Judgment of the General Court of 18 June 2013 – Portugal v Commission
(Case T-509/09) 1
(Fisheries – Financial contribution for the implementation of control and surveillance systems – Decision not to reimburse expenditure incurred for the purchase of two Ocean Patrol Vessels (OPV) – Article 296 EC – Directive 93/36/EEC – Legitimate expectations – Obligation to state reasons)
Language of the case: Portuguese
Parties
Applicant: Portuguese Republic (represented: initially by L. Inez Fernandes, A. Trindade Mimoso and A. Miranda Boavida, and subsequently by I. Inez Fernandes, H. Leitão and V. Coelho, acting as Agents)
Defendant: European Commission (represented by: A. Bouquet and M. Afonso, acting as Agents)
Re:
Action for annulment of Commission Decision of 14 October 2009 declaring ineligible for European Union financial support under Commission Decision 2002/978/EC of 10 December 2002 on the eligibility of expenditure on a number of operations to be incurred by certain Member States in 2002 in implementing the control, inspection and surveillance systems applicable to the common fisheries policy (OJ 2002 L 338, p. 33) expenditure associated with the purchase of two Ocean Patrol Vessels (OPV), to be used partly for the control and surveillance of fishing activities.
Operative part of the judgment
The Court:
Dismisses the action;
Orders the Portuguese Republic to pay the costs.
____________1 OJ C 80, 27.3.2010.