Failure of a Member State to fulfil obligations — Environment — Directive 2000/60/EC — European Union water policy — River basin district management plans — Publication and notification to the Commission — None — Information and consultation of the public on the envisaged management plans — None

Judgment of the Court (Fifth Chamber) of 21 June 2012 —Commission v Portugal (Case C-223/11) Failure of a Member State to fulfil obligations — Environment — Directive 2000/60/EC — European Union water policy — River basin district management plans — Publication and notification to the Commission — None — Information and consultation of the public on the envisaged management plans — None Actions for failure to fulfil obligations — Examination of the merits by the Court — Situation to be taken into consideration — Situation on expiry of the period laid down in the reasoned opinion (Art. 258 TFEU; European Parliament and Council Directive 2000/60) (see paras 16, 29) Re: Infringement of Articles 13(1), (2) and (6), 14(1)(c) and 15(1) of Directive 2000/60/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 October 2000 establishing a framework for Community action in the field of water policy (OJ 2000 L 327, p. 1) — River basin district management plans — Publication — Information and consultation of the public — Commission not notified of copy management plans. Operative part The Court: 1. Rules that, the Portuguese Republic, by failing within the prescribed period: –        to publish the national and international river basin district management plans; –        to publish and to submit to the public, including users, for comment the envisaged river basin district management plans, and –        to send the European Commission the copies of those plans, has failed to fulfil its obligations under, respectively, Article 13(6) of Directive 2000/60/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 October 2000 establishing a framework for Community action in the field of water policy, read in conjunction with Article 13(1) and (2), Article 14(1)(c) and Article 15(1) of that directive; 2. Orders the Portuguese Republic to pay the costs.