Order of the General Court (Eighth Chamber) of 9 September 2013 —
Telefónica v Commission

(Case T‑430/11)

Action for annulment — State aid — Aid scheme permitting tax amortisation of financial goodwill for foreign shareholding acquisitions — Decision declaring the aid scheme incompatible with the internal market and not ordering the recovery of the aid — Act entailing implementing measures — Lack of individual concern — Lack of status as an actual recipient under the aid scheme — No obligation to repay the aid — Inadmissibility

1.                     Procedure — No obligation on the General Court to commence the oral procedure before ruling on an objection of inadmissibility (Rules of Procedure of the General Court, Art. 114(1) and (3)) (see para. 20)

2.                     Actions for annulment — Natural or legal persons — Measures of direct and individual concern to them — Commission decision prohibiting a sectoral aid scheme — Individual concern — Criteria — Capacity as party to the administrative procedure — No clearly defined position as a negotiator — Inadmissibility (Art. 263, fourth para., TFEU) (see paras 24, 26, 27)

3.                     Actions for annulment — Natural or legal persons — Measures of direct and individual concern to them — Commission decision prohibiting a sectoral aid scheme — Action of an undertaking not being an actual beneficiary of that scheme at the time the decision was adopted — Inadmissibility — Action by an undertaking having benefited from an individual aid granted under that scheme but not subject to a repayment obligation — Inadmissibility (Art. 263, fourth para., TFEU) (see paras 24, 29-36, 40-46)

4.                     Actions for annulment — Natural or legal persons — Distinction between being individually affected and having an interest in bringing an action (Art. 263, fourth para., TFEU) (see para. 43)

5.                     Actions for annulment — Natural or legal persons — Meaning of ‘regulatory act’ in Article 263, fourth paragraph, TFEU — Any act of general scope for legislative measures — Commission decision prohibiting a sectoral aid scheme — Act comprising implementing measures within the meaning of that treaty provision — Not included (Arts 263, fourth para., TFEU and 288, fourth para., TFEU) (see paras 50-52, 54)

6.                     EU law — Principles — Rights of defence — Right to effective judicial protection — Action for annulment of a decision on State Aid declared inadmissible by the General Court — Possibility of requesting the national court to make a reference for a preliminary ruling (Arts 263 TFEU and 267 TFEU) (see para. 53)

Re:

APPLICATION for partial annulment of Commission Decision 2011/282/EU of 12 January 2011 on the tax amortisation of financial goodwill for foreign shareholding acquisitions No C 45/07 (ex NN 51/07, ex CP 9/07) implemented by Spain (OJ 2011 L 135, p. 1).

Operative part

1. The action is dismissed.

2. Telefónica, SA is ordered to pay the costs.