CELEX: C1997/228/13
Language: en
Date: 1997-07-26 00:00:00
Title: Action brought on 30 May 1997 by the Commission of the European Communities against the Portuguese Republic (Case C-208/97)

26 . 7. 97             EN                    Official Journal of the European Communities                                   No C 228/7
The Commission further considers that neither the steps                 Action brought on 2 June 1997 by the Commission of the
taken by Belgium with regard to the protection of the                   European Communities against the Council of the
North Sea nor the (national and regional ) Belgian rules                                       European Union
constitute programmes for the reduction of pollution                                           ( Case C-209/97)
within the meaning of Article 7 of the directive.
                                                                                                 ( 97/C 228/ 14 )
H OJ No L 129, 18 . 5 . 1976, p . 23 .
                                                                        An action against the Council of the European Union was
                                                                        brought before the Court of Justice of the European
                                                                        Communities on 2 June 1997 by the Commission of the
                                                                        European Communities, represented by Michel Nolin and
Action brought on 30 May 1997 by the Commission of                      Pieter Van Nuffel, acting as Agents, with an address for
the European Communities against the Portuguese
                                                                        service in Luxembourg at the office of Carlos Gomez de la
                                                                        Cruz, Wagner Centre.
                                Republic
                          ( Case C-208/97)
                                                                        The Commission of the European Communities claims
                            ( 97/C 228/13 )                             that the Court should :
An action against the Portuguese Republic was brought                   — annul      Council     Regulation    ( EC )   No   515/97  of
before the Court of Justice of the European Communities                     13 March 1997 on mutual assistance between the
on 30 May 1997 by the Commission of the European                            administrative authorities of the Member States and
Communities, represented by Francisco de Sousa Fialho,                      cooperation between the latter and the Commission to
of its Legal Service, acting as Agent, with an address for                  ensure the correct application of the law on customs
service in Luxembourg at the office of Carlos Gomez de la                   and agricultural matters ( j ),
Cruz, Wagner Centre, Kirchberg.
                                                                        — maintain in force, pursuant to Article 174 of the EC
The applicant claims that the Court should:                                 Treaty, Titles V and VI of the abovementioned
                                                                            Regulation,
— declare that, by failing to adopt all the laws,
     regulations or administrative provisions necessary to
     comply with Council Directive 84/156/EEC ( J ) of                  — order the defendant to pay the costs .
     8 March 1984 on limit values and quality objectives
     for mercury discharges by sectors other than the chlor­            Pleas in law and main arguments adduced in support:
     alkali electrolysis industry, inasmuch as it neither drew
     up or implemented the specific programmes provided
     for in Article 4 thereof, the Portuguese Republic has              — Incorrect legal basis :
     failed to fulfil its obligations under the third
     paragraph of Article 189 of the EC Treaty and                          The Regulation at issue could have been based on
     Article 4 of Directive 84/156/EEC,                                     Article 100a of the EC Treaty, so as to exclude
                                                                            reliance on Article 235 thereof. It is submitted that:
— declare, in the alternative, that, by failing forthwith to
     inform    the   Commission          of such   measures,   the          — like the previous regulation ( Regulation ( EEC )
     Portuguese Republic failed to fulfil its obligations                        No    1468/81 ),    Regulation      ( EC ) No   515/97
     under those provisions,                                                     constitutes a measure for the harmonization of the
                                                                                 national laws of the Member States . That initial
                                                                                 regulation was based on Article 235 of the EC
 — order the Portuguese Republic to pay the costs .
                                                                                 Treaty because, at the time of its adoption,
                                                                                 Article 100a of the EC Treaty, which was
 Pleas in law and main arguments adduced in support:                             introduced by the Single European Act, was not
                                                                                 yet in existence . Indeed, the last recital in the
 Under the third paragraph of Article 189 of the EC Treaty,                      preamble shows that, according to the Council,
 a directive is to be binding, as to the result to be achieved,                  Article 235 is relied on only as regards the
 upon each Member State to which it is addressed. In the                         establishment of the new ' CIS' database ( Customs
 present case, the Directive was fully applicable as from                        Information System — see Articles 23 to 41 of the
 13 March 1986 and the specific programmes provided for                          Regulation in issue ).
 in Article 4 thereof applied as from 1 January 1989 .
 Despite the prescribed periods having expired, the                              However, the CIS cannot be regarded as an
 Portuguese Republic did not draw up or apply the                                autonomous Community entity. The Member
 abovementioned specific programmes or, in any event, did                        States are, as such, ' CIS partners', as is the
 not inform the Commission thereof.                                              Commission, which does not play a central role in
                                                                                 the CIS but performs a coordinating function .
 (') OJ No L 74 , 17. 3 . 1984, p . 49 .
                                                                                 The Commission considers, in the alternative, that
                                                                                 even if it was necessary, in view of the