Judgment_paragraph 39 · Salvatore Aniello Pappalardo and Others v European Commission (C-350/16 P)

39As to the appellants’ argument concerning the legitimate expectations which they claim to have derived from the order of the General Court of 14 February 2012, Italy v Commission (T‑305/08, not published, EU:T:2012:70), it should be recalled that, in accordance with settled case-law of the Court of Justice, the right to rely on the principle of the protection of legitimate expectations extends to any person whom an institution of the European Union has caused, by giving him precise assurances, to entertain justified hopes. Information which is precise, unconditional and consistent, in whatever form it is given, constitutes such assurances (judgment of 16 December 2010, Kahla Thüringen Porzellan v Commission, C‑537/08 P, EU:C:2010:769, paragraph 63 and the case-law cited). By contrast, a person may not plead breach of that principle unless he has been given those assurances (judgment of 16 December 2008, Masdar (UK) v Commission, C‑47/07 P, EU:C:2008:726, paragraph 81).