Judgment of the General Court (Sixth Chamber) of 10 June 2020 –
Spliethoff’s Bevrachtingskantoor v Commission

(Case T‑564/15 RENV)

(Financial assistance in the field of Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) – Transport sector for the period 2014-2020 – Calls for proposals – Decision establishing the list of proposals selected – Rejection of the proposal – Manifest errors of assessment – Equal treatment – Obligation to state reasons)

1.      Economic, social and territorial cohesion – Structural assistance – European Union funding – Major projects – Assessment – Discretion of the Commission – Criteria for the grant of financing

(see paras 61-63, 80)

2.      Economic, social and territorial cohesion – Structural assistance – European Union funding – Major projects – Assessment – Discretion of the Commission – Proposal rejected as it was not comparable to the accepted proposals – Burden of proof – No breach of the principle of equal treatment

(see paras 88-93, 97)

3.      Economic, social and territorial cohesion – Structural assistance – European Union funding – Major projects – Assessment – Discretion of the Commission – Sufficient and comprehensible nature of the reasons that led the Commission not to accept the rejected proposal – No infringement of the duty to state reasons

(see paras 119, 120)

Re:

Action under Article 263 TFEU for the annulment of Commission Implementing Decision C(2015) 5274 final of 31 July 2015 establishing the list of proposals selected for receiving EU financial assistance in the field of Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) – Transport sector, following the calls for proposals launched on 11 September 2014 based on the Multi-Annual Work Programme.

Operative part

The Court:

1. Dismisses the action;

2. Orders the European Commission to pay its own costs as well as those incurred by Spliethoff’s Bevrachtingskantoor BV relating to the appeal proceedings before the Court of Justice, in Case C‑635/16 P, and relating to the initial proceedings before the General Court, in Case T‑564/15;

3. Orders Spliethoff’s Bevrachtingskantoor to pay the costs relating to the proceedings referred back to the General Court, in Case T‑564/15 RENV.