Europe – Portugal – In its judgment of 9 July 2026 (Case C-166/25 – European Commission v Portuguese Republic), the Court of Justice of the European Union held that Portugal had failed to fulfil its obligations by only partially and inaccurately transposing the provisions of Directive 2010/75 on industrial emissions. The Court clarified that administrative practices or mere interpretative guidance cannot substitute for a complete and legally binding transposition of a directive.
HAVET & VANHUFFEL – Association d’avocats In its judgment of 9 July 2026 (Case C-166/25 – European Commission v Portuguese Republic), the Court of Justice of the European Union held that Portugal had failed to fulfil its obligations by only partially...
Europe – Belgium – In its judgment of 3 July 2025 (Case C-771/24 – Fédération belge du stationnement ASBL and Interparking SA v Région de Bruxelles-Capitale), the Court of Justice of the European Union held that regulations laying down the operating conditions for car parks, even though they contain no rules governing their location or maximum number, must be subject to a strategic environmental assessment where they establish a significant body of criteria or detailed rules capable of influencing projects likely to have significant effects on the environment. The Court further held that a national court may maintain the effects of such an unlawful measure in order to allow the competent authority to carry out the required environmental assessment and, where appropriate, amend the measure only where national law permits it in the proceedings before that court, where such maintenance is necessary to ensure the implementation of another EU environmental protection measure, and only for the period strictly necessary to remedy the unlawfulness
HAVET & VANHUFFEL – Association d’avocats In its judgment of 3 July 2025 (Case C-771/24 – Fédération belge du stationnement ASBL and Interparking SA v Région de Bruxelles-Capitale), the Court of Justice of the European Union held that regulations...
Europe – In its judgment of 2 July 2026 (Case C-447/25, Surovina RECE d.o.o. v Pest Vármegyei Kormányhivatal), the Court of Justice of the European Union held that the Member State of destination of a shipment of waste intended for recovery, but not incineration, may lawfully object to that shipment where it is contrary to a national waste management plan established in accordance with Article 28 of Directive 2008/98/EC
HAVET & VANHUFFEL – Association d’avocats Europe – In its judgment of 2 July 2026 (Case C-447/25, Surovina RECE d.o.o. v Pest Vármegyei Kormányhivatal), the Court of Justice of the European Union held that the Member State of destination of a shipment...
Europe – In its judgment of 11 June 2026 (Case C-601/24 – V.B.), the Court of Justice of the European Union held that the importation of tablets containing an extract of Japanese seahorse for therapeutic purposes could be regarded as a ‘personal or household effect’, with the result that such importation is exempt from criminal penalties because it benefits from the derogation provided for in Regulation No 338/97
HAVET & VANHUFFEL – Association d’avocats In Case C-601/24, the Court of Justice of the European Union was asked to give a preliminary ruling following a request from a Polish court in the context of criminal proceedings brought against a Ukrainian...