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Société Arcelor Atlantique et Lorraine v. Premier Minister

Country/Territory
European Union
Date
Dec 1, 2008
Source
UNEP, InforMEA
Court name
European Court of Justice
Reference number
[2008] Case C-127/07 (Grand Chamber)
Abstract
The European Court of Justice upheld provisions of Directive 2003/87 implemented by French legislation, which applied the greenhouse gas trading scheme to installations in the steel sector. Arcelor, a worldwide steel enterprise, challenged the directive under the principle of equality. Arcelor argued that non-ferrous metals and plastics are both industries emitting greenhouse gases, yet they are not regulated by the Directive. The Court found the differences in treatment between the steel industry and the chemical and non-ferrous metal industries to be justified based on substantial differences among the industries, such as the number of installations and the levels of direct emissions.

Key environmental legal questions:

Challenge to the directive under the principle of equality
Full text
EU-Soceite-Arcelor-2008.pdf
Website
climatecasechart.com