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PARALLEL TEXTS
Sono inflitte sanzioni pecuniarie al Lussemburgo per non avere eseguito una sentenza della Corte del 2006 che ha constatato la trasposizione non conforme della direttiva sul trattamento delle acque reflue urbane
Inglese tratto da:
http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_CJE-13-152_en.htm
Italiano tratto da:
http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_CJE-13-152_it.htm
Data documento: 28-11-2013
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Luxembourg is ordered to pay financial penalties for failing to comply with the Court’s judgment of 2006 finding that it had infringed the Urban Waste Water Directive
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Sono inflitte sanzioni pecuniarie al Lussemburgo per non avere eseguito una sentenza della Corte del 2006 che ha constatato la trasposizione non conforme della direttiva sul trattamento delle acque reflue urbane
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The Court imposes a lump sum of €2 million and a fine of €2 800 euros for each day of delay in taking the measures necessary to comply with the first judgment of 2006, until full compliance with today’s judgment
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La Corte irroga un importo forfettario di EUR 2 milioni e una penalità di EUR 2 800 per giorno di ritardo nell’attuazione delle misure necessarie per conformarsi alla prima sentenza del 2006, fino alla piena esecuzione dell’odierna sentenza
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The 1991 Urban Waste Water Directive concerns the collection, treatment and discharge of urban waste water and the treatment and discharge of waste water from certain industrial sectors.
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La direttiva sul trattamento delle acque reflue urbane del 1991, riguarda la raccolta, il trattamento e lo scarico delle acque reflue originate da taluni settori industriali.
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Its objective is to protect the environment from the adverse effects of the discharges of that water.
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Essa ha lo scopo di proteggere l’ambiente dalle ripercussioni negative provocate dagli scarichi di dette acque.
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The Directive required, inter alia, Member States to identify sensitive areas corresponding to the criteria set out therein by 31 December 1998. Member States were also required to ensure by 31 December 1998 that urban waste water entering collection systems be put through more stringent treatment than for less sensitive areas before being discharged into sensitive areas, in respect of all discharges originating from agglomerations having a ‘population equivalent’ (p.e., a unit of measure of the average organic biodegradable load)3 of more than 10 000.
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In base ad essa gli Stati membri dovevano individuare, entro il 31 dicembre 1998, secondo appositi criteri, le aree sensibili e provvedere, inoltre, sempre entro il 31 dicembre 1998, affinché le acque reflue urbane che confluiscono nelle reti fognarie fossero sottoposte, prima dello scarico in aree sensibili, ad un trattamento più spinto rispetto a quello previsto per le aree meno sensibili, e ciò per tutti gli scarichi provenienti da agglomerati con oltre 10 000 «abitanti equivalenti» («a.e.», unità di misura del carico medio di inquinamento organico biodegradabile).
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However, those conditions do not necessarily apply to sensitive areas if it can be shown that the minimum percentage of reduction of the overall load entering all urban waste water treatment plants in that area is at least 75% for total phosphorus and at least 75% for total nitrogen.
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L’obbligo non sussisteva, tuttavia, nelle aree sensibili per le quali poteva essere dimostrato che la percentuale minima di riduzione del carico complessivo in ingresso a tutti gli impianti di trattamento delle acque reflue urbane fosse pari almeno al 75 % per il fosforo totale e almeno al 75 % per l’azoto totale.
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In 2005, the Commission brought infringement proceedings against Luxembourg before the Court of Justice for failure to comply with the Directive.
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Nel 2005 la Commissione ha presentato dinanzi alla Corte di giustizia un primo ricorso per inadempimento nei confronti del Lussemburgo per trasposizione non conforme della direttiva.
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By an initial judgment handed down in 2006, the Court held that Luxembourg, which had designated the entire territory of the Grand Duchy as a sensitive area, had not managed to prove that the performances of eight of the 11 agglomerations having a p.e. of more than 10 000 had complied with the Directive.
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Con una prima sentenza del 2006, la Corte ha dichiarato che il Lussemburgo, che aveva designato l’intero territorio del Granducato quale area sensibile, non era in grado di provare che i risultati ottenuti in 8 degli 11 agglomerati con oltre 10.000 a.e. fossero conformi alla direttiva.
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As it could not show that the minimum percentage of reduction of the overall load entering a number of urban waste water treatment plants was at least 75% for total nitrogen, Luxembourg had failed to fulfil its obligations under the Directive.
