|
PARALLEL TEXTS
La Corte annulla le deliberazioni del Parlamento europeo relative al calendario delle sessioni 2012 e 2013
Inglese tratto da:
http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_CJE-12-168_en.htm
Italiano tratto da:http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_CJE-12-168_it.htm
Data documento: 13-12-2012
1 |
The Court annuls the votes of the European Parliament concerning the Parliament’s calendar of periods of part-sessions for 2012 and 2013
|
La Corte annulla le deliberazioni del Parlamento europeo relative al calendario delle sessioni 2012 e 2013
|
2 |
The periods of plenary part-sessions for October 2012 and 2013, split into two parts by the Parliament, cannot be regarded individually as periods of monthly plenary part-sessions
|
Le sessioni plenarie di ottobre 2012 e ottobre 2013, scisse in due dal Parlamento, non possono essere considerate quali singole sessioni plenarie mensili
|
3 |
The Treaties require the European Parliament, whose seat is established in Strasbourg, to meet in 12 monthly plenary part-sessions per year in Strasbourg, including the budgetary session, but do not prescribe the length of those periods of plenary part-sessions.
|
I Trattati impongono al Parlamento europeo, la cui sede è fissata a Strasburgo, di riunirsi in dodici sessioni plenarie mensili all'anno, ivi compresa la sessione di bilancio, senza peraltro precisarne la durata.
|
4 |
It is traditional for two periods of plenary part-sessions to be held in Strasbourg in October to compensate for the lack of a plenary part-session in August.
|
Tradizionalmente, nel mese di ottobre vengono svolte a Strasburgo due sessioni plenarie per compensare l’assenza di plenaria nel mese di agosto.
|
5 |
In accordance with the Parliament’s practice, the periods of ordinary plenary part-sessions, which last four days, are held in Strasbourg while the additional periods of part-sessions are held in Brussels.
|
Secondo la prassi parlamentare, le plenarie ordinarie, della durata di quattro giorni, si svolgono a Strasburgo, mentre le sessioni aggiuntive si tengono a Bruxelles.
|
6 |
Following two amendments tabled by Mr Fox MEP, the Parliament, by two votes adopted on 9 March 2011, amended the calendar of periods of part-sessions for 2012 and 2013.
|
A seguito di due emendamenti, proposti dal deputato europeo sig. Fox, il PE ha modificato, con due deliberazioni adottate il 9 marzo 2011, il calendario delle sessioni per il 2012 ed il 2013.
|
7 |
Firstly, one of the two periods of plenary part-sessions of four days to be held in October 2012 and October 2013 in Strasbourg was cancelled.
|
Da un lato, veniva soppressa una delle due plenarie di quattro giorni, previste a Strasburgo per i mesi di ottobre del 2012 e 2013.
|
8 |
Secondly, the remaining period of plenary part-sessions of October 2012 and October 2013 were split in two:
|
Dall’altro, venivano scisse in due le restanti sessioni plenarie di ottobre 2012 e ottobre 2013:
|
9 |
two separate periods of plenary part-sessions of two days were thus to be held during the week of 22 to 25 October 2012 and two during the week of 21 to 24 October 2013 to be held in Strasbourg.
|
pertanto, due sessioni plenarie distinte, di due giorni ciascuna, venivano fissate a Strasburgo nella settimana dal 22 al 25 ottobre 2012, e due per la settimana dal 21 al 24 ottobre 2013.
|
10 |
France brought an action before the Court of Justice seeking annulment of those two votes of the Parliament.
|
La Francia ha chiesto alla Corte di giustizia l’annullamento delle due deliberazioni del PE.
|
11 |
Supported by Luxembourg, it submits that those votes infringe the Treaties and the case-law of the Court.
|
Sostenuta dal Lussemburgo, essa deduce che esse violano i Trattati e la giurisprudenza della Corte.
|
12 |
It alleges, inter alia, that the Parliament has broken the regularity of the rhythm of the periods of plenary part-sessions by scheduling additional part-sessions in Brussels when only 11 periods of plenary part-sessions were scheduled for Strasbourg.
|
Essa contesta al PE, in particolare, di aver spezzato la regolare cadenza delle plenarie, fissando sessioni aggiuntive a Bruxelles e solo undici plenarie a Strasburgo.
|
13 |
In today’s judgment, the Court annuls the votes of the European Parliament of 9 March 2011.
|
Con la sentenza odierna, la Corte annulla le deliberazioni del PE del 9 marzo 2011.
|
14 |
The Court reiterates its case-law on the interpretation of the Edinburgh Decision, the wording of which was adopted verbatim in the protocols concerning the seats of the institutions.
|
La Corta ricorda la propria giurisprudenza in merito all’interpretazione della decisione di Edimburgo, ripresa in termini identici dai protocolli sulle sedi delle istituzioni.
|
15 |
In a judgment which it delivered in 1997, the Court set out the relationship between the competence of the Member States to determine the Parliament’s seat in Strasbourg and the Parliament’s power to determine its own internal organisation.
|
Con una sentenza del 1997, la Corte ha precisato l’articolazione dei rapporti tra la competenza degli Stati membri ai fini della fissazione della sede del PE (a Strasburgo) e la competenza del PE circa la propria organizzazione interna.
|
16 |
Thus, the Court found that the Member States intended the seat of the Parliament (Strasbourg) to be the place where 12 periods of ordinary plenary part-sessions must take place on a regular basis, including those during which the Parliament is to exercise the budgetary powers conferred upon it by the Treaty.
|
In tal senso, la Corte ha rilevato che gli Stati membri hanno inteso affermare che la sede del PE, fissata a Strasburgo, costituisce il luogo ove devono essere svolte, con cadenza regolare, dodici sessioni plenarie ordinarie, ivi comprese quelle in cui il PE esercita i poteri di bilancio ad esso conferiti dal Trattato.
|
17 |
Equally, the Court held that additional periods of plenary part-sessions cannot be scheduled for any other place of work unless the Parliament holds 12 periods of ordinary plenary part-sessions in Strasbourg.
|
Parimenti, la Corte ha dichiarato che sessioni plenarie aggiuntive possono essere fissate in un altro luogo di lavoro solamente qualora il PE tenga le dodici plenarie ordinarie a Strasburgo.
|
18 |
The Member States have not, by so defining its seat, encroached upon the competence of the Parliament to determine its own internal organisation.
|
Stabilendo in tal modo la sede del PE a Strasburgo, gli Stati membri non hanno pregiudicato il potere d'organizzazione interna dell’istituzione.
|
19 |
It is not disputed that the Parliament departed, by the contested votes of March 2011, from the draft calendars adopted by the Conference of Presidents in so far as concerns the periods of monthly plenary part-sessions scheduled for October 2012 and 2013.
|
È pacifico che con le deliberazioni del marzo 2011 il PE si è discostato dai progetti della conferenza dei presidenti per quanto attiene alle sessioni plenarie mensili previste per i mesi di ottobre del 2012 e di ottobre del 2013.
|
20 |
It is apparent from those votes that the periods of monthly plenary part-sessions, each lasting four days, scheduled for October 2012 and 2013, were replaced by two periods of part-sessions lasting two days each.
|
Da tali deliberazioni emerge che le sessioni plenarie mensili, di quattro giorni ciascuna, previste per ottobre 2012 e 2013 sono state sostituite da due plenarie di due giorni ciascuna.
|
21 |
The Court finds that the periods of plenary part-sessions as provided for in the contested votes for October 2012 and 2013 do not satisfy the requirements resulting from the Treaties concerning the seats of the institutions.
|
Si deve dichiarare che le sessioni così stabilite da tali deliberazioni per i mesi di ottobre 2012 e ottobre 2013 non rispondono alle esigenze fissate dai Trattati sulle sedi delle istituzioni.
|
22 |
The Court notes, first of all, that, in the light of the background of the contested votes, the wording of the amendments leading to those votes and the Parliament’s general practice, as is apparent from the agenda of the plenary sessions of October 2012, the contested votes objectively bring about a significant reduction in the time which the Parliament was able to devote to its debates and its deliberations in October 2012 and will be able to in 2013.
