Order of the General Court (Third Chamber) of 9 February 2018 –
Arcofin and Others v Commission

(Case T-711/14)

(Action for annulment — State aid — Aid implemented by Belgium in favour of the ARCO Group financial cooperatives — Guarantee scheme protecting the shares of natural persons who are individual members of those cooperatives — Decision declaring the aid incompatible with the internal market — Selective advantage — Measure liable to distort or threaten to distort competition and to affect trade between Member States — Measure intended to remedy a serious disturbance in the economy of a Member State — Legitimate expectations — Action in part manifestly inadmissible and in part manifestly lacking any foundation in law)

1.      State aid – Meaning – Grant of an advantage to the beneficiaries – Scheme to guarantee shares of recognised cooperatives operating in the financial sector – Included

(Art. 107 TFEU)

(see paras 56, 57, 59, 62, 63)

2.      State aid – Meaning – Intervention having the effect of mitigating the charges of an undertaking – Guarantee scheme protecting the shares of individual members of financial cooperatives – Included

(Art. 107 TFEU)

(see paras 76, 77, 84)

3.      State aid – Meaning – Selective nature of the measure – Scheme to guarantee shares of recognised cooperatives operating in the financial sector – Included

(Art. 107 TFEU)

(see paras 102-105)

4.      Acts of the institutions – Statement of reasons – Obligation – Scope – Assessment of the duty to state reasons by reference to the circumstances of the case

(Art. 296 TFEU)

(see para. 113)

5.      State aid – Effect on trade between Member States – Adverse effect on competition – Scheme to guarantee shares of recognised cooperatives operating in the financial sector – Criteria for assessment

(Art. 107(1) TFEU)

(see paras 124, 125)

6.      State aid – Prohibition – Exceptions – Aid capable of being regarded as compatible with the internal market – Aid to remedy serious disturbance in the economy of a Member State – Discretion of the Commission – Judicial review – Limits

(Art. 107(3)(b) TFEU)

(see para. 139)

7.      Freedom of establishment – Freedom to provide services – Credit institutions – Deposit guarantee schemes – Directive 94/19 – Scope – Deposit – Meaning – Shares of recognised cooperatives operating in the financial sector – Not included

(European Parliament and Council Directive 94/19, as amended by Directive 2005/1, Art. 1.1, first para.)

(see para. 145)

8.      State aid – Recovery of unlawful aid – Aid granted in breach of the procedural rules of Article 108 TFEU – Legitimate expectations entertained by the recipients – Protection – Conditions and limits

(Art. 108(3) TFEU)

(see paras 165, 166)

9.      Actions for annulment – Natural or legal persons – Interest in bringing proceedings – Commission decision finding aid incompatible with the internal market – Decision precluding the payment to cooperatives of sums guaranteed by a scheme protecting financial cooperatives – Action by a financial cooperative company – Inadmissibility

(Art. 263, fourth para., TFEU)

(see paras 172-174)

Re:

Application based on Article 263 TFEU seeking annulment of Commission Decision 2014/686/EU of 3 July 2014 on State aid SA.33927 (13/C) (ex 11/NN) implemented by Belgium — Guarantee scheme protecting the shares of individual members of financial cooperatives (OJ 2014 L 284, p. 53).

Operative part

1. The action is dismissed as being in part manifestly inadmissible and in part manifestly lacking any foundation in law.

2. Arcofin SCRL, Arcopar SCRL and Arcoplus shall pay the costs.

2. Arcofin SCRL, Arcopar SCRL and Arcoplus shall pay the costs.