Hammonds has secured victory for Eurojust, the European body fighting organised crime, in a case brought against it by the Kingdom of Spain.
The case clarifies limits to the privileges of European member states before the European Court of Justice (ECJ) as well as being unusual in that it was asking for judicial review of an agency of the European Union.
Spain had asked for the annulment of several calls for applications for the recruitment of Eurojust staff, saying that they were discriminatory on grounds of nationality. Eurojust was seeking staff with a good knowledge of English or French, and Spain said that meant applicants with mother tongues other than English or French would be at a disadvantage.
The European Court of Justice (ECJ) handed down its judgment on Tuesday (15 March) in favour of Eurojust, ordering Spain to pay legal costs. Finland, which intervened, is liable for its own costs.
José Rivas, Hammonds’ Brussels-based head of competition, represented Eurojust, supported by European Affairs counsel Professor David O’Keefe.
