Judgment of the General Court (Fifth Chamber) of 16 February 2017 —Lubrizol France v Council

(Case T‑191/14)

(Common Customs Tariff — Regulation concerning the suspension of autonomous duties on certain agricultural and industrial products — Objection to existing suspensions — Equivalence of products — Procedure for handling objections)

1.      Judicial proceedings — Examination of the substance before examination of admissibility — Lawfulness

(see para. 32)

2.      Common Customs Tariff — Alteration or suspension of import duties — Council’s margin of discretion — Judicial review — Scope — Limits

(Art. 31 TFEU; Council Regulation No 1387/2013)

(see paras 58-61)

Re:

APPLICATION pursuant to Article 263 TFEU seeking annulment of Articles 1 and 4 of Council Regulation (EU) No 1387/2013 of 17 December 2013 suspending the autonomous Common Customs Tariff duties on certain agricultural and industrial products and repealing Regulation (EU) No 1344/2011 (OJ 2013 L 354, p. 201), to the extent that those measures deprived the applicant of its entitlement to three duty suspensions which it previously enjoyed under TARIC Codes 2918 2900 80, 3811 2900 10 and 3811 9000 30.

Operative part

The Court:

1. Dismisses the action;

2. Orders Lubrizol France SAS to bear its own costs and to pay those incurred by the Council of the European Union;

3. Orders the European Commission to bear its own costs.