European Court of Justice (News)

Sony and Sony Electronics v Commission
Competition
The General Court upholds the Commission’s Decision finding that there was a cartel on the optical disk drives market

Yanukovych v Council
External relations
The General Court annuls the freezing of funds of seven members of the former Ukrainian ruling class, including Viktor Yanukovych, former President of Ukraine

České aerolinie
Transport
Connecting flights that are the subject of a single reservation departing from a Member State to a non-Member State via another non-Member State: the air carrier that performed the first flight is obliged to pay compensation to passengers who suffered a long delay in the arrival of the second flight performed by a nonCommunity air carrier

Commission v Greece (Tsipouro)
Taxation
La législation grecque appliquant un taux d’accise réduit au tsipouro et à la tsikoudia fabriqués par les entreprises de distillation et un taux d’accise fortement réduit à ceux fabriqués par les petits distillateurs est contraire au droit de l’Union

PlasticsEurope v ECHA
Research, information, education, statistics
Confirmation of the inclusion of Bisphenol A as a substance of very high concern on account of its properties as a substance toxic for reproduction

HQ and Others
Transport
Passengers who have the right to hold their tour organiser liable for reimbursement of the cost of their air tickets cannot also claim reimbursement of the cost of those tickets from the air carrier

Aubriet
Freedom of movement for persons
The method of calculating the minimum length of activity in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, required by that Member State, for the grant of financial aid to non-resident students who are children of cross-border workers is contrary to EU law

Amazon EU
Environment and consumers
An e-commerce platform such as Amazon is not obliged in all cases to make a telephone number available to consumers before the conclusion of a contract

Commission v Belgium (Article 260, paragraphe 3, TFUE - Réseaux à haut débit)
Approximation of laws
The Court interprets and applies for the first time Article 260(3) TFEU, which permits the imposition of a financial penalty for failure to fulfil the ‘obligation to notify measures transposing’ an EU directive

Baltic Media Alliance
SERV
A Member State may, for reasons of public policy such as combating incitement to hatred, impose a temporary obligation to broadcast or retransmit a television channel from another Member State only in pay-to-view packages

Constantin Film Produktion v EUIPO
Intellectual and industrial property
Advocate General Bobek: EUIPO’s decision rejecting the registration of the trade mark ‘Fack Ju Göhte’ should be annulled

Puigdemont i Casamajó and Comín i Oliveres v Parliament

The application for interim measures of Mr Carles Puigdemont and Mr Antoni Comín, to order the European Parliament to enable them to take their seats in Parliament is dismissed

Craeynest and Others
Environment and consumers
National courts have jurisdiction to review the choice of location of air quality measuring stations and to take all necessary measures against the national authority concerned

Krajowa Rada Sądownictwa (Indépendance de la chambre disciplinaire de la Cour suprême)
Law governing the institutions
Advocate General Tanchev: the newly-created Disciplinary Chamber of the Polish Supreme Court does not satisfy the requirements of judicial independence established by EU law

Hungary v Commission
State aid
The General Court annuls the Commission’s decision finding that the Hungarian advertisement tax was incompatible with the EU State aid rules

Craeynest and Others
Environment and consumers
National courts have jurisdiction to review the choice of location of air quality measuring stations and to take all necessary measures against the national authority concerned

Commission v Poland (Indépendance de la Cour suprême)
Principles of Community law
The Polish legislation concerning the lowering of the retirement age of judges of the Supreme Court is contrary to EU law

Commission v Poland (Indépendance de la Cour suprême)
Principles of Community law
The Polish legislation concerning the lowering of the retirement age of judges of the Supreme Court is contrary to EU law

Línea Directa Aseguradora
Approximation of laws
A situation in which a vehicle parked in a private garage of a building for more than 24 hours has caught fire, causing a fire originating in the vehicle's electrical system and causing damage to the building falls within the concept of ‘use of vehicles’ within the meaning of the directive on insurance against civil liability in respect of the use of motor vehicles 

Línea Directa Aseguradora
Approximation of laws
A situation in which a vehicle parked in a private garage of a building for more than 24 hours has caught fire, causing a fire originating in the vehicle's electrical system and causing damage to the building falls within the concept of ‘use of vehicles’ within the meaning of the directive on insurance against civil liability in respect of the use of motor vehicles