Judgment of the General Court of 22 September 2021 – DEI v Commission
(Joint Cases T-639/14 RENV, T-352/15 and T-740/17) 1
(State aid – Tariff for electricity supply – Fixing of the tariff invoiced to Alouminion by decision of an arbitration tribunal – Decision to take no further action on the complaint – Decision finding that there is no aid – Act open to challenge –Interested person status – Interest in bringing proceedings – Locus standi – Admissibility – Imputability to the State – Advantage – Private operator principle – Serious difficulties)
Language of the case: Greek
Parties
Applicant: Dimosia Epicheirisi Ilektrismou AE (DEI) (Athens, Greece) (represented by: in Case T-639/14 RENV: E. Bourtzalas, A. Oikonomou, E. Salaka, C. Synodinos, H. Tagaras and D. Waelbroeck; in Case T-352/15: E. Bourtzalas, C. Synodinos, E. Salaka, H. Tagaras and D. Waelbroeck, and in Case T-740/17: E. Bourtzalas, E. Salaka, C. Synodinos, H. Tagaras, D. Waelbroeck, A. Oikonomou and V.-K.-L. Moumoutzi, lawyers)
Defendant: European Commission (represented by: in Case T-639/14 RENV: É. Gippini Fournier and A. Bouchagiar and, in Cases T-352/15 and T-740/17: A. Bouchagiar and P. J. Loewenthal, acting as Agents)
Intervener in support of the defendant: Mytilinaios AE – Omilos Epicheiriseon, formerly Alouminion tis Ellados VEAE (Marousi, Greece) (represented by: N. Korogiannakis, N. Keramidas, E. Chrysafis and D. Diakopoulos, lawyers)
Re:
In Case T-639/14 RENV, application under Article 263 TFEU seeking annulment of the Commission’s letter COMP/E3/ΟΝ/AB/ark *2014/61460 of 12 June 2014 informing DEI of the closure of its complaints, in Case T-352/15, application under Article 263 TFEU seeking annulment of Commission Decision C(2015) 1942 final of 25 March 2015 (Case SA.38101 (2015/NN) (ex 2013/CP) – Greece – Alleged State aid to Alouminion SA in the form of electricity tariffs below cost following an arbitration decision), and, in Case T-740/17, application under Article 263 TFEU seeking annulment of Commission Decision C(2017) 5622 final of 14 August 2017 (Case SA.38101 (2015/NN) (ex 2013/CP) – Greece – Alleged State aid to Alouminion SA in the form of electricity tariffs below cost following an arbitration decision).
Operative part of the judgment
The Court:
In Case T-639/14 RENV, annuls the Commission’s letter COMP/E3/ΟΝ/AB/ark *2014/61460 of 12 June 2014 informing Dimosia Epicheirisi Ilektrismou AE (DEI) of the closure of its complaints;
In Case T-352/15, annuls Commission Decision C(2015) 1942 final of 25 March 2015 (Case SA.38101 (2015/NN) (ex 2013/CP) – Greece – Alleged State aid to Alouminion SA in the form of electricity tariffs below cost following an arbitration decision);
In Case T-740/17, annuls Commission Decision C(2017) 5622 final of 14 August 2017 (Case SA.38101 (2015/NN) (ex 2013/CP) – Greece – Alleged State aid to Alouminion SA in the form of electricity tariffs below cost following an arbitration decision);
Orders the European Commission to bear its own costs and to pay those incurred by DEI in Joined Cases T-639/14 RENV, T-352/15 and T-740/17, and also in Case C 228/16 P;
Orders Mytilinaios AE – Omilos Epicheiriseon to bear its own costs.
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1 OJ C 395, 10.11.2014.