62019CO0536_INF
Order of the Vice-President of the Court of 13 November 2019 — EDP España v Commission
[Case C‑536/19 P(I)]
(Appeal — Intervention — Interest in the result of the case — State aid — Environnemental incentive adopted by the Kingdom of Spain in support of coal power plants — Decision to initiate the formal investigation procedure — Risk of recovery)
1.
Judicial proceedings — Intervention — Admissibility criteria — Interest in the result of the case — Meaning — Need for a direct and existing interest — Case regarding the legality of a Commission decision on State aid — Recipient undertaking exposed to a risk of recovery ordered by a national court — Existence of a direct and existing interest in the result of the case
(Art. 108(2) and (3) TFEU; Statute of the Court of Justice, Art. 40, second para.)
(see paras 28-30, 41-43)
2.
State aid — Respective powers of the Commission and the national courts — Role of the national courts — Commission decision to initiate the formal investigation procedure in respect of aid — Obligation of the national courts to draw all the consequences of a possible infringement of the obligation to suspend the measures examined — Suspension of operation of the measure in question and recovery of the amounts already paid — Granting of provisional measures
(Art. 4(3) TEU; Art. 108(2) and (3) TFEU)
(see paras 35-40)
3.
Appeal — Appeal upheld — Judgment to be given on the substance by the appeal court — Condition — Whether the state of the proceedings permits final judgment to be given — Application to an application to intervene
(Statute of the Court of Justice, Arts 40, second para., and 61, first para.)
(voir points 46-49)
Operative part
1.
The order of the General Court of the European Union of 13 June 2019, Naturgy Energy Group v Commission (T‑328/18, not published, EU:T:2019:440), is annulled.
2.
EDP España SA is allowed to intervene in Case T‑328/18 in support of the form of order sought by Naturgy Energy Group SA.
3.
EDP España SA, Naturgy Energy Group SA and the European Commission shall bear their own costs.