62020CJ0051_SUM
Case C‑51/20
European Commission
v
Hellenic Republic
Judgment of the Court (Second Chamber) of 20 January 2022
(Failure of a Member State to fulfil obligations – State aid – Aid declared unlawful and incompatible with the internal market – Obligation of recovery – Judgment of the Court establishing the failure of a Member State to fulfil its obligations – Non-compliance – Failure to comply with the obligation to recover unlawful and incompatible aid – Financial penalties – Proportionality and dissuasiveness – Periodic penalty payment – Lump sum – Ability to pay – Weighting of the Member State’s voting rights in the European Parliament)
Aid granted by a Member State – Commission decision finding aid incompatible with the internal market and ordering its recovery – Presumption of lawfulness – No suspensory effect of an action for annulment before the General Court against a decision ordering recovery of aid
(Arts 108(2), 263, 278 and 288 TFEU)
(see paragraph 53)
Aid granted by a Member State – Recovery of unlawful aid – Obligation – Duty to implement the Commission’s decision immediately and effectively – Recipients in difficulty or bankrupt
(Arts 108(2), 288, fourth para., and 288 TFEU)
(see paragraphs 55-57)
Aid granted by a Member State – Recovery of unlawful aid – Undertakings which have received aid and which have become insolvent – Registration in the schedule of liabilities so as to restore the prior situation
(Art. 108(2) TFEU)
(see paragraphs 58-60)
Actions for failure to fulfil obligations – Judgment of the Court establishing the failure of a Member State to fulfil its obligations – Period for implementation – Reference date for assessing whether there has been a failure to fulfil obligations – Date of expiry of the period prescribed in the letter of formal notice
(Art. 260(2) TFEU)
(see paragraphs 61, 62)
Actions for failure to fulfil obligations – Judgment of the Court establishing the failure of a Member State to fulfil its obligations – Breach of the obligation to comply with the judgment – Financial penalties – Purpose – Prevention of the repetition of similar infringements
(Art. 260(2) TFEU)
(see paragraphs 85, 86)
Actions for failure to fulfil obligations – Judgment of the Court establishing the failure of a Member State to fulfil its obligations – Breach of the obligation to comply with the judgment – Financial penalties – Periodic penalty payment – Imposition of a penalty payment – Condition – Failure to comply continuing up to the time of the Court’s examination of the facts
(Art. 260(2) TFEU)
(see paragraphs 87-91)
Actions for failure to fulfil obligations – Judgment of the Court establishing the failure of a Member State to fulfil its obligations – Breach of the obligation to comply with the judgment – Financial penalties – Periodic penalty payment – Determination of the form to be taken and of the amount – Discretion of the Court – Criteria
(Art. 260(2) TFEU)
(see paragraphs 93-96, 109, 110)
Actions for failure to fulfil obligations – Judgment of the Court establishing the failure of a Member State to fulfil its obligations – Breach of the obligation to comply with the judgment – Financial penalties – Periodic penalty payment – Calculation of the amount – Criteria – Gravity of the infringement – Failure to recover aid incompatible with the internal market – Vital nature of the Treaty rules on State aid
(Arts 3(3) and 51 TEU; Art. 260(2) TFEU); Protocol No 27 annexed to the EU and FEU Treaties)
(see paragraphs 97-104)
Actions for failure to fulfil obligations – Judgment of the Court establishing the failure of a Member State to fulfil its obligations – Breach of the obligation to comply with the judgment – Financial penalties – Periodic penalty payment – Calculation of the amount – Criteria – Duration of the infringement – Assessment at the date of examination of the facts by the Court
(Art. 260(2) TFEU)
(see paragraphs 105, 106)
Actions for failure to fulfil obligations – Judgment of the Court establishing the failure of a Member State to fulfil its obligations – Breach of the obligation to comply with the judgment – Financial penalties – Periodic penalty payment – Calculation of the amount – Criteria – Payment capacity – Date of assessment
(Art. 260(2) TFEU)
(see paragraph 107)
Actions for failure to fulfil obligations – Judgment of the Court establishing the failure of a Member State to fulfil its obligations – Breach of the obligation to comply with the judgment – Financial penalties – Periodic penalty payment – Calculation of the amount – Criteria – Payment capacity – Gross domestic product of the Member State – Taking into account of the institutional weight in the European Union of the Member State concerned – Not included
(Art. 260(2) TFEU)
(see paragraphs 111-116)
Actions for failure to fulfil obligations – Judgment of the Court establishing the failure of a Member State to fulfil its obligations – Breach of the obligation to comply with the judgment – Financial penalties – Periodic penalty payment – Lump sum – Whether the two penalties should be cumulated – Whether permissible
(Art. 260(2) TFEU)
(see paragraph 128)
Actions for failure to fulfil obligations – Judgment of the Court establishing the failure of a Member State to fulfil its obligations – Breach of the obligation to comply with the judgment – Financial penalties – Imposition of a lump sum payment – Discretion of the Court – Criteria for assessment – Effective prevention of future repetition of similar infringements
(Art. 260(2) TFEU)
(see paragraphs 129-133)
See the text of the decision.