Judgment of the General Court of 13 May 2014 — Peter McBride and Others v Commission
(Joined Cases T-458/10 to T-467/10 and T-471/10) 1
(Fisheries — Measures to conserve fishery resources — Sectoral restructuring — Requests to increase the Multiannual Guidance Programme objectives to improve safety on board — Ireland’s request concerning various vessels — Decision adopted following the General Court’s annulment of the initial decision concerning the same procedure — New refusal decision — Lack of competence of the Commission)
Language of the case: English
Parties
Applicants: Peter McBride and Others (Downings, Ireland) (Case T-458/10); Hugh McBride (Downings) (T-459/10); Mullglen Ltd (Largy, Ireland) (T-460/10); Cathal Boyle (Fiafannon, Ireland) (Case T-461/10); Thomas Flaherty (Kilronan, Ireland) (Case T-462/10); Ocean Tawlers Ltd (Killybegs, Ireland) (Case T-463/10); Patrick Fitzpatrick (Killeany, Ireland) (Case T-464/10); Eamon McHugh (Killybegs) (Case T-465/10); Eugene Hannigan (Killybegs) (Case T-466/10); Larry Murphy (Castletownbere, Ireland) (Case T-467/10); Brendan Gill (Lifford, Ireland) (Case T-471/10) (represented initially by A. Collins SC, N. Travers, Barrister and D. Barry, Solicitor, and subsequently by N. Travers, D. Barry and E. Barrington, Barrister)
Defendant: European Commission (represented in Cases T-458/10 to T-467/10, initially by K. Banks, A. Bouquet and A. Szmytkowska, and subsequently by A. Bouquet and A. Szmytkowska, acting as Agents, assisted by B. Doherty, Barrister, and, in Case T-471/10, by A. Bouquet and A. Szmytkowska, assisted by B. Doherty)
Re:
Action for the annulment of Commission decisions C(2010) 4758, C(2010) 4748, C(2010) 4757, C(2010) 4751, C(2010) 4764, C(2010) 4750, C(2010) 4761, C(2010) 4767, C(2010) 4754, C(2010) 4753 and C(2010) 4752 of 13 July 2010 rejecting the request submitted by Ireland seeking to increase the Multiannual Guidance Programme IV objectives for the period from 1 January 1997 to 31 December 2001 to take into account improvements on safety relating to the vessels Peader Elaine II, Heather Jane II, Pacelli, Marie Dawn, Westward Isle, Golden Rose, Shauna Ann, Antartic, Niamh Eoghan, Menhaden and Brendelen, belonging to Peter McBride, Hugh McBride, Mullglen, Mr Boyle, Mr Flaherty, Ocean Trawlers, Mr Fitzpatrick, Mr McHugh, Mr Hannigan, Mr Murphy and Mr Gill, respectively, adopted following the annulment of Commission Decision 2003/245/EC of 4 April 2003 on the requests received by the Commission to increase the MAGP IV objectives to take into account improvements on safety, navigation at sea, hygiene, product quality and working conditions for vessels of more than 12 metres in length overall (OJ 2003 L 90, p. 48) as a result of the judgments of the Court of Justice in Joined Cases C-373/06 P, C-379/06 P and C-382/06 P Flaherty and Others v Commission [2008] ECR I-2649 and of the General Court in Joined Cases T-218/03 to T-240/03 Boyle and Others v Commission [2006] ECR II-1699.
Operative part of the judgment
The Court:
Annuls Commission Decisions C(2010) 4758, C(2010) 4748, C(2010) 4757, C(2010) 4751, C(2010) 4764, C(2010) 4750, C(2010) 4761, C(2010) 4767, C(2010) 4754, C(2010) 4753 et C(2010) 4752 of 13 July 2010 rejecting the request submitted by Ireland seeking to increase the objectives of the Multiannual Guidance Programme IV in order to take into account improvements on safety relating to the applicants’ vessels;
Orders the European Commission to pay the costs.
________________________1 OJ C 328, 4.12.2010.