62020TJ0217_INF
Judgment of the General Court (Second Chamber) of 7 September 2022 –Greece v Commission
(Case T‑217/20) (
1
)
(EAGF and EAFRD – Expenditure excluded from financing – Expenditure incurred by Greece – Rural Development – Key controls – Flat-rate financial corrections – Obligation to state reasons – Protection of legitimate expectations – Legal certainty – Proportionality – Principle of sound administration)
1.
Agriculture – EAFRD financing – Clearance of accounts – Consecutive conformity clearance procedures – Implementation by the Commission of those procedures without waiting for the outcome of any judicial proceedings – No infringement of the scheme of the procedure
(Arts 256 and 263 TFEU; Commission Regulation No 908/2014, Art. 34(2) and (7))
(see paragraphs 47-49)
2.
Agriculture – EAFRD financing – Clearance of accounts – Implementing decision imposing a flat-rate financial correction – Extension of that correction – Whether permissible – Conditions
(Commission Regulation No 908/2014, Art. 34)
(see paragraphs 52, 55)
3.
Agriculture – EAFRD financing – Clearance of accounts – Procedure – Purpose – Financial correction not constituting a penalty
(see paragraphs 53, 77)
4.
Agriculture – EAFRD financing – Clearance of accounts – Limitation of refusal of financing – Twenty-four month period – Point from which time starts to run – Communication by the Commission of the results of verifications – Date of payment of the aid to be taken into consideration for calculating the period – Date of payment of the balance of the aid
(European Parliament and Council Regulation No 1306/2013, Art. 52(4)(c))
(see paragraphs 61-63)
5.
Agriculture – EAFRD financing – Clearance of accounts – Consecutive conformity clearance procedures – Application of a new flat-rate correction to expenditure which was the subject of a previous flat-rate correction for the same financial years – Commission’s right to carry out such corrections until the definitive evaluation of the measure in question – No infringement of the principles of legal certainty, proportionality, sound administration and protection of legitimate expectations
(European Parliament and Council Regulation No 1306/2013, Art. 52; Commission Regulation No 908/2014, Art. 34(2) and (7))
(see paragraphs 85-87, 89-92)
Operative part
The Court:
1.
Dismisses the action;
2.
Orders the Hellenic Republic to pay the costs.
(
1
)	OJ C 222, 6.7.2020.