Judgment of the General Court of 15 July 2020 – Ireland and Others v Commission
(Cases T-778/16 and T-892/16) 1
(State aid – Aid implemented by Ireland – Decision declaring the aid incompatible with the internal market and unlawful and ordering recovery of the aid – Advance tax decisions (tax rulings) – Selective tax advantages – Arm’s length principle)
Language of the case: English
Parties
Applicant in Case T-778/16: Ireland (represented by: K. Duggan, M. Browne, J. Quaney and A. Joyce, acting as Agents, and P. Gallagher, M. Collins, Senior Counsel, P. Baker QC, S. Kingston, C. Donnelly, A. Goodman and B. Doherty, Barristers)
Applicants in Case T-892/16: Apple Sales International (Cork, Ireland), Apple Operations Europe (Cork) (represented by: A. von Bonin and E. van der Stok, lawyers, D. Beard QC, and A. Bates, L. Osepciu and J. Bourke, Barristers)
Defendant: European Commission (represented by: P.-J. Loewenthal and R. Lyal, acting as Agents)
Intervener in Case T-778/16, in support of the applicant: Grand Duchy of Luxembourg (represented by: T. Uri, acting as Agent, and D. Waelbroeck and S. Naudin, lawyers)
Intervener in Case T-892/16, in support of the applicants: Ireland (represented by: K. Duggan, J. Quaney, M. Browne, A Joyce, P. Gallagher, M. Collins, P. Baker, S. Kingston, C. Donnelly, and B. Doherty)
Intervener in Case T-778/16, in support of the defendant: Republic of Poland (represented by: B. Majczyna, M. Rzotkiewicz and A. Kramarczyk-Szaładzińska, acting as Agents)
Intervener in Case T-892/16, in support of the defendant: EFTA Surveillance Authority (represented by: C. Zatschler, M. Sánchez Rydelski and C. Simpson, acting as Agents)
Re:
Applications under Article 263 TFEU for annulment of Commission Decision (EU) 2017/1283 of 30 August 2016 on State aid SA.38373 (2014/C) (ex 2014/NN) (ex 2014/CP) implemented by Ireland to Apple (OJ 2017 L 187, p. 1).
Operative part of the judgment
The Court:
Joins Cases T-778/16 and T-892/16 for the purposes of the present judgment;
Annuls Commission Decision (EU) 2017/1283 of 30 August 2016 on State aid SA.38373 (2014/C) (ex 2014/NN) (ex 2014/CP) implemented by Ireland to Apple;
Orders the European Commission to bear its own costs and to pay those of Ireland, in the context of Case T-778/16, and those of Apple Sales International and Apple Operations Europe;
Orders Ireland, in the context of Case T-892/16, the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, the Republic of Poland and the EFTA Surveillance Authority to bear their own costs.
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1 OJ C 38, 6.2.2017.