61983O0289

IN CASE 289/83

1 . GAARM - GROUPEMENT DES ASSOCIATIONS AGRICOLES POUR L ' ORGANISATION DE LA PRODUCTION ET DE LA COMMERCIALISATION DES POMMES DE TERRE ET LEGUMES DE LA REGION MALOUINE

2.ASSOCIATION DES PRIMEURISTES DE LA REGION MALOUINE

3.UNION DES COOPERATIVES DE PAIMPOL ET TREGUIER

4.COOPERATIVE AGRICOLE ' ' LA PAIMPOLAISE ' '

5.COOPERATIVE DES AGRICULTEURS DE BRETAGNE

6.SOCOPRIM - SYNDICAT INDEPENDANT DES PRIMEURISTES

7.SYPA - SYNDICAT SPECIALISE DES PRODUCTEURS DE LEGUMES DE L ' ARMOR

8.UNION DES COOPERATIVES AGRICOLES DU NORD-FINISTERE

9.SOCIETE COOPERATIVE AGRICOLE ' ' LA BAIE ' '

10.SICA DES PRODUCTEURS DE LEGUMES DU MORBIHAN

11.SYNDICAT DES PRODUCTEURS DE POMMES DE TERRE DE PRIMEUR DE PONT-L ' ABBE

12.UNION DES PRODUCTEURS VENDEURS DE FRUITS ET LEGUMES

13.ASSOCIATION DES SICA ET COOPERATIVES FRUITS ET LEGUMES DU MARMANDAIE SICOMA

14.SICAFEL DU CLAIRACAIS

15.GROUPEMENT DES PRODUCTEURS DE POMMES DE TERRE DE PRIMEUR DU BASSIN DE L ' ADOUR

16.COOPERATIVE MARAICHERE DE L ' ILE DE RE

17.COOPERATIVE AGRICOLE DE NOIRMOUTIER

18.SYNDICAT DE DEFENSE DE LA POMME DE TERRE , DU CHOU-FLEUR ET AUTRES LEGUMES DE LA REGION DE CHATEAURENARD

19.SOREP - SYNDICAT POUR L ' ORGANISATION ECONOMIQUE DES PRODUCTIONS

20.SOCIETE COOPERATIVE AGRICOLE CAVAILLON PROVENCE PRIMEURS

21.FRUICOPROVENCE - UNION DES COOPERATIVES AGRICOLES FRUITIERES DE PROVENCE

22.GROUPEMENT DE PRODUCTEURS DU SUD-EST DE FRUITS ET LEGUMES POUR LA CONSERVE ET LE MARCHE DU FRAIS

23.UNION DES COOPERATIVES AGRICOLES DE FRUITS ET LEGUMES DES PYRENEES-ORIENTALES

24SYNDICAT POUR L ' ORGANISATION ECONOMIQUE DES PRODUCTEURS DE FRUITS ET LEGUMES DU ROUSSILLON

25.SYNDICAT DES PRODUCTEURS DE LEGUMES ET FRUITS DE LA BASSE-VALLEE DU GARDON ,

APPLICANTS ,

V

COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES ,

DEFENDANT .

BY AN APPLICATION LODGED AT THE COURT REGISTRY ON 23 DECEMBER 1983 , GAARM AND 24 OTHER APPLICANTS BROUGHT AN ACTION FOR DAMAGES UNDER ARTICLE 178 AND THE SECOND PARAGRAPH OF ARTICLE 215 OF THE EEC TREATY . THE APPLICATION WAS NOT ACCOMPANIED BY THE DOCUMENTS MENTIONED IN ARTICLE 38 ( 5 ) OF THE RULES OF PROCEDURE , NAMELY ( I ) THE INSTRUMENTS CONSTITUTING AND REGULATING THE COMPANIES IN QUESTION AND ( II ) PROOF THAT THE AUTHORITY GRANTED TO THE APPLICANTS ' LAWYER WAS PROPERLY CONFERRED ON HIM BY SOMEONE AUTHORIZED FOR THE PURPOSE .

BY A LETTER DATED 19 JANUARY 1984 THE REGISTRAR OF THE COURT REQUESTED THE APPLICANTS , PURSUANT TO ARTICLE 38 ( 7 ) OF THE RULES OF PROCEDURE , TO PRODUCE THOSE DOCUMENTS BY 28 JANUARY 1984 . THE RELEVANT DOCUMENTS WERE PRODUCED TO THE COURT BY 16 OF THE APPLICANTS ON 13 JANUARY 1984 ; THREE OTHER APPLICANTS PRODUCED THE DOCUMENTS ON 7 JUNE 1984 . NO DOCUMENT HAD BEEN LODGED BY THAT DATE BY THE FOLLOWING COMPANIES :

