Reports of Cases

2001 I-02099

Subject-matter

Preliminary ruling ─ Landgericht Kiel ─ Interpretation of Article 92 of the EC Treaty ─ Definition of State aid ─ National legislation obliging electricity distributors to acquire, at prices set by the State, production from renewable sources of energy without it being possible to pass the excess cost to the final consumer ─ Interpretation of Article 93(3) of the EC Treaty ─ Interpretation of Article 30 of the EC Treaty ─ Obstacles to the importation of electricity because of an obligation to buy national production which is less economically advantageous

Systematic classification scheme

Citations of case-law or legislation

References in grounds of judgment

• EC Treaty (Maastricht), Article 5 : paragraph 65
• EC Treaty (Maastricht), Article 30 : paragraphs 52, 68, 69, 72, 81
• EC Treaty (Maastricht), Article 85 : paragraph 64
• EC Treaty (Maastricht), Article 92 : paragraphs 50, 51, 64, 65
• EC Treaty (Maastricht), Article 92 -P1 : paragraphs 57, 58, 61, 66
• EC Treaty (Maastricht), Article 93 -P3 : paragraph 50
• EC Treaty (Maastricht), Article 130R : paragraph 76
• EC Treaty (Maastricht), Article 177 : paragraph 38
• EC Treaty (Amsterdam), Article 6 : paragraph 76
• Decision 94/69 : paragraph 74
• Directive 96/92 -A08P3 : paragraph 77
• Directive 96/92 -A11P3 : paragraph 77
• Directive 96/92 -C28 : paragraph 77
• Directive 96/92 -C39 : paragraph 78
• Secondary Legislation - Document published in the OJ C series- 31998Y0624(01) : paragraph 74
• Decision 2000/646 : paragraph 74
• Commission - COM Document (Draft Legislation) - 52000PC0279 : paragraph 80
• Court of Justice - Judgment C -8/74 : paragraph 69
• Court of Justice - Judgment C -82/77 : paragraph 58
• Court of Justice - Judgment C -244/80 : paragraph 39
• Court of Justice - Judgment C -72/83 : paragraph 70
• Court of Justice - Judgment C -21/88 : paragraph 70
• Court of Justice - Judgment C -72/91 : paragraphs 58, 62
• Court of Justice - Judgment C -189/91 : paragraph 58
• Court of Justice - Judgment C -415/93 : paragraphs 38, 39
• Court of Justice - Judgment C -52/97 : paragraph 58
• Court of Justice - Judgment C -200/97 : paragraphs 58, 62
• Court of Justice - Judgment C -295/97 : paragraph 58
• Court of Justice - Judgment C -435/97 : paragraph 40
• Court of Justice - Judgment C -322/98 : paragraph 39
• Court of Justice - Judgment C -36/99 : paragraph 39

Operative part

• Interprets : EC Treaty (Maastricht), Article 92 -P1
• Interprets : EC Treaty (Maastricht), Article 30

Opinion

• EEC Treaty (Rome) - Protocol on the Statute of the Court of Justice, Article 20 : points 68 - 71
  
• EC Treaty (Maastricht), Article 5 : point 181
  
• EC Treaty (Maastricht), Article 5 -L2 : points 184, 185
  
• EC Treaty (Maastricht), Article 30 : points 101, 197, 201, 202, 204, 216, 228, 229, 238
  
• EC Treaty (Maastricht), Article 36 : points 209, 210, 216, 232
  
• EC Treaty (Maastricht), Article 92 : points 138, 159
  
• EC Treaty (Maastricht), Article 92 -P1 : points 107, 114, 116, 117, 152 - 157, 159, 164, 184, 186
  
