Opinion of Mr Advocate General Darmon delivered on 16 January 1992

1 Original language: French.

2 Case 22/88 Vreugdenhil and Another v Minister van Landbouw en Visserij [1989] ECR 2049.

3 Paragraphs 3 to 10.

4 See paragraphs 21 to 25.

5 Case 281/82 Unifrex v Commission and Council [1984] ECR 1969, paragraph 11; see also Case 96/71 Haegeman v Commission [1972] ECR 1005; Case 133/79 Sucrimex v Commission [1980] ECR 1299; and Case 217/81 Imeragra v Commission [1982] ECR 2233.

6 For a consideration by legal writers, see Joliét, R. Le droit institutionnel des Communautés européennes, le contentieux, Liège, 1981, p. 250; Waelbroeck, M., Louis, J.-V., Vignes, D., Dewost, J.-L. and Vandersanden, G. in Mégret, J. Le droit de la Communauté économique européenne, Book I, Vol. 10, 1983, p. 280; Vandersanden, G. and Barav, A. Contentieux communautaire, Bruylant, Brussels, 1977, p. 316; Boulouis, J. and Chevallier, R.-M. Grands arrêts de la Cour de Justice des Communautés européennes, Book I, 5th ed., 1991, p. 412 et seq.; Rideau, J. and Charrier, J.-L. Code de procédures européennes, Litec, 1990, p. 180.

7 Case 26/74 Roquette v Commission [1976] ECR 677.

8 Case 34/74 Roquette v France [1974] ECR 1217.

9 Paragraphs 11 and 12, emphasis added.

10 Paragraphs 15 to 25; see in this regard Joliét, R., op. cit., pp. 254 and 255.

11 Paragraph 9.

12 Waelbroeck, Louis and Vandersanden, op. cit., p. 279.

13 Article 73 of the Rules of Procedure of the Court of Justice makes the same provision.

14 Judgment of 12 July 1989, Krohn v Hoofdproduktschap voor Akkerbouwprodukten.

15 Joined Cases 106 to 120/87 Asteris v Greece [1988] ECR 5515.

16 See paragraphs 17 to 19.

17 Case 192/83 Greece v Commission [1985] ECR 2791 and Joined Cases 194 to 206/83 Asteris v Commission [1985] ECR 2815.

18 Paragraph 23.

19 At p. 2817.

20 Cited above.

21 Case 192/83, paragraph 36.

22 In particular Joliet, R., op. cit., pp. 250 to 258; Waelbroeck, Louis and Vandersanden, op. cit., p. 279; Rideau, J. and Charrier, J.-L., op. cit., pp. 184 to 186.

23 Case 20/88 Roquette Frères v Commission [1989] ECR 1553.

24 Point 15.

25 [1976] ECR at p. 682.

26 [1976] ECR at p. 684.

27 For example, Jolict, R., op. cit., p. 250; Rideau, J. and Charrier, J.-L, op. cit., p. 193; Boulouis, J. and Chevallier, R.-M-, op. cit., 5th edition, p. 424.

28 For example, Boulouis, J. and Chevallier, R.-M., op. cit., 3rd edition, p. 462.

29 Case 222/84 Johnston v Chief Constable of the Royal Ulster Constabulary [1986] ECR 1651; Case 222/86 UNECTEF v Heylcns [1987] ECR 4097.

30 For example, Case 5/71 Zuckerfabrik Schöppenstedc v Council [1971] ECR 975, paragraph 11.

31 Ibid., paragraph 11.

32 Joliét, R., p. 267; Boulouis and Chevallier, 3rd edition, p. 445.

33 Case C-70/88 Parliament v Council [1990] ECR I-2041.

34 See paragraphs 21 and 22.

35 Joined Cases 83 and 94/76, 4, 15 and 40/77 HNL v Council and Commission [1978] ECR 1209.

36 [1978] ECR at p. 1232.

