Order of the General Court (First Chamber) of 14 September 2011 – Regione Puglia v Commission

(Case T-84/10)

Action for annulment – ERDF – Decision incorporating reduction of financial assistance – Regional entity – Lack of direct concern – Inadmissibility

Actions for annulment – Natural or legal persons – Measures of direct and individual concern to them – Whether directly concerned – Criteria – Decision of the Commission addressed to a Member State, reducing financial assistance from the European Regional Development Fund and requiring partial reimbursement of sums paid – Action brought by a regional entity benefiting from that assistance and acting as management authority for the funds received – Not directly concerned – Inadmissibility – Repercussion of the financial consequences of the decision onto that regional entity – No effect (Art. 263, fourth para., TFEU) (see paras 29-30, 32-35, 37, 39-44, 48-53)

Re:

ACTION for partial annulment of Commission Decision C(2009) 10350 of 22 December 2009, incorporating a reduction in the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) assistance granted in application of Commission Decision C(2000) 2349 of 8 August 2000, incorporating approval of the operational programme POR Puglia for the period 2000-2006, on the basis of Objective No 1.

Operative part

1. The action is dismissed as inadmissible.

2. The Regione Puglia is ordered to bear its own costs and those incurred by the European Commission, including the costs related to the interlocutory proceedings.