Order of the General Court (Second Chamber) of 7 January 2015 — Freitas v Parliament and Council

(Case T‑185/14)

Action for annulment — Directive 2013/55/EU — Directive 2005/36/EC — Recognition of professional qualifications — Exclusion of notaries appointed by official act of the public authorities from the scope of application of Directive 2005/36 — Lack of individual concern — Inadmissibility

1.                     Actions for annulment — Natural or legal persons — Meaning of ‘regulatory act’ in Article 263, fourth paragraph, TFEU — Any act of general scope except for legislative measures — Directive 2013/55 amending Directive 2005/36 on the recognition of professional qualifications — Not included (Arts 46 TFEU, 53(1) TFEU, 62 TFEU and 263, fourth para., TFEU) (see paras 24-29)

2.                     Actions for annulment — Natural or legal persons — Measures of direct and individual concern to them — Directive 2013/55 amending Directive 2005/36 on the recognition of professional qualifications — Exclusion from the scope of Directive 2005/36 of notaries appointed by official act of the public authorities — Not individually affected — Inadmissibility (Art. 263, fourth para., TFEU; European Parliament and Council Directive 2005/36) (see paras 32-40)

Re:

APPLICATION for annulment of Article 1(2)(b) of Directive 2013/55/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 November 2013 amending Directive 2005/36/EC on the recognition of professional qualifications and Regulation (EU) No 1024/2012 on administrative cooperation through the Internal Market Information System (‘the IMI Regulation’) (OJ 2012 L 354, p. 132).

Operative part

1. The action is dismissed as inadmissible.

2. There is no need to adjudicate on the applications of the Kingdom of Spain, the French Republic, the Portuguese Republic, Romania, the European Commission, the Ordem dos Notários (Portuguese notarial professional body) and of the Conseil national des barreaux (French National Bar Council) to intervene.

3. Mr José Freitas is ordered to bear his own costs and pay those incurred by the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union.