Choose the experimental features you want to try

This document is an excerpt from the EUR-Lex website

Document 62017TJ0161

Judgment of the General Court (Sixth Chamber) of 28 November 2018.
Marion Le Pen v European Parliament.
Rules governing the payment of expenses and allowances to Members of the European Parliament — Parliamentary assistance allowance — Recovery of sums unduly paid — Power of the Secretary-General — Rights of the defence — Legitimate expectations — Obligation to state reasons — Equal treatment — Misuse of power — Error of fact — Proportionality.
Case T-161/17.

Court reports – general – 'Information on unpublished decisions' section

Judgment of the General Court (Sixth Chamber) of 28 November 2018 –
Le Pen v Parliament

(Case T‑161/17)

(Rules governing the payment of expenses and allowances to Members of the European Parliament — Parliamentary assistance allowance — Recovery of sums unduly paid — Power of the Secretary-General — Rights of the defence — Legitimate expectations — Obligation to state reasons — Equal treatment — Misuse of power — Error of fact — Proportionality)

1. 

Judicial proceedings — Costs — Taxation — Taxation not capable of taking place until after the decision closing the proceedings

(Rules of Procedure of the General Court, Art. 170)

(see para. 30)

2. 

European Parliament — Members — Payment of expenses and allowances — Recovery of sums unduly paid — Power of the Secretary-General of the Parliament

(European Parliament’s Rules of Procedure, Art. 25(3); Decision of the Bureau of the European Parliament concerning implementing measures for the Statute of Members of the European Parliament, Arts 68 and 72)

(see paras 37, 38, 41, 42, 44)

3. 

Acts of the institutions — Statement of reasons — Obligation — Scope — Assessment of the duty to state reasons by reference to the circumstances of the case — Need to specify all the relevant factual and legal elements — None

(Art. 296, second para. TFEU)

(see para. 52)

4. 

Judicial proceedings — Introduction of new pleas during the proceedings — Plea raised for the first time at the reply stage — Inadmissibility

(Rules of Procedure of the General Court, Art. 84(1))

(see paras 60, 112)

5. 

European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) — Investigations — Final investigation report and recommendations — Obligation to transmit that information to the person concerned — None — Obligation to transmit the anonymous letter that gave rise to the investigation — None — Annulment on grounds of infringement of the rights of the defence of a decision adopted on the basis of the investigation report — Conditions

(European Parliament and Council Regulation No 883/2013, Arts 10(2) and 11(4))

(see paras 66, 70)

6. 

European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) — Investigations — Rights of defence — Scope — Right of access to the inquiry file — None save where intended to adopt a measure adversely affecting the person concerned

(European Parliament and Council Regulation No 883/2013)

(see para. 67)

7. 

European Parliament — Members — Payment of expenses and allowances — Recovery of sums unduly paid — Decision of the Secretary General of the Parliament — Article 47 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights inapplicable to a procedure for the adoption of a decision

(Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, Art. 47(2); Decision of the Bureau of the European Parliament concerning implementing measures for the Statute of Members of the European Parliament, Art. 68)

(see para. 75)

8. 

European Parliament — Members — Payment of expenses and allowances — Recovery of sums unduly paid — Obligation to hear the Member concerned before adopting a decision — None

(Decision of the Bureau of the European Parliament concerning implementing measures for the Statute of Members of the European Parliament, Art. 68(2))

(see paras 77-82)

9. 

EU law — Principles — Protection of legitimate expectations — Legal certainty — Limits

(see paras 93, 94)

10. 

European Parliament — Members — Payment of expenses and allowances — Parliamentary assistance allowances — Lack of documents to evidence use in accordance with rules — Obligation to repay — Conditions for granting the allowance met at the time of the application — Irrelevant

(Decision of the Bureau of the European Parliament concerning implementing measures for the Statute of Members of the European Parliament, Art. 33)

(see para. 96)

11. 

Action for annulment — Pleas in law — Misuse of powers — Meaning

(Art. 263 TFEU)

(see paras 128, 141)

12. 

European Parliament — Members — Payment of expenses and allowances — Recovery of sums unduly paid — Effect of there being no recovery decisions against Members of the other political groups — None — Compliance with the principle of equal treatment having to be reconciled with the principle of legality

(Decision of the Bureau of the European Parliament concerning implementing measures for the Statute of Members of the European Parliament, Art. 68)

(see paras 147, 149-151)

13. 

Judicial proceedings — Measures of organisation of procedure — Request for production of documents — Discretion of the Courts of the Union

(Rules of Procedure of the General Court, Art. 90(1))

(see para. 179)

Re:

Action under Article 263 TFEU seeking annulment of the decision of the Secretary-General of the European Parliament of 6 January 2017 concerning the recovery from the applicant of a sum of EUR 41554 unduly paid for parliamentary assistance, and of the debit note of 11 January 2017 relating thereto.

Operative part

The Court:

1. 

dismisses the action;

2. 

orders Ms Marion Le Pen to bear her own costs and pay those incurred by the European Parliament.

Top