|
La Corte rileva, in primo luogo, che, alla luce della genesi delle deliberazioni impugnate, del tenore degli emendamenti alla loro origine, nonché della prassi del PE quale risultante dall’ordine del giorno delle plenarie di ottobre 2012, le deliberazioni impugnate implicano obiettivamente una rilevante riduzione del tempo che il PE può dedicare ai dibattiti e alle deliberazioni nei mesi di ottobre 2012 e ottobre 2013.
|
23 |
Compared with the periods of ordinary plenary part-sessions, the actual time available for the part-sessions during October 2012 and 2013 is reduced by more than half.
|
Infatti, rispetto alle sessioni plenarie ordinarie, il tempo effettivo disponibile per le sessioni previste per tali mesi è ridotto di oltre la metà.
|
24 |
Second, the Court states that 12 periods of ordinary plenary part-sessions must take place on a regular basis in Strasbourg so that additional periods of plenary part-sessions can be scheduled.
|
La Corte precisa, in secondo luogo, che, affinché possano essere fissate sessioni plenarie aggiuntive, devono aver effettivamente luogo a Strasburgo, con cadenza regolare, dodici plenarie ordinarie.
|
25 |
For a plenary part-session to fall in the category of ‘periods of ordinary plenary part-session’, it must be equivalent to the other ordinary monthly part-sessions scheduled in accordance with the Treaties, in particular in terms of the actual duration of the sessions.
|
Una plenaria, per poter rientrare nella categoria delle «tornate plenarie ordinarie», dev’essere equivalente alle altre sessioni mensili ordinarie, fissate ai sensi dei Trattati, segnatamente in termini di durata.
|
26 |
Thus, given their duration, the periods of part-sessions in October 2012 and 2013 scheduled by the contested votes are not equivalent to the other periods of ordinary monthly part-sessions scheduled by those same votes.
|
La Corte rileva che le sessioni di ottobre 2012 e ottobre 2013 fissate nelle deliberazioni contestate non sono equivalenti, rispetto alla loro durata, alle altre sessioni mensili ordinarie fissate dalle deliberazioni stesse.
|
27 |
Third, the Court finds that the Parliament has not given any reasons justifying – in spite of the continuous growth of its budgetary powers – the significant reduction in the duration of the two periods of plenary part-sessions for October 2012 and 2013.
|
La Corte rileva, in terzo luogo, che il PE non ha dedotto alcuna ragione, relativa all’esercizio del proprio potere di organizzazione interna, che consenta di giustificare, malgrado il costante aumento delle proprie competenze, la significativa riduzione della durata delle due sessioni plenarie di ottobre 2012 e 2013.
|
28 |
In that regard, the Court considers, in particular, that the consideration that the budget session could from now on, in practice, be dealt with quickly, cannot, in the light of the significance of the budget session, justify the reduction in the duration of a period of plenary part-sessions.
|
A tal riguardo, la Corte ritiene, in particolare, che il rilievo secondo cui la sessione di bilancio potrebbe essere ormai chiusa, in pratica, in poco tempo, non possa giustificare, alla luce dell’importanza che la sessione di bilancio riveste, la riduzione della durata di una sessione plenaria.
|
29 |
It points out that the exercise by the Parliament of its budgetary powers in plenary sitting constitutes a fundamental event in the democratic life of the EU and must therefore be carried out with all the attention, rigour and commitment required of such a responsibility.
|
La Corte sottolinea che l’esercizio da parte del PE delle proprie competenze in materia di bilancio in sessione plenaria costituisce un momento fondamentale della vita democratica dell’Unione europea e deve essere quindi compiuto con tutta l’attenzione, con il rigore e l’impegno che esige una responsabilità di tal genere.
|
30 |
The exercise of that power requires, inter alia, a public debate in plenary sitting enabling the citizens of the EU to acquaint themselves with the various political orientations expressed and, as a result, to build a political opinion on the EU’s actions.
|
L’esercizio di tale competenza necessita, segnatamente, di un dibattito pubblico, in sessione plenaria, che consenta ai cittadini dell’Unione di prendere conoscenza dei diversi orientamenti politici espressi e, conseguentemente, di formarsi un’opinione politica sull’azione dell’Unione.
