Request for a preliminary ruling from the Administrativen sad Sofia-oblast (Bulgaria) lodged on 6 October 2023 – ‘NOV ZHIVOT 1919’ NCh v Rakovoditel na Upravlyavashtia organ na programata za transgranichno satrudnichestvo INTERREG-IPP Bulgaria-Serbia 2014-2020 i direktor na direktsia ‘Upravlenie na teritorialnoto satrudnichestvo’ v Ministerstvo na regionalnoto razvitie i blagoustroystvoto
(Case C-620/23, NOV ZHIVOT 1919)
Language of the case: Bulgarian
Referring court
Administrativen sad Sofia-oblast
Parties to the main proceedings
Applicant: ‘NOV ZHIVOT 1919’ NCh
Defendant: Rakovoditel na Upravlyavashtia organ na programata za transgranichno satrudnichestvo INTERREG-IPP Bulgaria-Serbia 2014-2020 i direktor na direktsia ‘Upravlenie na teritorialnoto satrudnichestvo’ v Ministerstvo na regionalnoto razvitie i blagoustroystvoto
Questions referred
Does Article 40 of Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 447/2014 of 2 May 2014 on the specific rules for implementing Regulation (EU) No 231/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing an Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance (IPA II) 1 not, in situations of cross-border cooperation between a Member State and a beneficiary of the Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance (IPA II) for the 2014-2020 period, preclude the imposition of a financial correction on an economic operator which is alleged to have engaged in unlawful conduct constituting an irregularity but which is not the lead beneficiary and therefore not the party which has assumed responsibility for the implementation of the entire project?
If the first question is answered in the affirmative, do Articles 41 and 47 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, in such situations of cross-border cooperation, guarantee the right of the lead beneficiary to participate in the procedure to decide on the imposition of a financial correction and in the judicial proceedings challenging that administrative act, irrespective of its location in relation to the authority responsible under the relevant cross-border cooperation programme for imposing the financial correction, and do the provisions cited permit limitations such as those provided for by the case-law of the national courts in the main proceedings, which curtail those options for participation?
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1 OJ 2014 L 132, p. 32.