Judgment of the General Court of 14 September 2022 – Helsingin kaupunki v Commission

(Case T-597/19) ¹

(State aid – Coach and bus transport – Equipment loan and capital loans granted by the City of Helsinki – Decision declaring the aid incompatible with the internal market and ordering its recovery – Existing aid – Advantage – Application of the private creditor criterion in a market economy test – Public status of the debtor – Taking into account an existing aid scheme – Application of the private investor criterion in a market economy test – Economic continuity – Procedural rights of the interested parties – Article 108(2) TFEU – Obligation to state reasons – General principles of EU law)

Language of the case: Finnish

Parties

Applicant: Helsingin kaupunki (Helsinki, Finland) (represented by: I. Aalto-Setälä and H. Koivuniemi, lawyers)

Defendant: European Commission (represented by: M. Huttunen and F. Tomat, acting as Agents)

Intervener in support of the applicant: Republic of Finland (represented by: J. Heliskoski and H. Leppo, acting as Agents)

Intervener in support of the defendant: Nobina Oy (Espoo, Finland), Nobina AB (Solna, Sweden) (represented by: J. Åkermarck and T. Kalliokoski, lawyers)

Re:

By its action based on Article 263 TFEU, the applicant seeks the annulment of Commission Decision (EU) 2020/1814 of 28 June 2019 on State aid SA.33846 – (2015/C) (ex 2014/NN) (ex 2011/CP) implemented by Finland for Helsingin Bussiliikenne Oy (OJ 2020 L 404, p. 10).

Operative part of the judgment

The Court:

Dismisses the action;

Orders Helsingin kaupunki to bear its own costs and to pay those incurred by the European Commission, including those relating to the proceedings for interim measures, as well as those incurred by Nobina Oy and Nobina AB;

Orders the Republic of Finland to bear its own costs.

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¹     OJ C 363, 28.10.2019.