|
31 |
Lastly, the Court observes that, even if the disadvantages and costs engendered by the plurality of places of work – as described by the Parliament – are acknowledged, it is not for the Parliament or the Court to remedy that situation; rather, it is for the Member States to do so, if appropriate, in the exercise of their competence to determine the seats of the institutions.
|
La Corte osserva, infine, che, ancorché gli inconvenienti ed i costi generati dalla pluralità dei luoghi di lavoro, quali evocati dal PE, siano reali, non spetta né al PE né alla Corte porvi rimedio, bensì, eventualmente, agli Stati membri nell’esercizio della propria competenza a fissare la sede delle istituzioni.
|
32 |
Consequently, the votes of 9 March 2011 must be annulled to the extent that they do not provide for 12 periods of monthly plenary part-sessions in Strasbourg in 2012 and 2013.
|
Pertanto, le deliberazioni del 9 marzo 2011 sonoe annullate nella parte in cui non fissano dodici sessioni plenarie mensili a Strasburgo per il 2012 e 2013.
|
33 |
NOTE:
|
IMPORTANTE:
|
34 |
An action for annulment seeks the annulment of acts of the institutions of the European Union that are contrary to European Union law.
|
Il ricorso di annullamento mira a far annullare atti delle istituzioni dell’Unione contrari al diritto dell’Unione.
|
35 |
The Member States, the European institutions and individuals may, under certain conditions, bring an action for annulment before the Court of Justice or the General Court.
|
A determinate condizioni, gli Stati membri, le istituzioni europee e i privati possono investire la Corte di giustizia o il Tribunale di un ricorso di annullamento.
|
36 |
If the action is well founded, the act is annulled.
|
Se il ricorso è fondato, l'atto viene annullato.
|
37 |
The institution concerned must fill any legal vacuum created by the annulment of the act.
|
L'istituzione interessata deve rimediare all’eventuale lacuna giuridica creata dall’annullamento dell’atto. |
|
LISTEN WITH READSPEAKER
The Court annuls the votes of the European Parliament concerning the
Parliament’s calendar of periods of part-sessions for 2012 and 2013
The periods of plenary part-sessions for October 2012 and 2013, split
into two parts by the Parliament, cannot be regarded individually as periods of
monthly plenary part-sessions
The Treaties require the European Parliament, whose seat is established
in Strasbourg, to meet in 12 monthly plenary part-sessions per year in
Strasbourg, including the budgetary session, but do not prescribe the length of
those periods of plenary part-sessions.
It is traditional for two periods of plenary part-sessions to be held
in Strasbourg in October to compensate for the lack of a plenary part-session in
August.
In accordance with the Parliament’s practice, the periods of ordinary
plenary part-sessions, which last four days, are held in Strasbourg while the
additional periods of part-sessions are held in Brussels.
Following two amendments tabled by Mr Fox MEP, the Parliament, by two
votes adopted on 9 March 2011, amended the calendar of periods of part-sessions
for 2012 and 2013.
Firstly, one of the two periods of plenary part-sessions of four days
to be held in October 2012 and October 2013 in Strasbourg was cancelled.
Secondly, the remaining period of plenary part-sessions of October 2012
and October 2013 were split in two:
two separate periods of plenary part-sessions of two days were thus to be held
during the week of 22 to 25 October 2012 and two during the week of 21 to 24
October 2013 to be held in Strasbourg.
France brought an action before the Court of Justice seeking annulment
of those two votes of the Parliament.
Supported by Luxembourg, it submits that those votes infringe the
Treaties and the case-law of the Court.
It alleges, inter alia, that the Parliament has broken the regularity of the
rhythm of the periods of plenary part-sessions by scheduling additional
part-sessions in Brussels when only 11 periods of plenary part-sessions were
scheduled for Strasbourg.
In today’s judgment, the Court annuls the votes of the European
Parliament of 9 March 2011.
The Court reiterates its case-law on the interpretation of the
Edinburgh Decision, the wording of which was adopted verbatim in the protocols
concerning the seats of the institutions.
