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Document 62017TJ0054

Judgment of the General Court (Eighth Chamber) of 11 July 2018.
Coalition for Life and Family (CLF) v European Parliament.
Institutional law — European Parliament — Decision awarding a grant to a political party — Pre-financing set at 33% of the maximum amount of the grant awarded — Obligation to provide a bank pre-financing guarantee — Financial Regulation — Rules of Application of the Financial Regulation — Regulation (EC) No 2004/2003 on the regulations governing political parties at European level and the rules regarding their funding — Proportionality — Equal treatment.
Case T-54/17.

Judgment of the General Court (Eighth Chamber) of 11 July 2018 –
CLF v Parliament

(Case T‑54/17)

(Institutional law — European Parliament — Decision awarding a grant to a political party — Pre-financing set at 33% of the maximum amount of the grant awarded — Obligation to provide a bank pre-financing guarantee — Financial Regulation — Rules of Application of the Financial Regulation — Regulation (EC) No 2004/2003 on the regulations governing political parties at European level and the rules regarding their funding — Proportionality — Equal treatment)

1. 

EU law — Principles — Right to effective judicial protection — Scope

(Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, Art. 47)

(see para. 37)

2. 

European Parliament — Funding of European political parties — Award of grants — Evaluation of the risk to the budget and the EU’s financial interests — Criteria — Account taken of the difficulty to assess the administrative and financial viability of a newly-created political party — Lawfulness

(European Parliament and Council Regulation No 2004/2003, Arts 3(1), 8 and 10(2); Commission Regulation No 1268/2012, Art. 202(2); Decision of the Bureau of the European Parliament laying down the procedures for implementing Regulation No 2004/2003, Art. 7(3))

(see paras 49-51, 53, 55, 56)

3. 

European Parliament — Funding of European political parties — Award of grants — Conditions — Obligation to satisfy on the date of bringing the request for financing — Scope

(European Parliament and Council Regulation No 2004/2003, Arts 3(1)(b), 4(3) and 5(3); Decision of the Bureau of the European Parliament laying down the procedures for implementing Regulation No 2004/2003, Arts 3(1) and 4(2), third para.)

(see paras 63, 64, 66, 67)

4. 

Action for annulment — Review of legality — Criteria — Account taken only of elements of fact and law existing at the date on which the contested measure was adopted

(Art. 263 TFEU)

(see para. 69)

5. 

European Parliament — Funding of European political parties — Award of grants — Conditions — Respect for the principles on which the Union is founded — Account taken of the lack of information relating to a newly-created political party to assess whether the condition is satisfied — Lawfulness

(European Parliament and Council Regulations No 2004/2003, Arts 3(1)(c) and 5(3), and No 966/2012, Art. 134(1); Commission Regulation No 1268/2012, Art. 206(1))

(see paras 78, 79, 82, 83, 87, 88)

6. 

EU law — Principles — Proportionality — Scope

(Art. 5(4) TEU)

(see para. 94)

7. 

Judicial proceedings — Application for measures of inquiry and organisation of procedure — Conditions

(Rules of Procedure of the General Court, Art. 88(2))

(see para. 103)

8. 

European Parliament — Funding of European political parties — Award of grants — Conditions — Different treatment of newly-created political foundations compared to older ones — Lawfulness

(European Parliament and Council Regulation No 2004/2003; Decision of the Bureau of the European Parliament laying down the procedures for implementing Regulation No 2004/2003)

(see paras 116, 120, 121)

9. 

European Parliament — Funding of European political parties — Refusal of a grant application — Infringement of the rights of free speech and freedom of association — None

(Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, Arts 11 and 12; European Parliament and Council Regulation No 2004/2003)

(see para. 128)

Re:

Application on the basis of Article 263 TFEU seeking the annulment in part of Decision FINS-2017-16 of the European Parliament of 12 December 2016 concerning the award of a grant to the applicant, in so far as that decision restricts the pre-financing to 33% of the maximum amount of the grant and makes its payment subject to the provision of a bank guarantee.

Operative part

The Court:

1. 

Dismisses the action;

2. 

Orders Coalition for Life and Family (CLF) to pay the costs.

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