Pansitta and Others v. Italy

FIRST SECTION

This version was rectified on 27 February 2025 under Rule 81 of the Rules of Court.

Application no. 79696/13 Giacomo PANSITTA and Others against Italy

(see appended table)

The European Court of Human Rights (First Section), sitting on 8 April 2021 as a Committee composed of:

Alena Poláčková, President, Péter Paczolay, Gilberto Felici, judges,

and Viktoriya Maradudina, Acting Deputy Section Registrar,

Having regard to the above application lodged on 28 November 2013,

Having regard to the declaration submitted by the respondent Government requesting the Court to strike the application out of the list of cases,

Having deliberated, decides as follows:

FACTS AND PROCEDURE

The list of applicants is set out in the appended table.

The applicants were represented by Mr A. Saccucci, a lawyer practising in Rome.

The applicants’ complaints under Articles 11, 13 and 14 of the Convention concerning the ban imposed on the Revenue Police ( Guardia di Finanza ) by section 1475 § 2 of the Legislative Decree no. 66/2010 to form trade unions were communicated to the Italian Government (“the Government”).

THE LAW

The Government informed the Court that they proposed to make a unilateral declaration with a view to resolving the issues raised by these complaints. They further requested the Court to strike out the application in accordance with Article 37 of the Convention.

The Government acknowledged the violation of Article 11 of the Convention, until the date of the Constitutional Court’s judgement declaring the law at stake partially unconstitutional (judgment no. 120 of 13 June 2018). They considered that, in this respect, finding the violation constitutes sufficient just satisfaction. They also offered to pay the applicants 5,000 euros (EUR) jointly for costs and expenses. The amounts would be payable within three months from the date of notification of the Court’s decision.

The payment will constitute the final resolution of the case.

The applicants were sent the terms of the Government’s unilateral declaration several weeks before the date of this decision. The Court has not received a response from the applicants accepting the terms of the declaration.

The Court observes that Article 37 § 1 (c) enables it to strike a case out of its list if:

“... for any other reason established by the Court, it is no longer justified to continue the examination of the application”.

Thus, it may strike out applications under Article 37 § 1 (c) on the basis of a unilateral declaration by a respondent Government even if the applicants wish the examination of the case to be continued (see, in particular, the Tahsin Acar v. Turkey judgment (preliminary objections) [GC], no. 26307/95, §§ 75 ‑ 77, ECHR 2003-VI).

The Court has established clear and extensive case-law concerning complaints relating to the applicants’ freedom of association (see, for example, Matelly v. France , no. 10609/10, 2 October 2014, Demir and Baykara v. Turkey [GC], no. 34503/97, ECHR 2008 and National Union of Belgian Police v. Belgium , 27 October 1975, § 39, Series A no. 19).

Noting the admissions contained in the Government’s declaration as well as the amount of compensation proposed – which is consistent with the amounts awarded in similar cases – the Court considers that it is no longer justified to continue the examination of the application (Article 37 § 1 (c)).

It also notes that, with regards to the applicants indicated by an asterisk in the appended list, the sum offered by the Government in their unilateral declaration shall be paid directly to the applicants’ representative by virtue of a special power of attorney. [1]

In the light of the above considerations, the Court is satisfied that respect for human rights as defined in the Convention and the Protocols thereto does not require it to continue the examination of the application in the part covered by the unilateral declaration (Article 37 § 1 in fine ).

Finally, the Court emphasises that, should the Government fail to comply with the terms of their unilateral declaration, the application may be restored to the list in accordance with Article 37 § 2 of the Convention (see Josipović v. Serbia (dec.), no. 18369/07, 4 March 2008).

In view of the above, it is appropriate to strike the case out of the list as regards the complaint raised under Article 11 of the Convention.

The applicants also raised other complaints under Articles 13 and 14 of the Convention.

The Court has examined the application and considers that, in the light of all the material in its possession and in so far as the matters complained of are within its competence, these complaints either do not meet the admissibility criteria set out in Articles 34 and 35 of the Convention or do not disclose any appearance of a violation of the rights and freedoms enshrined in the Convention or the Protocols thereto.

It follows that this part of the application must be rejected in accordance with Article 35 § 4 of the Convention.

