Lack of alternative solutions)

(2006/C 326/08)

Language of the case: Portuguese

(Case C-248/04) (1)

(Preliminary reference — Agriculture — Common organisa-
tion of the markets — Sugar — Article 26 of Regulation
(EEC) No 1785/81 and Article 3 of Regulation (EEC) No
2670/81 — Charge due for C Sugar disposed of on the
internal market — Inapplicability of Article 13 of Regulation
(EEC) No 1430/79 — No possibility of repayment or remis-
sion on grounds of equity — Validity of Regulation (EEC) No
1785/81 and Regulation No 2670/81 — Principles of equality
and legal certainty — Equity)

Parties

Applicant: Commission of the European Communities (repre-
sented by: M. van Beek and A. Caeiros, Agents)

Defendant: Portuguese Republic (represented by: L. Fernandes,
Agent, and J.F. Ganderez and R. Gomes da Silva, advogados)

Re:

Failure of a Member State to fulfil its obligations — Article 6(4)
of Council Directive 92/43/EEC of 21 May 1992 on the conser-
vation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora (OJ 1992
L 206, p. 7) — Construction of a motorway whose route
crosses a special protection area for wild birds — Environmental
impact assessment showing negative implications of the route
— Existence of alternatives to the route constructed

Operative part of the judgment

The Court:

1. Declares that, by implementing a project for a motorway whose
route crosses the Castro Verde special protection area, notwith-
impact assessment and
environmental
standing the negative
without having demonstrated the absence of alternative solutions
for the route concerned, the Portuguese Republic has failed to fulfil
its obligations under Article 6(4) of Council Directive 92/43/EEC
of 21 May 1992 on the conservation of natural habitats and of
wild fauna and flora, as amended by Directive 97/62/EC of 27
October 1997;

2. Orders the Portuguese Republic to pay the costs.

(1) OJ C 228, 11.9.2004.

(2006/C 326/09)

Language of the case: Dutch

Referring court

College van Beroep voor het bedrijfsleven

Parties to the main proceedings

Applicant: Koninklijke Coöperatie Cosun UA

Defendant: Minister van Landbouw, Natuur en Voedselkwaliteit

Re:

Reference for a preliminary ruling — College van Beroep voor
het bedrijfsleven — Validity of Council Regulation (EEC) No
1785/81 of 30 June 1981 on the common organisation of the
markets in the sugar sector (OJ 1981 L 177, p. 4) and Commis-
sion Regulation (EEC) No 2670/81 of 14 September 1981
laying down detailed implementing rules in respect of sugar
production in excess of the quota (OJ 1981 L 262, p. 14) where
there is no procedure for the remission of additional
levies
comparable to that provided for in Article 13 of Council Regu-
lation (EEC) No 1430/79 of 2 July 1979 on the repayment or
remission of import or export duties (OJ 1979 L 175, p. 1) —
Remission on equitable grounds — Producer of non-quota
sugar (C sugar) not involved in a case of fraud established by
the national authorities and who, for reasons relating to the
investigation, was not immediately informed thereof