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Non potendo dimostrare che la percentuale minima di riduzione del carico complessivo in ingresso agli impianti di trattamento fosse pari ad almeno il 75% per l’azoto totale, il Lussemburgo era venuto meno agli obblighi ad esso incombenti in forza della direttiva.
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In 2011, having come to the conclusion that Luxembourg had still failed to comply with that judgment of 2006, given that six treatment plants serving agglomerations having a p.e. of more than 10 000 had still not complied with the Directive’s requirements, the Commission brought the present, second set of infringement proceedings, in which it asked the Court to order Luxembourg to pay a penalty payment of €11 340 for each day of delay in complying with the first judgment, from the date of delivery of the judgment in the present case until the date of compliance with the first judgment of 2006, and a daily lump sum of €1 248, from the date of delivery of the first judgment (23 November 2006) until the date of delivery of the judgment in the present case, or until the date upon which the first judgment has been complied with, if earlier.
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Nel 2011, ritenendo che il Lussemburgo non avesse ancora dato esecuzione alla sentenza del 2006, posto che sei impianti di trattamento destinati a servire agglomerati con oltre 10.000 a.e. continuavano a non essere conformi alle prescrizioni della direttiva, la Commissione ha presentato questo secondo ricorso per inadempimento. Essa ha proposto alla Corte di condannare il Lussemburgo a versare una penalità di EUR 11 340 per ogni giorno di ritardo a decorrere dal giorno di pronuncia della presente sentenza, dunque da oggi, fino all’ esecuzione della prima sentenza, del 2006, e un importo forfettario giornaliero di EUR 1 248, a decorrere dal giorno della prima sentenza (ossia il 23 novembre 2006) fino al giorno della pronuncia della presente sentenza, ovvero fino al giorno di esecuzione della prima sentenza, se la sua attuazione si fosse verificata a una data anteriore.
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In today’s judgment, the Court observes that, since Luxembourg has recognised that it has not complied with the requirements of the 2006 judgment, at least as regards two treatment plants (Beggen and Bleesbruck), it is common ground that, on 28 August 2010 (the time limit given by the Commission in its additional letter of formal notice), Luxembourg had not taken all the measures necessary to comply fully with the obligations deriving from the Court’s first judgment.
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Nella sentenza odierna la Corte rileva che, dal momento che il Lussemburgo ha ammesso di non essersi conformato alle prescrizioni della sentenza del 2006, quanto meno relativamente a due impianti di trattamento (Beggen e Bleesbruck), è pacifico che in data 28 agosto 2010 (termine impartito dalla Commissione nella sua lettera di diffida complementare) il Lussemburgo non aveva adottato tutte le misure necessarie per conformarsi appieno alle prescrizioni derivanti dalla prima sentenza della Corte
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Luxembourg has therefore failed to fulfil its obligations under EU law.
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Il Lussemburgo è pertanto venuto meno agli obblighi ad esso incombenti in forza del diritto dell’Unione.
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Consequently, Luxembourg is ordered to pay a lump sum of €2 million.
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Di conseguenza, il Lussemburgo è condannato a pagare un importo forfettario di EUR 2 milioni.
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The Court notes that an order to pay a lump sum is based essentially on the assessment of the effects on public and private interests of the failure of the Member State concerned to comply with its obligations, in particular where the breach has persisted for a long period after the judgment initially establishing it was delivered.
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La Corte ricorda che la condanna al pagamento di una simile sanzione si basa essenzialmente sulla valutazione delle conseguenze della mancata esecuzione degli obblighi dello Stato membro interessato sugli interessi privati e pubblici, in particolare qualora l’inadempimento sia continuato per un lungo periodo dopo la sentenza che l’ha inizialmente accertato.
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However, in cases of large-scale infrastructure projects such as those at issue in the present case, the nature, complexity, cost, and duration for completing those projects must be taken into account both in the assessment of whether a lump sum must be imposed and in the calculation of the amount thereof.
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Tuttavia, quando si tratta di progetti di infrastrutture di ampiezza rilevante, come nel caso di specie, deve tenersi conto della natura, della complessità, del costo e della durata di realizzazione di detti progetti tanto nella valutazione della necessità di irrogare una somma forfettaria quanto nella fissazione dell’importo della stessa.
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It is apparent from the case-file that Luxembourg is currently making considerable efforts and investments in order to comply with the first judgment of 2006.
