Judgment of the General Court of 17 February 2011 - FIFA v Commission
(Television broadcasting - Article 3a of Directive 89/552/EEC - Measures taken by the United Kingdom concerning events of major importance to United Kingdom society - Football World Cup - Decision declaring the measures compatible with Community law - Statement of reasons - Articles 43 EC, 49 EC and 86 EC - Right to property)
Language of the case: English
Parties
Applicant: Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) (Zurich, Switzerland) (represented by: initially by E. Batchelor, F. Young, Solicitors, A. Barav, D. Reymond, lawyers and F. Carlin, Barrister, and subsequently by E. Batchelor, A. Barav, D. Reymond, lawyers and F. Carlin, Barrister)
Defendant: European Commission (represented by: initially by F. Benyon, E. Montaguti and N. Yerrell and subsequently by F. Benyon and E. Montaguti, Agents, assisted by J. Flynn QC and M. Lester, Barrister)
Interveners in support of the defendants: Kingdom of Belgium (represented by C. Pochet, Agent, assisted by J. Stuyck and A. Joachimowicz, lawyers); and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (represented initially by S. Behzadi-Spencer and V. Jackson and subsequently by S. Behzadi-Spencer and L. Seeboruth, Agents, assisted initially by T. de la Mare and subsequently by B. Kennelly, Barristers)
Re:
Partial annulment of Commission Decision 2007/730/EC of 16 October 2007 on the compatibility with Community law of measures taken by the United Kingdom pursuant to Article 3a(1) of Council Directive 89/552/EEC of 3 October 1989 on the coordination of certain provisions laid down by law, regulation or administrative action in Member States concerning the pursuit of television broadcasting activities (OJ 2007 L 295, p. 12).
Operative part of the judgment
The Court:
Dismisses the action;
Orders the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) to bear its own costs and to pay those incurred by the European Commission;
Orders the Kingdom of Belgium, the Federal Republic of Germany and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland to bear their own costs.
____________1 - OJ C 107, 26.4.2008.