Judgment of the General Court of 19 April 2016 — Costantini and Others v Commission
(Case T-44/14) 1
(Law governing the institutions — European citizens’ initiative — Social policy — Service of general economic interest — Article 352 TFEU — Refusal of registration — Manifest lack of powers of the Commission — Article 4(2)(b) of Regulation (EU) No 211/2011 — Principle of good administration — Obligation to state reasons)
Language of the case: English
Parties
Applicants: Bruno Costantini (Jesi, Italy), Robert Racke (Lamadelaine, Luxembourg), Pietro Pravata (Beyne-Heusay, Belgium), Zbigniew Gałązka (Łódź, Poland), Justo Santos Domínguez (Leganés, Spain), Maria Isabel Lemos (Mealhada, Portugal), André Clavelou (Vincennes, France), Citizens’ Committee ‘Right to Lifelong Care: Leading a life of dignity and independence is a fundamental right!’ (Brussels, Belgium) (represented by: O. Brouwer and J. Wolfhagen, lawyers, and A. Woods, Solicitor)
Defendant: European Commission (represented by: H. Krämer, acting as Agent)
Re:
Application for the annulment of Commission Decision C(2013) 7612 final of 5 November 2013 rejecting the request for registration of the proposed European citizens’ initiative entitled ‘Right to Lifelong Care: Leading a life of dignity and independence is a fundamental right!’.
Operative part of the judgment
The Court:
Dismisses the action;
Orders Bruno Costantini and the other applicants, whose names are set out in the annex, to pay the costs.
____________1 OJ C 93, 29.3.2014.