Judgment of the General Court (Sixth Chamber) of 23 April 2018 –
Vincenti v EUIPO

(Case T-747/16)

(Civil service – Officials – Social security – Opinion of the Invalidity Committee – Discretion of appointing authority – Articles 53 et 78 of the Statute – Error of assessment – Obligation to state reasons)

1.      Judicial proceedings – Application initiating proceedings – Formal requirements – Brief summary of the pleas in law on which the application is based

(Statute of the Court of Justice, Arts 21, first para. and 53, first para.; Rules of Procedure of the General Court, Art. 76(d))

(see paras 28, 29)

2.      Officials – Pensions – Invalidity pension – Establishing whether a disease results from an official's occupation – Respective competencies of the Invalidity and Administrative Committees

(Staff Regulations of Officials, Arts 53 and 78, and Annex VIII, Arts 13 to 15)

(see paras 41, 43, 48-50, 52, 53, 60, 74)

3.      Officials – Invalidity – Invalidity pension – Finding of the occupational origin of the invalidity by the Invalidity Committee – Consequences – Automatic retirement of the official concerned

(Staff Regulations of Officials, Annex II, Art. 9, second para.)

(see para. 46)

4.      Officials – Invalidity – Invalidity Committee – Judicial review – Scope – Limits

(Staff Regulations of Officials, Arts 53 and 78)

(see paras 51, 63)

5.      Officials – Invalidity – Invalidity Committee – Incomplete opinion – Possibility for the administration to request further information or clarifications in a new opinion

(Staff Regulations of Officials, Arts 53 and 78)

(see para. 70)

6.      Officials – Invalidity – Invalidity Committee – Collective nature of the work – Scope – Letter sent by two of three designated doctors to the administration setting out their conclusions – Act not constituting a collective decision issued by the Invalidity Committee

(Staff Regulations of Officials, Annex II, Art. 7)

(see paras 71-73, 75)

7.      Judicial proceedings – Measures of inquiry – Hearing of witnesses – Discretion of the General Court

(Rules of Procedure of the General Court, Arts 90 and 92(1))

(see para. 87)

Re:

Action brought under Article 270 TFEU, seeking annulment of the decision of EUIPO of 18 December 2015 refusing to recognise the applicant’s permanent total incapacity and to declare that he is to be retired.

Operative part

The Court:

1. Dismisses the action;

2. Orders Guillaume Vincenti to pay the costs.

2. Orders Guillaume Vincenti to pay the costs.