Case C-167/07: Action brought on 29 March 2007 — Kingdom of Spain v Council of the European Union
Date: 2007-05-26
Institutions: Court of Justice
Subjects: Council of the European Union, EU waters, Spain, action for failure to fulfil an obligation, catch quota, fishing area, fishing regulations, fishing rights

26.5.2007

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 117/19

Action brought on 29 March 2007 — Kingdom of Spain v
Council of the European Union

(Case C-167/07)

(2007/C 117/31)

Language of the case: Spanish

Parties

Applicant: Kingdom of Spain (represented by: N. Díaz Abad,
agent)

Defendant: Council of the European Union

Form of order sought

— Annul Council Regulation (EC) No 41/2007 (1) of
21 December 2006 fixing for 2007 the fishing opportu-
nities and associated conditions for certain fish stocks and
groups of fish stocks, applicable in Community waters and,
for Community vessels, in waters where catch limitations are
required, to the extent that specific quotas are not allocated
to the Spanish fleet in the Community waters of the North
Sea and

— Order the Council of the European Union to pay the costs.

Pleas in law and main arguments

(1) Infringement of the principle of non-discrimination:

The Kingdom of Spain believes that, to the extent that the
contested regulation does not allocate to Spain quotas in the
Community waters of the North Sea, there is an infringement of
the principle of non-discrimination, given that, on the expiry of
the transitional period stipulated in the Act of Accession, all
other Member States are recognised to have the right of access
to those waters and their resources, whereas the Kingdom of
Spain is recognised to have the right of access only to those
waters.

(2) Misinterpretation of the Act of Accession of Spain:

The Act of Accession in laying down rules concerning the tran-
sitional period for Spain in relation to fisheries does not distin-
guish between access to waters and access to resources. More-
over, the provisions of the Act of Accession should be inter-
preted to accord with its context and purposes.

(3) Infringement of Article 20(2) of Regulation 2371/2002 (2):

The provision is infringed in that no quotas are allocated to
Spain in respect of new fishing opportunities established and
distributed for the first time after the expiry of the transitional
period specified in the Act of Accession.

(1) OJ 2007 L 15, p. 1.
(2) Council Regulation (EC) No 2371/2002 of 20 December 2002 on
the conservation and sustainable exploitation of fisheries resources
under the Common Fisheries Policy (OJ 2002 L 358, p. 59).

Reference for a preliminary ruling from the Tribunal de
Grande instance de Nanterre (France) lodged on 2 April
2007 — 1. S.A. SAFBA v Directeur général des douanes et
droits indirects and Receveur principal des douanes et
droits indirects de Gennevilliers, 2. S.A. Sucreries et
Raffineries d'Erstein v Directeur général des douanes et
droits indirects and Receveur principal des douanes et
droits
indirects de Gennevilliers, 3. SA Sucreries &
Distilleries de Souppes — Ouvré Fils v Directeur général
des douanes et droits indirects and Receveur principal des
douanes et droits indirects de Gennevilliers, 4. SA Sucrerie
de Bourgogne v Directeur général des douanes et droits
indirects and Receveur principal des douanes et droits
indirects de Gennevilliers, 5. Sucrerie Bourdon v Directeur
général des douanes et droits indirects and Receveur prin-
cipal des douanes et droits indirects de Gennevilliers,
6. S.A. des Sucreries du Marquenterre v Directeur général
des douanes et droits indirects and Receveur principal des
douanes et droits indirects de Gennevilliers, 7. Cristal
Union v Directeur général des douanes et droits indirects
and Receveur principal des douanes et droits indirects de
Gennevilliers, 8. S.A. Lesaffre Frères v Directeur général
des douanes et droits indirects and Receveur principal des
douanes et droits indirects de Gennevilliers, 9. Sociéte
Vermendoise Industries v Directeur général des douanes et
droits indirects and Receveur principal des douanes et
droits indirects de Gennevilliers, 10. S.A. Sucreries de
Toury et Usines annexes v Directeur général des douanes
et droits indirects and Receveur principal des douanes et
droits indirects de Gennevilliers

(Case C-175/07)
(Case C-176/07)
(Case C-177/07)
(Case C-178/07)
(Case C-179/07)
(Case C-180/07)
(Case C-181/07)
(Case C-182/07)
(Case C-183/07)
(Case C-184/07)

(2007/C 117/32)

Language of the case: French

Referring court

Tribunal de Grande instance de Nanterre

Parties to the main proceedings

Applicants: S.A. SAFBA (C-175/07), S.A. Sucreries et Raffineries
d'Erstein (C-176/07), SA Sucreries & Distilleries de Souppes —
Ouvré Fils (C-177/07), SA Sucrerie de Bourgogne (C-178/07),
Sucrerie Bourdon (C-179/07), S.A. des Sucreries du Marquen-
terre (C-180/07), Cristal Union (C-181/07), S.A. Lesaffre Frères
(C-182/07),
(C-183/07),
Sociéte Vermendoise
S.A. Sucreries de Toury et Usines annexes (C-184/07)

Industries

Defendants: Directeur général des douanes et droits indirects and
Receveur principal des douanes et droits indirects de Gennevil-
liers