Order of the President of the General Court of 18 March 2011 – Westfälisch-Lippischer Sparkassen- und Giroverband v Commission

(Case T-457/09 R)

Interim procedure – Authorisation of State aid for the restructuring of a bank – Abandonment of a branch as a compensatory indemnity – Urgency – Weighing up of interests

1.                     Application for interim measures – Suspension of operation of a measure – Interim measures – Conditions for granting – Prima facie case – Urgency – Cumulative nature – Order of examination and method of verification – Discretion of the judge dealing with the application for interim relief (Arts 256(1) TFEU, 278 TFEU and 279 TFEU; Rules of Procedure of the General Court, Art. 104(2)) (see paras 29-31)

2.                     Application for interim measures – Suspension of operation of a measure – Interim measures – Conditions for granting (Arts 278 TFEU and 279 TFEU; Rules of Procedure of the General Court, Art. 104(2)) (see paras 44-46)

3.                     Application for interim measures – Suspension of operation of a measure – Interim measures – Conditions for granting – Serious and irreparable damage – Contested measure infringing a superior rule of law – Condition not automatically fulfilled – Burden of proof (Arts 278 TFEU and 279 TFEU; Rules of Procedure of the General Court, Art. 104(2)) (see para. 48)

4.                     Application for interim measures – Suspension of operation of a measure – Conditions for granting – Balancing of all the interests involved – Concept (Art. 278 TFEU) (see para. 69)

Re:

APPLICATION for stay of execution of Article 2(1), read in conjunction with points 5.4, 5.7 and 6.7 in the Annex to Commission Decision C(2009) 3900 final corr. of 12 May 2009, in Case C 43/2008 (ex N 390/2008) concerning restructuring aid that the German authorities intend to implement for WestLB AG, reading that decision in conjunction with Commission Decision C(2010) 9525 final of 21 December 2010 in State aid Cases MC 8/2009 and C 43/2009 – Germany – WestLB, to the extent that it follows therefrom that new operations by the Westdeutsche Immobilien Bank AG must be terminated after 15 February 2011.

Operative part

1. The application for interim measures is dismissed.

2. The order of 31 January 2011 in Case T‑457/09 R Westfälisch-Lippischer Sparkassen- und Giroverband v Commission is rescinded.

3. The applications to intervene made by Westdeutsche Immobilien Bank AG, Landschaftsverband Westfalen-Lippe, Landschaftsverband Rheinland, WestLB, the Land Nordrhein-Westfalen and Rheinischer Sparkassen- und Giroverband have become devoid of purpose.

4. Costs are reserved.