18 october 2006 michel petite 1 the legal service of the european commission

18 October 2006 Michel Petite 1

The Legal Service of the European Commission


Human Resources Chart


The Legal Service: Caracteristics

• Internal and horizontal Service

• Directly under the President’s authority

• Mission is twofold:

1. Legal advise

2. Legal representative of the Commission


The Legal Service: Legal Advice

– The LS gives its opinions on all draft proposals (about 14 000 opinions in 2005).

– A positive opinion is necessary for the adoption of a Commission decision.

– The « College » may not take into account the LS opinion (political reasons).

– A negative opinion will push the Directorates general to find a solution.

– As a general rule, the legal advice is not made public.


The Legal Service: Functions

2. Legal representative of the Commission:

The LS is the only entity authorized to represent the

Commission before the Community Courts (Court

of Justice, Court of First Instance, Civil Service

Tribunal) and the national and international Courts

(World Trade Organisation).


Community litigation before

the Court of Justicethe Court of First Instance and

the Civil Service Tribunal


• 920 new cases• 468 before the Court of Justice,

– 218 preliminary rulings– 66 appeals

• 447 before the Court of First Instance (70 cases transferred to the Civil Service Tribunal)

• 5 EFTA cases

• 1950 pending cases (average)

Global number of cases in 2005


Community litigation New cases in 2005 by area

920 cases divided as :

020406080

100120140160

Civil s

ervic

e

Inte

llect

ual P

rope

rty

Enviro

nnem

ent

Taxatio

n

Agricu

lture

Compe

tition

Exter

nal R

elatio

ns

Free

mov

emen

t of w

or...

Socia

l pol

icy

Public

pro

cure

men

t

Trans

port

Custo

ms

Union

Inst

itutio

nal

Sturc

tura

l funds

Free

mov

emen

t of c

apita

l

Free

mov

emen

t of g

oods

JLS

Consu

mer

s' pr

otec

tion

Indu

stria

l poli

cy

Funda

ment

al rig

hts

Fisher

ies

Free

mov

emen

t of p

er...


Infringements of Community Law by

Member States


The infringement “cascade”

• Pending at 31/12/2005 : 3567

• Among the alleged infringements registered (2653 new registrations in 2005) ~ 60 % letters of formal notices

~ 40 % reasoned opinion ~ 10 % referrals to the Court


Pending infringements at 31/12/2005 by Member State

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

450


Pending infringements at 31/12/2005 by area

0200400600800

100012001400

Env

ironm

ent

Inte

rnal

Mar

ket

Hea

lth &

con

su...

Taxa

tion

& c

usto

ms

Em

ploy

., so

cial

af..

.E

nerg

y &

Tra

nspo

rtE

ntre

pris

esA

gric

ultu

reC

ompe

titio

nJu

stic

e &

hom

e af

f.In

form

atio

n so

ciet

yFi

sher

ies

Edu

catio

n &

Cul

ture


Preliminary rulings


Preliminary rulings by Member State (1952 – 2005)

0200400600800

1000120014001600

Germ

any

Italy

Fran

ce

Nethe

rland

s

Belgium

United

King

dom

Austri

a

Spain

Denm

ark

Greec

e

Luxe

mbo

urg

Sweden

Portu

gal

Irlan

d

Finla

nd

Hunga

ry

Polen

Czech

Rep

ublic


Preliminary rulings / Trends by area(1/1/1990 - 31/12/2005)

AGRICULTURE SOCIAL POLICY

TAXATION FREE MOVEMENT OF SERVICES

FREE MOVEMENT OF GOODS INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

1990

1991

1992

1993

1994

1995

1996

1997

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

1990

1991

1992

1993

1994

1995

1996

1997

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

1990

1991

1992

1993

1994

1995

1996

1997

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

1990

1991

1992

1993

1994

1995

1996

1997

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

05

10152025

3035404550

1990

1991

1992

1993

1994

1995

1996

1997

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

0

5

10

15

20

25

1990

1991

1992

1993

1994

1995

1996

1997

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005


Direct cases


Won / Lost – Global

STATISTICS PRODUCED BY THE LS LITIGATION DATABASE: JUDGEMENT IN 2005/COMMISSION LITIGANT

COURT OF JUSTICE =402 AFF., CFI = 128 AFF.

COURT OF JUSTICE CFI

83 % WON

7% LOST4 % OTHER

6 % PARTIALLY WON

20 % LOST

74 % WON

6 % PARTIALLY WON


Litigation WTO(Dispute Settlement)

Pending cases 44

Commission as complaining party 15

Commission as responding party 19

Commission as third party 10

New cases registered in 2005 11

Reports during 2005 33


Number of cases initiated / defended by Member State

Complaining

Responding

0102030405060708090

100

US EC

Canad

aBra

zilIn

dia

Mex

ico

Japa

n

Korea

Thail

and


Dispute Settlement Activity(from 1995 until october 2005)

050

100150200250300350400

Requests forconsultations

Panelscomposed

Number ofdisputes

covered bypanels

composed

Panel Reportsadopted

Appealsnotified

Appellate BodyReportsadopted


WTO Cases involving ECOFFENSIVE CASES DEFENSIVE CASES

SOLVED WITHOUT PANEL RULING

EC LOST EC WON

35%

62%

3%

48%

14%

38%

18 october 2006 michel petite 1 the legal service of the european commission

Documents

commissionthe legal

legal advice

court of justicethe

efta cases

horizontal service

civil service tribunal

community litigation

functions legal representative