Judgment — ECLI:EU:T:2012:11
Date: 2012-01-18
Language of the case: Portuguese
Court formation: Second Chamber
Subject matter: State aids;Competition
Procedure: Action for annulment - unfounded
Origin: Portugal

Summary reasoning – Decision going well beyond previous decisions – Express reasoning (Arts 87(1) EC and 253 EC) (see paras 52-54, 57-58, 70) 3. State aid – Effect on trade between Member States – Adverse effect on competition – Criteria for assessment – Small size and limited extent of aid not a priori excluding the possibility of trade being affected (Art. 87(1) EC) (see paras 81-85, 88-90, 97, 100) 4. State aid – Prohibition – Exceptions – Discretion of the Commission – Judicial review (Art. 87(3) EC) (see paras 107-108) 5. State aid – Prohibition – Exceptions – Aid eligible for the derogation laid down in Article 87(3)(c) EC – Aid not needed or having an incentive effect – Exclusion (Art. 87(3)(c) EC) (see paras 118-124) 6. State aid – General aid scheme approved by the Commission – Approval subject to a reservation requiring individual notification of certain aids – Examination of such a notified aid having regard only to the rules of the Treaty (see paras 144, 147-149) 7. State aid – Concept – Assessment according to the criterion of the private investor – Capital contribution (Art. 87(1) EC) (see paras 157-158) 8. State aid – Commission decision – Assessment of legality by reference to the information available at the time of adoption of the decision – Foreseeable development of competition to be taken into account (Art. 87(1) EC) (see paras 168-170) 9. State aid – Administrative procedure – Obligations of the Commission – Duty to act within a reasonable time – Criteria for assessment – Infringement – Consequences – Annulment of the decision where defence rights infringed (Art. 88(2) EC) (see paras 174-176) 10. Union law – Principles – Protection of legitimate expectations – Possibility of the Commission taking account of the development of the common market in relation to a previous decision – No breach of the principle of equal treatment (see paras 199-200, 202-203) Re: ACTION for annulment of Commission Decision 2007/582/EC of 10 May 2007 on State aid C 4/2006 (ex N 180/2005) – Portugal – Aid to Djebel (OJ 2007 L 219, p. 30). Operative part The Court: 1. Dismisses the action; 2. Orders Djebel – SGPS, SA to bear its own costs and to pay those of the European Commission.