Case C-785/18: Judgment of the Court (Fourth Chamber) of 29 January 2020 (request for a preliminary ruling from the Conseil d’État — France) — GAEC Jeanningros v Institut national de l’origine et de la qualité (INAO), Ministre de l’Agriculture et de l’Alimentation, Ministre de l’Économie et des Finances (Reference for a preliminary ruling — Agriculture — Protection of geographical indications and designations of origin for agricultural products and foodstuffs — Protected designation of origin ‘Comté’ — Minor amendment to a product specification — Action before national courts contesting an application for an amendment — Case-law of the national courts according to which the action becomes devoid of purpose when the European Commission has approved the amendment — Effective judicial protection — Obligation to rule on the action)
Date: 2020-01-29
Institutions: Court of Justice
Subjects: France, Rhône-Alpes, cows’ milk cheese, designation of origin, labelling, product designation








C_2020137EN.01002001.xml










27.4.2020   


EN


Official Journal of the European Union


C 137/20






Judgment of the Court (Fourth Chamber) of 29 January 2020 (request for a preliminary ruling from the Conseil d’État — France) — GAEC Jeanningros v Institut national de l’origine et de la qualité (INAO), Ministre de l’Agriculture et de l’Alimentation, Ministre de l’Économie et des Finances
(Case C-785/18) (1)

(Reference for a preliminary ruling - Agriculture - Protection of geographical indications and designations of origin for agricultural products and foodstuffs - Protected designation of origin ‘Comté’ - Minor amendment to a product specification - Action before national courts contesting an application for an amendment - Case-law of the national courts according to which the action becomes devoid of purpose when the European Commission has approved the amendment - Effective judicial protection - Obligation to rule on the action)
(2020/C 137/25)
Language of the case: French

Referring court

Conseil d’État

Parties to the main proceedings


Applicant: GAEC Jeanningros

Defendants: Institut national de l’origine et de la qualité (INAO), Ministre de l’Agriculture et de l’Alimentation, Ministre de l’Économie et des Finances

intervening party: Comité interprofessionnel de gestion du Comté

Operative part of the judgment

Article 53(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 21 November 2012 on quality schemes for agricultural products and foodstuffs, Article 6 of Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) No 664/2014 of 18 December 2013 supplementing Regulation No 1151/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council with regard to the establishment of the Union symbols for protected designations of origin, protected geographical indications and traditional specialities guaranteed and with regard to certain rules on sourcing, certain procedural rules and certain additional transitional rules, and Article 10 of Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 668/2014 of 13 June 2014 laying down rules for the application of Regulation No 1151/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council, read in conjunction with Article 47 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, must be interpreted as meaning that, when the European Commission has granted an application made by the authorities of a Member State seeking a minor amendment to a product specification for a protected designation of origin, the national courts hearing an action concerning the lawfulness of the decision made by those authorities on that application with a view to submitting it to the Commission, in accordance with Article 53(2) of Regulation No 1151/2012, cannot, on that ground alone, decide that there is no longer any need to adjudicate on the dispute pending before them.


(1)  OJ C 72, 22.5.2019.