Case C-313/11: Action brought on 21 June 2011 — European Commission v Republic of Poland
Date: 2011-06-21
Institutions: Court of Justice
Subjects: Poland, animal nutrition, genetically modified organism, health policy, human nutrition, national implementing measure








C_2011252EN.01002302.xml










27.8.2011   


EN


Official Journal of the European Union


C 252/23





Action brought on 21 June 2011 — European Commission v Republic of Poland
(Case C-313/11)
2011/C 252/44
Language of the case: Polish

Parties


Applicant: European Commission (represented by: D. Bianchi and A. Szmytkowska, acting as Agents)

Defendant: Republic of Poland

Form of order sought







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declare that, by introducing a prohibition on the manufacture, placing on the market and use for animal nutrition in Poland of genetically modified feed and genetically modified organisms intended for feed use, the Republic of Poland has failed to fulfil its obligations under Articles 16(5), 19, 20 and 34 of Regulation (EC) No 1829/2003 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 22 September 2003 on genetically modified food and feed; (1)











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order the Republic of Poland to pay the costs.





Pleas in law and main arguments

The Commission complains that, by adopting the national Law on feed which prohibits the manufacture, placing on the market and use for animal nutrition in Poland of genetically modified feed and genetically modified organisms intended for feed use, the Republic of Poland has failed to fulfil its obligations under Regulation No 1829/2003. As a result of the adoption of that regulation, which introduces full harmonisation in the field of GMO feed authorisations at European Union level, Poland cannot adopt legal provisions prohibiting the placing on the market, use and manufacture in its territory of products that are the subject of such authorisations. Specifically, Poland has infringed:






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Article 16(5) of Regulation No 1829/2003, in accordance with which authorisation for placing on the market, using or processing GMOs for feed use, feed containing or consisting of GMOs and feed produced from GMOs is to be granted, refused, renewed, modified, suspended or revoked only on the grounds given in the regulation and under the procedures set out therein;










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Article 19 of the regulation, which provides that the powers to issue authorisations rest with the Commission;










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Article 20 of the regulation, under which products already placed on the market and authorised pursuant to the law in force prior to the regulation’s entry into force are regarded as authorised pursuant to the regulation;










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Article 34 of the regulation (clause concerning protective measures), a provision which, in view of the full harmonisation of the field in question, constitutes the only possibility for the adoption of emergency measures seeking to suspend or modify an authorisation that has been granted.




It is irrelevant in this regard that the entry into force of the prohibition at issue has been postponed under national law, because the very adoption by the legislature of the contested provisions that are contrary to European Union law and their publication infringe the obligations owed by the Republic of Poland by virtue of the regulation.


(1)  OJ 2003 L 268, p. 1.