• EC Treaty (Maastricht), Article 93 : points 156, 182 - 184
  
• EC Treaty (Maastricht), Article 130R -P2 : points 224, 233, 235
  
• EC Treaty (Maastricht), Article 169 : points 158, 182
  
• EC Treaty (Maastricht), Article 177 : points 68, 75, 88
  
• EC Treaty (Amsterdam), Article 6 : point 231
  
• Court of Justice - Judgment C -62/72 : point 68
  
• Court of Justice - Judgment C -78/76 : points 138, 144
  
• Court of Justice - Judgment C -82/77 : points 118, 130, 158
  
• Court of Justice - Judgment C -120/78 : point 216
  
• Court of Justice - Judgment C -244/78 : point 80
  
• Court of Justice - Judgment C -104/79 : point 75
  
• Court of Justice - Judgment C -112/80 : point 81
  
• Court of Justice - Judgment C -244/80 : point 76
  
• Court of Justice - Judgment C -213/81 : point 119
  
• Court of Justice - Judgment C -249/81 : point 201
  
• Court of Justice - Judgment C -314/81 : point 102
  
• Court of Justice - Judgment C -177/82 : point 204
  
• Court of Justice - Opinion C -290/83 : point 124
  
• Court of Justice - Judgment C -16/83 : point 204
  
• Court of Justice - Judgment C -72/83 : points 201, 209
  
• Court of Justice - Judgment C -269/83 : point 204
  
• Court of Justice - Judgment C -290/83 : points 122, 125, 144, 181
  
• Court of Justice - Judgment C -103/84 : points 201, 204
  
• Court of Justice - Judgment C -67/85 : points 126, 169
  
• Court of Justice - Opinion C -57/86 : point 126
  
• Court of Justice - Judgment C -57/86 : point 126
  
• Court of Justice - Judgment C -302/86 : point 216
  
• Court of Justice - Judgment C -298/87 : point 104
  
• Court of Justice - Judgment C -21/88 : point 201
  
• Court of Justice - Judgment C -2/90 : point 224
  
• Court of Justice - Judgment C -72/91 : point 127
  
• Court of Justice - Judgment C -189/91 : point 131
  
• Court of Justice - Judgment C -332/92 : point 81
  
• Court of Justice - Opinion C -412/93 : point 78
  
• Court of Justice - Judgment C -412/93 : point 78
  
• Court of Justice - Judgment C -321/94 : point 101
  
• General Court - Judgment T -358/94 : points 164, 165
  
• Court of Justice - Judgment C -28/95 : point 104
  
• Court of Justice - Order C -181/95 : point 71
  
• Court of Justice - Judgment C -203/96 : point 227
  
• Court of Justice - Judgment C -266/96 : point 204
  
• Court of Justice - Judgment C -389/96 : point 227
  
• Court of Justice - Judgment C -52/97 : point 131
  
• Court of Justice - Judgment C -200/97 : points 131, 172, 174 - 176
  
• Court of Justice - Judgment C -295/97 : points 131, 172, 174 - 176
  
• Court of Justice - Judgment C -44/98 : point 204
  
• Court of Justice - Judgment C -83/98 : points 132, 164, 165
  
• Court of Justice - Judgment C -254/98 : point 204
  
• Court of Justice - Judgment C -281/98 : point 104
  
• Court of Justice - Judgment C -318/98 : point 84
  

Dates

Date of the lodging of the application initiating proceedings

• 23/10/1998

Date of the Opinion

• 26/10/2000

Date of the hearing

Information not available

Date of delivery

13/03/2001

References

Publication in the Official Journal

Application: OJ C 397 from 19.12.1998, p.19

Judgment: OJ C 173 from 16.06.2001, p.18

Name of the parties

PreussenElektra

Notes on Academic Writings

1. Just, Christoph: Entscheidungen zum Wirtschaftsrecht 2001 p.423-424 (DE)
2. Pietri, Martin: Europe 2001 Mai Comm. nº 163 p.18 (FR)
3. Idot, Laurence: Europe 2001 Mai Comm. nº 182 p.26 (FR)
4. Mortelmans, K.J.M.: Europeesrechtelijke complicaties bij de afname van milieuvriendelijke elektriciteit, Ars aequi 2001 p.484-493 (NL)
5. Ruge, Reinhard: EuGH: Deutsches Stromeinspeisungsgesetz enthält keine Beihilferegelung, Europäische Zeitschrift für Wirtschaftsrecht 2001 p.247-248 (DE)
