Judgment of the General Court of 12 May 2021 – Luxembourg and Amazon v Commission
(Cases T-816/17 and T-318/18) 1
(State aid – Aid implemented by Luxembourg in favour of Amazon – Decision declaring the aid incompatible with the internal market and unlawful and ordering its recovery – Tax ruling – Transfer pricing – Selective tax advantage – Transfer pricing arrangement – Functional analysis)
Language of the case: English and French
Parties
Applicant in Case T-816/17: Grand Duchy of Luxembourg (represented by: T. Uri, acting as Agent, and by D. Waelbroeck, A. Steichen and J. Bracker, lawyers)
Applicants in Case T-318/18: Amazon EU Sàrl (Luxembourg, Luxembourg), Amazon.com, Inc. (Seattle, Washington, United States) (represented by: D. Paemen, M. Petite and A. Tombiński, lawyers)
Defendant: European Commission (represented, in Case T-816/17, by P. Stancanelli, P.-J. Loewenthal and F. Tomat, acting as Agents, and by M. Chammas, lawyer, and, in Case T-318/18, by P.-J. Loewenthal and F. Tomat, acting as Agents)
Intervener in support of the applicant in Case T-816/17: Ireland (represented by: J. Quaney and A. Joyce, acting as Agents, and by P. Gallagher, Senior Counsel, B. Doherty, Barrister, and S. Kingston, Senior Counsel)
Re:
Actions pursuant to Article 263 TFEU for the annulment of Commission Decision (EU) 2018/859 of 4 October 2017 on State aid SA.38944 (2014/C) (ex 2014/NN) implemented by Luxembourg in favour of Amazon (OJ 2018 L 153, p. 1).
Operative part of the judgment
The Court:
Joins Cases T-816/17 and T-318/18 for the purposes of the present judgment;
Annuls Commission Decision (EU) 2018/859 of 4 October 2017 on State aid SA.38944 (2014/C) (ex 2014/NN) implemented by Luxembourg in favour of Amazon;
Orders the European Commission to bear its own costs and to pay those incurred by the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, Amazon.com, Inc. and Amazon EU Sàrl;
Orders Ireland to bear its own costs.
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1 OJ C 72, 26.2.2018.