European Court of Justice (News)

Chmielewski
Free movement of capital
By imposing a fine, the amount of which corresponds to 60% of the amount of cash which is undeclared when crossing an external border of the EU, Hungarian law infringes EU law

Maïstrellis
SOPO
By prohibiting a male civil servant whose wife does not work from taking parental leave, Greek legislation is incompatible with EU law

SLM v Commission
Competition
The General Court reduces the fines imposed by the Commission on three members of the European pre-stressing steel market cartel

Germany v Commission
SANT
The Court, in line with the General Court, confirms the Commission’s ban against Germany retaining its limit values for arsenic, antimony and mercury in toys

Commission v Ireland
SOPO
The Commission has not succeeded in establishing that Ireland has failed to fulfil its obligations under the Working Time Directive for Non-Consultant Hospital Doctors

InnoLux v Commission
Competition
The Court confirms the €288 million fine imposed on InnoLux for its participation in the cartel on the market for LCD panels

K and A
Area of Freedom, Security and Justice
Member States may require third country nationals to pass a civic integration examination prior to family reunification

Commission v France
State aid
France has failed to fulfil its obligations by failing to recover aid amounting to €220 million granted to SNCM for certain ferry services between Marseille and Corsica

Federcoopesca and Others v Commission
Agriculture and fisheries
Italian fishermen’s associations cannot challenge before the General Court an action plan providing for national measures in the field, inter alia, of swordfish fishery

France v Commission
State aid
The shareholder loan offered to France Télécom by the French authorities at a time when the telephone operator was undergoing a major crisis cannot be classified as State aid

New Media Online
SERV
Advocate General Maciej Szpunar considers that the website of a daily newspaper containing audiovisual material is not an audiovisual service within the meaning of EU law

Bund für Umwelt und Naturschutz Deutschland
Environment and consumers
The obligations laid down by the Water Framework Directive concerning enhancement and prevention of deterioration apply to individual projects such as the deepening of a navigable river

New procedural rules adopted by the General Court

Rina Services and Others
Freedom of establishment
Italian legislation requiring certification bodies to have their registered office in Italy is contrary to EU law

Best-Lock (Europe) v OHMI - Lego Juris (Figurine de jouet)
Intellectual and industrial property
The General Court upholds the registration of the shape of Lego figures as a Community trade mark

Gauweiler and Others
Economic policy
The OMT programme announced by the ECB in September 2012 is compatible with EU law

Berlington Hungary and Others
Approximation of laws
Hungarian legislation which prohibits the operation of slot machines outside casinos may be contrary to the principle of freedom to provide services

Base Company and Mobistar
Approximation of laws
The Universal Service Directive does not lay down a social pricing obligation for mobile communications and mobile Internet subscriptions

Fahnenbrock
Area of Freedom, Security and Justice
Legal proceedings brought in Germany against the Greek State by individuals following the forced exchange of their government bonds may be served on that State in accordance with the EU Regulation on service

On the initiative of a number of Members of the Court of Justice, a Liber Amicorum will be presented to Mr Vassilios Skouris to celebrate his 12 years at the head of the institution