Judgment of the General Court (Seventh Chamber) of 15 September 2011 – CMB and Christof v Commission

(Case T-407/07)

Public supply contracts – EAR procurement procedure – Supply of equipment for the treatment of medical waste – Rejection of the tender – Action for annulment – Jurisdiction of the General Court – Period allowed for commencing proceedings – Preliminary administrative complaint – Excusable error – Award criteria – Procedural rules – Duty to state reasons – Principle of sound administration – Non-contractual liability

1.                     European Union law – Principles – Right to effective judicial protection – Applicability to measures adopted by agencies established on the basis of secondary law producing legal effects vis-à-vis third parties (Art. 230 EC) (see paras 57-58)

2.                     Actions for annulment – Actionable measures – Measures producing binding legal effects – Decisions taken by the European Agency for Reconstruction in the context of procedures for awarding public contracts – Included (Art. 230, first para., EC) (see paras 59-61)

3.                     Actions for annulment – Action against a decision confirming an earlier measure not challenged within the time-limits – Inadmissibility – Meaning of confirmatory decision – Decision adopted following an application raising new and substantial facts – Not included (Art. 263 TFEU) (see paras 89-93)

4.                     Procedure – Time-limit for instituting proceedings – Claim barred by lapse of time – Excusable error – Concept – Procedures for amicable settlement provided for in the call for tenders – Tenderer using such a procedure – Included (see paras 99, 103)

5.                     European Union public contracts – Conclusion of a contract following a call for tenders – Discretion of the institutions – Judicial review – Limits (see para. 115)

6.                     European Union budget – Financial regulation – Provisions applicable to procedures for awarding public contracts – Scope – Public contracts awarded by bodies created by the Communities, having legal personality and receiving subsidies from the EU budget – Included (Council Regulation No 2988/95, Art. 167(1), and No 2666/2000, Art. 7(1); Commission Regulation No 2343/2002, Art. 74) (see paras 153-157)

7.                     Acts of the institutions – Statement of reasons – Obligation – Scope – Decision in a procedure for the award of a public service contract not to accept a tender (Art. 253 EC) (see paras 170-172, 177)

Re:

Operative part

The Court: