Judgment of the Court (Seventh Chamber) of 21 December 2021 –
P. Krücken Organic v Commission

(Case C‑586/20 P) ( 1 )

(Appeal – Law governing the institutions – Action for damages – Conditions governing the non-contractual liability of the European Union – Regulation (EC) No 834/2007 – Organic production and labelling of organic products – Article 33(3) – Concept of ‘appropriate supervision’ – Regulation (EC) No 1235/2008 – Arrangements for imports of organic products from third countries – Private control body for the purpose of equivalence – Attribution of that body’s conduct to the European Commission)

1. 

Appeal – Grounds – Mere repetition of the pleas and arguments put forward before the General Court – Error of law relied on not identified – Inadmissibility

(Art. 256 TFEU; Statute of the Court of Justice, Art. 58, first para.; Rules of Procedure of the Court of Justice, Arts 168(1)(d) and 169)

(see paragraphs 40-42, 45, 46)

2. 

Appeal – Grounds – Plea raised for the first time in the context of the appeal – Inadmissibility

(Rules of Procedure of the Court of Justice, Art. 170(1))

(see paragraphs 51, 52)

3. 

Non-contractual liability – Conditions – Unlawfulness – Sufficiently serious breach of EU law – Lack of appropriate supervision of a control body by the Commission – None – Forms of allegedly unlawful conduct of a control body not attributable to the Commission – No legal basis

(Art. 340, second para., TFEU; Council Regulation No 834/2007, Art. 33(3); Commission Regulation No 1235/2008, Art. 11(4))

(see paragraphs 58, 59, 62-65, 67-69, 85, 86)

4. 

Appeal – Grounds – Incorrect assessment of the facts – Inadmissibility – Review by the Court of Justice of the assessment of the evidence – Possible only where the clear sense of the evidence has been distorted

(Art. 256 TFEU; Statute of the Court of Justice, Art. 58, first para.)

(see paragraphs 71, 73, 74)

5. 

Appeal – Grounds – Mere repetition of the pleas and arguments put forward before the General Court – Inadmissibility – Challenge to the interpretation or application of EU law made by the General Court – Admissibility

(Art. 256 TFEU; Statute of the Court of Justice, Art. 58, first para.; Rules of Procedure of the Court of Justice, Art. 168(1)(d))

(see paragraphs 81, 82)

Operative part

The Court:

1. 

Dismisses the appeal;

2. 

Orders P. Krücken Organic GmbH to bear its own costs and to pay those incurred by the European Commission.


( 1 ) OJ C 9, 11.1.2021.