7.5.2018

Official Journal of the European Union

C 161/44

(Case C-238/18)

(2018/C 161/49)

Language of the case: Latvian

Parties

Applicant: European Central Bank (represented by: C. Zilioli, C. Kroppenstedt and K. Kaiser, acting as Agents, and D. Sarmiento Ramírez-Escudero, lawyer)

Defendant: Republic of Latvia

Form of order sought

The European Central Bank claims that the Court should:

—request the Republic of Latvia, in accordance with the first paragraph of Article 24 of the Statute of the Court of Justice of the European Union and Article 62 of the Rules of Procedure of the Court of Justice, to provide all relevant information pertaining to the ongoing investigation by the Korupcijas novēršanas an apkarošanas birojs (Office for the prevention and fight against corruption) of the Governor of the Bank of Latvia;

—declare, pursuant to Article 14.2 of the Statute of the European System of Central Banks and of the European Central Bank, that the Republic of Latvia has infringed the second paragraph of that provision:

—by removing from office the Governor of the Bank of Latvia before the handing down of a conviction from an independent court that examined the merits of the case and

—without, if so confirmed by the evidence presented by the Republic of Latvia, exceptional circumstances justifying that removal;

—order the Republic of Latvia to pay the costs.

Pleas in law and main arguments

The ECB claims that the Republic of Latvia has infringed the second paragraph of Article 14.2 of the Statute of the European System of Central Banks and of the European Central Bank in removing from office the Governor of the Bank of Latvia by way of a provisional security measure, without the handing down of a conviction from an independent court that examined the merits of the case.