CELEX: C2007/170/31
Language: en
Date: 2007-07-21 00:00:00
Title: Case C-264/07: Action brought on 1 June 2007 — Commission of the European Communities v Hellenic Republic

21.7.2007   
            
            
               EN
            
            
               Official Journal of the European Union
            
            
               C 170/17
            
         Action brought on 1 June 2007 — Commission of the European Communities v Hellenic Republic
   (Case C-264/07)
   (2007/C 170/31)
   Language of the case: Greek
   Parties
   
      Applicant: Commission of the European Communities (represented by: M. Patakia and M. Konstantinidis)
   
      Defendant: Hellenic Republic
   Form of order sought
   
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               declare that, by failing to draw up by 22 December 2004 for each river basin district falling within its territory an analysis of its characteristics, a review of the impact of human activity on the status of surface waters and on groundwater and an economic analysis of water use, in accordance with the technical specifications set out in Annexes II and III, the Hellenic Republic has failed to fulfil its obligations under Article 5(1) of Directive 2000/60/EC (1) establishing a framework for Community action in the field of water policy, while, by failing to submit summary reports of the analyses required under that article, it has also failed to fulfil its obligations under Article 15(2) of that directive;
            
         
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               order the Hellenic Republic to pay the costs.
            
         Pleas in law and main arguments
   Directive 2000/60 entered into force on 22 December 2000. Therefore the Member States were obliged to have completed the analyses and the review required under Article 5(1) of the Directive by 22 December 2004 at the latest, and to submit to the Commission a summary report concerning those analyses, as laid down by Article 15(2) of the directive, by 22 March 2005 at the latest.
   In their response to the Commission's letter of formal notice, the Greek authorities acknowledged the failure to comply with Article 15(2) of the directive and undertook to forward the required report in June 2006. So far as concerns, however, the Hellenic Republic's compliance with the obligations flowing from Article 5(1) of the directive, the Greek authorities were silent, despite the fact that the Commission in its letter of formal notice cast doubt on whether the Hellenic Republic had fulfilled its obligations under that article.
   It was apparent from analysing the report which was finally sent in June 2006 that the Hellenic Republic still had not complied with the obligations that flow from Articles 5(1) and 15(2) of Directive 2000/60.
   
      (1)  OJ L 327, 22.12.2000, p. 1.