In a judgment which it delivered in 1997, the Court set out the
relationship between the competence of the Member States to determine the
Parliament’s seat in Strasbourg and the Parliament’s power to determine its own
internal organisation.
Thus, the Court found that the Member States intended the seat of the
Parliament (Strasbourg) to be the place where 12 periods of ordinary plenary
part-sessions must take place on a regular basis, including those during which
the Parliament is to exercise the budgetary powers conferred upon it by the
Treaty.
Equally, the Court held that additional periods of plenary
part-sessions cannot be scheduled for any other place of work unless the
Parliament holds 12 periods of ordinary plenary part-sessions in Strasbourg.
The Member States have not, by so defining its seat, encroached upon
the competence of the Parliament to determine its own internal organisation.
It is not disputed that the Parliament departed, by the contested votes
of March 2011, from the draft calendars adopted by the Conference of Presidents
in so far as concerns the periods of monthly plenary part-sessions scheduled for
October 2012 and 2013.
It is apparent from those votes that the periods of monthly plenary
part-sessions, each lasting four days, scheduled for October 2012 and 2013, were
replaced by two periods of part-sessions lasting two days each.
The Court finds that the periods of plenary part-sessions as provided
for in the contested votes for October 2012 and 2013 do not satisfy the
requirements resulting from the Treaties concerning the seats of the
institutions.
The Court notes, first of all, that, in the light of the background of
the contested votes, the wording of the amendments leading to those votes and
the Parliament’s general practice, as is apparent from the agenda of the plenary
sessions of October 2012, the contested votes objectively bring about a
significant reduction in the time which the Parliament was able to devote to its
debates and its deliberations in October 2012 and will be able to in 2013.
Compared with the periods of ordinary plenary part-sessions, the actual
time available for the part-sessions during October 2012 and 2013 is reduced by
more than half.
Second, the Court states that 12 periods of ordinary plenary
part-sessions must take place on a regular basis in Strasbourg so that
additional periods of plenary part-sessions can be scheduled.
For a plenary part-session to fall in the category of ‘periods of
ordinary plenary part-session’, it must be equivalent to the other ordinary
monthly part-sessions scheduled in accordance with the Treaties, in particular
in terms of the actual duration of the sessions.
Thus, given their duration, the periods of part-sessions in October
2012 and 2013 scheduled by the contested votes are not equivalent to the other
periods of ordinary monthly part-sessions scheduled by those same votes.
Third, the Court finds that the Parliament has not given any reasons
justifying – in spite of the continuous growth of its budgetary powers – the
significant reduction in the duration of the two periods of plenary
part-sessions for October 2012 and 2013.
In that regard, the Court considers, in particular, that the
consideration that the budget session could from now on, in practice, be dealt
with quickly, cannot, in the light of the significance of the budget session,
justify the reduction in the duration of a period of plenary part-sessions.
It points out that the exercise by the Parliament of its budgetary
powers in plenary sitting constitutes a fundamental event in the democratic life
of the EU and must therefore be carried out with all the attention, rigour and
commitment required of such a responsibility.
The exercise of that power requires, inter alia, a public debate in
plenary sitting enabling the citizens of the EU to acquaint themselves with the
various political orientations expressed and, as a result, to build a political
opinion on the EU’s actions.
Lastly, the Court observes that, even if the disadvantages and costs
engendered by the plurality of places of work – as described by the Parliament –
are acknowledged, it is not for the Parliament or the Court to remedy that
situation; rather, it is for the Member States to do so, if appropriate, in the
exercise of their competence to determine the seats of the institutions.
Consequently, the votes of 9 March 2011 must be annulled to the extent
that they do not provide for 12 periods of monthly plenary part-sessions in
Strasbourg in 2012 and 2013.
NOTE:
An action for annulment seeks the annulment of acts of the institutions of the
European Union that are contrary to European Union law.
The Member States, the European institutions and individuals may, under certain
conditions, bring an action for annulment before the Court of Justice or the
General Court.
If the action is well founded, the act is annulled.
The institution concerned must fill any legal vacuum created by the annulment of
the act. |