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Orbene, dal fascicolo risulta che il Lussemburgo ha compiuto sforzi e investimenti notevoli per dare esecuzione alla prima sentenza del 2006.
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The Commission has, moreover, observed that, to date, the number of agglomerations not complying with the requirements of the Directive has gone down to six, (Beggen, Bleesbruck, Bonnevoie, Hespérange, Mersch, Übersyren) of the 12 existing ones.
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Inoltre, la Commissione ha rilevato che, a partire dalla data della prima sentenza, il numero di agglomerati che non corrispondevano ai requisiti era diminuito a sei (Beggen, Bleesbruck, Bonnevoie, Hespérange, Mersch, Übersyren) sui dodici esistenti.
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Whilst taking due note of this undeniable investment effort, the Court states that, in designating its entire territory as a ‘sensitive area’, Luxembourg recognised the need for increased environmental protection of its territory, taking the view that the bodies of surface water were already affected or liable to be affected in the short term by eutrophication.
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Pur sottolineando tale innegabile sforzo di investimento, la Corte rileva nondimeno che, classificando l’intero suo territorio quale «area sensibile», il Lussemburgo ha riconosciuto la necessità di una tutela ambientale rafforzata dello stesso, giudicando che i corpi idrici superficiali fossero già colpiti o suscettibili di essere a breve tempo colpiti da un fenomeno di eutrofizzazione.
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The failure to treat urban waste water causes particularly serious harm to the environment.
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Il mancato trattamento delle acque reflue urbane arreca, così, un pregiudizio particolarmente grave all’ambiente.
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The Court also notes that the infringement established by the first judgment of 2006 has persisted for approximately seven years, which is excessive, even if it must be recognised that the tasks to be carried out required a significant period of several years and that compliance with that judgment must be regarded as being at an advanced stage (for the Bonnevoie, Hespérange, Mersch and Übersyren treatment plants).
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Inoltre, sottolinea la Corte, è giocoforza rilevare che l’inadempimento accertato dalla prima sentenza del 2006 è persistito per circa sette anni, un arco di tempo eccessivamente lungo, anche se deve riconoscersi che, per gli adempimenti da eseguire, erano necessari diversi anni e che l’esecuzione della menzionata sentenza è da ritenersi a buon punto (per gli impianti di trattamento di Bonnevoie, Hespérange, Mersch e Übersyren).
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Should the infringement established by the first judgment of 2006 have continued until 28 November 2013, the date of the present judgment, Luxembourg is also ordered to pay a penalty payment of €2 800 for each day of delay, as from today’s date, in taking the measures necessary to comply with the 2006 judgment.
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Nel caso in cui l’inadempimento accertato con la prima sentenza, del 2006, permanga il giorno 28 novembre 2013, data della presente sentenza, il Lussemburgo sarà inoltre condannato a versare una penalità di EUR 2 800 per ogni giorno di ritardo, a partire da tale data, fino all’adeguamento alla sentenza del 2006.
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The Court considers that the imposition of a penalty payment constitutes an appropriate financial means to ensure full compliance with a judgment.
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La Corte ricorda che la condanna ad una penalità costituisce uno strumento finanziario adeguato al fine di garantire la completa esecuzione di una sentenza.
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The criteria which must be taken into account in order to ensure that penalty payments have coercive force and that EU law is applied uniformly and effectively are, in principle, the duration of the infringement, its degree of seriousness, and the ability of the Member State concerned to pay.
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I criteri da prendere in considerazione per garantire la natura coercitiva della penalità ai fini dell’applicazione uniforme ed effettiva del diritto dell’Unione sono costituiti, in linea di principio, dalla durata dell’infrazione, dal suo livello di gravità e dalla capacità finanziaria dello Stato membro in causa.
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In the application of those criteria, regard must be had to the effects on public and private interests of failure to comply and to the urgency with which the Member State concerned must be induced to fulfil its obligations.
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Per l’applicazione di tali criteri, occorre altresì tener conto delle conseguenze dell’inadempimento sugli interessi pubblici e privati in gioco, nonché dell’urgenza di indurre lo Stato membro interessato a conformarsi ai suoi obblighi.
