TO ADOPT A MEASURE, THE EFFECTS OF WHICH, UNDER PROTOCOL NO XII, CAN AFFECT ONLY THE MEMBER STATES .
15 THE DECISION REJECTING THE REQUEST DOES NOT THEREFORE CONCERN THE APPLICANTS IN ANY OTHER MANNER THAN WOULD THE POSITIVE DECISION WHICH THEY WISH TO OBTAIN .
16 IT FOLLOWS THAT THE APPLICATION MUST BE DISMISSED AS INADMISSIBLE, AS THE APPLICANTS HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO ESTABLISH THAT THEY ARE CONCERNED WITHIN THE MEANING OF THE SECOND PARAGRAPH OF ARTICLE 173 .
17 IN THESE CIRCUMSTANCES, THERE IS NO NEED TO CONSIDER THE QUESTION WHETHER THE APPLICATION HAS BEEN BROUGHT WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED PERIOD .
Decision on costs
18 UNDER ARTICLE 69 ( 2 ) OF THE RULES OF PROCEDURE, THE UNSUCCESSFUL PARTY SHALL BE ORDERED TO PAY THE COSTS .
19 THE APPLICATION HAS BEEN HELD TO BE INADMISSIBLE .
20 THE APPLICANTS MUST THEREFORE BE ORDERED TO PAY THE COSTS .
Operative part
THE COURT
HEREBY :
1 . DISMISSES THE APPLICATION AS INADMISSIBLE;
2 . ORDERS THE APPLICANTS TO PAY THE COSTS .