For these reasons, the Court, unanimously,

Takes note of the terms of the respondent Government’s declaration in so far as they concern the complaints raised under Article 11 of the Convention, and of the arrangements for ensuring compliance with the undertakings referred to therein;

Decides to strike this part of the application out of its list of cases in accordance with Article 37 § 1 (c) of the Convention;

Declares the remainder of the application inadmissible.

Done in English and notified in writing on 29 April 2021.

{signature_p_2}

Viktoriya Maradudina Alena Poláčková Acting Deputy Registrar President

APPENDIX

Application raising complaints under Article 11 of the Convention

(ban imposed by law on the applicants, members of the Revenue Police ( Guardia di Finanza ), to form trade unions)

Application no. Date of introduction

Applicant’s name

Year of birth

Representative’s name and location

Date of receipt of Government’s declaration

Date of receipt of applicant’s comments, if any

Amount awarded for costs and expenses jointly

(in euros) [1]

79696/13

28/11/2013

(397 applicants)

Giacomo PANSITTA*

1971

Nicola D’ALBA*

1976

Carmine FERRANTE*

1970

Francesco MAZZOCCHI*

1971

Gianluca SUNDA*

1967

Tommaso TODARO*

1968

Francesco ZAVATTOLO*

1971

Nunzio ABATE*

1964

Gianluca ACQUAVIVA*

1968

Antonio ADDESSE*

1976

Marcello ADINOLFI*

1966

Roberto AGASUCCI*

1969

Cosimo Vito ALBANO*

1958

Pierluigi ALBERTINI*

1967

Luigi ALEARDI*

1972

Rocco ALESSIO*

1967

Claudio AMATO*

1965

Giorgio ANGELINO*

1981

Lucio ANNARUMMA*

1973

Nicola APICELLA*

1964

Pierpaolo ARNOLD*

1967

Luigi ARZANO

1985

Nicola BALBO*

1981

Danilo BALDONI*

1972

Giovanni BARRALE*

1964

Basilio BARRECA*

1964

Bruno BARTOLONI*

1964

Luca BARTALONI*

1964

Alessio BASILI*

1974

Leandro BATTAGLIA*

1970

Giulio BATTAGLINI*

1968

Manuel Maria BELISARDI*

1979

Nicola BELLOPEDE*

1969

Dino BERALDO*

1967

Sergio BERNARDINI*

1971

Franco BERTAGNOLLI

1963

Antonio BEVACQUA*

1967

Cesare BIANCHI*

1961

Christian BIANCO*

1978

Alessandro BIZZARRI*

1975

Gaetano BLASI*

1977

Marco BOCCACCI

1962

Luca BOERO*

1975

Mauro BORGHINO*

1970

Mauro BORRELLI*

1979

Giovanni BORSCI*

1960

Luigi BRAMATO*

1964

Carmelo BUCCA*

1963

Giovanni BUONAIUTO*

1968

Filippo CADDEO*

1978

Salvatore CAIAZZA*

1975

Luca CAIONE*

1966

Giovanni CALABRESE*

1975

Rosario CALANDRINO*

1985

Massimo CALATI*

1970

Francesco CALENZO*

1976

Stefano CALLAI*

1976

Raffaele CAMBERLINGO*

1964

Bartolomeo CAMMARINO*

1977

Emanuele Concetto CAMPAGNA*

1990

Riccardo CAMPANELLI*

1972

Pasquale CANNAVACCIUOLO*

1972

Roberto CANNAVALE*

1964

Aristide CANOVA*

1974

Enrico CANTA*

1978

Raffaele CAPASSO*

1970

Piercarlo CAPPELLINO*

1960

