Judgment of the Court (Fifth Chamber) of 11 June 2020 (request for a preliminary ruling from the Ústavný súd Slovenskej republiky — Slovak Republic) — proceedings brought by Prezident Slovenskej republiky

(Case C-378/19)¹

(Reference for a preliminary ruling — Internal market in electricity — Directive 2009/72/EC — Article 35(4) and (5) — Independence of regulatory authorities — National legislation transferring the power to appoint the president of the national regulatory authority from the Head of State to the government — national ministries participating in price-setting procedures)

Language of the case: Slovak

Referring court

Ústavný súd Slovenskej republiky

Party to the main proceedings

Prezident Slovenskej republiky

In the presence of: Národná rada Slovenskej republiky, Vláda Slovenskej republiky

Operative part of the judgment

Article 35(4) and (5) of Directive 2009/72/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 July 2009, concerning common rules for the internal market in electricity and repealing Directive 2003/54/EC, must be interpreted as not precluding legislation of a Member State which provides that the government of that State is competent to appoint and dismiss the president of the national regulatory authority, to the extent that all the requirements laid down by those provisions are complied with, which is for the referring court to review.

Article 35(4) and (5) of Directive 2009/72 must be interpreted as not precluding national legislation of a Member State which, to ensure the public interest is protected, prescribes that representatives of ministries of that State participate in certain procedures before the national regulatory body concerning price setting, to the extent that that authority’s independence in decision-making is respected, which is for the referring court to review.

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¹ JO C 238 du 15.7.2019.