Judgment of the General Court (Fourth Chamber) of 7 October 2015 —
Zentralverband des Deutschen Bäckerhandwerks v Commission
(Case T‑49/14)
Protected geographical indication — ‘Kołocz śląskiʼ or ʽKołacz śląski’ — Cancellation proceedings — Legal base — Regulation (EC) No 510/2006 — Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012 — Grounds for cancellation — Fundamental rights
1. Acts of the institutions — Temporal application — Procedural rules — Substantive rules — Distinction (European Parliament and Council Regulation No 1151/2012, Art. 54; Council Regulation No 510/2006, Art. 12) (see paras 26-29)
2. EU law — Principles — Protection of legitimate expectations — Limits — Application of new rules to the future effects of situations arising during the period of application of previous rules — Infringement — None (see para. 31)
3. Agriculture — Uniform legislation — Protection of geographical indications and designations of origin for agricultural products and foodstuffs — Regulation No 1151/2012 — Procedure for annulling a registration — Grounds for cancellation — Possibility of relying on grounds falling exclusively within the opposition proceedings — Exclusion (European Parliament and Council Regulation No 1151/2012, Arts 10, 51 and 54) (see paras 62-64, 67, 81, 82)
4. Acts of the institutions — Validity — Fundamental rights being undermined — Assessment by reference to EU law alone (see para. 87)
Re:
| ACTION for the annulment of the Commission Implementing Decision of 14 November 2013 concerning the rejection of a request to cancel a name entered in the register of protected designations of origin and protected geographical indications provided for in Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council (Kołocz śląski/kołacz śląski (PGI)) (OJ 2013 L 306, p. 40). |
Operative part
The Court:
2. | | Orders Zentralverband des Deutschen Bäckerhandwerks eV to pay the costs. |