Patrick CAPRI*

1971

Davide CARANNANTE*

1972

Tommaso CARBONE*

1973

Michele Antonio CARETTO

1957

Antonio CARFORA*

1969

Massimo CARLESI*

1965

Claudio CARLINI*

1974

Giuseppe CAROLI*

1972

Luigi CARROZZO MAGLI*

1965

Giuseppe CASAMASSIMA*

1984

Luigi Matteo CASCAVILLO*

1970

Arcangelo CASO*

1973

Stefano CASTELLI*

1963

Stefania CASTRICONE*

1973

Gennaro Ciro CAVALIERE*

1981

Amedeo Salvatore CELENTANO*

1967

Giuseppe CERCHIO*

1981

Vincenzo CETANI

1958

Loris CHIARAMELLO*

1966

Mario CHIOCCINI*

1966

Vittorio CICCHIELLO*

1976

Luca CICERO*

1972

Francesco CILIONE*

1981

Giuseppe CIMINO*

1975

Agostino CIMMINO*

1970

Francesco CIOLA*

1962

Domenico CIPOLLA*

1975

Massimo CIPOLLA*

1970

Vincenzo CLEMENTE*

1974

Salvatore COLANGELO*

1971

Piero COLAZZO*

1965

Roberto COLETTA*

1974

Alessandro COMITINI*

1964

Raffaele Marco CONCAS*

1974

Antonino CONIGLIO*

1972

Alessandro COPPOLA*

1978

Angela COPPOLA*

1984

Massimo CORCHIA*

1966

Giovanni Angelo CORDOVA*

1965

Davide CORSARO*

1973

Francesco COSCIA*

1975

Massimo COSTA*

1973

Salvatore COZZOLINO*

1968

Giuseppe CROCAMO*

1972

Maurizio CUCCI*

1970

Giovanni CULICI*

1969

Luigi CUOMO*

1971

Patrizio CUOMO*

1964

Pierangelo CURRI*

1981

Luca D’APOLLONIO*

1975

Felice D’AURIA*

1970

Franco D’AVANZO*

1968

Marco D’ADDIO*

1975

Ugo Raffaele DALLERICE

1957

Giuseppe D’ERCHIE*

1959

Rosario DE DOMINICIS*

1962

Ippazio DE MATTEIS*

1964

Domenico DE PINTO*

1962

Corrado DE RUVO*

1961

Antonio DE VENEZIA*

1961

Domenico DEL SORBO

1962

Dario DELLA PORTA*

1970

Giorgio DENARO*

1969

Daniele DI CHIO*

1963

Enrico DI DIO*

1975

Rocco DI FILIPPO

1972

Cosimo DI FONZO*

1970

Felice Ruggero DI LELLO

1974

Vincenzo DI MATTEO

1958

Pasquale DI NARDO*

1970

Emiliano DI SEGNA*

1973

Angelo DITTA*

1973

Donatello DODARO*

1972

Angelo EFRATI*

1974

Antonino ESPOSITO*

1975

Leondino ESPOSITO

1972

Michele ESPOSITO*

1969

Stefano FALCONE*

1969

Paolo FALZETTI*

1964

Domenico FARETRA*

1964

Francesco FARINA*

1967

Roberto FEDELE*

1967

Cristiano FEDERICI*

1970

Natalino FERRI*

1960

Paolo FESTA*

1983

Giuseppe FILIPPO*

1972

Maurizio FILIPPONE*

1969

Paolo FINETTI*

1967

Roberto FIORI*

1974

Stefano FOIANO

1957

Gianluca FORCELLINO*

1973

Joseph FORGIONE*

1968

Pasquale FRANCIOSO*

1971

Donato FRATIANNI*

1968

Massimo FUSCO*

1975

Antonio FUSILLI

1960

Manielo GALASSO*

1975

Giuseppe GALLINA*

1969

Armando GALLUCCI*

1972

Alberico GAMBINO*

1962

Salvatore GENOVESE*

1973

Luciano GERVASI*

1962

Antonio GIANNUZZI*

1958

Giuseppe GIORDANO*

1964

Basilio GIUFFRIDA

1957

Paolo GOZZERINI

1963

Vincenzo GRASSO*

1966

Teresa GRAVANTE

1982

Marco GRAZIANO*

1969

Raffaele GRAZIANO*

1975

Marco GRAZIOLI*

1961

