Judgment_paragraph 94 · QB v European Central Bank (T-827/16)

94Furthermore, as the parties noted, according to settled case-law, even though the possibility cannot be excluded that differences between an official and his immediate superior may cause a degree of irritation on the part of that immediate superior, that possibility does not, as such, imply that the immediate superior is no longer in a position to assess objectively the merits of the person concerned. It has moreover been held that, even the fact that a staff member has lodged a complaint of harassment against the official who is to assess his professional performance cannot of itself, without more, call into question the impartiality of the person against whom the complaint has been lodged (see judgment of 30 June 2015, Z v Court of Justice, F‑64/13, EU:F:2015:72, paragraph 71 and the case-law cited).