Order of the General Court (Third Chamber) of 14 September 2015 —
Spain v Commission
(Case T‑841/14)
Action for annulment — Own resources of the European Union — Financial liability of the Member States — Obligation to pay the Commission the amount corresponding to a loss of own resources — Amount of default interest — Letter from the Commission — Act not subject to appeal — Inadmissible
1.                     Actions for annulment — Actionable measures — Concept — Measures producing binding legal effects — Commission letter informally calling upon a Member State to pay default interest in the context of the placing at the EU budget’s disposal of traditional own resources — Not included — Letter not producing binding legal effects — Application inadmissible (Art. 263 TFEU; Council Regulation No 1150/2000; Council Decision 2007/436) (see paras 13-15, 29-42, 44, 47)
2.                     Own resources of the European Union — Establishment and making available by the Member States — Obligation to credit to the Commission’s account — Delay in crediting the amount — Obligation to pay interest (Council Regulation No 1150/2000, Arts 9(1), and 11(1)) (see paras 16-18)
3.                     Own resources of the European Union — Establishment and making available by the Member States — Responsibility of the Member States — Scope (Council Regulation No 1150/2000, Arts 2(1), 9(1), and 17(1) and (2); Council Decision 2007/436, Arts 2(1)(a), and 8(1)) (see paras 22-28)
Re:
APPLICATION for annulment of the decision allegedly made by the Commission’s Directorate-General for Budget contained in the letter (BUDG/B/03MV D (2014) 3486706 of 21 October 2014, by which the Commission applied Article 11 of amended Council Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 1150/2000 of 22 May 2000 implementing Decision 2007/436/EC, Euratom on the system of the European Communities’ own resources (OJ 2007 L 130, p. 1) and fixed at EUR 3 172 388.46 the amount of default interest to be paid by the Kingdom of Spain, at the latest on the last working day two months following the dispatch of that letter.
Operative part
1.
The action is dismissed.
2.
The Kingdom of Spain is ordered to bear the costs.