Judgment of the General Court (Fifth Chamber) of 7 October 2015 —
Bilbaína de Alquitranes and Others v Commission

(Case T‑689/13)

Environment and protection of human health — Classification of pitch, coal tar, high-temperature, in the categories of acute aquatic toxicity and chronic aquatic toxicity — Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 and Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 — Manifest error of assessment — Classification of a substance on the basis of its constituents

1.                     Approximation of laws — Classification, packaging and labelling of substances and mixtures — Regulation No 1272/2008 — Adaption to scientific and technical progress — Classification of pitch, coal tar, high-temperature amongst substances of aquatic toxicity — Discretion of the EU authorities — Scope — Judicial review — Limits (European Parliament and Council Regulation No 1272/2008, as amended by Regulation No 944/2013, Annex VI, Tables 3.1 and 3.2) (see paras 23, 24)

2.                     Approximation of laws — Classification, packaging and labelling of substances and mixtures — Regulation No 1272/2008 — Adaption to scientific and technical progress — Classification of pitch, coal tar, high-temperature amongst substances of aquatic toxicity — Classification on the basis of the properties of constituents — Lawfulness — Condition — Account taken of the level of the presence of the constituents concerned and their chemical effects (European Parliament and Council Regulation No 1272/2008, as amended by Regulation No 944/2013, first recital, Arts 1(1), and 10(1), and Annexes I, point 4.1.1.1, and VI, Tables 3.1 and 3.2) (see paras 28-30)

Re:

APPLICATION for the partial annulment of Commission Regulation (EU) No 944/2013 of 2 October 2013 amending, for the purposes of its adaptation to technical and scientific progress, Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council on classification, labelling and packaging of substances and mixtures (OJ 2013 L 261, p. 5), in so far as it classifies pitch, coal tar, high-temp. (EC No 266-028-2) as an Aquatic Acute 1 (H400) and Aquatic Chronic 1 (H410) substance.

Operative part

The Court:

1. Annuls Commission Regulation (EU) No 944/2013 of 2 October 2013 amending, for the purposes of its adaptation to technical and scientific progress, Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council on classification, labelling and packaging of substances and mixtures in so far as it classifies pitch, coal tar, high-temp. (EC No 266-028-2) as an Aquatic Acute 1 (H400) and Aquatic Chronic 1 (H410) substance;

2. Orders the European Commission to bear its own costs and to pay those of Bilbaína de Alquitranes, SA, Deza, a.s., Industrial Química del Nalón, SA, Koppers Denmark A/S, Koppers UK Ltd, Koppers Netherlands BV, Rütgers basic aromatics GmbH, Rütgers Belgium NV, Rütgers Poland Sp. z o.o., Bawtry Carbon International Ltd, Grupo Ferroatlántica, SA, SGL Carbon GmbH (Germany), SGL Carbon GmbH (Austria), SGL Carbon, SGL Carbon, SA, SGL Carbon Polska SA, ThyssenKrupp Steel Europe AG, Tokai erftcarbon GmbH and GrafTech Iberica, SL;

3. Orders the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) to bear its own costs.