37 Paragraph 17.

38 Paragraph 18.

39 Boulouis, J. and Chevallier, R.-M., op. cit., 3rd edition, p. 451.

40 Vandersanden, G. and Barav, A., op. cit., p. 336.

41 See my Opinion of 18 June 1991 in Case C-55/90 Cato v Commission.

42 Joined Cases 83 and 94/76, 4, 15 and 40/77 HNL v Council and Commission [1978] ECR 1209, paragraph 5.

43 Article 2043 of the Codice Civile.

44 Staatshaftung — Amtshaftung, BGB Paragraph 839 and Grundgesetz Article 34.

45 Under which, in principle, the fact that an administrative act is unlawful is sufficient to constitute wrongful conduct — see for example Conseil d'Etat 13 February 1952, Sieurs Costa, Recueil Lebon, p. 104; it is still necessary to prove serious wrongful conduct in the case of liability of the public authorities in the judicial field, for operational police services, for tax authorities and where medical liability is involved.

46 Cour de Cassation, La Flandria, 5 November 1920, Pasicrisie 1920, I, p. 218, and judgment of 23 April 1971, Pasicrisie 1971, I, p. 754.

47 Betaenkning No 214/1959 om statens og kommunernes erstatningsansvar (Report on the Lability of State and local authorities to pay compensation).

48 Asser/Rutten, Verbinternissenrecht, 4 III, De Verbintenis uit de Wet, 6th edition 1983, pp. 81 and 86.

49 As in German law (Sonderopfer; see the judgment of the Bundesgerichtshof of 10 June 1953, BGHZ 6, p. 270, and judgment of 25 April 1960, BGHZ 32, p. 208) or French law (Conseil d'Etat, La Fleurette, 14 January 1938, Recueil Lebon, p. 25).

50 As for example in Italian law.

51 Case 43/72 Merkur v Commission [1973] ECR 1055.

52 Boulouis, J. and Chevallier, R.-M., op. cit., 3rd edition, p. 451.

53 Joliet, R., op. cit., pp. 263 to 267.

54 Joined Cases 64 and 113/76, 167 and 239/78, 27, 28 and 45/79 Dumortier Frères v Council [1979] ECR 3091.

55 Paragraph 11.

56 Sec on this point Grondman, F. La notion dc violation suffisamment caractérisée en matière de responsabilité non contractuelle, Cahiers de droit européen, 1979, No 1, p. 86; Fuss, E.-W. La responsabilité des Communautés européennes pour le comportement illégal de leurs organes, RTDE, 1981, p. 1.

57 Paragraph 11.

58 Joined Cases 116 and 124/77 Amylum v Council and Commission [1979] ECR 3497.

59 Paragraph 19.

60 Cassation La Flandria, cited above.

61 Cassazione, 20 April 1961, No 884, Foro Amministrativo, 1961, II, p. 366; see also Article 23 of the staff regulations of government officials (DPR, 10 January 1957, No 3) and Article 28 of the Italian Constitution.

62 For example, Østre Landsret, Ufr 1972, p. 189 and p. 192, 1980, p. 955; H jesterer, Ufr 1972, p. 603, 1981, 394, and 1982, p. 110.

63 Conseil d'Etat 15 July 1964, Prat-Flottes, Recueil Lebon, p. 438; 4 November 1921, Montpilier, Recueil Lebon, p. 903; 7 June 1940, Vuldy, Recueil Lebon, p. 197.

64 HNL v Council and Commission, paragraph 4.

65 Op. cit., p. 9.

66 Op. cit., p. 10.

67 For an appraisal of the Court's case-law in the field of non-contractual liability, see Rideau, J. and Charrier, J.-L., who consider that the Court has adopted a low profile in defending the rule of law in that regard, op. cit., p. 189.

68 Council Regulation (EEC) No 1147/86 of 17 April 1986 amending Regulation (EEC) No 754/76 on the customs treatment applicable to goods returned to the customs territory of the Community (Official Journal 1986 L 105, p. 1).