Judgment of the Court (Third Chamber) of 18 July 2013 – Fédération internationale de football association (FIFA) v European Commission, Kingdom of Belgium, and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
(Case C-205/11 P) 1
(Appeals – Television broadcasting – Directive 89/552/EEC – Article 3a – Measures taken by the United Kingdom concerning events of major importance for the society of that Member State – Football World Cup – Decision declaring the measures compatible with European Union law – Statement of reasons – Articles 43 EC, 49 EC and 86 EC – Right to property)
Language of the case: English
Parties
Appellant: Fédération internationale de football association (FIFA) (represented by: A. Barav and D. Reymond, avocats)
Other parties to the proceedings: European Commission (represented by: E. Montaguti and N. Yerrell, acting as Agents, and M. Gray, Barrister), Kingdom of Belgium (represented by: C. Pochet, J.-C. Halleux, acting as Agents, and A. Joachimowicz and J. Stuyck, advocaten), and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (represented by: S. Ossowski and J. Beeko, acting as Agents, and T. de la Mare QC)
Re:
Appeal brought against the judgment of the General Court (Seventh Chamber) of 17 February 2011 in Case T-68/08 Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) v Commission dismissing an action for annulment of Commission Decision 2007/730/EC of 16 October 2007 declaring compatible with Community law measures taken by the United Kingdom pursuant to Article 3a(1) of Council Directive 89/552/EEC of 3 October 1989 on the coordination of certain provisions laid down by law, regulation or administrative action in Member States concerning the pursuit of television broadcasting activities (OJ 2007 L 295, p. 12)
Operative part of the judgment
The Court:
Dismisses the appeal;
Orders the Fédération internationale de football association (FIFA) to pay the costs.
____________1 OJ C 232, 6.8.2011.