Order of the General Court (Fourth Chamber) of 11 January 2013 —
Charron Inox and Almet v Commission and Council

(Cases T‑445/11 and T‑88/12)

Action for annulment — Action for damages — Dumping –Imports of certain seamless pipes and tubes of stainless steel originating in China — Provisional anti-dumping duty — No need to adjudicate — Definitive anti-dumping duty — Action in part manifestly inadmissible and in part manifestly devoid of any basis in law

1.                     Actions for annulment — Natural or legal persons — Interest in bringing proceedings — Action brought against a regulation imposing a provisional anti-dumping duty — Subsequent adoption of a regulation instituting a definitive anti-dumping duty — No further interest in bringing an action (Art. 263 TFEU; Rules of Procedure of the General Court, Art. 113) (see paras 25-33)

2.                     Judicial proceedings — Action before the General Court — Possibility to dismiss an action on the merits without ruling beforehand on the objections of inadmissibility raised by the defendant (see para. 35)

3.                     Common commercial policy — Protection against dumping — Regulation instituting a definitive anti-dumping duty — Illegality of the regulation instituting a provisional anti-dumping duty — Impact on the legality of the regulation instituting a definitive duty — Conditions (see para. 39)

4.                     Common commercial policy — Protection against dumping — Injury — Assessment of the interest of the Union — No error of assessment (Council Regulation No 1225/2009, Arts 3(5) and 21) (see paras 37-55)

5.                     Procedure — Application initiating proceedings — Formal requirements — Brief summary of the pleas in law on which the application is based — Plea not supported by precise arguments — Inadmissible (Statute of the Court of Justice, Arts 21, first para., and 53, first para.; Rules of Procedure of the General Court, Art. 44(1)(c)) (see paras 57-59)

6.                     Common commercial policy — Protection against dumping — Imposition of anti-dumping duties — No transitional provisions applicable to imports carried out pursuant to earlier contracts — Principle of the protection of legitimate expectations — Infringement — None (see paras 61-67)

7.                     Non-contractual liability — Conditions — Unlawfulness — Injury — Causal link — One of the conditions not satisfied — Claim for compensation dismissed in its entirety (Art. 340 TFEU) (see para. 70)

Re:

In Case T‑445/11, principally, annulment of Commission Regulation (EU) No 627/2011 of 27 June 2011 imposing a provisional anti-dumping duty on imports of certain seamless pipes and tubes of stainless steel originating in the People’s Republic of China (OJ 2011 L 169, p. 1) and, in the alternative, an application for damages for the damage allegedly suffered by the applicant following the immediate entry into force of the contested regulation and, in Case T‑88/12, principally, annulment of Council Implementing Regulation (EU) No 1331/2011 of 14 December 2011 imposing a definitive anti-dumping duty and collecting definitively the provisional duty imposed on imports of certain seamless pipes and tubes of stainless steel originating in the People’s Republic of China (OJ 2011 L 336, p. 6) and, in the alternative, a claim for compensation for damage allegedly suffered by the applicants in consequence of the definitive collection of the provisional duty ordered in that regulation.

Operative part

1. Cases T‑445/11 and T‑88/12 are joined for the purposes of the order.

2. The objections of inadmissibility raised in Cases T‑445/11 and T‑88/12 are joined to the main actions.

3. There is no further need to adjudicate in Case T‑445/11.

4. The action in Case T‑88/12 is dismissed as, in part, manifestly inadmissible and, in part manifestly devoid of any basis in law.

5. Charron Inox and Almet are ordered to pay all the costs in Case T‑445/11.

6. Charron Inox and Almet are ordered to pay the costs incurred by the Council of the European Union in Case T‑88/12 and to bear their own costs in connection therewith.

7. The European Commission is ordered to bear its own costs in Case T‑88/12.