26.7.2016   

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

L 200/137

(1)

Article 48 of Protocol No 3 on the Statute of the Court of Justice of the European Union, as amended by Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2015/2422 of the European Parliament and of the Council (3), provides that the General Court, consisting of 40 Judges as from 25 December 2015, is to consist of 47 Judges as from 1 September 2016, and of two Judges per Member State as from 1 September 2019.

(2)

As indicated in recital 9 of Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2015/2422, the increase by seven of the number of Judges of the General Court on 1 September 2016 should be accompanied by the transfer to the General Court of jurisdiction at first instance in disputes between the Union and its servants under Article 270 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU). This transfer of jurisdiction presupposes, in accordance with Article 256(1) TFEU, the dissolution of the European Union Civil Service Tribunal (‘Civil Service Tribunal’).

(3)

Accordingly, jurisdiction at first instance in disputes between all institutions, bodies, offices or agencies, on the one hand, and their servants, on the other, in respect of which jurisdiction is conferred on the Court of Justice of the European Union, should be conferred on the General Court.

(4)

It is therefore necessary to repeal Council Decision 2004/752/EC, Euratom (4) and Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 979/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council (5) as well as to amend Protocol No 3.

(5)

The General Court should try European Union civil service cases taking into account the specific features of disputes in that field, including by examining the possibilities for amicable settlement at all stages of the procedure.

(6)

Furthermore, in order to ensure the efficient conduct of proceedings in the cases pending before the Civil Service Tribunal on the date of transfer, and to lay down the rules applicable to appeals under examination as at that date, or brought subsequently, against decisions of that Tribunal, provision should be made for appropriate transitional arrangements concerning the transfer to the General Court of European Union civil service cases,

(1)

the following article is inserted:

‘Article 50a

1.   The General Court shall exercise at first instance jurisdiction in disputes between the Union and its servants as referred to in Article 270 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, including disputes between all institutions, bodies, offices or agencies, on the one hand, and their servants, on the other, in respect of which jurisdiction is conferred on the Court of Justice of the European Union.

2.   At all stages of the procedure, including the time when the application is filed, the General Court may examine the possibilities of an amicable settlement of the dispute and may try to facilitate such settlement.’;

(2)

Article 62c is replaced by the following:

‘Article 62c

The provisions relating to the jurisdiction, composition, organisation and procedure of any specialised court established under Article 257 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union shall be contained in an Annex to this Statute.’;

(3)

Annex I is deleted.