Judgment of the General Court (Third Chamber) of 13 September 2016 —
ENAC v INEA

(Case T‑695/13)

Financial aid — Projects of common interest in the field of trans-European transport and energy networks — Realisation of a study for the intermodal development of Bergamo-Orio al Serio Airport — Determination of the final amount of the financial aid — Ineligible costs — Error of law — Obligation to state reasons

1.                     Acts of the institutions — Statement of reasons — Obligation — Scope — Assessment of the duty to state reasons by reference to the circumstances of the case (Art. 296 TFEU) (see paras 29-31)

2.                     Approximation of laws — Procedures for awarding contracts in the water, energy, transport and postal services sectors — Directive 2004/17 — Public service contract — Definition — Engineering services concerning the carrying out of a study relating to a single public work — Unitary character of their economic and technical function — Inclusion — Severance of the services by the awarding authority — Not permissible (European Parliament and Council Directive 2004/17, Art. 17(2)) (see paras 47, 48, 50, 60)

3.                     EU law — Principles — Protection of legitimate expectations — Conditions — Specific assurances given by the authorities — Concept — Silence of the administration — Exclusion (see paras 76-78, 80)

4.                     Judicial proceedings — Application initiating proceedings — Formal requirements — Brief summary of the pleas in law on which the application is based (Rules of Procedure of the General Court, Art. 76(d)) (see para. 82)

5.                     Approximation of laws — Procedures for awarding contracts in the water, energy, transport and postal services sectors — Directive 2004/17 — Derogations from common rules — Conditions — Restrictive interpretation (European Parliament and Council Directive 2004/17, Art. 40(3)(c) and (d); Council Directive 93/38, Art. 20(2)(c) and (d)) (see paras 87, 93, 96, 97)

Re:

APPLICATION based on Article 263 TFEU and seeking annulment of the letters of 18 March and 23 October 2013 of the Trans-European Transport Network Executive Agency (TEN-TEA), now INEA, relating to certain costs incurred on the occasion of the completion of a feasibility study for the intermodal nature of the Bergame-Orio al Serio airport (Italy) following the financial assistance granted by the European Commission to the applicant.

Operative part

The Court:

1. Dismisses the action;

2. Orders the Ente nazionale per l’aviazione civile (ENAC, the National civil aviation authority, Italy) to pay the costs.