Judgment_paragraph 55 · Ministero dell'Ambiente e della Tutela del Territorio e del Mare and Others v Fipa Group srl and Others (C-534/13)

55In construing Article 3(1)(a) of Directive 2004/35, the Court has held that the competent authority’s obligation to establish a causal link applies in the context of the system of strict environmental liability of operators (see judgment in ERG and Others, EU:C:2010:126, paragraphs 63 to 65, and order in Buzzi Unicem and Others, EU:C:2010:129, paragraph 45).