Judgment of the General Court (Ninth Chamber) of 24 September 2015 —
Germany v Commission

(Case T‑557/13)

EAGGF — Guarantee Section — EAGF and EAFRD — Expenditure excluded from financing — Expenditure in the context of the European quota system in relation to the production of potato starch — Rights of the defence

1.                     Agriculture — Common agricultural policy — EAGGF, EAGF and EAFRD financing — Clearance of accounts — Definitive refusal to accept responsibility for certain expenses — Need for prior inter partes procedure (see para. 51)

2.                     Agriculture — Common agricultural policy — EAGGF, EAGF and EAFRD financing — Clearance of accounts — Elaboration of decisions — Written communication by the Commission to Member States of the results of its checks — Content — Conditions — Non-compliance — Relevance (Council Regulation No 1258/1999, Art. 7(4), fifth para; Commission Regulation No 1663/95, Art. 8(1)) (see paras 52-59, 71, 72)

Re:

APPLICATION for annulment of Commission Implementing Decision 2013/433/EU of 13 August 2013 on excluding from European Union financing certain expenditure incurred by the Member States under the Guarantee Section of the European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund (EAGGF), under the European Agricultural Guarantee Fund (EAGF) and under the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) (OJ 2013 L 219, p. 49), in so far as it applies a financial correction to the Federal Republic of Germany, in the context of the European quota system in relation to the production of potato starch for 2003 to 2005, totalling EUR 6 192 951.34.

Operative part

The Court:

1. Annuls Commission Implementing Decision 2013/433/EU of 13 August 2013 on excluding from European Union financing certain expenditure incurred by the Member States under the Guarantee Section of the European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund (EAGGF), under the European Agricultural Guarantee Fund (EAGF) and under the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD), in so far as it applies a financial correction to the Federal Republic of Germany, in the context of the European quota system in relation to the production of potato starch, for 2003 to 2005;

2. Orders the European Commission to pay the costs;

3. Orders the Kingdom of the Netherlands to bear its own costs.