62022TJ0827_INF
Judgment of the General Court (Seventh Chamber) of 6 November 2024 –Wizz Air Hungary v Commission (TAROM II; Covid-19)
(Case T‑827/22) (
1
)
(State aid – Romanian air transport market – Aid granted by Romania to TAROM in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic – Capital injection – Decision not to raise any objections – Action for annulment – Locus standi – Substantial adverse effect on the applicant’s position on the market in question – Admissibility – Aid to make good the damage caused by an exceptional occurrence – Assessment of the damage – Causal link – Beneficiary’s pre-existing financial difficulties – Principle of non-discrimination – Freedom to provide services – Freedom of establishment – Obligation to state reasons)
1.
Action for annulment – Natural or legal persons – Measures of direct and individual concern to them – Commission decision finding State aid compatible with the internal market without opening the formal investigation procedure – Action by parties concerned within the meaning of Article 108(2) TFEU – Action designed to safeguard the procedural rights of the parties concerned – Admissibility
(Arts 108(2) and 263, fourth para., TFEU; Council Regulation 2015/1589, Art. 1(h))
(see paragraphs 15-18)
2.
Action for annulment – Natural or legal persons – Measures of direct and individual concern to them – Individual concern – Criteria – Commission decision finding aid compatible with the internal market – Action of a rival undertaking claiming that its market position is significantly affected – Admissibility – Obligation for the rival undertaking to provide a precise definition of the market at issue and to compare the situation of all the competitors present on that market in order to differentiate itself in relation to them – Absence – Demonstration of a substantial adverse effect on the position of the competing undertaking on the market in question
(Arts 108(2) and (3) and 263, fourth para., TFEU)
(see paragraphs 19-38)
3.
Action for annulment – Natural or legal persons – Measures of direct and individual concern to them – Direct concern – Criteria – Commission decision finding aid compatible with the internal market – Action brought by an undertaking which is a competitor of the undertaking in receipt of aid – Competing undertaking establishing that it is directly concerned
(Art. 263, fourth para., TFEU)
(see paragraph 39)
4.
Aid granted by a Member State – Prohibition – Derogations – Aid compatible with the internal market – Aid to make good the damage caused by natural disasters or exceptional occurrences – Capital injection granted to an airline in order to compensate the latter in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic – Assessment in the light of Article 107(2)(b) TFEU – Criteria – Proportionality of the aid – Assessment of the damage caused by the COVID-19 pandemic to the undertaking in receipt of the aid
(Art. 107(2)(b) TFEU)
(see paragraphs 46, 50-58, 60-63, 67, 68, 74, 75, 80, 81, 84-91, 93-95, 97-103)
5.
Aid granted by a Member State – Prohibition – Derogations – Adoption of several aid measures in relation to one occurrence on the basis of different derogations laid down by Article 107(2) or (3) TFEU – Whether permissible
(Art. 107(2)(b) and (3)(b) TFEU)
(see paragraphs 116-123)
6.
Aid granted by a Member State – Prohibition – Derogations – Aid compatible with the internal market – Aid to make good the damage caused by natural disasters or exceptional occurrences – Capital injection granted to an airline in order to compensate the latter in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic – Assessment of the proportionality having regard to the amount of the aid – Obligation to take account of the competitive advantage gained owing to the aid – None
(Art. 107(2)(b) TFEU)
(see paragraphs 130-132)
7.
EU law – Principles – Equal treatment – Discrimination on grounds of nationality – Prohibition on the basis of Article 18 TFEU – Subsidiary in nature to the specific rules on non-discrimination laid down in the FEU Treaty – Article 107(2) and (3) TFEU laying down such specific rules
(Arts 18 and 107(2) and (3) TFEU)
(see paragraphs 137-156)
8.
Aid granted by a Member State – Prohibition – Derogations – Aid compatible with the internal market – Aid to make good the damage caused by natural disasters or exceptional occurrences – Capital injection granted to an airline in order to compensate the latter in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic – Aid that is compatible with the internal market under Article 107(2)(b) TFEU – Assessment of the aid having regard to the freedom to provide services and freedom of establishment – Conditions
(Arts 49, 56 and 107(2)(b) TFEU)
(see paragraphs 157-164)
9.
Aid granted by a Member State – Prohibition – Derogations – Aid compatible with the internal market – Aid to make good the damage caused by natural disasters or exceptional occurrences – Capital injection granted to an airline in order to compensate the latter in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic – Assessment in the light of Article 107(2)(b) TFEU – Commission decision finding the aid to be compatible with the internal market without initiating the formal investigation procedure – Infringement of the procedural rights of the interested parties – Conditions – Interested parties having to demonstrate the existence of doubts as to the compatibility of the aid with the internal market
(Art. 107(2)(b) TFEU)
(see paragraphs 168-174)
10.
Aid granted by a Member State – Commission decision not to raise objections to an aid scheme – Obligation to state reasons – Scope – Account taken of the context and all the legal rules governing the matter
(Arts 107(2)(b) and 296 TFEU)
(see paragraphs 179-186)
Operative part
The Court:
1.
Dismisses the action;
2.
Orders Wizz Air Hungary Légiközlekedési Zrt. (Wizz Air Hungary Zrt.) to pay the costs.
(
1
)	OJ C 104, 20.3.2023.