Joined CJEU Cases C-59/18, C-182/18 & C-106/19, C-232/19 & C-743/19 | Location of the seat of the EMA and the ELA

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Publication Date 2018-2022
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Summary:

Information Guide concerning Cases C-59/18, C-182/18, C-106/19, C-232/19 and C-743/19 from the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU), focusing on competence to determine the location of the seat of EU bodies, offices and agencies.

Further information:

In November 2017, the Council of the European Union selected the city of Amsterdam (the Netherlands) as the new location of the seat of the European Medicines Agency (EMA). In June 2019, they also decided that the newly established European Labour Authority (ELA) would have its seat in Bratislava (Slovakia).

Italy and the city of Milano decided to dispute the Council's decision on the EMA - Cases C-59/18 and C-182/18 - as well as the subsequent Regulation (EU) 2018/1718 - Cases C-106/19 and C-232/19. For its part, the European Parliament decided to dispute the Council's decision to locate the seat of the ELA in Bratislava - C-743/19.

On 14 July 2022, the CJEU ruled to dismiss the actions in their entirety. The Court argues that decisions of EU Member States representatives are political acts without any binding legal effects, and thus they cannot be the subject of an action for annulment. It has been added that the competence to decide on the location is for the EU legislature and not the Member States. As regards the actions against Regulation 2018/1718, the Court rejected all the arguments put forward by the Comune di Milano and the Italian Government.

Related Links
Commentary and Analysis
Euro|topics, February 2018: Row over EU medicine agency https://www.eurotopics.net/en/193652/
European Law Blog, 14/10/2021: Sometimes less is more – a critical view on AG Bobek’s Opinion on the seats of EU agencies https://europeanlawblog.eu/2021/10/14/sometimes-less-is-more-a-critical-view-on-ag-bobeks-opinion-on-the-seats-of-eu-agencies/

News
Politico, 30/01/2018: Milan mayor: Italy to appeal EMA relocation https://www.politico.eu/article/milan-mayor-italy-to-appeal-ema-relocation-today/
Reuters, 31/01/2018: EU executive rebuffs Italy's push to host drugs regulator https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSKBN1FK0V3
EurActiv, 31/01/2018: Italy to appeal to European court over EU drugs agency https://www.euractiv.com/section/uk-europe/news/italy-to-appeal-to-european-court-over-eu-drugs-agency/
The Local (Italy), 31/01/2018: Italy asks EU court to cancel EMA move to Amsterdam https://www.thelocal.it/20180131/italy-asks-eu-court-to-quash-medicines-agency-move-to-amsterdam/
EUObserver, 31/01/2018: Italy restakes claim to EU agency ahead of election https://euobserver.com/world/140780
Deutsche Welle, 31/01/2018: EMA in Amsterdam: Italy to appeal EU post-Brexit plan https://p.dw.com/p/2roJv
Dutchnews.nl, 31/01/2018: Italy appeals to Brussels about EMA move to Amsterdam: ANSA https://www.dutchnews.nl/news/2018/01/italy-appeals-to-brussels-about-ema-move-to-amsterdam-ansa/
RTL Today, 01/02/2018: Italy appeals EU medicines agency move to Amsterdam https://today.rtl.lu/news/science-and-environment/a/1128445.html
EurActiv, 07/02/2018: Italian pharma chief: Dutch EMA bid ‘may have misled’ the Commission https://www.euractiv.com/section/uk-europe/news/wed-italian-pharma-chief-the-dutch-may-have-misled-the-commission-on-ema-bid/
EurActiv, 14/07/2022: European Court of Justice dashes Italy’s hopes on EU medicines agency relocation https://www.euractiv.com/section/health-consumers/news/european-court-of-justice-dashes-italys-hopes-on-eu-medicines-agency-relocation/
Politico, 14/07/2022: EU top court rules no wrongdoing in drug regulator’s Amsterdam move https://www.politico.eu/article/eu-court-justice-european-medicines-agency-headquarters-milan-amsterdam/

Official
CJEU CURIA: Case C-59/18 | Italy v Council (Siège de l’Agence européenne des médicaments) https://curia.europa.eu/juris/documents.jsf?num=C-59/18
CJEU CURIA: Case C-182/18 | Comune di Milano v Council (Siège de l’Agence européenne des médicaments) https://curia.europa.eu/juris/documents.jsf?num=C-182/18
CJEU CURIA: Case C-106/19 | Italy v Council and Parliament (Siège de l’Agence européenne des médicaments) https://curia.europa.eu/juris/documents.jsf?num=C-106/19
CJEU CURIA: Case C-743/19 | Parliament v Council (Siège de l’Autorité européenne du travail) https://curia.europa.eu/juris/documents.jsf?num=C-743/19
CJEU: Press Release No 178/21, 06/10/2021: Advocate General’s Opinions in Joined Cases C-59/18 Italy v Council and C-182/18 Comune di Milano v Council, in Joined Cases C-106/19 Italy v Council and Parliament and C-232/19 Comune di Milano v Parliament and Council and in Case C-743/19 Parliament v Counci https://curia.europa.eu/jcms/upload/docs/application/pdf/2021-10/cp210178en.pdf
CJEU: Press Release No 126/22, 14/07/2022: Judgments of the Court in Joined Cases C-59/18, Italy v Council and C-182/18, Commune di Milano v Council, in Joined Cases C-106/19, Italy v Council and Parliament and C-232/19, Commune di Milano v Parliament and Council, and in Case C-743/19, Parliament v Council https://curia.europa.eu/jcms/upload/docs/application/pdf/2022-07/cp220126en.pdf

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Record URL https://www.europeansources.info/record/?p=526127