Case T-798/25: Action brought on 24 November 2025 – Bowles v ECB
Date: 2025-11-24
Institutions: General Court
Subjects: duties of civil servants, freedom of association, freedom of expression, job description, maladministration, press release, principle of proportionality, rights of the defence, staff regulations (EU)








C_202600186EN.000101.fmx.xml












Official Journal of the European Union


EN
C series













C/2026/186


12.1.2026






Action brought on 24 November 2025 – Bowles v ECB


(Case T-798/25)

(C/2026/186)
Language of the case: English

Parties


Applicant: Carlos Bowles (Frankfurt am Main, Germany) (represented by: S. Pappas and A. Pappas, lawyers)

Defendant: European Central Bank

Form of order sought

The applicant claims that the Court should:






—


annul the letter of 15 May 2025, by which the Chief Services Officer of the ECB concluded that the applicant’s statements to the press were inconsistent with his professional duties under the ECB ethics framework and instructed him to refrain from making such comments in the future; and










—


annul the decision of 9 September 2025, notified on 12 September 2025, by which the Executive Board of the ECB rejected the applicant’s special appeal against the letter of 15 May 2025; as well as










—


order the defendant to bear its costs as well as the applicant’s cost for the present proceedings.





Pleas in law and main arguments

In support of the action, the applicant relies on eleven pleas in law.






1.


First plea in law, alleging that the Chief Services Officer lacked the competence to adopt the first contested decision.










2.


Second plea in law, alleging infringement of Article 41 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the EU - lack of impartiality of the Chief Services Officer.










3.


Third plea in law, alleging infringement of the applicant’s right to be heard under Article 41(2) of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the EU.










4.


Fourth plea of law, alleging infringement of the applicable procedures and of the ECB’s internal governance framework.










5.


Fifth plea in law, alleging distortion of the applicant’s statements – errors of fact.










6.


Sixth plea in law, alleging infringement of the freedom of expression, freedom of association and the principle of proportionality.










7.


Seventh plea in law, alleging that the decision of 9 September 2025 erroneously concluded that the applicant’s special appeal is inadmissible.










8.


Eighth plea in law, alleging erroneous interpretation and application of the duty of loyalty.










9.


Ninth plea in law, alleging erroneous interpretation of Article 0.3.2.5 of the ECB Staff Rules and infringement of the principle of proportionality, freedom of expression and freedom of association.










10.


Tenth plea in law, alleging erroneous interpretation and application of the concept of evidence.










11.


Eleventh plea in law, alleging illegality of the requirement for staff representatives to take corrective action after press coverage.






ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/C/2026/186/oj
ISSN 1977-091X (electronic edition)