Case C-196/13: Action brought on 16 April 2013 — European Commission v Italian Republic
Date: 2013-04-16
Institutions: Court of Justice
Subjects: Italy, enforcement of ruling, hazardous waste, infringement of EU law, periodic penalty payment, waste disposal








C_2013207EN.01000902.xml










20.7.2013   


EN


Official Journal of the European Union


C 207/9





Action brought on 16 April 2013 — European Commission v Italian Republic
(Case C-196/13)
2013/C 207/16
Language of the case: Italian

Parties


Applicant: European Commission (represented by: A. Alcover San Pedro and D. Recchia, acting as Agents)

Defendant: Italian Republic

Form of order sought







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Declare that, by having failed to take all the necessary measures to comply with the judgment of the Court of Justice of the European Communities of 26 April 2007 in Case C-135/05, in which it was declared that the Italian Republic had failed to fulfil its obligations under Articles 4, 8 and 9 of Directive 75/442/EEC, (1) as amended by Directive 91/156/EEC, (2) under Article 2(1) of Council Directive 91/689/EEC of 12 December 1991 on hazardous waste, (3) and under Article 14(a) to (c) of Council Directive 1999/31/EC of 26 April 1999 on the landfill of waste, (4) the Italian Republic has failed to fulfil its obligations under Article 260(1) TFEU;










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Order the Italian Republic to pay to the Commission a daily penalty payment in an amount of EUR 256 819,2 for the delay in complying with the judgment in Case C-135/05, from the date of judgment in the present case until the date on which the judgment in Case C-135/05 is complied with;










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Order the Italian Republic to pay to the Commission a lump sum, the amount of which is calculated by multiplying a daily amount of EUR 28 089,6 by the number of days over which the failure to fulfil obligations continues, from the date of delivery of the judgment in Case C-135/05 until the date of judgment in the present case;










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Order the Italian Republic to pay the costs.





Pleas in law and main arguments

With regard to the infringement of Articles 4, 8 and 9 of Directive 75/442/EEC, as amended by Directive 91/156/EEC, and of Article 2(1) of Directive 91/689/EEC on hazardous waste, according to the information provided by the Italian authorities, there are still at least 218 illegal landfills in Italy, located across all the Italian regions. Since they have not been authorised, the 218 illegal landfills do not comply with the abovementioned provisions.
With regard to the infringement of Article 14(a) to (c) of Directive 1999/31/EC on the landfill of waste, according to the information provided by the Italian authorities, there continue to be five landfills in respect of which the relevant conditioning plans have not been submitted or approved and which have nevertheless not been closed by the competent authorities, in breach of the abovementioned provisions.
The proposed penalty (daily penalty payment and lump sum) is proportionate to the gravity and duration of the infringement, taking account, inter alia, of the need to ensure that the penalty acts as an effective deterrent.


(1)  Council Directive 75/442/EEC of 15 July 1975 on waste (OJ 1975 L 194, p. 39).

(2)  Council Directive 91/156/EEC of 18 March 1991 amending Directive 75/442/EEC on waste (OJ 1991 L 78, p. 32).

(3)  Council Directive 91/689/EEC of 12 December 1991 on hazardous waste (OJ 1991 L 377, p. 20).

(4)  Council Directive 1999/31/EC of 26 April 1999 on the landfill of waste (OJ 1999 L 182, p. 1).