25.2.2006   

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 48/3

JUDGMENT OF THE COURT

(Second Chamber)

of 15 December 2005

in Case C-344/03: Commission of the European Communities v Republic of Finland (1)

(Directive 79/409/EEC - Conservation of wild birds - Spring hunting of certain aquatic birds)

(2006/C 48/06)

Language of the case: Finnish

In Case C-344/03, Commission of the European Communities (Agents: G. Valero Jordana and P. Aalto) v Republic of Finland (Agent: T. Pynnä) — action under Article 226 EC for failure to fulfil obligations, brought on 1 August 2003 — the Court (Second Chamber), composed of C.W.A. Timmermans, President of the Chamber, C. Gulmann (Rapporteur), R. Schintgen, G. Arestis and J. Klučka, Judges; D. Ruiz-Jarabo Colomer, Advocate General; K. Sztranc, Administrator, for the Registrar, gave a judgment on 15 December 2005, in which it:

1.

Declares that, since it has failed to establish that, in the context of the spring hunting of aquatic birds in mainland Finland and the province of Åland:

—

the condition laid down in Article 9(1)(c) of Council Directive 79/409/EEC of 2 April 1979 on the conservation of wild birds, as amended by the Act concerning the conditions of accession of the Republic of Austria, the Republic of Finland and the Kingdom of Sweden and the adjustments to the Treaties on which the European Union is founded, for the purpose of a derogation, that there be no satisfactory solution other than spring hunting, was fulfilled in respect of eider, golden-eye, red-breasted merganser, goosander, velvet scoter and tufted duck; and that

—

the condition laid down in that same provision for the purpose of a derogation, relating to the fact that hunting must concern only the taking of birds in small numbers, was fulfilled in respect of eider, goosander, red-breasted merganser and velvet scoter;

the Republic of Finland has failed to fulfil its obligations under that directive;

2.

Dismisses the remainder of the action;

3.

Orders the Republic of Finland to pay the costs.

(1)  OJ C 226 of 20.09.2003.