Martino GRECO*

1974

Michele GUERRA*

1977

Gaetano GUERRIERO*

1963

Alessandro GUTTUSO

1977

Cleto IAFRATE*

1966

Antonio IEZZI*

1970

Gaetano INSINNA*

1964

Massimo LA GATTA*

1974

Giovanni LAI*

1975

Davide LANFRANCO*

1975

Gianni LASTELLA*

1959

Michele LAURO

1971

Simone LEDDA*

1976

Rosario Antonio LEONARDO*

1968

Massimo Verdo LEONETTI*

1972

Diego Mario LIBERTO*

1968

Filippo LO PRESTI*

1969

Silvestro LO PRESTI*

1963

Davide LODDO*

1976

Massimo LOFFREDI*

1967

Antonio LOMBARDI*

1969

Vincenzo LOMBARDO

1957

Luigi LOSASSO*

1963

Giovanni MAGLIE*

1969

Giovanni MAGLIOLI*

1978

Arnaldo MALVASO

1959

Roberto MANCINI*

1971

Vincenzo MANDARANO*

1965

Marco MANGIACAPRA*

1984

Giacomo MANNINO*

1975

Bruno MARENCO*

1967

Alessandro MARGIOTTA*

1963

Andrea MARONGIU*

1972

Alessandro MARRA*

1979

Valerio MARTINO*

1967

Ignazio MARTIRADONNA*

1965

Ilenia MARZO*

1980

Luca MASPERO*

1967

Maurizio MASSARENTI*

1963

Biagio MASTRANGELO*

1986

Vincenzo MATTEO*

1961

Marco MAURO*

1975

Giovanni MAZZARELLA*

1964

Paolo MAZZEO*

1973

Luigi Antonio MELIS*

1969

Luca MELLO*

1967

Sergio MELONI*

1979

Marco MENEGAZZO*

1968

Gian Luca MEOLA*

1973

Giampaolo MERLANO*

1966

Cirino MICELI*

1966

Americo MIGLIACCIO*

1971

Domenico MILANESIO*

1962

Giovanni MINIERI*

1974

Angelo MONTRANO*

1964

Emanuele MORCIANO*

1981

Mauro MORELLI*

1962

Alessio MORONI*

1977

Arturo MOZZILLO

1974

Giuseppe MUGNO*

1964

Salvatore MUNDO*

1976

Pierluigi MUOIO*

1981

Giuseppe MURRI*

1960

Giovanni MUSELLA*

1959

Graziano NADILE*

1968

Luciano NAPOLITANO*

1964

Felice NARDIELLO*

1970

Raffaele NARDONE*

1961

Donato NARDUCCI*

1973

Germano NATRELLA*

1970

Giuseppe NATUZZI*

1971

Daniele NEGRO*

1974

Michele OLIVO

1974

Michele Sandokan ORTODOSSO*

1976

Lorenzo PACELLA*

1968

Mario PAESANI*

1970

Luigi PAGLIARO*

1973

Luigi PALMA*

1963

Pietro PALMAS*

1962

Giuseppe PALMISANO*

1963

Luigi PALUMBO*

1966

Salvatore Giuseppe PANTALEO*

1979

Antonio PARADISO

1960

Tommaso PARADISO*

1972

Lucio PARISI

1962

Pierpaolo PASCALICCHIO*

1978

Antonio PATACCOLI*

1972

Pasquale PATELLA

1978

Domenico PAVONE*

1966

Andrea PERONE*

1969

Vincenzo PERULLI*

1962

Mario Vito PESCE*

1975

Silvio PETRELLI*

1969

Giovanni PETTERUTI*

1970

Guglielmo PICCIUTO*

1964

Pasquale PINTO*

1975

Mariano PIRAS

1964

Fabrizio PISANO*

1976

Paolo PISCITELLI*

1973

Matteo PIZZI*

1983

Francesco POLLIFRONE*

1965

Rinaldo POMPILI*

1960

Lorenzo PONTILLO*

1977

Vincenzo PONZO*

1962

Renzo PORFIRIO

1960

Piero PORTALURI*

1975

Salvatore POSA*

1970

Luca POVERO*

1972

Carmelo PRATICÒ*

1969

Nicola PUCILLO*

1969

Piero PUOZZO*

1972

Giuseppe QUARTA*

1970

Giovanni RACANATI*

1970

Carolina RAFFAELE*

1980

