Request for a preliminary ruling from the Consiglio di Stato (Italy) lodged on 6 April 2021 – Italy Emergenza Cooperativa Sociale v Azienda Sanitaria Provinciale di Cosenza

(Case C-214/21)

Language of the case: Italian

Referring court

Consiglio di Stato

Parties to the main proceedings

Applicant and appellant: Italy Emergenza Cooperativa Sociale

Defendant and respondent: Azienda Sanitaria Provinciale di Cosenza

Intervener: ANPAS – Associazione Nazionale Pubbliche Assistenze Odv

Question referred

Does Article 10(h) of Directive 2014/24/EU ¹  – together with recital 28 of that directive – preclude national legislation which provides that contracts for the provision of emergency ambulance transport services may be directly awarded, on a preferential basis, solely to voluntary organisations – provided that they have been registered for at least six months in the national third sector register, belong to a network of associations and are accredited under the relevant sectoral regional legislation (if any) and on the condition that such an award ensures that the service can be provided within a framework of effective contributions to social goals, which pursues objectives of solidarity, in an economically efficient and appropriate manner and in accordance with the principles of transparency and non-discrimination – to the exclusion of other non-profit organisations, and more specifically social cooperatives, such as non-profit-making social enterprises, including social cooperatives which offer rebates to their members in relation to activities of general interest, within the meaning of Article 3(2a) of Legislative Decree No 112/2017?

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¹     Directive 2014/24/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 February 2014 on public procurement and repealing Directive 2004/18/EC (OJ 2014 L 94, p. 65).