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PARALLEL TEXTS
La Corte conferma la propria giurisprudenza secondo la quale i passeggeri di voli che subiscono ritardi prolungati possono beneficiare di una compensazione pecuniaria
Inglese tratto da:
http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_CJE-12-135_en.htm
Italiano tratto da:
http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_CJE-12-135_it.htm
Data documento: 23-10-2012
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The Court of Justice has confirmed its previous ruling that passengers whose flights have been delayed for a long time may be compensated
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La Corte conferma la propria giurisprudenza secondo la quale i passeggeri di voli che subiscono ritardi prolungati possono beneficiare di una compensazione pecuniaria
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Where passengers reach their final destination three hours or more after the scheduled arrival time, they may claim fixed compensation from the airline, unless the delay is caused by extraordinary circumstances
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Quando i passeggeri raggiungono la loro destinazione finale tre ore o più dopo l’orario di arrivo originariamente previsto, possono chiedere alla compagnia aerea una compensazione forfettaria, salvo che il ritardo non sia dovuto a circostanze eccezionali
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3 |
EU law provides that, if their flights are cancelled, passengers may receive fixed compensation amounting to between €250 and €600.
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Il diritto dell’Unione prevede che, in caso di cancellazione del loro volo, i passeggeri possano ricevere una compensazione forfettaria di importo compreso tra EUR 250 e EUR 600.
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4 |
In the judgment in Sturgeon and Others the Court of Justice found that passengers whose flights are delayed may be treated the same way as those whose flights are cancelled as regards their right to compensation.
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Nella sentenza Sturgeon la Corte di giustizia ha considerato che i passeggeri di voli ritardati possono essere assimilati ai passeggeri di voli cancellati per quanto riguarda il loro diritto ad una compensazione pecuniaria.
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Thus, the Court held that if passengers reach their final destination three hours or more after the arrival time originally scheduled, they may claim fixed compensation from the airline, unless the delay is caused by extraordinary circumstances.
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La Corte ha così dichiarato che se essi raggiungono la loro destinazione finale tre ore o più dopo l’orario di arrivo originariamente previsto, possono chiedere alla compagnia aerea una compensazione forfettaria, salvo che il ritardo non sia dovuto a circostanze eccezionali.
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The Amtsgericht Köln (Local Court, Cologne) and the High Court of Justice (England and Wales) seek clarification concerning the scope of the judgment in Sturgeon and Others.
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L’Amtsgericht Köln (Tribunale distrettuale di Colonia, Germania) e la High Court of Justice (Regno Unito) chiedono che sia precisata la portata della sentenza Sturgeon.
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In the first case (C-581/10), the German Court is hearing a dispute between passengers and the airline Lufthansa concerning the delay to the passengers’ flight of more than 24 hours in relation to the original schedule.
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Nella prima causa (C-581/10), il giudice tedesco deve risolvere una controversia tra alcuni passeggeri e la compagnia aerea Lufthansa in merito a un ritardo del loro volo superiore a 24 ore rispetto all’orario originariamente previsto.
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In the second case (C-629/10), TUI Travel, British Airways, easyJet Airline and the International Air Transport Association (IATA) have brought proceedings before the United Kingdom Courts following the Civil Aviation Authority’s refusal of their request not to impose on them an obligation to compensate passengers whose flights are delayed.
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Nella seconda causa (C-629/10), la TUI Travel, la British Airways, la easyJet Airline nonché l’International Air Transport Association (associazione internazionale per il trasporto aereo - IATA) hanno adito la giustizia del Regno Unito in seguito al diniego, da parte da parte della Civil Aviation Authority (autorità per l’aviazione civile), di accogliere la loro richiesta di non imporre loro l’obbligo di risarcire i passeggeri di voli ritardati.
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That independent regulator, responsible for enforcing aviation regulation in the United Kingdom, had stated that it was bound to give effect to the ruling in Sturgeon and Others.
