23.2.2015

Official Journal of the European Union

C 65/15

(Case C-599/13) (<span class="super">1</span>)

((Reference for a preliminary ruling - Protection of the European Union’s financial interests - Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 2988/95 - Article 4 - General budget of the European Union - Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 1605/2002 - Article 53b(2) - Decision 2004/904/EC - European Refugee Fund for the period 2005-2010 - Article 25(2) - Legal basis of the obligation to recover funds in the event of an irregularity))

(2015/C 065/20)

Language of the case: Dutch

Referring court

Parties to the main proceedings

Applicant: Somalische Vereniging Amsterdam en Omgeving (Somvao)

Defendant: Staatssecretaris van Veiligheid en Justitie

Operative part of the judgment

Article 53(2)(c) of Council Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 1605/2002 of 25 June 2002 on the Financial Regulation applicable to the general budget of the European Communities, as amended by Council Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 1995/2006 of 13 December 2006, must be interpreted as meaning that, failing a legal basis in national law, that provision provides a legal basis for a decision of the national authorities to alter, to the detriment of the beneficiary, the amount of the grant paid out of the European Refugee Fund, where management is shared between the Commission and the Member States, and to order the recovery from the beneficiary of part of that amount. It is for the national court to determine whether, taking into account the conduct of both the beneficiary of the funds and of the national administrative authorities, the principles of legal certainty and legitimate expectations, as understood in EU law, have been observed as regards the demand for repayment.

* Language of the case: Dutch.

(1) OJ C 24, 25.1.2014.