Case C‑308/22

Pesticide Action Network Europe (PAN Europe)

v

College voor de toelating van gewasbeschermingsmiddelen en biociden

(Request for a preliminary ruling from the
College van Beroep voor het bedrijfsleven)

Judgment of the Court (Third Chamber) of 25 April 2024

(Reference for a preliminary ruling – Approximation of laws – Regulation (EC) No 1107/2009 – Marketing authorisation for plant protection products – Examination for authorisation – Article 36 – Discretion of the Member State concerned, for the purposes of Article 36(2), with regard to the scientific risk assessment carried out by the Member State examining the application for authorisation under Article 36(1) – Article 44 – Withdrawal or amendment of an authorisation – Precautionary principle – Effective judicial remedy – Current scientific and technical knowledge)

1. Agriculture – Approximation of laws – Placing of plant protection products on the market – Regulation No 1107/2009 – Marketing authorisation for plant protection products – Examination for authorisation – Scientific assessment of risks – Discretion of the Member State concerned with regard to the scientific risk assessment carried out by the Member State examining the application – Scope – Possibility for the Member State concerned to depart from the assessment carried out by the Member State examining the application – Whether permissible – Conditions

   (European Parliament and Council Regulation No 1107/2009, Art. 36)

   (see paragraphs 61, 62, 65-67, 70, operative part 1)

2. Agriculture – Approximation of laws – Placing of plant protection products on the market – Regulation No 1107/2009 – Marketing authorisation for plant protection products – Effective judicial remedy – Effective remedy for third parties demonstrating an interest – Scientific assessment of risks – Findings of the assessment carried out by the competent Member State – Review by the court of the Member State concerned – Scope

   (European Parliament and Council Regulation No 1107/2009, Art. 36)

   (see paragraphs 72-76, operative part 2)

3. Agriculture – Approximation of laws – Placing of plant protection products on the market – Regulation No 1107/2009 – Marketing authorisation for plant protection products – Examination for authorisation – Scientific assessment of risks – Procedure – Breach of the principle of sound administration – Obligation to state reasons – Review of the authorisation by the Member State concerned – No requirement that the Member State examining the application be involved in a new assessment – Absence

   (European Parliament and Council Regulation No 1107/2009, Art. 36(2) and (3))

   (see paragraphs 78-80, 82-84, operative part 3)

4. Agriculture – Approximation of laws – Placing of plant protection products on the market – Regulation No 1107/2009 – Challenge to the decision authorising the placing of plant protection products on the market – Possibility of raising the most reliable scientific and technical data available before the national authorities – Source or document containing such information and the time when it became available – Irrelevant – Observance of the precautionary principle – No breach of the principle of legal certainty – Absence

   (European Parliament and Council Regulation No 1107/2009, Art. 29(1)(e) and Art. 36(2))

   (see paragraphs 91-94, 96, 97, 103, 104, 108-110, operative part 4)

See the text of the decision.