Judgment of the General Court of 20 September 2011 - Regione autonoma della Sardegna and others v Commission
(Joined Cases T-394/08, T-408/08, T-453/08 and T-454/08) 1 (State aids - Aid in favour of the hotel industry in the Region of Sardinia - Decision declaring the aid partly compatible and partly incompatible with the common market and ordering its recovery - New aid - Obligation to state reasons - Protection of legitimate expectations - Incentive effect - De minimis rule)
Language of the case: Italian
Parties
Applicant: Regione autonoma della Sardegna (Italy) (represented by: A. Fantozzi, P. Carrozza and G. Mameli, lawyers) (Case T-394/08); SF Turistico Immobiliare Srl (Orosei, Italy) (represented by: L. Marcialis, lawyer) (T-408/08); Timsas Srl (Arezzo, Italy) (represented by: D. Dodaro, S. Pinna and S. Cianciullo, lawyers) (T-453/08); and Grand Hotel Abi D'Oru SpA (Olbia) (represented by: D. Dodaro, S. Cianciullo, and R. Masuri, lawyers) (T-454/08)
Defendant: European Commission (represented by: in Cases T-394/08 and T-454/08 E. Righini, D. Grespan and C. Urraca Caviedes; in Case T-408/08 E. Righini and D. Grespan; and in Case T-453/08 D. Grespan and C. Urraca Caviedes, agents)
Interveners in support of the applicant in Case T-394/08: Selene di Alessandra Cannas Sas (Cagliari, Italy); HGA Srl (Golfo Aranci, Italy); Gimar Srl (Sassari, Italy); Coghene Costruzioni Srl (Alghero, Italy); Camping Pini e Mare di Cogoni Franco & C. Sas (Quartu Sant'Elena, Italy); Immobiliare 92 Srl (Arzachena, Italy); Gardena Srl (Santa Teresa di Gallura, Italy); Hotel Stella 2000 Srl (Olbia, Italy); Vadis Srl (Valledoria, Italy); Macpep Srl (Sorso, Italy); San Marco SRl, (Alghero); Due Lune SpA (Milan, Italy); Nicos Residence Srl (Santa Teresa di Gallura); Rosa Murgese (Iglesias, Italy); Mavi Srl (Arzachena); Hotel Mistral di Bruno Madeddu & C. Sas (Alghero); L'Esagono di Mario Azara & C. Snc (San Teodoro, Italy); Le Buganville di Cogoni Giuseppe & C. Snc (Villasimius, Italy); and Le Dune di Stefanelli Vincenzo & C. Snc (Arbus, Italy) (represented by: G. Dore, F. Cuilli and A. Vinci, lawyers)
Re:
Application for annulment of Commission Decision 2008/854/EC of 2 July 2008 on a State aid scheme (C 1/04 (ex NN 158/03 and CP 15/2003)): Misuse of aid measure N 272/98, Regional Act No 9 of 1998 (OJ 2008 L 302, p. 9), by which the Regione autonoma della Sardegna gave grants towards initial investment in the hotel industry in Sardinia.
Operative part of the judgment
The Court:
Joins Cases T-394/08, T-408/08, T-453/08 and T-454/08 for the purposes of judgment;
Dismisses the actions;
Orders the applicants to pay the Commission's costs, excluding those incurred by it as a result of its intervention, and their own costs;
Orders the interveners in Case T-394/08 to bear the Commission's costs relating to the intervention and their own costs.
____________1 - OJ C 285, 8.11.2008.