Order of the General Court (Third Chamber) of 21 October 2013 —
Lyder Enterprises v OCVV — Liner Plants (1993) (SOUTHERN SPLENDOUR)

(Case T‑367/11)

Plant varieties — Application for a Community plant variety right for the plant variety SOUTHERN SPLENDOUR — Objections — Rejection of the application by the Board of Appeal of the CPVO — Competence of the CPVO — Taking of evidence — Action in part manifestly inadmissible and in part manifestly lacking any foundation in law

1.                     Judicial proceedings — Decision taken by way of reasoned order — Possibility of ruling without an oral procedure (Rules of Procedure of the General Court, Art. 111) (see paras 16, 17)

2.                     Judicial proceedings — Decision or regulation replacing the contested measure in the course of proceedings — New factor — Extension of the initial pleadings (see paras 20, 21)

3.                     Judicial proceedings — Application initiating proceedings — Formal requirements — Brief summary of the pleas in law on which the application is based — Pleas in law not set out in the application — Reference to the annexes as a whole — Inadmissibility (Statute of the Court of Justice, Art. 21, first para.; Rules of Procedure of the General Court, Art. 44(1)(c)) (see para. 22)

4.                     Actions for annulment — Pleas in law — Lack of competence of the institution which adopted the contested measure — To be considered of the Court’s own motion (Art. 263 TFEU) (see para. 28)

5.                     Agriculture — Uniform legislation — Protection of plant varieties — Decision to grant or refuse protection — Appeals procedure — Competence of the CPVO and its Boards of Appeal — Scope — Determination of the status of the applicant for protection of plant varieties — Included — Review by the General Court of the assessment of the evidence in that regard made by the Office (Council Regulation No 2100/94, Arts 11, 50, 53, 54 and 76) (see paras 36-38)

6.                     Agriculture — Uniform legislation — Protection of plant varieties — Decision to grant or refuse protection — Appeals procedure — Probative value of the evidence — Criteria for assessment (Council Regulation No 2100/94, Art. 78(1)(g)) (see para. 49)

7.                     Agriculture — Uniform legislation — Protection of plant varieties — Decisions of the CPVO or its Boards of Appeal — Judicial review — Scope — Annulment or variation for reasons appearing after judgment was delivered — Exclusion — Modification of the terms of the dispute as brought before the Office or its Boards of Appeal — Not permissible (Council Regulation No 2100/94, Art. 73) (see paras 58-60)

Re:

ACTION brought against the decision of the Board of Appeal of the CPVO of 4 May 2011 (Case A 7/2010), concerning the grant of a Community plant variety right for the plant variety SOUTHERN SPLENDOUR.

Operative part

1. The action is dismissed.

2. Lyder Enterprises Ltd is ordered to pay the costs.