Judgment — ECLI:EU:C:2007:730
Date: 2007-11-29
Language of the case: German
Court formation: Second Chamber
Based on: Treaty establishing the European Economic Community (1957)
Subject matter: State aids;Competition
Concepts: Appeals;Applications by natural or legal persons
Procedure: Action for annulment - inadmissible;Appeal - successful
Origin: Germany

Judgment of the Court (Second Chamber) of 29 November 2007 - Stadtwerke Schwäbisch Hall GmbH, Stadtwerke Tübingen GmbH, Stadtwerke Uelzen GmbH v Commission of the European Communities, E.ON Kernkraft GmBH, RWE Power AG, EnBW Energie Baden-Württemberg AG, Vattenfall Europe Nuclear Energy GmbH, formerly Hamburgische Electricitäts-Werke AG (Case C-176/06 P) 1 (Appeal - Aid allegedly granted by the German authorities to nuclear power stations - Provisions for closure of power stations and disposal of radioactive waste - Inadmissibility of the action before the Court of First Instance - Absolute bar) Language of the case: German Parties Appellants: Stadtwerke Schwäbisch Hall GmbH, Stadtwerke Tübingen GmbH, Stadtwerke Uelzen GmbH (represented by: D. Fouquet and P. Becker, Rechtsanwälte) Other parties to the proceedings: Commission of the European Communities (represented by: V. Kreuschitz, Agent), E.ON Kernkraft GmBH, RWE Power AG, EnBW Energie Baden-Württemberg AG, Vattenfall Europe Nuclear Energy GmbH, formerly Hamburgische Electricitäts-Werke AG (represented by: U. Karpenstein and D. Sellner, Rechtsanwälte) Re: Appeal against the judgment of the Court of First Instance (Fourth Chamber) of 26 January 2006 in Case T-92/02 Stadtwerke Schwäbisch Hall GmbH and Others v Commission in which the Court dismissed the action seeking annulment of Commission Decision C (2001) 3967 final of 11 December 2001 declaring that the German tax exemption scheme applied to the reserves established by nuclear power stations for the purpose of disposal of their radioactive waste and the permanent closure of their plants does not constitute State aid as referred to in Article 87(1) EC - Obligation of the Commission to initiate the inter partes procedure provided for in Article 88(2) EC where there are difficulties of assessment or doubts Operative part of the judgment The Court: 1. Annuls the judgment of the Court of First Instance of the European Communities of 26 January 2006 in Case T-92/02 Stadtwerke Schwäbisch Hall GmbH and Others v Commission; 2. Dismisses as inadmissible the action brought by Stadtwerke Schwäbisch Hall GmbH, Stadtwerke Tübingen GmbH and Stadtwerke Uelzen GmbH before the Court of First Instance of the European Communities seeking annulment of Commission Decision C (2001) 3967 final of 11 December 2001 declaring that the German tax exemption scheme applied to the reserves established by the operators of nuclear power stations for the purpose of the safe disposal of their radioactive waste and the permanent closure of their plants does not constitute State aid as referred to in Article 87(1) EC; 3. Orders Stadtwerke Schwäbisch Hall GmbH, Stadtwerke Tübingen GmbH and Stadtwerke Uelzen GmbH to pay the costs of the two sets of proceedings. ____________ 1 - OJ C 131 of 3.6.2006.