Judgment of the General Court of 25 September 2015 — VECCO and Others v Commission

(Case T-360/13) (1)

((REACH - Inclusion of chromium trioxide in the list of substances subject to authorisation - Uses or categories of uses exempted from the authorisation requirement - Concept of ‘existing specific Community legislation imposing minimum requirements relating to the protection of human health or the environment for the use of the substance’ - Manifest error of assessment - Proportionality - Rights of the defence - Principle of sound administration))

(2015/C 389/33)

Language of the case: English

Parties

Applicants: Verein zur Wahrung von Einsatz und Nutzung von Chromtrioxid und anderen Chrom-VI-verbindungen in der Oberflächentechnik eV (VECCO) (Memmingen, Germany) and the other 185 applicants whose names are listed in Annex I to the judgment (represented by: C. Mereu, K. Van Maldegem, lawyers, and J. Beck, Solicitor)

Defendant: European Commission (represented by: K. Talabér-Ritz and J. Tomkin, acting as Agents)

Interveners in support of the applicants: Assogalvanica (Padua, Italy) and the 31 other interveners whose names are listed in Annex II to the judgment (represented by: C. Mereu, K. Van Maldegem and J. Beck)

Intervener in support of the defendant: European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) (represented by: W. Broere, M. Heikkilä and T. Zbihlej, acting as Agents)

Re:

Application for partial annulment of Commission Regulation (EU) No 348/2013 of 17 April 2013 amending Annex XIV to Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council on the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) (OJ 2013 L 108, p. 1).

Operative part of the judgment

The Court:

(1)  OJ C 260, 7.9.2013.