Judgment of the General Court (Seventh Chamber) of 15 January 2014 — SICOM v Commission

(Case T‑279/12)

Arbitration clause — Food aid — Supply of colza oil to Guinea — Non-performance of the contract — Limitation period

1.                     Judicial proceedings — Absolute bar to proceeding — To be considered of the Court’s own motion — Limitation period — Expiry not constituting an absolute bar to proceeding (Rules of Procedure of the General Court, Art. 113) (see para. 25)

2.                     Agriculture — Common agricultural policy — Food aid — Implementation — Delivery of goods — Payment to the supplier — Commission operating a retention for non-performance of the contract — Challenge by the supplier — Limitation period — Point from which time starts to run (Commission Regulation No 2519/97, Art. 18(5) to (7)) (see paras 29, 30, 35, 38, 39)

Re:

APPLICATION under an arbitration clause seeking an order that the Commission pay the applicant a sum corresponding to penalties imposed in relation to quantities not delivered and delays in supply, deducted by the Commission from the final amount paid to the applicant for the delivery of refined colza oil for the benefit of the Republic of Guinea, in the context of a food aid operation carried out pursuant to Commission Regulation (EC) No 664/2001 of 2 April 2001 on the supply of vegetable oil as food aid (OJ 2001 L 93, p. 3).

Operative part

The Court:

1. Dismisses the action as inadmissible;

2. Orders SICOM Srl — Società industriale per il confezionamento degli olii meridionale to pay the costs.