6. De Vries, Sybe: European Environmental Law Review 2001 p.200-205 (EN)
7. Vedder, H.H.B.: Het Europese recht en de stimulering van duurzame energie - Duitse windhandel, Nederlands tijdschrift voor Europees recht 2001 p.147-155 (NL)
8. Dederer, Hans-Georg: Bayerische Verwaltungsblätter 2001 p.366-369 (DE)
9. Nyssens, Harold: Revue de droit commercial belge 2001 p.423-425 (FR)
10. Kreiner, Sebastian: Luxembourg Goes Astray: Finds Government Compulsion to Subsidise Competitors Allowable under Community Law, The European legal forum 2001 p.312-318 (EN)
11. Alonso García, Ricardo: Costes de transición a la competencia y ayudas públicas: reflexiones a la luz de la sentencia del Tribunal de Justicia de las Comunidades Europeas Preussenelektra, de 13 de marzo de 2001 (C-379/98), Diario La ley 2001 nº 5324 p.1-4 (ES)
12. Spiegel, Nico: Grünes Licht für "grünen" Strom, European Law Reporter 2001 p.126-129 (DE)
13. Poillot-Peruzzetto, Sylvaine: Contrats - concurrence - consommation 2001 nº 110 p.23-24 (FR)
14. Kreiner, Sebastian: Luxemburger Sündenfall: Staatlicher Zwang zur Subventionierung von Konkurrenten gemeinschaftsrechtlich zulässig, The European Legal Forum 2001 p.312-318 (DE)
15. Koenig, Christian ; Kühling, Jürgen: How to cut a long story short: Das PreussenElektra-Urteil des EuGH und die EG-Beihilfenkontrolle über das deutsche Rundfunkgebührensystem, Zeitschrift für Urheber- und Medienrecht 2001 p.537-546 (DE)
16. Tremmel, Ernst: Beihilferecht, Warenverkehrsfreiheit und Ökostromförderung, Ecolex 2001 p.573-578 (DE)
17. Kühne, Gunther: Juristenzeitung 2001 p.759-761 (DE)
18. Goossens, Ann ; Emmerechts, Sam: Common Market Law Review 2001 p.991-1010 (EN)
19. Koenig, Christian ; Kühling, Jürgen: Das PreussenElektra-Urteil des EuGH: Freibrief für Abnahme- und Vergütungspflichten in der Energiewirtschaft, Neue Zeitschrift für Verwaltungsrecht 2001 p.768-770 (DE)
20. Bartosch, Andreas: Neues zum Tatbestandsmerkmal der "Belastung des Staatshaushalts" i.S. des Art. 87 I EG, Neue Zeitschrift für Verwaltungsrecht 2001 p.643-645 (DE)
21. Kreiner, Sebastian: Il peccato originale lussemburghese: è ammissibile a livello comunitario l'obbligo statale di sovvenzionare i concorrenti, The European Legal Forum 2001 p.312-319 (IT)
22. Baquero Cruz, Julio ; Castillo de la Torre, Fernando: European Law Review 2001 p.489-501 (EN)
23. Giordano, Massimo: Il Foro italiano 2001 IV Col.428-433 (IT)
24. Gündisch, Jürgen: Preisgarantie für Strom aus Windkraftanlagen keine Beihilfe, Neue juristische Wochenschrift 2001 p.3686-3688 (DE)
25. Fernández Armenteros, Mercedes: Review of European Community & International Environmental Law 2001 p.344-347 (EN)
26. Trafkowski, Armin: EuGH: Keine staatliche Beihilfe durch Abnahme- und Mindestvergütungspflicht privater Unternehmen, Computer und Recht 2001 p.776-777 (DE)
27. Kruse, Eberhard: Das Merkmal der "Staatlichkeit" der Beihilfe nach Art. 87 Abs. 1 EG, Zeitschrift für das gesamte Handelsrecht und Wirtschaftsrecht 2001 p.576-592 (DE)
28. Drijber, B.J.: S.E.W. ; Sociaal-economische wetgeving 2001 p.401-403 (NL)
29. Gimeno Verdejo, Carlos: Crónica de la Jurisprudencia del Tribunal de Justicia de las Comunidades Europeas, Cuadernos Europeos de Deusto 2001 nº 25 p.189-204 (ES)
30. Kuhn, Tilman: Implications of the "Preussen Elektra" Judgment of the European Court of Justice on the Community Rules on State Aid and the Free Movement of Goods. Preliminary Ruling of 13 March 2001, Case C-379/98, Preussen Elektra v. Schleswag, Legal Issues of Economic Integration 2001 p.361-376 (EN)
31. Rubini, Luca: Brevi note a margine del caso PreussenElektra, ovvero come "prendere seriamente" le norme sugli aiuti di stato e la tutela dell'ambiente nel diritto comunitario, Diritto comunitario e degli scambi internazionali 2001 p.473-501 (IT)