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Detta autorità indipendente, incaricata di garantire il rispetto della normativa aerea nel Regno Unito, aveva dichiarato di essere vincolata dalla sentenza Sturgeon.
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By its judgment today, the Court confirms its interpretation of EU law in the judgment in Sturgeon and Others.
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Nella sentenza odierna, la Corte conferma l’interpretazione del diritto dell’Unione già fornita nella sentenza Sturgeon.
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It reiterates that the principle of equal treatment requires that passengers whose flights are delayed and those whose flights are cancelled ‘at the very last moment’ must be regarded as being in comparable situations as regards the application of their right to compensation, because those passengers suffer similar inconvenience, namely, a loss of time.
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Essa rammenta che, in virtù del principio della parità di trattamento, la situazione dei passeggeri di voli ritardati deve essere considerata paragonabile, per quanto riguarda l’applicazione del diritto ad una compensazione pecuniaria, a quella dei passeggeri di voli cancellati «all’ultimo momento», poiché tali passeggeri subiscono un disagio simile, vale a dire una perdita di tempo.
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Since passengers whose flights are cancelled are entitled to compensation where their loss of time is equal to or in excess of three hours, the Court finds that passengers whose flights are delayed may also rely on that right where, on account of a delay to their flight, they suffer the same loss of time, that is, where they reach their final destination three hours or more after the arrival time originally scheduled by the air carrier.
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Orbene, dato che i passeggeri di voli cancellati hanno diritto ad una compensazione pecuniaria quando subiscono una perdita di tempo pari o superiore a tre ore, la Corte statuisce che anche i passeggeri di voli ritardati possono invocare tale diritto quando, a causa di un ritardo del loro volo, subiscono la stessa perdita di tempo, vale a dire quando raggiungono la loro destinazione finale tre ore o più dopo l’orario di arrivo originariamente previsto dal vettore aereo.
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Nevertheless, in adopting Regulation No 261/2004, the EU legislature was seeking to strike a balance between the interests of air passengers and those of air carriers.
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Ciò premesso, il legislatore dell’Unione, adottando tale normativa, intendeva bilanciare gli interessi dei passeggeri del traffico aereo e quelli dei vettori aerei.
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Accordingly, such a delay does not entitle passengers to compensation if the air carrier can prove that the long delay is caused by extraordinary circumstances which could not have been avoided even if all reasonable measures had been taken, namely circumstances beyond the actual control of the air carrier.
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Pertanto, un siffatto ritardo non dà diritto ad una compensazione pecuniaria a favore dei passeggeri se il vettore aereo è in grado di dimostrare che il ritardo prolungato è dovuto a circostanze eccezionali che non si sarebbero potute evitare anche se fossero state adottate tutte le misure del caso, ossia circostanze che sfuggono all’effettivo controllo del vettore aereo.
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The Court also finds that the requirement to compensate passengers whose flights are delayed is compatible with the Montreal Convention.
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La Corte rileva altresì che l’obbligo di compensazione pecuniaria a favore dei passeggeri di voli ritardati è compatibile con la Convenzione di Montreal .
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In that connection, the Court finds that the loss of time inherent in a flight delay constitutes an inconvenience which is not governed by the Montreal Convention.
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La Corte constata, in proposito, che la perdita di tempo inerente a un ritardo del volo costituisce un disagio non disciplinato dalla Convenzione di Montreal.
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Consequently, the obligation to compensate passengers whose flights are delayed falls outside the scope of that convention, but remains additional to the system for damages laid down by it.
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Di conseguenza, l’obbligo di corrispondere una compensazione pecuniaria ai passeggeri di voli ritardati si colloca al di fuori dell’ambito di applicazione di tale convenzione ed è complementare al regime del risarcimento dei danni previsto da quest’ultima.
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Next, the Court holds that that obligation is also compatible with the principle of legal certainty according to which passengers and air carriers must know precisely the respective scope of their rights and obligations.
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La Corte ritiene poi che il suddetto obbligo sia altresì compatibile con il principio della certezza del diritto, in base al quale i passeggeri e i vettori aerei devono conoscere con esattezza la portata rispettiva dei loro diritti e obblighi.
