Order of the General Court (Seventh Chamber) of 13 July 2012 —
IVBN v Commission

(Case T-201/10)

Action for annulment — State aid — Scheme of aid granted by the Netherlands to housing corporations — Existing aid — Special project aid to housing corporations — Decision accepting the Member State’s commitments — Decision declaring new aid compatible — No individual concern — Failure to initiate the procedure under Article 108(2) TFEU — Action inadmissible in part and in part manifestly devoid of any basis in law

1.                     Actions for annulment — Natural or legal persons — Measures of direct and individual concern to them — Decision on State aid — Action by an association representing the collective interests of the undertakings in the sector concerned — Admissibility — Conditions (Arts 108 TFEU and 263, fourth para., TFEU) (see paras 26, 27, 29, 31-35)

2.                     Actions for annulment — Natural or legal persons — Measures of direct and individual concern to them — Decision on State aid — Competitor of the undertaking receiving the aid — Right to bring an action — Conditions — Action by an association acting as representative of the collective interest of its members without demonstrating that their competitive position substantially affected — Inadmissibility (Arts 108 TFEU and 263, fourth para., TFEU) (see paras 36, 37, 41)

3.                     State aid — Existing aid — Commission’s examination of the compatibility of the aid with the common market — Undertakings given by the paying Member State — Commission unable to open the formal investigation procedure — No obligation on the Commission to put the persons concerned on notice to submit their observations (Art. 108 TFEU; Council Regulation No 659/1999, Art. 19(1)) (see paras 45-47, 50)

4.                     State aid — Examination by the Commission — Preliminary review and main review — Difficulties of assessment — Commission’s duty to initiate the main review procedure — Serious difficulties — Meaning — Objective nature (Art. 108(2) and (3) TFEU) (see paras 52, 53)

5.                     State aid — Examination by the Commission — Preliminary review and main review — Difficulties of assessment — Commission’s duty to initiate the main review procedure — Serious difficulties — Duration of the first examination capable of constituting an indicator of the existence of serious difficulties (Art. 108(2) and (3) TFEU) (see para. 54)

Re:

APPLICATION for annulment of Commission Decision C(2009) 9963 final of 15 December 2009 relating to State aid E 2/2005 and N 642/2009 — (Netherlands — Existing and special project aid to housing corporations).

Operative part

1. The action is dismissed.

2. Vereniging van Institutionele Beleggers in Vastgoed, Nederland (IVBN) is ordered to bear its own costs and to pay those incurred by the European Commission.