Judgment of the General Court of of 31 January 2013 - Spain v Commission

(Case T-235/11) 

(Cohesion Fund - Reduction of the financial assistance initially granted by the Fund to five projects concerning the implementation of certain lines of the high-speed railway network in Spain - Time-limit for the adoption of a decision - Article H(2) of Annex II to Regulation (EC) No 1164/94 - Article 18(3) of Regulation (EC) No 1386/2002 - Additional deliveries - Additional works or services - Concept of 'unforeseen circumstance' - Article 20(2)(e) and (f) of Directive 93/38/EEC)

Language of the case: Spanish

Parties

Applicant: Kingdom of Spain (represented by: M. Muñoz Pérez and N. Díaz Abad initially, then by N. Díaz Abad and A. Rubio González, abogados del Estado)

Defendant: European Commission (represented by: E. Adserá Ribera and D. Recchia, Agents)

Re:

Primarily, application for annulment of Commission Decision C(2011) 1023 final of 18 February 2011 reducing assistance from the Cohesion Fund for the project phases entitled 'Supply and assembly of track materials for the Madrid-Zaragoza-Barcelona-French border High-Speed Line. Madrid-Lleida section' (CCI 1999.ES.16.C.PT.001), 'Madrid-Barcelona High-Speed Rail line. Lleida-Martorell section (Platform, 1st phase)' (CCI 2000.ES.16.C.PT.001), 'Madrid-Zaragoza-Barcelona-French border High-Speed Line. Approaches to Zaragoza' (CCI 2000.ES.16.C.PT.003), 'Madrid- Barcelona-French border High-Speed Line. Lleida-Martorell section. X-A sub-section (Olérdola - Avinyonet del Penedés)' (CCI 2001.ES.16.C.PT.007), 'New High-Speed rail access to Levante. La Gineta-Albacete sub-section (Platform)' (CCI 2004.ES.16.C.PT.014) and, in the alternative, application for partial annulment of the same decision so far as concerns the corrections made by the Commission.

Operative part of the judgment

The Court:

Dismisses the action;

Orders the Kingdom of Spain to pay the costs.

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¹ - OJ C 186, 25.6.2011.