Luca RAGOZZINO*

1972

Enrico RAIMONDI*

1967

Fabrizio RICCHIELLO*

1969

Vincenzo RICCIARDI

1969

Pasquale Maurizio RICCIO*

1964

Bruno RIPEPI*

1970

Antonio RIZZO*

1973

Carlo RIZZO*

1970

Michele ROCA*

1974

Christian ROLLI*

1973

Antonino ROMEO*

1972

Michele ROMONDIA*

1968

Emiliano ROSSI*

1976

Filippo ROVETTO*

1967

Francesco RUSSO*

1975

Gaetano RUSSO*

1968

Mario RUSSO

1961

Eugenio SABATINO*

1975

Orazio SACCÀ*

1972

Michele SACCO*

1969

Massimiliano SALCE*

1964

Attilio SALESE*

1967

Vincenzo SALZANO*

1984

Flavio SANNA*

1976

Simone SANSONI*

1972

Frank SANTINI

1962

Maurizio SANTO*

1973

Antonio SANTORO*

1973

Francesco SANTORO*

1976

Salvatore SAVASTA*

1964

Cosimo SCARDINO

1957

Emanuele SCARSELLETTA*

1965

Letterio SCILIBERTO

1960

Claudio SCRIMIERI*

1973

Giovanni SEMERARO*

1960

Gaspare SENA*

1972

Pierluigi SERRA*

1965

Antonio SIANO*

1965

Michele SIRAVO*

1979

Domenico SISTI*

1974

Angelo SORECA*

1977

Salvatore SORRENTINO*

1967

Giuseppe SOTTILOTTA*

1967

Marcello SPADA*

1975

Vincenzo SPIZZIRRI*

1969

Ernesto STELLA*

1969

Vincenzo STELLAVATECASCIO*

1960

Antonio STERPETTI*

1967

Michele STIMOLA*

1963

Pasquale STRIANO*

1965

Gianluca TACCALOZZI*

1974

Raimondo TAFURI*

1970

Giancarlo TANCREDI*

1963

Michele TANTULLI*

1975

Pietro TAURINO*

1967

Eliseo TAVERNA*

1966

Salvatore TERRANOVA*

1964

Simone TERRERI*

1984

Luca TESTA*

1975

Daniele TISCI*

1968

Giancarlo TOCCI

1960

Roberto TOFANELLI*

1974

Fulvio TOIGO*

1968

Giuseppe TONDI*

1975

Michelangelo TONTI

1950

Luca TORNELLO*

1972

Salvatore TORRISI*

1977

Giuseppe TORTORELLI*

1973

Pier Luca TOSELLI*

1965

Mauro TRAMIS*

1977

Cosimo TRANI*

1980

Giuseppe TRENTINO*

1983

Giuseppe TRIA*

1972

Salvatore TRINX*

1960

Cesare TROVATO*

1978

Vincenzo VACCA*

1960

Luca VALENTE*

1967

Nicolino VALENTI*

1964

Domenico VALLEFUOCO*

1963

Vincenzo Christian VARONE*

1976

Antonio VECCARI*

1971

Giovanni VENAFRO

1963

Antonio VENTRIGLIA*

1979

Pietro VENUTOLO*

1971

Alessandro VERALLI*

1977

Alessandro VERARDO*

1975

Fabrizio VERCELLI

1966

Giovanni VERNA*

1971

Giuseppe VIGLIOTTI*

1981

Pietro Paolo VOLLONO*

1963

Emilio VOLPE*

1956

Enrico ZACCARIA*

1973

Mario ZARRILLO

1953

Giovanni Antonio ZITO*

1973

Fabio Pasquale ZUCCO*

1974

Maurizio ZUMMO*

1961

Luca CAMILOTTO*

1965

Giovanni CUTRUPI*

1967

Mario SPIGA*

1973

Marcello COFINI*

1963

Carmelo VERSACE*

1969

Gaetano MATRECANO*

1960

Domenico ZINGARO*

1963

Massimo IERO*

1971

Michele MAJORANA*

1968

Saccucci Andrea

Rome

19/11/2020

07/01/2021

5,000 EUR

[1] Rectified on 27 February 2025: the paragraph “It also notes that,…power of attorney” has been added.

[1] Plus any tax that may be chargeable to the applicant