Order of the General Court (Seventh Chamber) of 17 March 2015 —
Mammoet Salvage v Commission

(Case T‑234/14)

Action for declaration that an institution has failed to act and for damages — Contractual liability — Non-contractual liability — Plea of inadmissibility — Eighth European Development Fund — Works to remove 74 wrecks from the Bay of Nouadhibou — Contract concluded between the applicant and Mauritania and taken up by the Commission for funding by the European Union — Execution of a contract — Report on the end date for payments from the European Union under the contract — Action in part manifestly inadmissible and in part manifestly lacking any foundation in law

1.                     Actions for failure to act — Institution called upon to act — No call to act — Letter of formal notice not addressed to the institution — Inadmissibility (Art. 265, second para., TFEU) (see paras 30-35)

2.                     Judicial proceedings — Referral to the General Court under an arbitration clause — EU judicature not having jurisdiction in the absence of an expression of the intention of the parties to confer jurisdiction upon it to rule on a contractual dispute (Art. 272 TFEU) (see paras 42-50)

3.                     Non-contractual liability — Conditions — Unlawfulness — Damage — Causal link — One of the conditions not satisfied — Claim for compensation dismissed in its entirety (Art. 340, second para., TFEU) (see paras 58-62, 66)

4.                     Non-contractual liability — Conditions — Causal link — Concept — Conduct complained of constituting the determinant cause of the loss (Art. 340, second para., TFEU) (see para. 67)

Re:

ACTION under Article 265 of TFEU seeking a declaration that the Commission unlawfully refrained from acceding to the applicant’s request to extend the period for payments from the European Union pursuant to the contract for the work of removing 74 wrecks from the Bay of Nouadhibou (Mauritania) between the Islamic Republic of Mauritania and the applicant and accepted for financing by the Commission under the Eighth European Development Fund and, in the alternative, an action ordering the Commission to pay the invoices issued by the applicant under the above-mentioned contract on the basis of the contractual liability of the European Union and, in the further alternative, an action seeking recognition of the non-contractual liability of the European Union.

Operative part

1. The action is dismissed.

2. Mammoet Salvage is ordered to pay the costs.