13.6.2016

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 211/25

(Case C-129/16)

(2016/C 211/32)

Language of the case: Hungarian

Referring court

Parties to the main proceedings

Applicant: Túrkevei Tejtermelő Kft.

Defendant: Országos Környezetvédelmi és Természetvédelmi Főfelügyelőség

Questions referred

1.Do Article 191 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union and Directive 2004/35/EC (1) on environmental liability with regard to the prevention and remedying of environmental damage preclude a provision of national law which — going beyond the ‘polluter pays’ principle — permits the environmental protection agency to hold specifically the owner of the property liable to pay compensation for the environmental damage caused, without it first being necessary to determine whether there is a causal link between the conduct of that person (a commercial undertaking) and the pollution caused?

2.If the first question is to be answered in the negative and, with regard to the air pollution it is not necessary to remedy the environmental damage, may a fine aimed at protecting air quality be imposed on the basis of legislation of the Member State which is more stringent than Article 16 of Directive 2004/35/EC and Article 193 TFEU, or can that more stringent legislation not, at any rate, result in the imposition of a fine which is solely punitive in nature on the owner of the property, which is not responsible for the pollution caused?

Directive 2004/35/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 21 April 2004 on environmental liability with regard to the prevention and remedying of environmental damage (OJ 2004 L 143, p. 56).