Judgment of the Court (Third Chamber), 10 May 2012

European Commission v Kingdom of the Netherlands

Failure of a Member State to fulfil obligations — Directive 2004/18/EC — Procedures for the award of public works contracts, public supply contracts and public service contracts — Contract for the supply, installation and maintenance of dispensing machines for hot drinks, and the supply of tea, coffee and other ingredients — Article 23(6) and (8) — Technical specifications — Article 26 — Conditions for performance of the contract — Article 53(1) — Criteria for award of the contracts — Most economically advantageous tender — Products derived from organic agriculture and fair trade — Use of labels in the formulation of the technical specifications and the award criteria — Article 39(2) — Concept of ‘additional information’ — Article 2 — Principles for award of contracts — Principle of transparency — Articles 44(2) and 48 — Verification of the suitability and choice of participants — Minimum level of technical or professional abilities — Compliance with ‘criteria of sustainability of purchases and socially responsible business’

Case C‑368/10


Top of the page Documents in the Case
Document Date Name of the parties Subject-matter Curia EUR-Lex Autres Liens
Judgment (OJ)
15/06/2012 Commission v Netherlands
Judgment
ECLI:EU:C:2012:284
10/05/2012 Commission v Netherlands
Judgment (Summary)
ECLI:EU:C:2012:284
10/05/2012 Commission v Netherlands
Order
ECLI:EU:C:2011:731
14/11/2011 Commission v Netherlands
Order
ECLI:EU:C:2011:71
11/02/2011 Commission v Netherlands
Application (OJ)
04/12/2010 Commission v Netherlands
Opinion
ECLI:EU:C:2011:840
15/12/2011 Commission v Netherlands
Top of the page Legal analysis of the decision or of the case

Reports of Cases

published in the electronic Reports of Cases (Court Reports - general)

Subject-matter

Failure to fulfil obligations – Infringement of Article 2, Article 23(6) and (8), Article 48(1) and (2), Article 44(2), and Article 53(1) of Directive 2004/18/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 31 March 2004 on the coordination of procedures for the award of public works contracts, public supply contracts and public service contracts (OJ 2004 L 134, p. 114) – Principles for the award of contracts – Technical specifications – Verification of the capacity and choice of operators, award of contracts – Technical or professional capacities – Criteria for the award of contracts – Supply, installation and maintenance of coffee machines.

Systematic classification scheme

1.
4 Internal policy of the European Union
  4.11 Approximation of laws
    4.11.02 Public procurement
      4.11.02.02 General rules applicable to public contracts
        4.11.02.02.02 Conduct of procurement procedures
          4.11.02.02.02.05 Award of contract
            4.11.02.02.02.05.01 Award criteria


Citations of case-law or legislation

References in grounds of judgment

Operative part

Opinion


Dates

Date of the lodging of the application initiating proceedings

  • 22/07/2010

Date of the Opinion

  • 15/12/2011

Date of the hearing

Information not available

Date of delivery

10/05/2012


References

Publication in the Official Journal

Application: OJ C 328 from 04.12.2010, p.10

Judgment: OJ C 194 from 30.06.2012, p.3

Name of the parties

Commission v Netherlands

Notes on Academic Writings

  1. Adobati, Enrica: La Corte di giustizia si pronuncia su un appalto pubblico di fornitura subordinato al rispetto di condizioni di carattere ecologico, Diritto comunitario e degli scambi internazionali 2012 p.278-280 (IT)
  2. Kotsonis, Totis: Commission v Netherlands (C-368/10): Environmental and fair trade considerations in the context of a contract award procedure, Public Procurement Law Review 2012 p.NA234-NA244 (EN)
  3. Meister, Marie: Critères d'attribution, Europe 2012 Mai Comm. nº 7 p.277 (FR)
  4. Rosenkötter, Annette: EuGH: Ausschreibung von ÖKO- und Fairtrade-Produkten mittels Umweltgütezeichen, Neue Zeitschrift für Verwaltungsrecht 2012 p.874-875 (DE)
  5. Grasböck, Reinhard ; Gruber, Thomas: Umweltkriterien und soziale Aspekte in technischen Spezifikationen oder als Kriterium, Zeitschrift für Vergaberecht und Beschaffungspraxis 2012 p.342-344 (DE)
  6. Steiner, Marc: Gütesiegel für ökologische Produktion und Max Havelaar-Label für Fortgeschrittene: Der EuGH und die nachhaltige Beschaffung, European Law Reporter 2012 p.133-138 (DE)
  7. Wagner, Alice: Bahn frei für soziale Auftragsvergabe? - Eine Analyse des EuGH-Urteils vom 10.5.2012, C-368/10 Max Havelaar betreffend die Verankerung von Umwelt- und Fair Trade-Gütezeichen im öffentlichen Beschaffungsprozess, Juridikum : Zeitschrift im Rechtsstaat 2012 p.428-438 (DE)
  8. Dumitraşcu, Augustina: Curtea de Justiție a Uniunii Europene. Hotărârea Curţii de Justiţie Europene din 10 mai 2012, cauza nr. C-368/10, Curierul Judiciar 2012 p.503-504 (RO)
  9. Ahlberg, Kerstin: Även sociala kriterier kan beaktas vid tilldelning av offentliga kontrakt, Europarättslig tidskrift 2012 Nr 4 p.688-695 (SV)
  10. Durviaux, Ann Lawrence: La commande du café « Max Havelaar » ou « EKO », Revue trimestrielle de droit européen 2013 p.357 (FR)
  11. Robin-Olivier, Sophie: Verdissement des marchés publics : des exigences environnementales, mais pas un écolabel particulier, Revue trimestrielle de droit européen 2013 p.410 (FR)
  12. De Koninck, Constant ; Teerlinck, Peter: Max Havelaar voor het Hof van Justitie - Fairtradeproducten en het overheidsopdrachtenrecht, Jaarboek overheidsopdrachten = Chronique des marchés publics (Ed. EBP - Brussel) 2013 (FR, NL)



Procedural Analysis Information

Source of the question referred for a preliminary ruling

Information not available

Subject-matter

  • Freedom of establishment
  • Freedom to provide services
  • Approximation of laws

Provisions of national law referred to

Information not available

Provisions of international law referred to

Information not available

Procedure and result

  • Action for a declaration of failure to fulfil obligations : application granted
  • Action for a declaration of failure to fulfil obligations : dismissal on grounds of inadmissibility

Formation of the Court

troisième chambre (Cour)

Judge-Rapporteur

Šváby

Advocate General

Kokott

Language(s) of the Case

  • Dutch

Language(s) of the Opinion

  • German