European Court of Justice (News)

Commission v Italy (Contribution à l’achat de carburants)
Taxation
The reduction on the price of fuel for residents of the Regione autonoma Friuli Venezia Giulia does not, in itself, constitute an infringement of the Energy Taxation Directive

Staatssecretaris van Justitie en Veiligheid (Retour d’un mineur non accompagné)
Area of Freedom, Security and Justice
Before issuing a return decision in respect of an unaccompanied minor, a Member State must verify that adequate reception facilities are available for the minor in the State of return

Okrazhna prokuratura - Haskovo and Apelativna prokuratura - Plovdiv
DFON
A national rule permitting the confiscation of an instrumentality that was used to commit an aggravated smuggling offence but belongs to a third party acting in good faith is contrary to EU law

MM
Area of Freedom, Security and Justice
A European arrest warrant must be regarded as being invalid when it is not based on a national arrest warrant or any other enforceable judicial decision having the same effect

Facebook Ireland and Others
Principles of Community law
Advocate General Bobek: the data protection authority in the State where a data controller or processor has its main EU establishment has a general competence to start court proceedings for GDPR infringements in relation to cross-border data processing

Report on the functioning of the General Court of the European Union

Repubblika
DFON
Advocate General Hogan : EU Law does not preclude national constitutional provisions under which the executive power or one of its members, such as the Prime Minister, plays a role in the process of the appointment of members of the judiciary

A.B. and Others (Nomination des juges à la Cour suprême - Recours)
Law governing the institutions
Advocate General Tanchev: Polish law introduced in order to exclude the possibility for legal review of the National Council of the Judiciary’s assessment of judicial candidates to the Supreme Court violates EU law

Generalstaatsanwaltschaft Hamburg
Area of Freedom, Security and Justice
L’exécution d’un mandat d’arrêt européen délivré aux fins d’exécution d’une peine privative de liberté ne peut être refusée, lorsque la personne concernée a fait obstacle à sa citation en personne et n’a pas comparu en personne au procès en raison de sa fuite vers l’État membre d’exécution, au seul motif que l’État membre d’émission n’a pas assuré que le droit à un nouveau procès de cette personne sera respecté

Syndicat interprofessionnel de défense du fromage Morbier
Agriculture and fisheries
EU law prohibits the reproduction of the shape or appearance of a product protected by a PDO in certain circumstances

A.M. (Étiquetage des produits cosmétiques)
Approximation of laws
Information as to the ‘function’ of a cosmetic product which must appear on the product’s container and its packaging must inform consumers clearly as to that product’s purpose and method of use

CLCV and Others (Dispositif d’invalidation sur moteur diesel)
Environment and consumers
A manufacturer cannot install a defeat device which systematically improves, during approval procedures, the performance of the vehicle emission control system and thus obtain approval of the vehicle

WEG Tevesstraße
Taxation
The supply of heat by a group of residential property owners to its members is subject to VAT

Openbaar Ministerie (Indépendance de l’autorité judiciaire d’émission)
Area of Freedom, Security and Justice
The existence of evidence of systemic or generalised deficiencies concerning judicial independence in Poland or of an increase in those deficiencies does not in itself justify the judicial authorities of the other Member States refusing to execute any European arrest warrant issued by a Polish judicial authority

Generalstaatsanwaltschaft Berlin (Extradition vers l'Ukraine)
DISC
A Union citizen may be extradited to a third State only after consultation with the Member State of which that citizen is a national

Centraal Israëlitisch Consistorie van België and Others
Agriculture and fisheries
In order to promote animal welfare in the context of ritual slaughter, Member States may, without infringing the fundamental rights enshrined in the Charter, require a reversible stunning procedure which cannot result in the animal’s death

International Skating Union v Commission
Competition
The General Court confirms that the rules of the International Skating Union (ISU) providing for severe penalties for athletes taking part in speed skating events not recognised by it are contrary to EU competition law

Council v K. Chrysostomides & Co. and Others
Law governing the institutions
The Court of Justice upholds the judgments of the General Court in so far as it dismissed the actions for damages brought by a number of individuals and companies on account of acts and conduct adopted by the EU institutions in connection with financial assistance granted to Cyprus that was conditional upon the restructuring of its banking sector

Junqueras i Vies v Parliament
Law governing the institutions
The General Court declares the action brought by Mr Junqueras i Vies, against the statement by the European Parliament that his seat was vacant, to be inadmissible

Groupe Canal + v Commission
Competition
The Court of Justice annuls a Commission decision making binding the commitments offered by a company in order to preserve competition on the markets