Order of the General Court (Second Chamber) of 21 March 2014 — Frucona Košice v Commission

(Case T‑11/07 RENV)

State aid — Spirit and spirit-based beverages — Cancellation of a tax debt in a collective bankruptcy procedure — Decision declaring the aid incompatible with the internal market and ordering its recovery — No longer any legal interest in bringing proceedings — Decision repealing and replacing the contested decision — No need to adjudicate

1.                     Actions for annulment — Interest in bringing proceedings — Decision replacing the contested decision during the proceeding — Refusal on the part of the applicant to amend his claims as a result — Application devoid of purpose — No need to adjudicate (Art. 263 TFEU; Rules of Procedure of the General Court, Art. 114) (see paras 34-39)

2.                     Judicial proceedings — Costs — No need to adjudicate — Action devoid of purpose on account of the annulment and replacement of the contested decision — Decision vitiated by an obvious error of assessment or insufficient statement of reasons — Responsibility of the defendant institution (Rules of Procedure of the General Court, Art. 87(6)) (see paras 41, 43-46)

Re:

APPLICATION for annulment of Commission Decision 2007/254/EC of 7 June 2006 on State aid C 25/05 (ex NN 21/05) implemented by the Slovak Republic for Fruncona Košice a.s. (OJ 2007 L 112, p. 14).

Operative part

1. There is no need to adjudicate on the action.

2. The European Commission is ordered to bear its own costs and pay those incurred by Frucona Košice a.s.

3. St. Nicolaus — trade a.s. is ordered to bear its own costs.