Case C‑584/14

European Commission

v

Hellenic Republic

(Failure of a Member State to fulfil obligations — Environment –Directive 2006/12/EC — Directive 91/689/EEC — Directive 1999/31/EC — Waste management — Judgment of the Court establishing a failure to fulfil obligations — Non-implementation — Article 260(2) TFEU — Pecuniary penalties — Periodic penalty payment — Lump sum)

Summary — Judgment of the Court (Fifth Chamber), 7 September 2016

1.        Actions for failure to fulfil obligations — Judgment of the Court establishing the failure of a Member State to fulfil its obligations — Period for implementation — Reference date for assessing whether there has been a failure to fulfil obligations

(Art. 260(2) TFEU)

2.        Member States — Obligations — Implementation of directives — Failure to fulfil obligations — National system pleaded as justification — Unlawful

(Art. 258 TFEU)

3.        Actions for failure to fulfil obligations — Judgment of the Court establishing the failure of a Member State to fulfil its obligations — Breach of the obligation to comply with the judgment — Pecuniary penalties — Periodic penalty payment — Imposition of a penalty payment — Condition — Failure to comply continuing up to the time of the Court’s examination of the facts

(Art. 260(2) TFEU)

4.        Actions for failure to fulfil obligations — Judgment of the Court establishing the failure of a Member State to fulfil its obligations — Breach of the obligation to comply with the judgment — Pecuniary penalties — Periodic penalty payment — Determination of the form to be taken and of the amount — Discretion of the Court — Criteria

(Arts 258 TFEU and 260(2) TFEU)

5.        Actions for failure to fulfil obligations — Judgment of the Court establishing the failure of a Member State to fulfil its obligations — Breach of the obligation to comply with the judgment — Pecuniary penalties — Periodic penalty payment — Calculation of the amount — Decreasing penalty payment

(Art. 260(2) TFEU)

6.        Actions for failure to fulfil obligations — Judgment of the Court establishing the failure of a Member State to fulfil its obligations — Breach of the obligation to comply with the judgment — Pecuniary penalties — Periodic penalty payment — Lump sum — Whether the two penalties should be cumulated — Lawfulness

(Art. 260(2) TFEU)

7.        Actions for failure to fulfil obligations — Judgment of the Court establishing the failure of a Member State to fulfil its obligations — Breach of the obligation to comply with the judgment — Pecuniary penalties — Imposition of a lump sum payment — Discretion of the Court — Criteria for assessment

(Art. 260(2) TFEU)

1.        See the text of the decision.

(see para. 47)

2.        See the text of the decision.

(see para. 53)

3.        See the text of the decision.

(see para. 70)

4.        See the text of the decision.

(see paras 73-77)

5.        In order to ensure full compliance with a judgment of the Court of Justice, the penalty payment must be payable in its entirety until such time as the Member State has taken all the measures necessary to bring to an end the failure to fulfil obligations established. Nevertheless, in certain specific cases, a penalty which takes account of the progress that the Member State may have made in complying with its obligations may be envisaged.

(see para. 83)

6.        See the text of the decision.

(see paras 97-99)

7.        See the text of the decision.

(see paras 101, 102)