Order of the President of the General Court of 14 July 2023 –
VC v EU-OSHA

(Case T‑126/23 R)

(Interim relief – Public supply contracts – Exclusion from procurement procedures and from the award of grants financed by the general budget of the European Union and by the EDF for a period of two years – Publication of information relating to that exclusion – Application for suspension of operation of a measure – Urgency – Prima facie case – Weighing up of interests)

1.      Interim relief – Suspension of operation of a measure – Interim measures – Conditions for granting – Prima facie case – Urgency – Serious and irreparable damage – Cumulative nature – Balancing of all the interests involved – Order of examination and method of verification – Discretion of the court hearing the application for interim relief

(Arts 256(1), 278 and 279 TFEU; Rules of Procedure of the General Court, Art. 156(4))

(see paragraphs 13, 15, 16, 54)

2.      Interim relief – Suspension of operation of a measure – Interim measures – Conditions for granting – Urgency – Serious and irreparable damage – Burden of proof – Financial loss – Obligation to provide specific and precise information, supported by detailed documentary evidence – Need to provide a true overall picture of the financial situation

(Arts 278 and 279 TFEU; Rules of Procedure of the General Court, Art. 156(4))

(see paragraphs 27-29)

3.      Interim relief – Suspension of operation of a measure – Interim measures – Conditions for granting – Urgency – Serious and irreparable damage – Financial loss – Harm resulting from the publication on the Internet of information relating to the exclusion of a tenderer from a public procurement procedure – Included

(Arts 278 and 279 TFEU; Rules of Procedure of the General Court, Art. 156)

(see paragraphs 34-38, 60)

4.      Interim relief – Suspension of operation of a measure – Conditions for granting – Prima facie case – Prima facie examination of the pleas in law put forward in support of the main action

(Arts 278 and 279 TFEU; Rules of Procedure of the General Court, Art. 156)

(see paragraph 39)

5.      Interim relief – Suspension of operation of a measure – Conditions for granting – Prima facie case – Prima facie examination of the pleas in law put forward in support of the main action – Action against a decision rejecting a tenderer’s bid in the context of a public procurement procedure – Plea based on the failure to take into account a final judgment – Plea prima facie not unfounded

(Arts 278 and 279 TFEU; Rules of Procedure of the General Court, Art. 156)

(see paragraphs 49-51)

Operative part

1. The operation of Decision 2023/01 of the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA) of 13 January 2023 on the exclusion of VC from participation in procedures for public procurement, grants, prizes, awards and financial instruments covered by the general budget of the European Union and from participation in award procedures covered by the European Development Fund on the basis of Council Regulation (EU) 2018/1877 is suspended in so far as that decision provides for, in Article 4 thereto, the publication on the website of the European Commission of certain information relating to the exclusion of VC’s participation in those procedures.

2. The application is dismissed as to the remainder.

3. The order of 13 March 2023, VC v EU-OSHA (T 126/23 R) is cancelled.

4. The costs are reserved.