62021TJ0392_INF
Judgment of the General Court (Eighth Chamber, Extended Composition) of 20 March 2024 – Landesbank Hessen-Thüringen Girozentrale v SRB
(Case T‑392/21) (
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)
(Economic and monetary union – Banking union – Single Resolution Mechanism for credit institutions and certain investment firms (SRM) – Single Resolution Fund (SRF) – Decision of the SRB on the calculation of the 2021 ex ante contributions – Duty to state reasons – Effective judicial protection – Equal treatment – Principle of proportionality – SRB’s discretion – Plea of illegality – Commission’s discretion – Limitation of the temporal effects of the judgment)
1.
EU law – Principles – Rights of the defence – Right to effective judicial protection – Scope – Decision of the Single Resolution Board (SRB) establishing the ex ante contributions to the Single Resolution Fund (SRF) – Audi alteram partem rule – Exceptions – General principle of protection of business secrets – Striking a balance – Whether permissible
(Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, Art. 47; European Parliament and Council Regulation No 806/2014; Commission Regulation 2015/63, Arts 4 to 7 and 9 and Annex I; European Parliament and Council Directive 2014/59)
(see paragraphs 37-42, 45-50)
2.
EU law – Principles – Legal certainty – EU rules – Requirements of clarity and precision – Limits
(see paragraphs 64-67)
3.
EU law – Principles – Legal certainty – EU rules – Requirements of clarity and foreseeability – Provisions concerning ex ante contributions to resolution financing arrangements – Discretion granted to the Single Resolution Board (SRB) regarding the methodology for calculating ex ante contributions – Conditions – Sufficiently clear indication of the scope of the discretion and the manner of its exercise
(Commission Regulation 2015/63, Arts 6(5) to (7) and 7(4))
(see paragraphs 87-90, 92)
4.
EU institutions – Exercise of powers – Power conferred on the Commission to adopt delegated acts – Scope – Complex assessments and evaluations – Broad discretion – Determination of the methodology for calculating the ex ante contributions to the Single Resolution Fund (SRF) – Establishment of the criteria for adjusting those contributions – Judicial review – Limits
(Art. 290 TFEU; European Parliament and Council Regulation No 806/2014, recital 41; Commission Regulation 2015/63; European Parliament and Council Directive 2014/59)
(see paragraphs 105, 107, 112)
5.
Acts of the institutions – Statement of reasons – Obligation – Scope – Decision of the Single Resolution Board (SRB) establishing the ex ante contributions to the Single Resolution Fund (SRF) – Not necessary to include, in that decision, all figures necessary for verifying the accuracy of the calculation of the contribution – Weighing the obligation to state reasons against the general principle of protection of the business secrets of the institutions concerned – Legality of the provisions concerning the methodology for calculating the ex ante contributions to the SRF – Principle of non-disclosure of business secrets – Obligation for the SRB to publish or disclose to the institutions concerned, in collective and anonymised form, the information relating to the institutions that was used to calculate the ex ante contribution
(Art. 296, second para., TFEU; European Parliament and Council Regulation No 806/2014; Commission Regulation 2015/63, Arts 4 to 7 and 9 and Annex I; European Parliament and Council Directive 2014/59)
(see paragraphs 260-272, 292, 294)
6.
Acts of the institutions – Statement of reasons – Obligation – Scope – Explanations regarding the reasons for the measure provided by the author during the proceedings before the EU judicature – Conditions – There must be no contradictions and the explanations must be consistent with those reasons
(Art. 296, second para., TFEU)
(see paragraphs 329, 330)
7.
Acts of the institutions – Statement of reasons – Obligation – Scope – Decision of the Single Resolution Board (SRB) establishing the ex ante contributions to the Single Resolution Fund (SRF) – Obligation for the SRB to disclose to the institutions concerned the methodology for calculating those contributions and the methodology for setting the amount of the annual target level
(Art. 296, second para., TFEU; European Parliament and Council Regulation No 806/2014; Council Regulation 2015/81, Art. 4; Commission Regulation 2015/63, Arts 4 to 7 and 9 and Annex I; European Parliament and Council Directive 2014/59)
(see paragraphs 332, 333)
8.
Acts of the institutions – Statement of reasons – Obligation – Scope – Decision of the Single Resolution Board (SRB) establishing the ex ante contributions to the Single Resolution Fund (SRF) – Statement of reasons based solely on other legal acts, such as interim decisions, explaining and supplementing certain aspects of the determination of those contributions – Those other acts not published or disclosed to institutions – Unlawfulness
(Art. 296, second para., TFEU)
(see paragraphs 442, 447)
Operative part
The Court:
1.
Annuls Decision SRB/ES/2021/22 of the Single Resolution Board (SRB) of 14 April 2021 on the calculation of the 2021 ex ante contributions to the Single Resolution Fund, in so far as it concerns Landesbank Hessen-Thüringen Girozentrale;
2.
Maintains the effects of Decision SRB/ES/2021/22, in so far as it concerns Landesbank Hessen-Thüringen Girozentrale, until the entry into force, within a reasonable period which cannot exceed six months from the date of delivery of the present judgment, of a new decision of the SRB fixing the ex ante contribution to the Single Resolution Fund of that institution for the 2021 contribution period;
3.
Orders the SRB to bear its own costs and to pay those incurred by Landesbank Hessen-Thüringen Girozentrale;
4.
Orders the European Commission to bear its own costs.
(
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)	OJ C 349, 30.8.2021.