Judgment of the General Court of 18 June 2013 – Portugal v Commission

(Case T-509/09) ¹

(Fisheries – Financial contribution for the implementation of control and surveillance systems – Decision not to reimburse expenditure incurred for the purchase of two Ocean Patrol Vessels (OPV) – Article 296 EC – Directive 93/36/EEC – Legitimate expectations – Obligation to state reasons)

Language of the case: Portuguese

Parties

Applicant: Portuguese Republic (represented: initially by L. Inez Fernandes, A. Trindade Mimoso and A. Miranda Boavida, and subsequently by I. Inez Fernandes, H. Leitão and V. Coelho, acting as Agents)

Defendant: European Commission (represented by: A. Bouquet and M. Afonso, acting as Agents)

Re:

Action for annulment of Commission Decision of 14 October 2009 declaring ineligible for European Union financial support under Commission Decision 2002/978/EC of 10 December 2002 on the eligibility of expenditure on a number of operations to be incurred by certain Member States in 2002 in implementing the control, inspection and surveillance systems applicable to the common fisheries policy (OJ 2002 L 338, p. 33) expenditure associated with the purchase of two Ocean Patrol Vessels (OPV), to be used partly for the control and surveillance of fishing activities.

Operative part of the judgment

The Court:

Dismisses the action;

Orders the Portuguese Republic to pay the costs.

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¹ OJ C 80, 27.3.2010.