Judgment of the Court (Grand Chamber) of 26 February 2019 — Ilmārs Rimšēvičs (C-202/18), European Central Bank (ECB) (C-238/18) v Republic of Latvia

(Joined Cases C-202/18 and C-238/18) (1)

(European System of Central Banks - Action based on infringement of the second subparagraph of Article 14.2 of the Statute of the European System of Central Banks and of the European Central Bank - Decision of a national authority suspending the governor of the national central bank from office)

(2019/C 139/18)

Language of the case: Latvian

Parties

Applicants: Ilmārs Rimšēvičs (represented by: S. Vārpiņš, M. Kvēps and I. Pazare, advokāti) (C-202/18), European Central Bank (ECB) (represented by: C. Zilioli, K. Kaiser and C. Kroppenstedt, acting as Agents, and by D. Sarmiento Ramírez-Escudero, abogado, and by V. Čuske-Jurjeva, advokāte) (C–238/18)

Defendant: Republic of Latvia (represented by: I. Kucina and J. Davidoviča, acting as Agents)

Operative part of the judgment

The Court:

1.	Joins Cases C-202/18 and C-238/18 for the purposes of the judgment;

2.	Annuls the decision of the Korupcijas novēršanas un apkarošanas birojs (Anti-Corruption Office, Latvia) of 19 February 2018 in so far as it prohibits Mr Ilmārs Rimšēvičs from performing his duties as Governor of the Central Bank of Latvia;

3.	Orders the Republic of Latvia to bear its own costs and to pay those incurred by the European Central Bank (ECB).

---

(1)  OJ C 161, 7.5.2018.