62019TO0479(03)_INF
Order of the General Court (Tenth Chamber, Extended Composition) of 10 June 2025 – Hypo Vorarlberg Bank v SRB (2019 ex ante contributions)
(Case T‑479/19)
(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 2019 ex ante contributions – Determination of the annual target level – Cap provided for in the first and fourth subparagraphs of Article 70(2) of Regulation (EU) No 806/2014 – Obligation to state reasons – Right to be heard – Principle of legal certainty – Right to effective judicial protection – Plea of illegality – Action manifestly lacking any foundation in law)
1.
Plea of illegality – Admissibility criteria – Plea put forward in a statement of modification of the initial pleadings – Matters of fact and of law known at the time of lodging the application – No amending of the matters of fact and of law in the measure replacing or amending the measure initially contested – Inadmissibility
(Rules of Procedure of the General Court, Art. 86)
(see paragraphs 35-37)
2.
Plea of illegality – Similar plea already accepted in another decision – Inter partes effect of a plea of illegality already accepted in another decision – Obligation on the court to raise that plea of its own motion in a new case –None
(Art. 277 TFEU)
(see paragraphs 54-56)
3.
Judicial proceedings – Application initiating proceedings – Formal requirements – Clear and precise statement of the pleas relied on – Similar requirements for submissions made in support of a plea – Imprecise formulation of a claim – Inadmissibility
(Rules of Procedure of the General Court, Art. 76(d))
(see paragraphs 63-66)
4.
EU law – Principles – Legal certainty – EU rules – Requirements of clarity and precision – Limits
(see paragraphs 104-107)
5.
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 151-165)
6.
EU institutions – Exercise of powers – Power conferred on the Commission to adopt delegated acts – Power to amend a legislative act – Distinct from the power to supplement such an act
(Art. 290(1) TFEU)
(see paragraphs 170-172)
7.
Acts of the institutions – Temporal application – Non-retroactivity – Exceptions – Conditions – Accomplishment of an objective in the general interest and respect for legitimate expectations – Withdrawal of a decision of the Single Resolution Board (SRB) setting ex ante contributions to the Single Resolution Fund (SRF) in order to rectify a failure to state reasons – Adoption of a decision entering into force on the date that the earlier decision takes effect – No amendments to the amount and the calculation of those contributions – Account taken of the purpose of contributions to the SRF – Whether permissible
(European Parliament and Council Regulation No 806/2014, Arts 2, 67(4), 69 and 70)
(see paragraphs 195, 198, 199)
8.
Economic and monetary policy – Economic policy – Single Resolution Mechanism for credit institutions and certain investment firms – Ex ante contributions to the Single Resolution Fund – Purpose – Insurance-based logic – Ensuring the provision of adequate financial resources by the financial sector – Determination of the final target level – Dynamic nature of that level – Determination on the basis of a calculation of the amount of covered deposits at the end of the initial period – Whether permissible
(European Parliament and Council Regulation No 806/2014, recitals 41 and 101 and Arts 69(1) and 76(1))
(see paragraphs 211-217)
9.
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 contributions – Weighing the obligation to state reasons against the general principle of protection of the business secrets of the institutions concerned – Legality of the provisions of Delegated Regulation 2015/63 concerning the methodology for the calculation of 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 242-253, 280)
10.
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 306, 311)
11.
EU law – Principles – Rights of the defence – Right to be heard – Scope – Online form inviting the credit institutions concerned to submit their observations on the calculation of the ex ante contributions payable to the Single Resolution Fund (SRF) – Whether permissible – Infringement of the right to be heard – None
(Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, Art. 41(2)(a))
(see paragraphs 378, 379, 384)
Operative part
1.
The action is dismissed.
2.
Each party shall bear its own costs.