Official Journal of the European Union

C 293/6

(Case C-129/16) (<span class="super note-tag">1</span>)

((Reference for a preliminary ruling - Environment - Articles 191 and 193 TFEU - Directive 2004/35/EC - Applicability ratione materiae - Air pollution caused by illegal waste incineration - Polluter-pays principle - National legislation establishing joint liability between the owner of the land on which the pollution occurred and the polluter))

(2017/C 293/08)

Language of the case: Hungarian

Referring court

Parties to the main proceedings

Applicant: Túrkevei Tejtermelő Kft.

Defendant: Országos Környezetvédelmi és Természetvédelmi Főfelügyelőség

Operative part of the judgment

1.The provisions of 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, read in the light of Articles 191 and 193 TFEU, must be interpreted as meaning that, to the extent that the situation in the main proceedings comes within the scope of Directive 2004/35 — this being a matter for the referring court to determine — such provisions do not preclude national legislation, such as that at issue in the main proceedings, which identifies another category of persons who, in addition to those using the land on which unlawful pollution was produced, share joint liability for the environmental damage, namely the owners of that land, without it being necessary to establish a causal link between the conduct of the owners and the damage established, provided that such legislation complies with the general principles of EU law, all relevant provisions of the EU and FEU Treaties and of the acts of secondary law of the European Union.

2.Article 16 of Directive 2004/35 and Article 193 TFEU must be interpreted, to the extent that the situation at issue in the main proceedings comes within the scope of Directive 2004/35, as not precluding national legislation, such as that at issue in the main proceedings, pursuant to which the owners of land on which unlawful pollution has been produced are not only held to be jointly liable, alongside the persons using that land, for such environmental damage, but may also have fines imposed on them by the competent national authority, provided that such legislation is appropriate for the purpose of contributing to the attainment of the objective of more stringent protection and that the methods for determining the amount of the fine do not go beyond what is necessary to attain that objective, this being a matter for the national court to establish.

(<span class="note">1</span>) OJ C 211, 13.6.2016.