The Ministry of Justice, together with the official publisher "Latvijas Vēstnesis", has added more than 500 Court of Justice of the European Union (hereinafter – the Court) judgments to "Likumi.lv", linked to 225 different Latvian legal acts. The linked judgments make the practical work of law appliers easier and promote public understanding of the Court’s work and its role in the application of laws.
The judgments cover and are linked to legal acts across a wide range of fields and levels. For example, among the Court’s judgments adopted in 2024 in the field of criminal procedure, noteworthy is the judgment of 4 July 2024 in case C-760/22 FP and others, which found no incompatibility with EU law where an accused person participates in a hearing by videoconference at their own request, provided their right to a fair trial is ensured.
In the field of taxation, the Court’s judgment of 5 December 2024 in case C-3/24 MISTRAL TRANS is notable. The Court held that the concept of “freelance accountants” applies to those who professionally and independently provide accounting services to others. It does not apply to a company that keeps accounts solely for the needs of its affiliated companies in order to use resources more efficiently.
In the area of data protection, the judgment of 4 October 2024 in case C-507/23 Consumer Rights Protection Centre is significant. The Court ruled that a personal data breach does not automatically mean that damage has occurred. An apology may be awarded as compensation for non-material damage if it can fully remedy the harm. The controller’s attitude or intentions cannot be used to reduce compensation.
In the context of customs procedures, the Court’s judgment of 19 December 2024 in case C-717/22 Sistem Lux is relevant. It held that national legislation may provide for a penalty for a customs offence committed through negligence, for example, where goods are incorrectly declared. However, it is not permissible to impose an administrative fine equal to the full customs value of those goods. The Court also confirmed that goods may be confiscated if they belong to a person guilty of the offence, provided that the total amount of sanctions meets the requirement of proportionality.
In competition law, the Court’s judgment of 5 December 2024 in case C-606/23 Tallinna Kaubamaja Grupp and KIA Auto is noteworthy. It held that a competition authority does not need to prove that competition has already been actually restricted; it is sufficient to demonstrate a significant risk that competition may be restricted.
In the context of the European Union’s common area, the Court’s judgment of 19 November 2024 in case C-808/21 Commission v Czech Republic is significant. The Court found that the Czech Republic had breached EU rules by preventing citizens of other EU Member States residing in the country from becoming members of political parties or movements. Such action restricts their right to stand as candidates in municipal and European Parliament elections and therefore constitutes prohibited differential treatment.
The related Court of Justice of the European Union judgments are available in the “Related Documents” > “Court of Justice of the European Union Judgments” section of the relevant legal act’s page on Likumi.lv.