Language of document :

Judgment of the General Court of 7 March 2013 - Cindu Chemicals and Others v ECHA

(Case T-95/10) 

(REACH - Identification of anthracene oil, anthracene low as a substance of very high concern - Actions for annulment - Actionable measure - Regulatory act not entailing implementing measures - Direct concern - Admissibility - Equal treatment - Proportionality)

Language of the case: English

Parties

Applicants: Cindu Chemicals BV (Uithoorn, Netherlands), Deza, a.s. (Valašske Meziříčí, Czech Republic), Koppers Denmark A/S (Nyborg, Denmark) and Koppers UK Ltd (Scunthorpe, United Kingdom) (represented initially by: K. Van Maldegem, R. Cana, lawyers, and P. Sellar, Solicitor, and subsequently by K. Van Maldegem and R. Cana)

Defendant: European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) (represented by: M. Heikkilä and W. Broere, acting as Agents, assisted by J. Stuyck, lawyer)

Intervener in support of the defendant : European Commission (represented initially by: P. Oliver and G. Wilms, subsequently by P. Oliver and E. Manhaeve, acting as Agents, assisted by K. Sawyer, barrister, and thereafter by P. Oliver and E. Manhaeve)

Re:

Action for the partial annulment of the decision of the ECHA, published on 13 January 2010, to identify anthracene oil, anthracene low (EC No 292-604-8) as a substance meeting the criteria set out in Article 57 of Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 December 2006 concerning the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH), establishing a European Chemicals Agency, amending Directive 1999/45/EC and repealing Council Regulation (EEC) No 793/93 and Commission Regulation (EC) No 1488/94 as well as Council Directive 76/769/EEC and Commission Directives 91/155/EEC, 93/67/EEC, 93/105/EC and 2000/21/EC, in accordance with Article 59 of REACH.

Operative part of the judgment

The Court:

Dismisses the action

Orders Cindu Chemicals BV, Deza, a.s., Koppers Denmark A/S and Koppers UK Ltd to pay, in addition to their own costs, the costs incurred by the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA);

Declares that the European Commission is to bear its own costs.

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1 - OJ C 113, 1.5.2010.