Judgment of the General Court of 17 February 2011 - UEFA v Commission
(Television broadcasting - Article 3a of Directive 89/552/EEC - Measures taken by the United Kingdom concerning events of major importance to United Kingdom society - European Football Championship - Decision declaring the measures compatible with Community law - Statement of reasons - Articles 49 EC and 86 EC - Right to property)
Language of the case: English
Parties
Applicant: Union des associations européennes de football (UEFA) (Nyon, Switzerland) (represented by: A. Bell, K. Learoyd, Solicitors, D. Anderson QC and B. Keane, Solicitor)
Defendant: European Commission (represented by: F. Benyon and E. Montaguti, Agents, assisted by J. Flynn QC and M. Lester, Barrister)
Interveners in support of the defendant: Kingdom of Belgium (represented by: C. Pochet, Agent, assisted by J. Stuyck, lawyer); United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (represented initially by: S. Behzadi-Spencer and V. Jackson, and subsequently by S. Behzadi-Spencer and L. Seeboruth, Agents, assisted by T. de la Mare and B. Kennelly, Barristers)
Re:
APPLICATION for partial annulment of Commission Decision 2007/730/EC of 16 October 2007 on the compatibility with Community law of measures taken by the United Kingdom pursuant to Article 3a(1) of Council Directive 89/552/EEC of 3 October 1989 on the coordination of certain provisions laid down by law, regulation or administrative action in Member States concerning the pursuit of television broadcasting activities (OJ 2007 L 295, p. 12).
Operative part of the judgment
The Court:
Dismisses the action;
Orders the Union des associations européennes de football (UEFA) to bear its own costs and to pay those incurred by the European Commission;
Orders the Kingdom of Belgium and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland to bear their own costs.
____________1 - OJ C 107, 26.4.2008.