Judgment_paragraph 22 · Gemeinde Altrip and Others v Land Rheinland-Pfalz (C-72/12)

22It should be borne in mind that, in principle, a new rule of law applies from the entry into force of the act introducing it. While it does not apply to legal situations that have arisen and become definitive under the old law, it does apply to their future effects, and to new legal situations too (see, to that effect, Case C-428/08 Monsanto Technology [2010] ECR I-6765, paragraph 66). It is otherwise – subject to the principle of the non-retroactivity of legal acts – only if the new rule is accompanied by special provisions which specifically lay down its conditions of temporal application (Case C-266/09 Stichting Natuur en Milieu and Others [2010] ECR I-13119, paragraph 32).