Gilberto Borromeo Arese and others v Commission of the European Communities. [1970] EUECJ C-6/70 (15 July 1970)
The application was inadmissible because the measure sought by the applicants would have constituted an opinion, not a binding decision, and thus falls outside the scope of Article 175 EEC Treaty.
Source-derived case information.
- Citation
- [1970] EUECJ C-6/70
- Parties
- Applicant: Gilberto Borromeo Arese, Carlo Borromeo, Maria Ludovica Faria Del Core Borromeo, Vittorio Emanuele Borromeo; Defendant: Commission of the European Communities
- Jurisdiction
- European Union
- Procedural Posture
- Application Under Article 175 EEC Treaty / Judgment on Admissibility
- Outcome
- application dismissed as inadmissible
- Legal Topics
- Failure to Act, Admissibility, Acts of EU Institutions
Source-derived case record
Summary, issues, holding and outcome
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Parties
Gilberto Borromeo Arese, Carlo Borromeo, Maria Ludovica Faria Del Core Borromeo, Vittorio Emanuele Borromeo
Applicant
Commission of the European Communities
Defendant
Procedural Posture
Application Under Article 175 EEC Treaty / Judgment on Admissibility
Legal Issues
- 1 Whether the Commission's failure to issue a decision constitutes an infringement under Article 175 EEC Treaty
- 2 Whether the measure sought by applicants is a decision or an opinion within the meaning of the Treaty
Ratio Decidendi
The application was inadmissible because the measure sought by the applicants would have constituted an opinion, not a binding decision, and thus falls outside the scope of Article 175 EEC Treaty.
Court Disposition
application dismissed as inadmissible
Orders
- application dismissed as inadmissible
- applicants to pay the costs
Full Case Text
Judgment text and source record
1 paragraphs
[ Home ] [ Databases ] [ World Law ] [ Multidatabase Search ] [ Help ] [ Feedback ] [ DONATE ] Court of Justice of the European Communities (including Court of First Instance Decisions) You are here: BAILII >> Databases >> Court of Justice of the European Communities (including Court of First Instance Decisions) >> Gilberto Borromeo Arese and others v Commission of the European Communities. [1970] EUECJ C-6/70 (15 July 1970) URL: https://www.bailii.org/eu/cases/EUECJ/1970/C670.html Cite as: [1970] EUECJ C-6/70 [ New search ] [ Help ] IMPORTANT LEGAL NOTICE - The source of this judgment is the web site of the Court of Justice of the European Communities . The information in this database has been provided free of charge and is subject to a Court of Justice of the European Communities disclaimer and a copyright notice . This electronic version is not authentic and is subject to amendment. 