62022CJ0558_SUM
Case C‑558/22
Autorità di Regolazione per Energia Reti e Ambiente (ARERA)
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Fallimento Esperia SpAandGestore dei Servizi Energetici SpA – GSE
(Request for a preliminary ruling from the Consiglio di Stato)
Judgment of the Court (Second Chamber) of 7 March 2024
(Reference for a preliminary ruling – National support scheme providing for the award of tradable green certificates to national producers of electricity from renewable energy sources – Import of electricity produced from renewable energy sources in another Member State – Obligation to purchase green certificates – Penalty – Exemption – Directive 2001/77/EC – Directive 2009/28/EC – Support scheme – Guarantees of origin – Free movement of goods – Articles 18, 28, 30, 34 and 110 TFEU – State aid – Articles 107 and 108 TFEU – State resources – Selective advantage)
EU law – Principles – Equal treatment – Discrimination on grounds of nationality – Relationship between Article 18 TFEU and Articles 28, 30, 34 and 110 TFEU
(Arts 18, 28, 30, 34 and 110 TFEU)
(see paragraph 39)
Environment – Promotion of electricity produced from renewable energy sources in the internal electricity market – Directive 2001/77 – National support scheme providing for the issuance of tradable certificates to national producers of electricity in respect of electricity produced from renewable sources – Importers of electricity that have not demonstrated that their electricity was produced from renewable sources by submitting guarantees of origin – Measure imposing on the importers concerned the obligation to buy green energy or green certificates from national electricity producers – Whether permissible – Proportionality of that measure – Verification by the referring court
(Arts 34 and 36 TFEU; European Parliament and Council Directive 2001/77, recitals 10, 11 and 14, Arts 1, 3(1) and (2), 4 and 5)
(see paragraphs 43-49, operative part 2)
Environment – Promotion of the use of energy from renewable sources – Directive 2009/28 – Mandatory targets for the share of energy produced from renewable sources – Measures adopted to attain those targets – Member States’ discretion – National support scheme providing for the issuance of tradable certificates to national producers of electricity in respect of electricity produced from renewable sources – Importers of electricity that have not demonstrated that their electricity was produced from renewable sources by submitting guarantees of origin – Measure imposing on the importers concerned the obligation to buy green energy or green certificates from national electricity producers – Whether permissible – Proportionality of that measure – Verification by the referring court
(Arts 34 and 36 TFEU; European Parliament and Council Directive 2009/28, recitals 25, 52 and 56, Arts 2, 3 and 15)
(see paragraphs 53-57, operative part 2)
Aid granted by a Member State – Respective powers of the Commission and the national courts – Role of the national courts – Assessment of whether the arrangements of an aid scheme comply with Treaty provisions – Competence restricted to those arrangements that are not necessary for the attainment of the objective or functioning of the aid scheme – Support scheme for the production of green electricity – Importers and operators responsible for plants that import or produce electricity from non-renewable sources – Scheme imposing on those importers and operators the obligation to feed a quota of green electricity into the national grid each year – Arrangements of that scheme indissolubly linked to the object of the aid scheme – National court unable to assess whether the arrangements of that scheme comply with Treaty provisions
(Arts 107 and 108 TFEU)
(see paragraphs 60 and 61)
Aid granted by a Member State – Effect on trade between Member States – Adverse effect on competition – Criteria for assessment – Measure that made it possible for national producers of green electricity to sell their electricity without having to buy green electricity or green certificates – Measure that made it possible for the same producers to sell the green certificates that they received free of charge in proportion to the green electricity that they produced to producers or importers of electricity produced from non-renewable sources – Measure liable to affect trade between Member States and distort competition – Included
(Art 107(1) TFEU)
(see paragraphs 63-66)
Aid granted by a Member State – Concept – Aid from State resources – Grant attributable to the State of an advantage by means of State resources – Scheme that allows the free of charge provision of green certificates to national producers of green electricity – Scheme providing for a mechanism that seeks to ensure that green certificates have a certain value, entrusted to an entity that can be assimilated to the State – Scheme involving a transfer of State resources – Included – Verification by the referring court
(Art 107(1) TFEU)
(see paragraphs 74-79)
Aid granted by a Member State – Concept – Selective nature of the measure – Measure conferring an advantage on producers of green electricity – National support scheme providing for the issuance of tradable certificates to national producers of electricity in respect of electricity produced from renewable sources – Reference framework for determining the existence of an advantage – Material scope – Criteria – Reference framework identified having to have its own legal logic and specific objective and not being permitted to form part of a consistent body of rules external to that
(Art 107(1) TFEU)
(see paragraphs 80, 81, 83-85, 87)
Aid granted by a Member State – Concept – Selective nature of the measure – Measure conferring an advantage on producers of green electricity – National support scheme providing for the issuance of tradable certificates to national producers of electricity in respect of electricity produced from renewable sources – Justification derived from the nature or general scheme of the reference system – Whether permissible – Determination by the national court
(Arts 107 and 108 TFEU)
(see paragraphs 80, 87-95, 124, operative part 3)
Free movement of goods – Customs duties – Charge having an equivalent effect – Internal taxation – Import of electricity produced in another Member State – Importers of electricity unable to submit guarantees of origin – National measure requiring those importers from other Member States to buy green certificates or green electricity from national producers, in proportion to the amount of electricity imported – Measure providing for penalties to be imposed in the event that that obligation is not complied with – Whether permissible
(Arts 28, 30 and 110 TFEU)
(see paragraphs 98-103, 124, operative part 1)
Free movement of goods – Quantitative restrictions – Measures having equivalent effect – Measure imposing on importers of electricity the obligation to buy green certificates or green electricity – Measure also imposing on those importers, when importing green electricity, to provide guarantees of origin in order to benefit from an exemption from the purchase obligation – Whether permissible – Justification – Promotion of the production of electricity from renewable energy sources – Observance of the principle of proportionality – Verification by the referring court
(Arts 34 and 36 TFEU)
(see paragraphs 105-124, operative part 2)
See the text of the decision.