Judgment of the General Court (Sixth Chamber) of 29 November 2017 — Montel v Parliament

(Case T‑634/16)

(Rules governing the payment of expenses and allowances to Members of the European Parliament — Parliamentary assistance allowance — Recovery of sums wrongfully paid — Power of the Secretary-General — Electa una via — Rights of the defence — Burden of proof — Obligation to state reasons — Legitimate expectations — Political rights — Equal treatment — Misuse of power — Independence of the Members — Error of fact — Proportionality)

1.      Actions for annulment — Actionable measures — Meaning — Measures producing binding legal effects — Action brought against a letter of the Directorate General for Finance of the European Parliament concerning the recovery of indemnities unduly paid by way of parliamentary assistance — Purely informative measure — Not included

(Art. 263 TFEU)

(see paras 27, 29)

2.      Judicial proceedings — Application initiating proceedings — Formal requirements — Identification of the subject-matter of the dispute — Clear and precise statement of the pleas relied on — Action seeking compensation for loss caused by an EU institution — No indications as to the character and extent of the damage suffered or as to the causal link — Inadmissibility

(Rules of Procedure of the General Court, Art. 76(d))

(see paras 33, 34)

3.      European Parliament — Administrative procedure — Decision of the Parliament ordering the recovery of a sum wrongfully paid by way of parliamentary assistance — Infringement of the electa una via principle — Breach of the principle of no double jeopardy — None

(Decision of the Bureau of the Parliament concerning implementing measures for the Statute for Members of the European Parliament, Art. 68)

(see paras 80, 81, 83)

4.      EU law — Principles — Fundamental rights — Presumption of innocence — Decision of the Parliament ordering the recovery of a sum wrongfully paid by way of parliamentary assistance — Compatibility with that principle — Conditions

(Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, Art. 48(1))

(see para 91)

5.      EU law — Principles — Rights of defence — Right to be heard — Scope — Obligation to make it possible for the interested party to express herself orally — None

(Decision of the Bureau of the Parliament concerning implementing measures for the Statute for Members of the European Parliament, Art. 68(2))

(see paras 104-106)

6.      European Parliament — Rules on costs and indemnities of MEPs — Parliamentary assistance allowances — Check relating to the use of parliamentary assistance costs — Burden of proof

(Decision of the Bureau of the Parliament concerning implementing measures for the Statute for Members of the European Parliament, Art. 33(1))

(see paras 119, 120)

7.      Acts of the institutions — Statement of reasons — Obligation — Scope — Decision of the Parliament ordering the recovery of a sum wrongfully paid by way of parliamentary assistance

(Art. 296 TFEU)

(see para 130)

8.      EU law — Principles — Protection of legitimate expectations — Conditions — Specific assurances given by the authorities — Legal certainty — Requirement that acts producing legal effects be clear and precise

(see paras 140, 141, 143, 144)

9.      EU law — Principles — Equal treatment — Discrimination — Meaning

(see paras 159, 166)

10.    EU law — Principles — Principle of sound administration — Scope

(see para. 160)

11.    Actions for annulment — Pleas in law — Misuse of powers — Meaning

(see para. 161)

12.    EU law — Principles — Proportionality — Scope

(see para. 233)

Re:

APPLICATION on the basis of Article 263 TFEU seeking the annulment of the decision of the Secretary-General of the Parliament of 24 June 2016 concerning the recovery of a sum of EUR 77 276.42 wrongfully paid as parliamentary assistance allowance, of the notification and measures implementing that decision contained in the letters of the Director-General for Finance of the Parliament of 5 and 6 July 2016 and the debit note of 4 July 2016 relating thereto and application on the basis of Article 268 TFEU seeking compensation of the loss which the applicant allegedly suffered due, in particular, to that decision.

Operative part

The Court:

1. Annuls the decision of the Secretary-General of the Parliament of 24 June 2016 concerning the recovery from Ms Sophie Montel of a sum of EUR 77 276.42 wrongfully paid as parliamentary assistance allowance and the debit note of 4 July 2016 relating thereto insofar as they concern sums paid between February and April 2015;

2. Dismisses the remainder of the action;

3. Orders Ms Montel, the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union each to bear their own costs.