European Court of Justice (News)

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

Garcia-Nieto and Others
Social security for migrant workers
According to Advocate General Wathelet, EU citizens who move to a Member State of which they are not nationals may be excluded from entitlement to certain social benefits during the first three months

Commission v United Kingdom
Taxation
The United Kingdom cannot apply, with respect to all housing, a reduced rate of VAT to the supply and installation of energy-saving materials, since that rate is reserved solely to transactions relating to social housing

Teekanne
Approximation of laws
The labelling of a foodstuff must not mislead the consumer by giving the impression that a particular ingredient is present, even though it is not in fact present

Faber
Approximation of laws
The Court clarifies the rules on consumer protection with regard to the sale of consumer goods and associated guarantees

Kernkraftwerke Lippe-Ems
State aid
German duty on nuclear fuel is compatible with EU law

P and S
Area of Freedom, Security and Justice
Member States may require third-country nationals with long-term resident status to pass a civic integration examination