Judgment of the General Court (Sixth Chamber, Extended Composition) of 2 July 2015

French Republic and Orange v European Commission

State Aid — Financial measures in favour of France Télécom — Shareholder loan offer — Public declarations by the French State — Decision declaring the aid incompatible with the common market — Absence of extension of the formal investigation procedure — Rights of the defence — Prudent private investor criterion — Normal market conditions — Errors of law — Manifest errors of assessment

Joined Cases T-425/04 RENV and T-444/04 RENV



Top of the page Legal analysis of the decision or of the case

Reports of Cases

published in the electronic Reports of Cases (Court Reports - general)

Subject-matter

Information not available

Systematic classification scheme

1.
-
3 Legal proceedings
  3.02 Actions for annulment
    3.02.03 Applications by natural or legal persons
      3.02.03.01 Interest in bringing proceedings
-
4 Internal policy of the European Union
  4.09 State aid
    4.09.04 Procedure for reviewing aid
      4.09.04.05 Commission decision following a preliminary review or proceeding to the formal investigation procedure
        4.09.04.05.03 Decision to initiate a formal investigation procedure
          4.09.04.05.03.00 General
-
4 Internal policy of the European Union
  4.09 State aid
    4.09.04 Procedure for reviewing aid
      4.09.04.07 Commission decision following the formal investigation procedure
        4.09.04.07.00 General
-
1 The legal order of the European Union
  1.01 Sources of EU law
    1.01.02 General principles of law
      1.01.02.05 Rights of the defence and procedural guarantees
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4 Internal policy of the European Union
  4.09 State aid
    4.09.04 Procedure for reviewing aid
      4.09.04.06 Formal investigation procedure
-
4 Internal policy of the European Union
  4.09 State aid
    4.09.04 Procedure for reviewing aid
      4.09.04.06 Formal investigation procedure
-
4 Internal policy of the European Union
  4.09 State aid
    4.09.04 Procedure for reviewing aid
      4.09.04.06 Formal investigation procedure
-
4 Internal policy of the European Union
  4.09 State aid
    4.09.01 Definition of aid
      4.09.01.02 Use of State resources
-
4 Internal policy of the European Union
  4.09 State aid
    4.09.01 Definition of aid
      4.09.01.03 Advantage conferred on an undertaking
        4.09.01.03.01 Private investor/private creditor test
          4.09.01.03.01.00 General
-
4 Internal policy of the European Union
  4.09 State aid
    4.09.01 Definition of aid
      4.09.01.03 Advantage conferred on an undertaking
        4.09.01.03.01 Private investor/private creditor test
          4.09.01.03.01.01 Capital contribution
-
4 Internal policy of the European Union
  4.09 State aid
    4.09.01 Definition of aid
      4.09.01.02 Use of State resources
-
4 Internal policy of the European Union
  4.09 State aid
    4.09.01 Definition of aid
      4.09.01.02 Use of State resources
-
4 Internal policy of the European Union
  4.09 State aid
    4.09.01 Definition of aid
      4.09.01.03 Advantage conferred on an undertaking
        4.09.01.03.01 Private investor/private creditor test
          4.09.01.03.01.01 Capital contribution
-
3 Legal proceedings
  3.02 Actions for annulment
    3.02.06 Effects of a declaration that a measure is void
-
3 Legal proceedings
  3.08 Procedural rules
    3.08.08 Judgments and orders
      3.08.08.02 Res judicata


Citations of case-law or legislation

References in grounds of judgment

Operative part

Information not available

Opinion

Information not available


Dates

Date of the lodging of the application initiating proceedings

  • 19/03/2013

Date of the Opinion

Information not available

Date of the hearing

Information not available

Date of delivery

02/07/2015


References

Publication in the Official Journal

Judgment: OJ C 270 from 17.08.2015, p.21

Name of the parties

France and Orange v Commission

Notes on Academic Writings

  1. Geilmann, Maria ; Nicolaides, Phedon: Public Statements and Their Qualification as State Aid, Maastricht Journal of European and Comparative Law 2015 p.761-770 (EN)
  2. Idot, Laurence: Investisseur privé en économie de marché, Europe 2015 Août-Septembre Comm. nº 8-9 p.37 (FR)
  3. Baillat-Devers, Mathilde: Déclarations publiques de l'État relatives à une offre d'avance d'actionnaire : retour sur le critère de l'"investisseur privé avisé", Revue Lamy de la Concurrence : droit, économie, régulation 2015 nº 45 p.44-45 (FR)
  4. Tesson, Fabien: La parole de l'État peut échapper au critère de l'investisseur privé avisé, Revue du marché commun et de l'Union européenne 2016 p.68-73 (FR)
  5. Muñoz de Juan, Maria: The Bouygues Case: A Never Ending Story, European State Aid Law Quarterly 2016 p.103 - 114 (EN)



Procedural Analysis Information

Source of the question referred for a preliminary ruling

Information not available

Subject-matter

  • Competition
  • - State aid

Provisions of national law referred to

Information not available

Provisions of international law referred to

Information not available

Procedure and result

  • Actions for annulment
  • Application for revision of a judgment : dismissal on substantive grounds
  • Application for revision of a judgment : application granted
  • Application for revision of a judgment : case not proceeding to judgment

Formation of the Court

sixième chambre élargie (Tribunal)

Judge-Rapporteur

Collins

Advocate General

Information not available

Language(s) of the Case

  • French

Language(s) of the Opinion

    Information not available