1 BY AN APPLICATION LODGED AT THE COURT REGISTRY ON 22 JANUARY 1985 THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES BROUGHT PROCEEDINGS UNDER ARTICLE 169 OF THE EEC TREATY TO OBTAIN A DECLARATION THAT THE ITALIAN REPUBLIC HAS FAILED TO FULFIL ITS OBLIGATIONS UNDER THAT TREATY BY NOT ADOPTING WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED PERIOD THE MEASURES NECESSARY TO COMPLY WITH COUNCIL DIRECTIVE NO 78/660 OF 25 JULY 1978 ON THE ANNUAL ACCOUNTS OF CERTAIN TYPES OF COMPANIES ( THE FOURTH COUNCIL DIRECTIVE ).
2 THE FOURTH COUNCIL DIRECTIVE , WHICH WAS BASED ON ARTICLE 54 ( 3 ) ( G ) OF THE TREATY , CONTAINS MEASURES TO COORDINATE NATIONAL PROVISIONS CONCERNING THE PRESENTATION AND CONTENT OF ANNUAL ACCOUNTS AND ANNUAL REPORTS , THE VALUATION METHOD USED THEREIN AND THEIR PUBLICATION IN RESPECT OF CERTAIN COMPANIES WITH LIMITED LIABILITY . THERE WAS AN URGENT NEED FOR SUCH COORDINATING MEASURES , AS IS STATED IN THE SECOND RECITAL IN THE PREAMBLE TO THE DIRECTIVE , BECAUSE THE ACTIVITIES OF SUCH COMPANIES FREQUENTLY EXTEND BEYOND THE FRONTIERS OF THEIR NATIONAL TERRITORIES AND THEY OFFER NO SAFEGUARDS TO THIRD PARTIES BEYOND THE AMOUNTS OF THEIR NET ASSETS .
3 ARTICLE 55 OF THE DIRECTIVE PROVIDES THAT THE MEMBER STATES SHALL BRING INTO FORCE THE LAWS , REGULATIONS AND ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS NECESSARY FOR THEM TO COMPLY WITH THE DIRECTIVE WITHIN TWO YEARS OF ITS NOTIFICATION AND THAT THEY ARE TO INFORM THE COMMISSION THEREOF . THE DIRECTIVE WAS NOTIFIED ON 31 JULY 1978 , SO THAT THAT PERIOD EXPIRED TWO YEARS THEREAFTER .
4 THE COMMISSION RECEIVED NO COMMUNICATION ON THE SUBJECT FROM THE ITALIAN GOVERNMENT AND THEREFORE INITIATED THE PROCEDURE UNDER ARTICLE 169 . NEITHER ITS LETTER OF 19 OCTOBER 1982 CALLING UPON THE ITALIAN GOVERNMENT TO ACT NOR THE REASONED OPINION ISSUED ON 14 JUNE 1984 ELICITED A RESPONSE FROM THE ITALIAN AUTHORITIES . ACCORDINGLY , THE COMMISSION BROUGHT THIS APPLICATION ON 22 JANUARY 1985 .
5 THE ITALIAN GOVERNMENT CONCEDES THAT IT HAS FAILED TO FULFIL ITS OBLIGATIONS BUT SUBMITS THAT THE SUBJECT-MATTER IS A COMPLEX ONE WHICH WILL ENTAIL AN AMENDMENT TO ITS CIVIL CODE . IT CLAIMS THAT DRAFT LEGISLATION TO IMPLEMENT THE DIRECTIVE IN QUESTION IS AT AN ADVANCED STAGE OF CONSIDERATION AND IT HOPES THAT THE DRAFT WILL BE ADOPTED WITHIN A REASONABLE PERIOD OF TIME . AT THE HEARING IT STATED THAT THAT COULD BE DONE FAIRLY SOON , BUT IT COULD NOT BE SURE PRECISELY WHEN THE PROBLEM WOULD FINALLY BE RESOLVED .
6 THE COURT WOULD POINT OUT THAT IT HAS CONSISTENTLY HELD THAT MEMBER STATES MAY NOT PLEAD PROVISIONS , PRACTICES OR CIRCUMSTANCES EXISTING IN THEIR INTERNAL LEGAL SYSTEMS IN ORDER TO JUSTIFY FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH OBLIGATIONS AND TIME-LIMITS LAID DOWN IN DIRECTIVES .
7 ACCORDINGLY , THE COURT FINDS THAT BY FAILING TO ADOPT , OR INFORM THE COMMISSION OF , THE MEASURES REFERRED TO IN COUNCIL DIRECTIVE NO 78/660/EEC OF 25 JULY 1978 WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED PERIOD THE ITALIAN REPUBLIC HAS FAILED TO FULFIL ITS OBLIGATIONS UNDER THE EEC TREATY .