Judgment of the General Court (Fourth Chamber) of 8 May 2019 –
Enrico Colombo and Corinti Giacomo v Commission

(Case T‑690/16)

(Public works contracts — Tendering procedure — JRC in Ispra — Works for the construction and maintenance of water pipes and district heating/cooling substations — Rejection of a tenderer’s bid — Action for annulment — Action for damages — Obligation to state reasons)

1.      Action for annulment — Actionable measures — Meaning — Measures producing binding legal effects — Preparatory measures — Not included

(Art. 263 TFEU)

(see paras 65, 66)

2.      Action for annulment — Jurisdiction of the EU judicature — Claim seeking that directions be issued to an institution — Inadmissibility

(Arts 263, 264 and 266 TFEU)

(see para. 69)

3.      EU public contracts — Conclusion of a contract following a call for tenders — Discretion of the institutions — Judicial review — Limits

(see para. 81)

4.      Action for annulment — Pleas in law — Action against a decision rejecting a tender submitted by a tenderer in the context of a public procurement procedure launched by an EU institution — Plea in law alleging a manifest error of assessment on the part of the contracting authority — Burden of proof incumbent on the applicant

(Art. 263 TFEU)

(see para. 82)

5.      Non-contractual liability — Conditions — Unlawfulness — Injury — Causal link — One of the conditions not satisfied — Claim for compensation dismissed in its entirety

(Art. 340, second para. TFEU)

(see para. 118)

6.      Acts of the institutions — Statement of reasons — Obligation — Scope — Decision, in the award procedure for a public works contract, not to accept a tender — Obligation on the awarding authority to notify, on written request, the characteristics and relative advantages of the tender accepted and the name of the successful tenderer

(Art. 296 TFEU; European Parliament and Council Regulation 2015/1929, Art. 113(2); Commission Regulation 2015/2462, Art. 161(2))

(see para. 126)

Re:

First, application on the basis of Article 263 TFEU seeking, in essence, annulment of the Commission’s decisions rejecting the tender submitted by the applicants in connection with the tendering procedure JRC/IPR/2016/C4/0002/OC, concerning a Framework agreement for the construction and maintenance of water pipes and heating/cooling substations at the Joint Research Centre (JRC) in Ispra (Italy) and awarding that contract to another tenderer and, secondly, application on the basis of Article 268 TFEU seeking compensation in respect of the harm allegedly suffered by the applicants as a result of those decisions.

Operative part

The Court:

1. Dismisses the action;

2. Orders Enrico Colombo SpA and Corinti Giacomo to pay the costs.