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In the present case, although it is true that, according to the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, discharges from non-compliant p.e. in Luxembourg declined in 2011, bringing the rate of non-compliance (in p.e.) from 64% down to 21%, the aggravating circumstances established by the Commission must nevertheless be taken into account, those being the duration of the infringement (almost seven years) and the designation of its entire territory as a ‘sensitive area’.
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Nel caso di specie, sebbene sia vero che, secondo il Lussemburgo, gli scarichi di a.e. non conformi sono diminuiti nel corso del 2011, circostanza che riconduce il tasso di non conformità (in a.e.) dal 64% al 21%, occorre tuttavia prendere in considerazione le circostanze aggravanti rilevate dalla Commissione, vale a dire la durata dell’infrazione (circa sette anni) e la designazione dell’intero territorio quale «area sensibile».
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That designation led to the conclusion that Luxembourg could not be unaware of the need to undertake work to bring its water treatment plants into line with EU law, at least as of 1999.
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Tale designazione porta a ritenere che il Lussemburgo non potesse ignorare la necessità di procedere ai lavori che avrebbero consentito di adeguare i suoi impianti di trattamento conformemente al diritto dell’Unione, quantomeno a partire dal 1999.
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NOTE:
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IMPORTANTE:
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An action for failure to fulfil obligations directed against a Member State which has failed to comply with its obligations under European Union law may be brought by the Commission or by another Member State.
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La Commissione o un altro Stato membro possono proporre un ricorso per inadempimento diretto contro uno Stato membro che è venuto meno ai propri obblighi derivanti dal diritto dell’Unione.
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If the Court of Justice finds that there has been a failure to fulfil obligations, the Member State concerned must comply with the Court’s judgment without delay.
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Qualora la Corte di giustizia accerti l’inadempimento, lo Stato membro interessato deve conformarsi alla sentenza senza indugio.
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Where the Commission considers that the Member State has not complied with the judgment, it may bring a further action seeking financial penalties.
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La Commissione, qualora ritenga che lo Stato membro non si sia conformato alla sentenza, può proporre un altro ricorso chiedendo sanzioni pecuniarie.
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However, if measures transposing a directive have not been notified to the Commission, the Court of Justice can, on a proposal from the Commission, impose penalties at the stage of the initial judgment.
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Tuttavia, in caso di mancata comunicazione delle misure di attuazione di una direttiva alla Commissione, su domanda di quest’ultima, la Corte di giustizia può infliggere sanzioni pecuniarie, al momento della prima sentenza. |
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••
Luxembourg is ordered to pay financial penalties for failing to comply with
the Court’s judgment of 2006 finding that it had infringed the Urban Waste Water
Directive
The Court imposes a lump sum of €2 million and a fine of €2 800 euros for
each day of delay in taking the measures necessary to comply with the first
judgment of 2006, until full compliance with today’s judgment
The 1991 Urban Waste Water Directive concerns the collection, treatment and
discharge of urban waste water and the treatment and discharge of waste water
from certain industrial sectors.
Its objective is to protect the environment from the adverse effects of the
discharges of that water.
The Directive required, inter alia, Member States to identify sensitive areas
corresponding to the criteria set out therein by 31 December 1998. Member States
were also required to ensure by 31 December 1998 that urban waste water entering
collection systems be put through more stringent treatment than for less
sensitive areas before being discharged into sensitive areas, in respect of all
discharges originating from agglomerations having a ‘population equivalent’
(p.e., a unit of measure of the average organic biodegradable load)3 of more
than 10 000.
However, those conditions do not necessarily apply to sensitive areas if it
can be shown that the minimum percentage of reduction of the overall load
entering all urban waste water treatment plants in that area is at least 75% for
total phosphorus and at least 75% for total nitrogen.
In 2005, the Commission brought infringement proceedings against Luxembourg
before the Court of Justice for failure to comply with the Directive.
By an initial judgment handed down in 2006, the Court held that Luxembourg,
which had designated the entire territory of the Grand Duchy as a sensitive
area, had not managed to prove that the performances of eight of the 11
agglomerations having a p.e. of more than 10 000 had complied with the
Directive.
As it could not show that the minimum percentage of reduction of the overall
load entering a number of urban waste water treatment plants was at least 75%
for total nitrogen, Luxembourg had failed to fulfil its obligations under the
Directive.
