Judgment of the General Court (Seventh Chamber) of 13 May 2014 —
McBride and Others v Commission

(Joined Cases T‑458/10 to T‑467/10 and T‑471/10)

Fisheries — Measures to conserve fishery resources — Sectoral restructuring — Requests to increase the Multiannual Guidance Programme objectives to improve safety on board — Ireland’s request concerning various vessels — Decision adopted following the General Court’s annulment of the initial decision concerning the same procedure — New refusal decision — Lack of competence of the Commission

Fisheries — Common structural policy — Multiannual guidance programmes — Measures to increase the objectives of a programme for improving safety at sea and permitting the increase in capacity of some ships — Commission’s implementing powers — Commission Decision 2003/245 — Requests to increase Multiannual Guidance Programme IV objectives for improving safety, navigation at sea, hygiene, product quality and working conditions for vessels of more than 12 metres in length overall — No legal bases — Lack of jurisdiction of the Commission (Arts 5 TEU and 13(2) TEU; Art. 2(6) TFEU; Council Decision 97/413, Art. 4(2); Commission Decision 2003/245) (see paras 21, 23-27, 33-36, 40-46)

Re:

ACTION for the annulment of Commission decisions C(2010) 4758, C(2010) 4748, C(2010) 4757, C(2010) 4751, C(2010) 4764, C(2010) 4750, C(2010) 4761, C(2010) 4767, C(2010) 4754, C(2010) 4753 and C(2010) 4752 of 13 July 2010 rejecting the request submitted by Ireland seeking to increase the Multiannual Guidance Programme IV objectives for the period from 1 January 1997 to 31 December 2001 to take into account improvements on safety relating to the vessels Peader Elaine II, Heather Jane II, Pacelli, Marie Dawn, Westward Isle, Golden Rose, Shauna Ann, Antartic, Niamh Eoghan, Menhaden and Brendelen, belonging to Peter McBride, Hugh McBride, Mullglen, Mr Boyle, Mr Flaherty, Ocean Trawlers, Mr Fitzpatrick, Mr McHugh, Mr Hannigan, Mr Murphy and Mr Gill, respectively, adopted following the annulment of Commission Decision 2003/245/EC of 4 April 2003 on the requests received by the Commission to increase the MAGP IV objectives to take into account improvements on safety, navigation at sea, hygiene, product quality and working conditions for vessels of more than 12 metres in length overall (OJ 2003 L 90, p. 48) as a result of the judgments of the Court of Justice in Joined Cases C‑373/06 P, C‑379/06 P and C‑382/06 P Flaherty and Others v Commission [2008] ECR I‑2649 and of the General Court in Joined Cases T‑218/03 to T‑240/03 Boyle and Others v Commission [2006] ECR II‑1699.

Operative part

The Court:

1. Annuls Commission Decisions C(2010) 4758, C(2010) 4748, C(2010) 4757, C(2010) 4751, C(2010) 4764, C(2010) 4750, C(2010) 4761, C(2010) 4767, C(2010) 4754, C(2010) 4753 and C(2010) 4752 of 13 July 2010 rejecting the request submitted by Ireland seeking to increase the objectives of the Multiannual Guidance Programme IV in order to take into account improvements on safety relating to the applicants’ vessels;

2. Orders the European Commission to pay the costs.