Judgment of the General Court (Second Chamber) of 15 October 2013 —
European Dynamics Belgium and Others v EMA

(Case T‑638/11)

Public service contracts — Tender procedure of the EMA — Provision of software application support services — Rejection of a tender — Award criteria — Statement of reasons — Observance of the award criteria set out in the tendering specifications — Establishment of subheadings for the award criteria — Access to documents

1.                     Acts of the institutions — Statement of reasons — Obligation — Scope — Decision, in the procedure for the award of a public service contract, not to accept a tender — Obligation to communicate, following a written request, the characteristics and relative advantages of the tender accepted and the name of the tenderer — Obligation on the awarding authority to provide a statement of reasons showing clearly and unequivocally the legal and factual elements justifying the rejection of the tender and acceptance of another tender — Scope (Art. 296, second para., TFEU; Council Regulation No 1605/2002, Art. 100(2); Commission Regulation No 2342/2002, Arts 147(2) and 149(3)) (see paras 21-24, 29, 30, 34-38, 40, 54-56, 58, 63-68)

2.                     Acts of the institutions — Statement of reasons — Obligation — Scope — Decision, in the procedure for the award of a public service contract, not to accept a tender — Assessment in the light of information available to the applicant at the time the action brought (Art. 296, second para., TFEU; Council Regulation No 1605/2002, Art. 100(2); Commission Regulation No 2342/2002, Arts 147(2), and 149(3)) (see para. 59)

3.                     Actions for annulment — Actionable measures — Decision of an EU agency refusing access to documents — Documents communicated during the proceedings — Application devoid of purpose — No need to adjudicate (Art. 263 TFEU; European Parliament and Council Regulation No 1049/2001) (see paras 73, 74)

Re:

ANNULMENT of, first, decision EMA/787935/2011 of the European Medicines Agency of 3 October 2011, by which the tender submitted by the applicants in tender procedure EMA/2011/05/DV was rejected and, second, annulment of decision EMA/882467/2011 of the acting Executive Director of the EMA of 9 November 2011, by which the applicants’ confirmatory application for access to the tender procedure documents relating to the composition of the evaluation committee was rejected.

Operative part

The Court:

1. Annuls decision EMA/787935/2011 of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) of 3 October 2011, by which the tender submitted by European Dynamics Belgium SA; European Dynamics Luxembourg SA, Evropaïki Dynamiki — Proigmena Systimata Tilepikoinonion Pliroforikis kai Tilematikis AE and European Dynamics UK Ltd in connection with tender procedure EMA/2011/05/DV was rejected;

2. Holds that there is no longer any need to adjudicate on the pleas seeking annulment of decision EMA/882467/2011 of the acting Executive Director of the EMA of 9 November 2011, by which the applicants’ confirmatory application for access to the tender procedure documents relating to the composition of the evaluation committee was rejected;

3. Orders the EMA to pay the costs.