Judgment of the Court (Third Chamber) of 24 November 2011 - European Commission v Italian Republic
(Case C-379/10)
(Failure to fulfil obligations - General principal of the liability of Member States for infringements of European Union law by one of their courts adjudicating at last instance - Exclusion of any liability on the part of the Member State for an interpretation of the rules of law or an assessment of the facts and evidence carried out by a court adjudicating at last instance - Limitation by the national legislature of the Member State's liability to cases of intentional fault or serious misconduct committed by such a court)
Language of the case: Italian
Parties
Applicant: European Commission (represented by: L. Pignataro and M. Nolin, acting as Agents
Defendant: Italian Republic (represented by: G. Palmieri, Agent and G. De Bellis, avvocato dello Stato)
Re:
Failure of a Member State to fulfil obligations - Infringement of the general principle of the liability of Member States for infringement of European Union law by one of their courts adjudicating at last instance - Liability limited to cases of intentional fault or serious misconduct.
Operative part of the judgment
The Court:
1. Declares that
- by excluding all liability of the Italian State for damage caused to individuals through an infringement of European Union law on the part of a court adjudicating at last instance when that infringement results from an interpretation of the rules of law or an assessment of the facts and evidence carried out by that court and
- by limiting that liability to cases of intentional fault or serious misconduct,
pursuant to Article 2(1) and (2) of Law No 117on the reparation of damage caused in the exercise of judicial functions and the civil liability of judges [legge n. 117 (sul) risarcimento dei danni cagionati nell' esercizio delle funzioni giudiziarie e responsabilità civile dei magistrati], of 13 April 1988 the Italian Republic has failed to fulfil its obligations under the general principal of the liability of Member States for infringements of European Union law by one of their courts adjudicating at last instance;
2. Orders the Italian Republic to pay the costs.
____________1 - OJ C 301, 6.11.2010.