Order of the General Court (Tenth Chamber) of 14 December 2021 –
McCord v Commission

(Cases T‑161/21 and T‑161/21 AJ I)

(Action for annulment – Action for failure to act – Draft Commission regulation making the exportation of certain products outside the European Union subject to the production of an export authorisation – Commission proposal to make the exportation of COVID-19 vaccines to Northern Ireland subject to the production of an export authorisation pursuant to Article 16 of the Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland to the Agreement on the withdrawal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland from the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community – Absence of a published policy of the circumstances in which the European Union will trigger Article 16 of that protocol – Manifest inadmissibility in part – Action in part manifestly lacking any foundation in law)

1.      Action for annulment – Actionable measures – Concept – Measures producing binding legal effects – Preparatory measures – Precluded – Draft Commission regulation making the exportation of certain products outside the European Union subject to the production of an export authorisation – Inadmissibility

(Art. 263 TFEU; Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland)

(see paras 21-32)

2.      Actions for failure to act – Commission under an obligation to act – No obligation to adopt and publish a policy on the circumstances of triggering Article 16 of the Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland

(Art. 265 TFEU; Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland)

(see paras 38-44)

3.      Actions for failure to act – Jurisdiction of the EU judicature – Directions issued to an institution – Not permissible

(Art. 265 TFEU)

(see para. 46)

Re:

Application, first, under Article 263 TFEU for annulment of the draft Commission regulation of 29 January 2021 intended, inter alia, to make the exportation of COVID-19 vaccines to Northern Ireland subject to the production of an export authorisation pursuant to Article 16 of the Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland to the Agreement on the withdrawal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland from the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community (OJ 2020 L 29, p. 7), and of the Commission’s decision not to have published a policy on the circumstances in which it will trigger Article 16 of that protocol and, secondly, application under Article 265 TFEU for a declaration that the Commission unlawfully failed to adopt and publish such a policy.

Operative part

1. The action is dismissed as manifestly inadmissible and manifestly lacking any foundation in law.

2. The application for legal aid is dismissed.

3. Mr Raymond Irvine McCord shall pay the costs.