Order of the General Court (Seventh Chamber) of 28 June 2018 –
Romania v Commission

(Case T‑478/15)

(Actions for annulment — European Union’s own resources — Financial responsibility of the Member States — Obligation to pay the Commission the amount corresponding to a loss of own resources — Letter from the Commission — Act not open to challenge — Inadmissibility)

1.      Actions for annulment — Actionable measures — Meaning — Measures producing binding legal effects — Commission letter informally calling on Member State to place traditional own resources at the disposal of the EU budget — Not included

(Art. 263 TFEU; Council Regulation No 1150/2000; Council Decision 2007/436)

(see paras 28, 32, 41, 44, 53, 55, 61)

2.      Actions for annulment — Actionable measures — Meaning — Measures producing binding legal effects — Purely informative measure — Not included

(Art. 263 TFEU)

(see paras 29, 52)

3.      Own resources of the European Union — Establishment and making available by the Member States — Responsibility of the Member States — Scope

(Council Regulation No 1150/2000, Arts 2(1), 9(1) and 17(1) and (2); Council Decision 2007/436, Arts 2(1)(a) and 8(1))

(see paras 33, 34, 38)

4.      Actions for annulment — Actionable measures — Meaning — Measures producing binding legal effects — Whether that condition can be set aside by invoking the right to effective judicial protection — None

(Art. 6(1), third para. TEU; Art. 263, fourth para. TFEU; Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, Arts 47 and 52(7))

(see para. 64)

Re:

Application based on Article 263 TFEU seeking annulment of the decision of the Directorate-General for Budget of the Commission which is contained in the letter with reference Ares (2015) 2453089 of 11 June 2015 by which the latter ordered Romania to provide it with the gross amount of EUR 1 079 513.09, from which 25% should be deducted for collection costs, corresponding to a loss of traditional own resources, at the latest on the first working day following the nineteenth day of the second month following the dispatch of that letter, at the risk of having to pay default interest pursuant to Article 11 of Council Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 1150/2000 of 22 May 2000 implementing Decision 94/728/EC, Euratom on the system of the Communities’ own resources (OJ 2000 L 130, p. 1).

Operative part

1. The action is dismissed.

2. There is no need to rule on the Slovak Republic’s application to intervene.

3. Romania is ordered to bear its own costs and to pay those by the European Commission.

4. Romania, the Commission and the Slovak Republic shall each bear their own costs relating to the latter’s application to intervene.