Action brought on 16 February 2024 – European Commission v Hellenic Republic

(Case C-128/24)

Language of the case: Greek

Parties

Applicant: European Commission (represented by: M. Konstantinidis and F. Le Bot)

Defendant: Hellenic Republic

Form of order sought

The applicant claims that the Court should:

declare that, by failing to draw up the maritime spatial plan by 31 March 2021 and by failing to notify it to the Commission and other Member States concerned within three months after its publication, the Hellenic Republic has failed to fulfil its obligations under Article 8(1), Article 15(3) and Article 14(1) of Directive 2014/89/EU;

order the Hellenic Republic to pay the costs.

Pleas in law and main arguments

The Commission submits that, in accordance with Article 8(1) and Article 15(3) of Directive 2014/89/EU ¹ establishing a framework for maritime spatial planning, the Member States were required to draw up a relevant national maritime spatial plan by 31 March 2021. Under Article 14(1) of the directive, the Member States were required to send the Commission the national maritime spatial plans within three months of their publication.

In its application, the Commission submits that the Hellenic Republic, in its answer to its reasoned opinion, acknowledged that it had failed to draw up the maritime spatial plan by 31 March 2021 and had failed to notify it to the Commission and other Member States concerned within three months after its publication.

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¹ Directive 2014/89/ΕU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 July 2014 establishing a framework for maritime spatial planning (OJ 2014 L 25, p. 135).