Judgment of the General Court (Third Chamber) of 18 January 2017 — Andersen v Commission

(Case T‑92/11 RENV)

(State aid — Rail transport — Aid granted by the Danish authorities to the public undertaking Danske Statsbaner (DSB) — Public service contracts for the supply of rail passenger transport services between Copenhagen and Ystad — Decision declaring the aid compatible with the internal market subject to certain conditions — Temporal application of rules of substantive law — Service of general economic interest — Manifest error of assessment)

1.      Actions for annulment — Grounds — Infringement of essential procedural requirements — Lack of or inadequate statement of reasons — To be considered of the Court’s own motion

(Arts 263 TFEU and 296 TFEU)

(see para. 40)

2.      Acts of the institutions — Statement of reasons — Obligation — Scope

(Art. 296 TFEU)

(see para. 41)

3.      EU law — Principles — Rights of defence — Audi alteram partem rule — Compliance in the context of judicial proceedings — Scope — Plea raised of the court’s own motion without inviting the parties to submit observations — Infringement

(Rules of Procedure of the General Court, Art. 113)

(see para. 45)

4.      Competition — Undertakings entrusted with the operation of services of general economic interest — Definition of services of general economic interest — Member States’ discretion — Limits — Review by the Commission only in the event of manifest error

(Art. 106(2) TFEU)

(see para. 56)

5.      State aid — Examination by the Commission — Scope

(Art. 107 TFEU)

(see para. 57)

6.      State aid — Prohibition — Exceptions — Aid capable of being regarded as compatible with the internal market — Aid pursuing an objective in the public interest

(Art. 107(3)(c) TFEU)

(see para. 69)

Re:

APPLICATION based on Article 263 TFEU seeking the partial annulment of Commission Decision 2011/3/EU of 24 February 2010 concerning public transport service contracts between the Danish Ministry of Transport and Danske Statsbaner (State aid C 41/08 (ex NN 35/08)) (OJ 2011 L 7, p. 1).

Operative part

The Court:

1. Annuls the second paragraph of Article 1 of Commission Decision 2011/3/EU of 24 February 2010 concerning public transport service contracts between the Danish Ministry of Transport and Danske Statsbaner (State aid C 41/08 (ex NN 35/08)) in so far as it concerns the payment of 21 December 2009;

2. Dismisses the remainder of the action;

3. Orders Mr Jørgen Andersen, the European Commission, Dansk Tog, the Kingdom of Denmark and Danske Statsbaner (DSB) to bear their own costs.

2. Dismisses the remainder of the action;

3. Orders Mr Jørgen Andersen, the European Commission, Dansk Tog, the Kingdom of Denmark and Danske Statsbaner (DSB) to bear their own costs.

3. Orders Mr Jørgen Andersen, the European Commission, Dansk Tog, the Kingdom of Denmark and Danske Statsbaner (DSB) to bear their own costs.