Judgment of the General Court (Fifth Chamber) of 21 May 2015 —
Rubinum v Commission
(Case T‑201/13)
Public health — Food safety — Additive for use in animal nutrition — Preparation of Bacillus cereus var. toyoi — Commission decision to suspend the authorisations of that preparation — Risk to health — Error of Law — Precautionary principle
1. Judicial proceedings — Introduction of new pleas during the proceedings — Plea raised for the first time at the hearing — Inadmissibility (Rules of Procedure of the General Court, Art. 48(2)) (see paras 23, 29, 30)
2. Agriculture — Approximation of laws on animal health — Additives in feedingstuffs — Authorisation procedure — Modification, suspension and revocation of authorisations — Decision of the Commission to suspend authorisation of an existing additive — Lawfulness (European Parliament and Council Regulation No 1831/2003, Arts 9, 10(1), and 13(1) and (2)) (see paras 42-44)
3. Agriculture — Approximation of laws on animal health — Additives in feedingstuffs — Authorisation procedure — Modification, suspension and revocation of authorisations — Authorisations no longer satisfying the conditions laid down in Article 5 of Regulation No 1831/2003 — Suspension of authorisations by the Commission — No obligation to demonstrate the existence of a serious risk to health (European Parliament and Council Regulations No 1831/2003, Arts 5, and 13(1) and (2), and No 178/2002, Arts 53 and 54) (see paras 46-49, 51-53)
4. Agriculture — Approximation of laws on animal health — Additives in feedingstuffs — Authorisation procedure — Discretion of the Commission as to the risk presented by an additive to human and animal health — Scope — Compliance with the precautionary principle where existence of a risk uncertain — Judicial review — Limits (European Parliament and Council Regulation No 1831/2003) (see paras 57-61, 63-65, 72, 98)
5. Judicial proceedings — Producing evidence — Time-limit — Evidence lodged out of time — Conditions (Rules of Procedure of the General Court, Arts 44(1), 46(1), and 48(1)) (see para. 81)
6. Actions for annulment — Contested act — Assessment of legality in the light of the information available at the time of adoption of the measure (Art. 263 TFEU) (see para. 84)
7. Agriculture — Approximation of laws on animal health — Additives in feedingstuffs — Authorisation procedure — No obligation on the Commission or the European Food Safety Authority to invite the applicant for an authorisation to provide additional information (European Parliament and Council Regulation No 1831/2003, Art. 8(2)) (see para. 105)
Re:
| APPLICATION for annulment of Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 288/2013 of 25 March 2013 concerning the suspension of the authorisations of the preparation of Bacillus cereus var. toyoi (NCIMB 40112/CNCM I 1012) as provided for by Regulations (EC) No 256/2002, (EC) No 1453/2004, (EC) No 255/2005, (EC) No 1200/2005, (EC) No 166/2008 and (EC) No 378/2009 (OJ 2013 L 86, p. 15). |
Operative part
The Court:
2. | | Orders Rubinum, SA to pay the costs. |