Judgment of the Court (Third Chamber) of 24 November 2011.#European Commission v Italian Republic.#Failure to fulfil obligations - General principal of the liability of Member States for infringements of European Union law by one of their courts adjudicating at last instance - Exclusion of any liability on the part of the Member State for an interpretation of the rules of law or an assessment of the facts and evidence carried out by a court adjudicating at last instance - Limitation by the national legislature of the Member State's liability to cases of intentional fault or serious misconduct committed by such a court.#Case C-379/10.

Subject of the case

Re:

Failure of a Member State to fulfil obligations – Infringement of the general principle that Member States are liable for the infringement of European Union law by one of their courts adjudicating at last instance – Liability limited to cases of intentional fault or serious misconduct.

Operative part

Operative part

The Court:

1. Declares that,

– by excluding all liability of the Italian State for damage caused to individuals through an infringement of European Union law on the part of a court adjudicating at last instance when that infringement results from an interpretation of the rules of law or an assessment of the facts and evidence carried out by that court and

– by limiting that liability to cases of intentional fault or serious misconduct,

pursuant to Article 2(1) and (2) of Law No 117 on the reparation of damage caused in the exercise of judicial functions and the civil liability of judges [legge n. 117 (sul) risarcimento dei danni cagionati nell’ esercizio delle funzioni giudiziarie e responsabilità civile dei magistrati], of 13 April 1988 the Italian Republic has failed to fulfil its obligations under the general principle that Member States are liable for the infringement of European Union law by one of their courts adjudicating at last instance;

2. Orders the Italian Republic to pay the costs.