Order of the General Court (Ninth Chamber) of 3 April 2014 — CFE-CGC France Télécom-Orange v Commission

(Case T‑2/13)

Action for annulment — State aid — Decision declaring the aid compatible with the internal market on certain conditions — Trade union — Not individually affected — Inadmissibility

1.                     Judicial proceedings — No obligation on the General Court to commence the oral procedure before ruling on an objection of inadmissibility (Rules of Procedure of the General Court, Art. 114(1) and (3)) (see para. 18)

2.                     Actions for annulment — Natural or legal persons — Meaning of ‘regulatory act’ in Article 263, fourth paragraph, TFEU — Any act of general scope except for legislative measures — Decision of the Commission declaring an individual aid compatible with the internal market on certain conditions — Not included (Art. 263, fourth para., TFEU) (see paras 27, 28)

3.                     Actions for annulment — Natural or legal persons — Measures of direct and individual concern to them — Decision of the Commission declaring aid compatible with the internal market on certain conditions — Action by a trade union representing workers of the undertaking benefiting from the aid — No position of negotiator closely linked to the subject matter of the contested decision — Competitive position of the trade union in relation to other trade unions not affected — Members of the trade union having no capacity to bring an action — Inadmissibility (Art. 263, fourth para., TFEU) (see paras 30, 32, 36-54)

4.                     Judicial proceedings — Intervention — Action in the main proceedings clearly inadmissible — Order of inadmissibility pronounced before ruling on the application to intervene — Lawfulness (Rules of Procedure of the General Court, Arts 111, 114(4), and 116(3)) (see para. 55)

Re:

APPLICATION for annulment of Commission Decision 2012/540/EU of 20 December 2011 concerning State aid No C 25/2008 (ex NN 23/2008) — Reform of the method of financing the pensions of public-service employees working for France Télécom implemented by the French Republic in favour of France Télécom (OJ 2012 L 279, p. 1).

Operative part

1. The action is dismissed as inadmissible.

2. There is no need to adjudicate on the application for leave to intervene of the French Republic.

3. CFE-CGC France Télécom-Orange is ordered to bear its own costs and pay those incurred by the European Commission.

4. The French Republic is ordered to bear its own costs.