R (INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF INDEPENDENT TANKER OWNERS (INTERTANKO) AND OTHERS) v SECRETARY OF STATE FOR TRANSPORT Case C-308/06

[2008] 2 Lloyd's Rep. 260

EUROPEAN COURT OF JUSTICE (GRAND CHAMBER)

Before V Skouris, President, P Jann, CWA Timmermans, A Rosas, K Lenaerts, L Bay Larsen, Presidents of Chambers, and K Schiemann, J Makarczyk, P Kouris, J Malenovsky (Rapporteur), A O Caoimh, P Lindh and J-C Bonichot, Judges

European Union law - Reference for a preliminary ruling - Whether Directive provisions limiting the application of the UNCLOS and MARPOL Conventions invalid - Meaning of “serious negligence” - Whether concept sufficiently clear - Directive 2005/35/EC on ship-source pollution and on the introduction of penalties for infringements, articles 4 and 5 - International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships 1973, as modified by the Protocol of 1978 (MARPOL) - United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea 1982.