Judgment of the General Court (Sixth Chamber) of 27 September 2012 — Producteurs de légumes de France v Commission

(Case T‑328/09)

State aid — Fruit and vegetable sector — ‘Contingency plans’ aimed at supporting the fruit and vegetable market in France — Decision declaring the aid to be incompatible with the common market — Legitimate expectation — Material error in the calculation of the amounts to be recovered

1.                     Community law — Principles — Protection of legitimate expectations — Conditions (see paras 18-19)

2.                     State aid — Recovery of unlawful aid — Aid granted in breach of the procedural rules under Article 88 EC — Legitimate expectations entertained by the recipients — Protection — Conditions and limits — Inaction on the part of the Commission — No legitimate expectations — Exceptional circumstances — None (Arts 87 EC and 88 EC) (see paras 20-22, 26-30)

Re:

APPLICATION for annulment of Commission Decision C(2009) 203 final of 28 January 2009 on the ‘contingency plans’ in the fruit and vegetable sector implemented by the French Republic.

Operative part

The Court:

1. Dismisses the action;

2. Orders Producteurs de légumes de France to pay the costs.