Judgment_paragraph 57 · Francis Wattiau v European Parliament (T-737/17)

57In that regard, it is settled case-law that Article 277 TFEU must be interpreted sufficiently broadly to enable effective judicial review of the legality of acts of general application adopted by the institutions in favour of persons excluded from direct actions against such acts (see, to that effect, judgments of 26 October 1993, Reinarz v Commission, T‑6/92 and T‑52/92, EU:T:1993:89, paragraph 56, and of 21 October 2010, Agapiou Joséphidès v Commission and EACEA, T‑439/08, not published, EU:T:2010:442 paragraph 50). Thus, the scope of Article 277 TFEU must extend to acts of the institutions which were relevant to the adoption of the decision forming the subject matter of the action for annulment (judgments of 4 March 1998, De Abreu v Court of Justice, T‑146/96, EU:T:1998:50, paragraph 27, and of 2 October 2001, Martinez and Others v Parliament, T‑222/99, T‑327/99 and T‑329/99, EU:T:2001:242, paragraph 135), in the sense that that decision must essentially be based on them (judgment of 12 June 2015, Health Food Manufacturers’ Association and Others v Commission, T‑296/12, EU:T:2015:375, paragraph 172), even if such acts did not formally constitute the legal basis of that decision (judgments of 2 October 2001, Martinez and Others v Parliament, T‑222/99, T‑327/99 and T‑329/99, EU:T:2001:242, paragraph 135; of 20 November 2007, Ianniello v Commission, T‑308/04, EU:T:2007:347, paragraph 33, and of 2 October 2014, Spraylat v ECHA, T‑177/12, EU:T:2014:849, paragraph 25).