12 . UNION DES PRODUCTEURS VENDEURS DE FRUITS ET LEGUMES

15.GROUPEMENT DES PRODUCTEURS DE POMMES DE TERRE DE PRIMEUR DU BASSIN DE L ' ADOUR

19.SOREP - SYNDICAT POUR L ' ORGANISATION ECONOMIQUE DES PRODUCTIONS

22.GROUPEMENT DE PRODUCTEURS DU SUD-EST DE FRUITS ET LEGUMES POUR LA CONSERVE ET LE MARCHE DU FRAIS

24.SYNDICAT POUR L ' ORGANISATION ECONOMIQUE DES PRODUCTEURS DE FRUITS ET LEGUMES DU ROUSSILLON , AND

25.SYNDICAT DES PRODUCTEURS DE LEGUMES ET FRUITS DE LA BASSE-VALLEE DU GARDON .

BY LETTER DATED 19 JUNE 1984 THE REGISTRAR OF THE COURT GRANTED THE ABOVEMENTIONED APPLICANTS A PERIOD EXPIRING ON 26 JUNE 1984 IN WHICH TO PRODUCE THE RELEVANT DOCUMENTS AND STATED THAT AFTER THAT DATE ' ' THEIR ACTION MAY BE DEEMED INADMISSIBLE UNDER ARTICLE 38 ( 7 ) OF THE RULES OF PROCEDURE ' ' .

IN A LETTER DATED 22 JUNE 1984 THE LAWYER REPRESENTING THE APPLICANTS ACKNOWLEDGED RECEIPT OF THE REGISTRAR ' S LETTER OF 19 JUNE 1984 BUT MADE NO MENTION OF THE APPLICANTS ' INTENTION TO PRODUCE THE RELEVANT DOCUMENTS OR OF ANY DIFFICULTIES PREVENTING THEM FROM COMPLYING WITH THE TIME-LIMIT IMPOSED .

ARTICLE 38 ( 7 ) OF THE RULES OF PROCEDURE PROVIDES THAT , IF AN APPLICATION DOES NOT COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS SET OUT IN PARAGRAPHS 2 TO 6 OF THAT ARTICLE AND IF THE APPLICANT FAILS TO PUT THE APPLICATION IN ORDER OR TO PRODUCE THE REQUISITE DOCUMENTS WITHIN A REASONABLE PERIOD PRESCRIBED BY THE REGISTRAR , THE COURT MAY REJECT THE APPLICATION ON THE GROUND OF WANT OF FORM .

IN THE PRESENT CASE , IT MUST BE NOTED THAT THE PERIOD FOR PUTTING THE APPLICATION IN ORDER , WHICH ORIGINALLY EXPIRED ON 28 JANUARY 1984 , WAS SUBSEQUENTLY EXTENDED UNTIL 26 JUNE 1984 . THE APPLICANTS CONCERNED WERE THEREFORE GIVEN ABUNDANT TIME TO PRODUCE THE DOCUMENTS REQUESTED .

IN THOSE CIRCUMSTANCES , THE COURT IS JUSTIFIED IN HOLDING THAT THE ACTION BROUGHT ON 23 DECEMBER 1983 IS INADMISSIBLE AS REGARDS THE APPLICANTS WHICH HAVE NOT PRODUCED THE DOCUMENTS MENTIONED IN ARTICLE 38 ( 5 ).

ON THOSE GROUNDS ,

THE COURT ( FIRST CHAMBER ),

COMPOSED OF : T . KOOPMANS , PRESIDENT OF CHAMBER , G . BOSCO AND R . JOLIET , JUDGES ,

HAVING HEARD THE VIEWS OF THE ADVOCATE GENERAL SIR GORDON SLYNN ,

HEREBY ORDERS AS FOLLOWS :

THE ACTION BROUGHT BY THE FOLLOWING APPLICANTS :

12 . UNION DES PRODUCTEURS VENDEURS DE FRUITS ET LEGUMES ,

15.GROUPEMENT DES PRODUCTEURS DE POMMES DE TERRE DE PRIMEUR DU BASSIN DE L ' ADOUR ,

19.SOREP - SYNDICAT POUR L ' ORGANISATION ECONOMIQUE DES PRODUCTIONS ,

22.GROUPEMENT DE PRODUCTEURS DU SUD-EST DE FRUITS ET LEGUMES POUR LA CONSERVE ET LE MARCHE DU FRAIS ,

24.SYNDICAT POUR L ' ORGANISATION ECONOMIQUE DES PRODUCTEURS DE FRUITS ET LEGUMES DU ROUSSILLON , AND

25.SYNDICAT DES PRODUCTEURS DE LEGUMES ET FRUITS DE LA BASSE-VALLEE DU GARDON

IS INADMISSIBLE .