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In addition, the Court makes clear that the requirement to compensate passengers whose flights are delayed is consistent with the principle of proportionality, according to which measures adopted by EU institutions must not exceed the limits of what is appropriate and necessary in order to attain the legitimate objectives pursued by the legislation in question, and the disadvantages caused must not be disproportionate to the aims pursued.
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La Corte precisa inoltre che tale obbligo è conforme al principio di proporzionalità, in base al quale gli atti delle istituzioni dell’Unione non devono superare i limiti di quanto idoneo e necessario al conseguimento degli obiettivi legittimi perseguiti dalla normativa di cui trattasi, e gli inconvenienti causati non devono essere sproporzionati rispetto agli scopi perseguiti.
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In that connection, the Court notes that the obligation to pay compensation does not concern every delay, but only long delays.
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La Corte constata, al riguardo, che l’obbligo di compensazione pecuniaria non riguarda tutti i ritardi, ma solo i ritardi prolungati.
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Moreover, airlines are not obliged to pay compensation if they can prove that the cancellation or long delay is caused by extraordinary circumstances.
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Peraltro, le compagnie aeree non sono tenute al versamento di una compensazione pecuniaria qualora siano in grado di dimostrare che la cancellazione del volo o il ritardo prolungato sono dovuti a circostanze eccezionali.
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Lastly, the Court considered the requests from the airlines concerned to limit the temporal effect of its ruling.
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Infine, la Corte esamina le richieste delle compagnie aeree interessate, dirette a limitare l’efficacia temporale della sentenza oggi pronunciata.
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Those airlines submit that EU law cannot be relied upon as the basis for claims by passengers for compensation in respect of flights which have been the subject of delay prior to the date of delivery of the present judgment, except as regards passengers who had already brought court proceedings for such compensation as of the date of the judgment.
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Queste ultime ritengono che il diritto dell’Unione non possa essere fatto valere per fondare richieste di compensazione pecuniaria di passeggeri relative a voli ritardati risalenti a prima della data di pronuncia della presente sentenza, salvo per quanto attiene ai passeggeri che hanno già promosso un’azione giudiziaria al fine di ottenere, a tale data, detta compensazione pecuniaria.
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In that regard, the Court answers that there is no need to limit the temporal effects of the present judgment.
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La Corte risponde, al riguardo, che non occorre limitare nel tempo l’efficacia della presente sentenza.
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NOTE:
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IMPORTANTE:
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A reference for a preliminary ruling allows the courts and tribunals of the Member States, in disputes which have been brought before them, to refer questions to the Court of Justice about the interpretation of European Union law or the validity of a European Union act.
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Il rinvio pregiudiziale consente ai giudici degli Stati membri, nell'ambito di una controversia della quale sono investiti, di interpellare la Corte in merito all’interpretazione del diritto dell’Unione o alla validità di un atto dell’Unione.
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The Court of Justice does not decide the dispute itself.
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La Corte non risolve la controversia nazionale.
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It is for the national court or tribunal to dispose of the case in accordance with the Court’s decision, which is similarly binding on other national courts or tribunals before which a similar issue is raised. |
Spetta al giudice nazionale risolvere la causa conformemente alla decisione della Corte.Tale decisione vincola egualmente gli altri giudici nazionali ai quali venga sottoposto un problema simile. |
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LISTEN WITH READSPEAKER
The Court of Justice has confirmed its previous ruling that passengers
whose flights have been delayed for a long time may be compensated
Where passengers reach their final destination three hours or more
after the scheduled arrival time, they may claim fixed compensation from the
airline, unless the delay is caused by extraordinary circumstances
EU law provides that, if their flights are cancelled, passengers may
receive fixed compensation amounting to between €250 and €600.
In the judgment in Sturgeon and Others the Court of Justice found that
passengers whose flights are delayed may be treated the same way as those whose
flights are cancelled as regards their right to compensation.
