Judgment of the General Court (Second Chamber) of 5 February 2018 –
Dôvera zdravotná poist'ovňa v Commission
(Case T‑216/15)
(State aid — Health insurance bodies — Capital increase, debt repayment, subsidies and Risk Equalisation Scheme — Decision finding no State aid — Concept of State aid — Concept of undertaking and economic activity — Principle of solidarity — State supervision — Activity that is economic in nature — Competition on quality — Presence of operators seeking to make a profit — Pursuit, use and distribution of profits — Error of law — Error of assessment)
1. State aid — Meaning — Legal nature — Interpretation on the basis of objective factors — Judicial review — Scope
(Art. 107(1) TFEU)
(see para. 40)
2. State aid — Meaning — Measures intended to grant financial advantages to State-owned health insurance bodies — Included — Condition — Economic nature of the activity of health insurance — Criteria for assessment — Ability of health insurance companies to make, use and distribute part of their profits — Existence of a certain amount of competition as to the quality and scope of services provided — Presence of operators seeking to make a profit
(Art. 107(1) TFEU)
(see paras 45-71)
Re:
| Application pursuant to Article 263 TFEU for annulment of Commission Decision (EU) 2015/248 of 15 October 2014 on the measures SA.23008 (2013/C) (ex 2013/NN) granted by the Slovak Republic to Spoločná zdravotná poisťovňa, a.s. (SZP) and Všeobecná zdravotná poisťovňa, a.s. (VšZP) (OJ 2015 L 41, p. 25). |
Operative part
The Court:
1. | | Annuls Commission Decision (EU) 2015/248 of 15 October 2014 on the measures SA.23008 (2013/C) (ex 2013/NN) implemented by the Slovak Republic for Spoločná zdravotná poisťovňa, a.s. (SZP) and Všeobecná zdravotná poisťovňa, a.s. (VšZP); |
2. | | Orders the European Commission to bear its own costs and to pay those incurred by Dôvera zdravotná poist'ovňa, a.s. and by Union zdravotná poist’ovňa a.s.; |
3. | | Orders the Republic of Slovakia to bear its own costs. |