(Case T-584/13) (*1)

‘(Plant protection products — Active substance fipronil — Review of approval — Article 21 of Regulation (EC) No 1107/2009 — Prohibition of the use and sale of seeds treated with plant protection products containing the active substance in question — Article 49(2) of Regulation No 1107/2009 — Precautionary principle — Impact assessment)’

Language of the case: English

Parties

Applicants: BASF Agro BV (Arnhem, Netherlands) and the six other applicants whose names appear in the annex to the judgment (represented by: J.-P. Montfort and M. Peristeraki, lawyers)

Defendant: European Commission (represented by: P. Ondrůšek and G. von Rintelen, acting as Agents)

Interveners in support of the applicants: Association européenne pour la protection des cultures (ECPA) (Brussels, Belgium) (represented by: I. de Seze and É. Mullier, lawyers, and D. Abrahams, Barrister), European Seed Association (ESA) (Brussels) (represented initially by: P. de Jong, P. Vlaemminck and B. Van Vooren, and subsequently by: P. de Jong, K. Claeyé and E. Bertolotto, lawyers)

Interveners in support of the defendant: Deutscher Berufs- und Erwerbsimkerbund eV (Soltau, Germany), Österreichischer Erwerbsimkerbund (Großebersdorf, Austria), Österreichischer Imkerbund (ÖIB) (Vienna, Austria) (represented by: A. Willand and B. Tschida, lawyers)

Re:

Application pursuant to Article 263 TFEU for annulment of Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 781/2013 of 14 August 2013 amending Implementing Regulation (EU) No 540/2011, as regards the conditions of approval of the active substance fipronil, and prohibiting the use and sale of seeds treated with plant protection products containing this active substance (OJ 2013 L 219, p. 22).

Operative part of the judgment

The Court:

1.Annuls Articles 1, 3 and 4 of Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 781/2013 of 14 August 2013 amending Implementing Regulation (EU) No 540/2011, as regards the conditions of approval of the active substance fipronil, and prohibiting the use and sale of seeds treated with plant protection products containing this active substance;

2.Dismisses the action as to the remainder;

3.Orders the European Commission to bear its own costs and to pay those incurred by BASF Agro BV and the other applicants whose names appear in the annex, as well as those incurred by the Association européenne pour la protection des cultures (ECPA) and the European Seed Association (ESA);

4.Orders Deutscher Berufs- und Erwerbsimkerbund eV, Österreichischer Erwerbsimkerbund and Österreichischer Imkerbund (ÖIB) to bear their own costs.

* Language of the case: English.

(1) OJ C 9, 11.1.2014.

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