Thus, the Court held that if passengers reach their final destination
three hours or more after the arrival time originally scheduled, they may claim
fixed compensation from the airline, unless the delay is caused by extraordinary
circumstances.
The Amtsgericht Köln (Local Court, Cologne) and the High Court of
Justice (England and Wales) seek clarification concerning the scope of the
judgment in Sturgeon and Others.
In the first case (C-581/10), the German Court is hearing a dispute
between passengers and the airline Lufthansa concerning the delay to the
passengers’ flight of more than 24 hours in relation to the original schedule.
In the second case (C-629/10), TUI Travel, British Airways, easyJet
Airline and the International Air Transport Association (IATA) have brought
proceedings before the United Kingdom Courts following the Civil Aviation
Authority’s refusal of their request not to impose on them an obligation to
compensate passengers whose flights are delayed.
That independent regulator, responsible for enforcing aviation
regulation in the United Kingdom, had stated that it was bound to give effect to
the ruling in Sturgeon and Others.
By its judgment today, the Court confirms its interpretation of EU law
in the judgment in Sturgeon and Others.
It reiterates that the principle of equal treatment requires that
passengers whose flights are delayed and those whose flights are cancelled ‘at
the very last moment’ must be regarded as being in comparable situations as
regards the application of their right to compensation, because those passengers
suffer similar inconvenience, namely, a loss of time.
Since passengers whose flights are cancelled are entitled to
compensation where their loss of time is equal to or in excess of three hours,
the Court finds that passengers whose flights are delayed may also rely on that
right where, on account of a delay to their flight, they suffer the same loss of
time, that is, where they reach their final destination three hours or more
after the arrival time originally scheduled by the air carrier.
Nevertheless, in adopting Regulation No 261/2004, the EU legislature
was seeking to strike a balance between the interests of air passengers and
those of air carriers.
Accordingly, such a delay does not entitle passengers to compensation
if the air carrier can prove that the long delay is caused by extraordinary
circumstances which could not have been avoided even if all reasonable measures
had been taken, namely circumstances beyond the actual control of the air
carrier.
The Court also finds that the requirement to compensate passengers
whose flights are delayed is compatible with the Montreal Convention.
In that connection, the Court finds that the loss of time inherent in a
flight delay constitutes an inconvenience which is not governed by the Montreal
Convention.
Consequently, the obligation to compensate passengers whose flights are
delayed falls outside the scope of that convention, but remains additional to
the system for damages laid down by it.
Next, the Court holds that that obligation is also compatible with the
principle of legal certainty according to which passengers and air carriers must
know precisely the respective scope of their rights and obligations.
In addition, the Court makes clear that the requirement to compensate
passengers whose flights are delayed is consistent with the principle of
proportionality, according to which measures adopted by EU institutions must not
exceed the limits of what is appropriate and necessary in order to attain the
legitimate objectives pursued by the legislation in question, and the
disadvantages caused must not be disproportionate to the aims pursued.
In that connection, the Court notes that the obligation to pay
compensation does not concern every delay, but only long delays.
Moreover, airlines are not obliged to pay compensation if they can prove that
the cancellation or long delay is caused by extraordinary circumstances.
Lastly, the Court considered the requests from the airlines concerned
to limit the temporal effect of its ruling.
Those airlines submit that EU law cannot be relied upon as the basis
for claims by passengers for compensation in respect of flights which have been
the subject of delay prior to the date of delivery of the present judgment,
except as regards passengers who had already brought court proceedings for such
compensation as of the date of the judgment.
In that regard, the Court answers that there is no need to limit the
temporal effects of the present judgment.
NOTE:
A reference for a preliminary ruling allows the courts and tribunals of the
Member States, in disputes which have been brought before them, to refer
questions to the Court of Justice about the interpretation of European Union law
or the validity of a European Union act.
The Court of Justice does not decide the dispute itself.
It is for the national court or tribunal to dispose of the case in
accordance with the Court’s decision, which is similarly binding on other
national courts or tribunals before which a similar issue is raised. |