In 2011, having come to the conclusion that Luxembourg had still failed to
comply with that judgment of 2006, given that six treatment plants serving
agglomerations having a p.e. of more than 10 000 had still not complied with the
Directive’s requirements, the Commission brought the present, second set of
infringement proceedings, in which it asked the Court to order Luxembourg to pay
a penalty payment of €11 340 for each day of delay in complying with the first
judgment, from the date of delivery of the judgment in the present case until
the date of compliance with the first judgment of 2006, and a daily lump sum of
€1 248, from the date of delivery of the first judgment (23 November 2006) until
the date of delivery of the judgment in the present case, or until the date upon
which the first judgment has been complied with, if earlier.
In today’s judgment, the Court observes that, since Luxembourg has recognised
that it has not complied with the requirements of the 2006 judgment, at least as
regards two treatment plants (Beggen and Bleesbruck), it is common ground that,
on 28 August 2010 (the time limit given by the Commission in its additional
letter of formal notice), Luxembourg had not taken all the measures necessary to
comply fully with the obligations deriving from the Court’s first judgment.
Luxembourg has therefore failed to fulfil its obligations under EU law.
Consequently, Luxembourg is ordered to pay a lump sum of €2 million.
The Court notes that an order to pay a lump sum is based essentially on the
assessment of the effects on public and private interests of the failure of the
Member State concerned to comply with its obligations, in particular where the
breach has persisted for a long period after the judgment initially establishing
it was delivered.
However, in cases of large-scale infrastructure projects such as those at
issue in the present case, the nature, complexity, cost, and duration for
completing those projects must be taken into account both in the assessment of
whether a lump sum must be imposed and in the calculation of the amount thereof.
It is apparent from the case-file that Luxembourg is currently making
considerable efforts and investments in order to comply with the first judgment
of 2006.
The Commission has, moreover, observed that, to date, the number of
agglomerations not complying with the requirements of the Directive has gone
down to six, (Beggen, Bleesbruck, Bonnevoie, Hespérange, Mersch, Übersyren) of
the 12 existing ones.
Whilst taking due note of this undeniable investment effort, the Court states
that, in designating its entire territory as a ‘sensitive area’, Luxembourg
recognised the need for increased environmental protection of its territory,
taking the view that the bodies of surface water were already affected or liable
to be affected in the short term by eutrophication.
The failure to treat urban waste water causes particularly serious harm to
the environment.
The Court also notes that the infringement established by the first judgment
of 2006 has persisted for approximately seven years, which is excessive, even if
it must be recognised that the tasks to be carried out required a significant
period of several years and that compliance with that judgment must be regarded
as being at an advanced stage (for the Bonnevoie, Hespérange, Mersch and
Übersyren treatment plants).
Should the infringement established by the first judgment of 2006 have
continued until 28 November 2013, the date of the present judgment, Luxembourg
is also ordered to pay a penalty payment of €2 800 for each day of delay, as
from today’s date, in taking the measures necessary to comply with the 2006
judgment.
The Court considers that the imposition of a penalty payment constitutes an
appropriate financial means to ensure full compliance with a judgment.
The criteria which must be taken into account in order to ensure that penalty
payments have coercive force and that EU law is applied uniformly and
effectively are, in principle, the duration of the infringement, its degree of
seriousness, and the ability of the Member State concerned to pay.
In the application of those criteria, regard must be had to the effects on
public and private interests of failure to comply and to the urgency with which
the Member State concerned must be induced to fulfil its obligations.
In the present case, although it is true that, according to the Grand Duchy
of Luxembourg, discharges from non-compliant p.e. in Luxembourg declined in
2011, bringing the rate of non-compliance (in p.e.) from 64% down to 21%, the
aggravating circumstances established by the Commission must nevertheless be
taken into account, those being the duration of the infringement (almost seven
years) and the designation of its entire territory as a ‘sensitive area’.
That designation led to the conclusion that Luxembourg could not be unaware
of the need to undertake work to bring its water treatment plants into line with
EU law, at least as of 1999.
NOTE:
An action for failure to fulfil obligations directed against a Member State
which has failed to comply with its obligations under European Union law may be
brought by the Commission or by another Member State.
If the Court of Justice finds that there has been a failure to fulfil
obligations, the Member State concerned must comply with the Court’s judgment
without delay.
Where the Commission considers that the Member State has not complied with
the judgment, it may bring a further action seeking financial penalties.
However, if measures transposing a directive have not been notified to the
Commission, the Court of Justice can, on a proposal from the Commission, impose
penalties at the stage of the initial judgment.
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