CELEX: C2001/028/19
Language: en
Date: 2001-01-27 00:00:00
Title: Case C-396/00: Action brought on 26 October 2000 by the Commission of the European Communities against the Italian Republic

27.1.2001             EN                     Official Journal of the European Communities                                          C 28/11
(4) Are penalties such as those provided for under Article 399          Pleas in law and main arguments
     of the Codice Postale Italiano (Italian Postal Regulations
     set out in Presidential Decree No 156 of 1973) compatible
     with Community law, in the light of the principles of              The Commission claims that even though there existed,
     non-discrimination and proportionality?                            within the area in question, waste-water treatment plants by
                                                                        31 December 1998, Italy should have adopted measures to
                                                                        identify the discharges for the purposes of applying Article
(1) OJ L 91 of 7.4.1999, p. 10.                                         5(5) of the directive by adapting, if necessary, the relevant
(2) OJ L 321 of 30.12.1995, p. 1.                                       plants. Italy cannot justify its delay in fulfilling its obligations
                                                                        under the directive by arguing that the main factors on the
                                                                        basis of which the present situation was to be characterised,
                                                                        for the purposes of the applicability of its obligations under
                                                                        Articles 5(2) and 5(5), have not yet been examined and
                                                                        assessed, since those obligations had been entrusted to local
                                                                        bodies (the Regions). As the Court of Justice has consistently
                                                                        held, Member States cannot rely on provisions of their own
                                                                        internal legal order in order to justify failure to respect the
                                                                        obligations and time-limits laid down by a directive.
Action brought on 26 October 2000 by the Commission
of the European Communities against the Italian Republic                As regards the exemption under Article 5(4) of the directive, it
                                                                        is clear that it cannot apply unless it can be shown that the
                                                                        minimum percentage of reduction of the overall load entering
                                                                        all urban waste water treatment plants in that area is of a
                         (Case C-396/00)
                                                                        certain value, which is impossible for the time being because
                                                                        there is no treatment plant in existence.
                          (2001/C 28/19)
                                                                        By declaring a state of emergency, the Italian authorities have
                                                                        shown themselves to be seriously willing to resolve the
                                                                        situation even if the Commission is concerned that, despite
An action against the Italian Republic was brought before the           having indicated the expected dates of completion of the
Court of Justice of the European Communities on 26 October              works, by letter of 9 July and of 27 October 1999, in reply to
2000 by the Commission of the European Communities,                     the letter of formal notice, the latest letter of 6 April 2000
represented by Gregorio Valero Jordana, of its Legal Service,           makes no further mention in that respect. In any event, so far
and by Roberto Amorosi, judge on secondment to the Legal                as concerns the present case, nothing of the foregoing changes
Service, acting as Agents, with an address for service in               the fact that Italy is in breach of Community law.
Luxembourg at the office of Carlos Gómez de la Cruz, of its
Legal Service, Wagner Centre, Kirchberg.
                                                                        (1) OJ 1991 L 135, p. 40.
                                                                        (2) OJ 1991 L 375, p. 1.
The applicant claims that the Court should:
—    Declare that, by failing to adopt the provisions necessary
     to ensure that, by 31 December 1998, discharges of
     urban waste water from Milan collected in a basin
     draining into the ‘Po delta’ and ‘northwestern Adriatic
     coastal areas’, as defined by the Decree Law No 152 of
     the Italian Republic of 11 May 1999 (Provisions on the
     prevention of pollution of water and implementation of             Action brought on 30 October 2000 by Kingdom of Spain
     Council Directive 91/271/EEC (1) concerning urban                      against Commission of the European Communities
     waste-water treatment and Council Directive
     91/676/EEC (2) of 12 December 1991 concerning the
     protection of waters against pollution caused by nitrates                                    (Case C-398/00)
     from agricultural sources), pursuant to Article 5 of
     concerning urban waste-water treatment, were subject to                                       (2001/C 28/20)
     more stringent treatment than the secondary treatment
     or equivalent described by Article 4 of that directive, the
     Italian Republic has failed to fulfil its obligations under        An action against the Commission of the European Communi-
     Article 5(2) of the aforementioned directive, as laid down         ties was brought before the Court of Justice of the European
     in Article 5(5);                                                   Communities on 30 October 2000 by the Kingdom of Spain,
                                                                        represented by Santiago Ortiz Vaamonde, Abogado del Estado,
                                                                        acting as Agent, with an address for service in Luxembourg at
—    Order the Italian Republic to pay the costs.                       the Spanish Embassy, 4-6 boulevard E. Servais.