Riflessioni in materia di tardiva trasposizione di direttive comunitarie

The author analyses a revirement of the Italian Corte di cassazione (Cass., s.u. 17 aprile 2009, n. 9147) concerning the nature of State liability for breach of European law. Since Francovich judgement, if a member State fails to implement a directive on time, the State may find itself held liable. In the absence of any european legislation, the State must make reparation for the consequences of the loss and damage caused in accordance with the rules of national law on liability. In the opinion of the Italian Corte di cassazione, State liability should be considered contractual, notwithstanding the absence of a contract. The contractual nature, according to the Corte di cassazione, derives from the violation of an ex lege obligation to transpose European directives into national law.