61970J0006 Judgment of the Court of 15 July 1970. Gilberto Borromeo Arese and others v Commission of the European Communities. Case 6-70. European Court reports 1970 Page 00815 Greek special edition 1969-1971 Page 00465 ++++ IN CASE 6/70 GIBERTO BORROMEO ARESE, CARLO BORROMEO, MARIA LUDOVICA FARIA DEL CORE BORROMEO AND VITTORIO EMANUELE BORROMEO, ALL RESIDING IN MILAN, ASSISTED BY G . G . STENDARDI OF THE MILAN BAR, WITH AN ADDRESS FOR SERVICE IN LUXEMBOURG AT THE CHAMBERS OF ERNEST ARENDT, 6 RUE WILLY-GOERGEN, APPLICANTS, V COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, BRUSSELS, REPRESENTED BY ITS LEGAL ADVISER, ALMANDO TOLEDANO-LAREDO, ACTING AS AGENT WITH AN ADDRESS FOR SERVICE IN LUXEMBOURG AT THE CHAMBERS OF ITS LEGAL ADVISER, EMILE REUTER, 4 BOULEVARD ROYAL, DEFENDANT, APPLICATION UNDER ARTICLE 175 OF THE EEC TREATY FOR A RULING THAT THE DEFENDANT HAS INFRINGED THE THIRD INDENT OF ARTICLE 155 OF THE SAID TREATY BY FAILING TO TAKE A DECISION IN RESPECT OF THE APPLICANTS WHICH THEY HAD SOUGHT, 1 BY APPLICATION LODGED ON 27 FEBRUARY 1970, THE APPLICANTS, WHO ARE THE PROPRIETORS OF AGRICULTURAL LAND SITUATED IN ITALY, INSTITUTED AN ACTION BASED ON ARTICLE 175 OF THE EEC TREATY FOR A DECLARATION THAT THE DEFENDANT HAS INFRINGED THE TREATY BY FAILING TO ADDRESS TO THEM A DECISION WHICH THEY HAD CALLED UPON IT TO TAKE . 2 THIS DECISION WOULD HAVE INVOLVED FIXING THE DETAILED RULES TO BE FOLLOWED BY THE APPLICANT FOR THE WORDING OF LEASES OF THEIR AGRICULTURAL LAND WHEN A DRAFT LAW ON THE METHOD OF FIXING THE RENTS FOR AGRICULTURAL LAND, WHICH HAD BEEN ADOPTED BY THE SENATE OF THE ITALIAN REPUBLIC, HAD BECOME LAW . 3 THE DEFENDANT HAS REQUESTED THE COURT, UNDER ARTICLE 91 OF THE RULES OF PROCEDURE, TO DECIDE ON THE ADMISSIBILITY OF THE APPLICATION WITHOUT DISCUSSING THE SUBSTANCE OF THE CASE . 4 THE APPLICANTS MAINTAIN THAT THE DECISION SOUGHT IS NECESSARY IN ORDER TO INDICATE TO THEM THE COURSE OF CONDUCT WHICH THEY SHOULD FOLLOW IN ORDER TO OBSERVE BOTH NATIONAL LEGISLATION AND COMMUNITY RULES . 5 UNDER THE TERMS OF THE THIRD PARAGRAPH OF ARTICLE 175 OF THE TREATY ANY NATURAL OR LEGAL PERSON MAY, UNDER THE CONDITIONS LAID DOWN IN THE FIRST AND SECOND PARAGRAPHS OF THAT ARTICLE, COMPLAIN TO THE COURT THAT AN INSTITUTION OF THE COMMUNITY " HAS FAILED TO ADDRESS TO THAT PERSON ANY ACT OTHER THAN A RECOMMENDATION OR AN OPINION ". 6 THE APPLICANTS SOUGHT THE COMMISSION' S ADVICE ON THE COURSE OF CONDUCT TO BE FOLLOWED IN THE EVENT OF CONFLICT BETWEEN THEIR NATIONAL LEGISLATION AND CERTAIN PROVISIONS OF COMMUNITY LAW . 7 SUCH A MEASURE WOULD BE EQUIVALENT NOT TO A DECISION BUT TO AN OPINION WITHIN THE MEANING OF THE LAST PARAGRAPH OF ARTICLE 189 OF THE TREATY . 8 MOREOVER, BY ADOPTING THE MEASURE SOUGHT THE DEFENDANT WOULD HAVE BEEN REQUIRED FIRST TO ASSESS WHETHER THE DRAFT LAW IN QUESTION CONFORMED WITH THE TREATY . THIS WOULD THEREFORE STILL HAVE RESULTED IN A MEASURE OTHER THAN THOSE REFERRED TO IN THE THIRD PARAGRAPH OF ARTICLE 175 . 9 THE APPLICATION MUST THEREFORE BE DISMISSED AS INADMISSIBLE . 10 UNDER THE TERMS OF ARTICLE 69 ( 2 ) OF THE RULES OF PROCEDURE THE UNSUCCESSFUL PARTY SHALL BE ORDERED TO PAY THE COSTS . THE APPLICANTS HAVE FAILED IN THEIR SUBMISSIONS . THE COURT HEREBY : 1 . DISMISSES THE APPLICATION AS INADMISSIBLE; 2 . ORDERS THE APPLICANTS TO PAY THE COSTS . © European Communities, 2001 All rights reserved BAILII: Copyright Policy | Disclaimers | Privacy Policy | Feedback | Donate to BAILII URL: https://www.bailii.org/eu/cases/EUECJ/1970/C670.html