1 BY APPLICATION LODGED AT THE COURT REGISTRY ON 1 FEBRUARY 1980 THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES BROUGHT AN ACTION UNDER ARTICLE 169 OF THE EEC TREATY FOR A DECLARATION THAT BY FAILING TO ADOPT WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED PERIOD THE PROVISIONS NEEDED TO COMPLY WITH COMMISSION DIRECTIVE NO 76/696 OF 27 JULY 1976 ADAPTING TO TECHNICAL PROGRESS THE COUNCIL DIRECTIVE OF 19 NOVEMBER 1973 ON THE APPROXIMATION OF THE LAWS OF THE MEMBER STATES RELATING TO NON-AUTOMATIC WEIGHING MACHINES ( OFFICIAL JOURNAL L 236 , P . 26 ), THE ITALIAN REPUBLIC HAS FAILED TO FULFIL ONE OF ITS OBLIGATIONS UNDER THE THIRD PARAGRAPH OF ARTICLE 189 OF THE EEC TREATY .
2 BY ARTICLE 2 OF THAT DIRECTIVE MEMBER STATES WERE REQUIRED TO PUT INTO EFFECT THE MEASURES NEEDED TO COMPLY THEREWITH WITHIN A PERIOD OF ONE YEAR FROM THE DATE OF NOTIFICATION THEREOF ; THAT PERIOD EXPIRED ON 30 JULY 1977 .
3 THE ITALIAN REPUBLIC DOES NOT DENY THAT IT HAS NOT MET THAT OBLIGATION . IT STATES THAT THE DELAY IN IMPLEMENTING THE DIRECTIVE WAS AT FIRST DUE TO THE FACT THAT A DRAFT LAW SUBMITTED FOR THAT PURPOSE HAD LAPSED OWING TO THE DISSOLUTION OF PARLIAMENT AND THAT IT WAS LATER DUE TO THE FACT THAT A DRAFT LAW REQUESTING STATUTORY AUTHORIZATION FOR THE ADOPTION INTO THE ITALIAN LEGAL SYSTEM OF A NUMBER OF DIRECTIVES , THOUGH APPROVED BY THE SENATE ON 16 JULY 1980 , WAS STILL UNDER SCRUTINY BY THE CHAMBER OF DEPUTIES .
4 THOSE CIRCUMSTANCES DO NOT EXPUNGE THE FAILURE TO FULFIL ITS OBLIGATIONS WITH WHICH THE ITALIAN REPUBLIC IS CHARGED . ACCORDING TO WELL-ESTABLISHED CASE-LAW , A MEMBER STATE MAY NOT PLEAD PROVISIONS , PRACTICES OR CIRCUMSTANCES EXISTING IN ITS INTERNAL LEGAL SYSTEM IN ORDER TO JUSTIFY A FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH OBLIGATIONS AND TIME-LIMITS RESULTING FROM COMMUNITY DIRECTIVES .
5 IT MUST THEREFORE BE DECLARED THAT BY FAILING TO ADOPT , WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED PERIOD , THE PROVISIONS NEEDED IN ORDER TO COMPLY WITH COMMISSION DIRECTIVE NO 76/696 OF 27 JULY 1976 THE ITALIAN REPUBLIC HAS FAILED TO FULFIL ONE OF ITS OBLIGATIONS UNDER THE TREATY .