Judgment of the General Court (Fifth Chamber) of 28 January 2016 —
Zafeiropoulos v Cedefop

(Case T‑537/12)

Public service contracts — Tendering procedure — Provision of medical services for the benefit of Cedefop staff — Rejection of the bid of one tenderer and award of the contract to another tenderer — Refusal to allow access to certain documents concerning other tenderers who participated in the tendering procedure — Obligation to state reasons — Protection of commercial interests and reputation — Personal data protection — Protection of the decision-making process — Non-contractual liability

1.                     European Union public contracts — Conclusion of a contract following a call for tenders — Discretion of the institutions — Judicial review — Limits (Council Regulation No 1605/2002; Commission Regulation No 2342/2002) (see paras 36, 63)

2.                     Actions for annulment — Actionable measures — Concept — Decision refusing an application for access to documents of an institution — Exclusion (Art. 263 TFEU; European Parliament and Council Regulation No 1049/2001, Art. 8(1)) (see para 84)

3.                     Non-contractual liability — Conditions — Unlawfulness — Damage — Causal link — One of those conditions lacking — Claim for compensation dismissed in its entirety (Art. 340, second para., TFEU) (see para. 90)

4.                     Non-contractual liability — Conditions — Real and certain damage caused by an illegal measure — Burden of proof — Damage arising from adverse effects on the reputation and credibility of an unsuccessful tenderer in an unlawful contract award procedure — Claim for compensation not supported by explanations or evidence — No real damage (Art. 340, second para., TFEU) (see paras 91, 94)

5.                     Non-contractual liability — Conditions — Real and certain damage caused by an illegal measure — Concept — Loss of an opportunity to be awarded a public contract — Inclusion — Conditions (Art. 340, second para., TFEU) (see paras 96, 97)

6.                     European Union public contracts — Conclusion of a contract following a call for tenders — No obligation on an awarding authority to complete a tendering procedure (Council Regulation No 1605/2002, Art. 101; Commission Regulation No 2342/2002, Art. 149(1)) (see para. 99)

Re:

APPLICATION, first, for annulment of (i) the decision of Cedefop of 8 October 2012 rejecting the tender submitted by the applicant in response to the contract notice of 19 June 2012 published in the Supplement to the Official Journal of the European Union (OJ 2012/S 115-189528) concerning the provision of medical services to Cedefop staff in Thessaloniki (Greece); (ii) the decision of Cedefop of 9 October 2012 awarding the contract set out in that contract notice to a tenderer other than the applicant; and (iii) the decision of Cedefop rejecting the applicant’s request for access to certain documents relating to the contract award procedure; and, secondly, for compensation for the harm suffered by the applicant as a result of the infringements allegedly committed by Cedefop.

Operative part

The Court:

1. Annuls the decision of the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training (Cedefop) of 8 October 2012 rejecting the tender submitted by Mr Panteleimon Zafeiropoulos in response to the contract notice dated 19 June 2012 concerning the provision of medical services to Cedefop staff in Thessaloniki (Greece) and the decision of Cedefop of 9 October 2012 awarding the contract set out in that contract notice to a tenderer other than Mr Zafeiropoulos;

2. Dismisses the action as to the remainder;

3. Orders Cedefop to bear its own costs and to pay one third of the costs incurred by Mr Zafeiropoulos;

4. Orders Mr Zafeiropoulos to bear two thirds of his own costs.