Judgment of the General Court (Seventh Chamber) of 8 September 2021 –
Naturgy Energy Group v Commission

(Case T‑328/18)

(State aid – Environmental incentive adopted by Spain in favour of coal-fired power plants – Decision to initiate the procedure laid down by Article 108(2) TFEU – Obligation to state reasons – Manifest error of assessment – Selective nature)

1.      State aid – Examination by the Commission – Decision to initiate the procedure laid down by Article 108(2) TFEU – Obligation to state reasons – Scope – Decision to enable interested parties to participate effectively in the formal investigation procedure – Brief statement of reasons relating to the selective nature of the national measure in question – Whether permissible

(Arts 107(1), 108(2) and 296(2) TFEU; Council Regulation 2015/1589, Arts 6(1) and 9(2))

(see paras 59-63, 66-80)

2.      State aid – Definition – Selective nature of the measure – Environmental incentive adopted by Spain in favour of coal-fired power plants – Appropriate criterion for establishing the selectivity of the measure

(Art. 107(1) TFEU)

(see paras 96, 97)

3.      State aid – Examination by the Commission – Decision to initiate the procedure laid down by Article 108(2) TFEU – Judicial review – Limits – Manifest error of assessment

(Arts 107(1) and 108(2) TFEU)

(see paras 98, 99, 115, 116, 126, 130)

Re:

Application under Article 263 TFEU for annulment of Commission Decision C(2017) 7733 final of 27 November 2017, concerning State Aid SA.47912 (2017/NN) – Environmental incentive adopted by Spain in favour of coal-fired power plants, initiating the formal investigation procedure laid down by Article 108(2) TFEU.

Operative part

The Court:

1. Dismisses the action;

2. Orders Naturgy Energy Group, SA to bear its own costs and to pay those incurred by the European Commission;

3. Orders Viesgo Producción, SL and EDP España, SA to bear their own costs.