Judgment of the General Court (Second Chamber) of 3 June 2015 — Luxembourg Pamol (Cyprus) and Luxembourg Industries v Commission

(Case T‑578/13)

Action for annulment — Plant protection products — Publication of documents relating to the inclusion of an active substance — Refusal of the request for confidential treatment of certain information — Contested act not attributable to the defendant — Inadmissibility

1.                     Judicial proceedings — Application initiating proceedings — Formal requirements — Identification of the defendant — Designation as defendant, without error on the part of the applicant, of a person other than the author of the contested measure — Inadmissibility — Limits — Factors allowing the defendant to be identified without difficulty (Art. 263, first para., TFEU; Statute of the Court of Justice, Art. 21; Rules of Procedure of the General Court, Art. 44(1)(b)) (see paras 49-51)

2.                     Actions for annulment — Admissibility criteria — Action against the author of the contested measure — Exceptions — Measures adopted under delegated powers attributable to the delegating institution — Decision of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) to publish certain information provided by an undertaking which requested confidential treatment — Competence of the EFSA to adopt that decision — Action directed against the Commission — Inadmissibility (Art. 263 TFEU; European Parliament and Council Regulation No 1107/2009, Arts 12 and 63; Commission Regulation No 188/2011, Art. 7(2)) (see paras 53, 67, 69, 73, 80, 83)

3.                     Actions for annulment — Actionable measures — Concept — Measures producing binding legal effects — Preparatory measures — Exclusion (Art. 263 TFEU) (see para. 54)

4.                     Actions for annulment — Capacity to be a defendant — European Food Safety Authority — Body, office or agency of the EU (Art. 263, first para., TFEU; European Parliament and Council Regulation No 178/2002) (see para. 56)

Re:

ACTION for annulment of the decision, notified by letter of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) of 8 October 2013, to publish certain parts of documents in respect of which the applicants had requested confidentiality.

Operative part

The Court:

1. Dismisses the action as inadmissible;

2. Orders Luxembourg Pamol (Cyprus) Ltd and Luxembourg Industries Ltd to pay the costs, including those relating to the interim proceedings.