32. Bronckers, Marco ; Van der Vlies, Rosalinde: The European Court's PreussenElektra Judgment: Tensions Between E.U. Principles and National Renewable Energy Initiatives, European Competition Law Review 2001 p.458-468 (EN)
33. Gogos, Konstantinos E.: Elliniki Epitheorisi Evropaïkou Dikaiou 2001 p.390-392 (EL)
34. Belorgey, Jean-Marc ; Gervasoni, Stéphane ; Lambert, Christian: Environnement et libre circulation des marchandises, L'actualité juridique ; droit administratif 2001 p.944-946 (FR)
35. Golfinopoulos, Christos: Legality of National Measures to Promote the Procurement of Energy from Renewable Sources, Public Procurement Law Review 2002 p.NA8-NA11 (EN)
36. Vialens, Jérémie: Gazette du Palais 2002 I Jur. p.172 (FR)
37. Thieme, Dominik ; Rudolf, Beate: American Journal of International Law 2002 p.225-230 (EN)
38. Schwintowski, Hans-Peter: Stromeinspeisegesetz verstößt nicht gegen Europäisches Recht. Richtungsweisendes Grundsatzurteil des Europäischen Gerichtshofes räumt Umweltschutz Vorrang ein, Die Zukunft der kommunalen EVU im liberalisierten Energiemarkt 2002 p.125-126 (DE)
39. Poli, Sara: National Schemes Supporting the Use of Electricity Produced from Renewable Energy Sources and the Community Legal Framework, Journal of Environmental Law 2002 Vol.14 p.221-231 (EN)
40. Koenig, Christian ; Kühling, Jürgen: EC Control of aid granted through State resources, European State Aid Law Quarterly 2002 p.7-18 (EN)
41. Ortega Bueno, Raimundo ; Ortega Fernández, Raimundo: La sentencia del Tribunal de Justicia en el asunto PreussenElektra : la necesidad de una interpretación en función de los efectos en materia de ayudas públicas, Gaceta Jurídica de la C.E. y de la Competencia 2002 nº 222 p.86-97 (ES)
42. Colavecchio, Antonio: Aiuti di Stato, ostacoli al commercio tra Stati membri ed esigenze di tutela dell'ambiente nella giurisprudenza comunitaria. A proposito della sentenza della Corte di giustizia nel caso "Preussenelektra", Il Consiglio di Stato 2003 II p.631-664 (IT)
43. Frenz, Walter: Zertifikathandel und Beihilfenverbot, Zeitschrift für das gesamte Handelsrecht und Wirtschaftsrecht 2003 p.459-472 (DE)
44. Colavecchio, Antonio: Aiuti di Stato, ostacoli al commercio tra Stati membri ed esigenze di tutela dell'ambiente nella giurisprudenza comunitaria. A proposito della sentenza della Corte di giustizia nel caso "PreussenElektra", Il Consiglio di Stato 2003 II p.869-889 (IT)
45. Heintschel von Heinegg, Wolff: Gemeinschaftsrechtliche Implikationen der Förderung der Stromerzeugung aus erneuerbaren Energien, Das neue Energierecht in der Bewährung 2003 p.117-134 (DE)
46. Banu, Mihai: Hotǎrâre cu titlu preliminar. Competențe ale Curții şi ale instanțelor naționale., Revista română de drept al afacerilor 2009 nº 01 p.133-146 (RO)
47. Rabl, Thomas: Staatliche Mittel: Die Unsicherheiten bestehen weiter!, Zeitschrift für Beihilfenrecht 2015 p.4-12 (DE)
48. Stock, Nils ; Nicolaides, Phedon: State aid in the energy sector: understanding the concept of "state resources", European Competition Law Review 2020, n° 4, p. 186-194 (EN)

Procedural Analysis Information

Source of the question referred for a preliminary ruling

Landgericht Kiel - Germany

Subject-matter

• Competition
  
• - State aid
  
• Free movement of goods
  
• - Quantitative restrictions
  
• - Measures having equivalent effect
  

Provisions of national law referred to

Stromeinspeisungsgesetz, Paragraphen 2, 3 und 4

Provisions of international law referred to

Information not available

Procedure and result

• Reference for a preliminary ruling
  

Formation of the Court

Cour plénière (Cour)

Judge-Rapporteur

Schintgen

Advocate General

Jacobs

Language(s) of the Case

• German
  

Language(s) of the Opinion

• English