62020TJ0347_INF
Judgment of the General Court (First Chamber) of 19 October 2022 –Sogia Ellas v Commission
(Case T‑347/20) (
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)
(State aid – Activities linked to the production, processing and marketing of agricultural products – Aid schemes granted by Greece in the form of interest subsidies and State guarantees on existing and new loans to compensate for damage caused by natural disasters or exceptional occurrences – Decision declaring the aid schemes incompatible with the internal market and unlawful and ordering the recovery of the aid paid – Aid limited to disaster-hit geographical areas – Advantage – Selectivity – Market economy operator principle – Principle of sound administration – Right to be heard – Length of the procedure – Protection of legitimate expectations – Limitation period – Article 17 of Regulation (EU) 2015/1589)
1.
State aid – Concept – Assessment according to the criterion of the private investor – Assessment of all factors relevant to the transaction at issue and its context – Measure adopted by the Member State in its capacity as a public authority
(Art. 107(1) TFEU)
(see paragraphs 29-36)
2.
State aid – Concept – Selective nature of the measure – Interest subsidies and State guarantees granted on existing and new loans – Criteria for assessment – Determination of the reference framework – Aid limited to disaster-hit geographical areas – Measure which may be regarded as selective – Measure pursuing legitimate objectives – Irrelevant
(Art. 107(1) TFEU)
(see paragraphs 37-49)
3.
State aid – Effect on trade between Member States – Adverse effect on competition – Criteria for assessment – Aid which may affect that trade and distort competition – Interest subsidies and State guarantees granted on existing and new loans – Included
(Art. 107(1) TFEU)
(see paragraphs 50-55)
4.
State aid – Commission decision – Assessment of the legality by reference to the information available at the time of adoption of the decision – Applicant not having participated in the formal investigation procedure not able to rely, in support of his or her action, on factual elements not submitted during that procedure
(Art. 108(2) TFEU)
(see paragraphs 67, 68)
5.
State aid – Prohibition – Exceptions – Aid compatible with the internal market – Aid to make good the damage caused by natural disasters or exceptional occurrences – Restrictive interpretation – Need for correspondence between the amount of aid and the amount of damage – Aid granted in an emergency situation to deal with exceptional occurrences as recognised by the European Union’s representatives – Irrelevant
(Art. 107(2)(b) TFEU)
(see paragraphs 71-79)
6.
State aid – Recovery of unlawful and incompatible aid – Ten-year limitation period laid down in Article 17 of Regulation 2015/1589 – Point from which the limitation period starts to run – Date on which aid granted to the beneficiary – Interruption of the limitation period by a request for information sent by the Commission to the Member State concerned – No need to inform the beneficiary of the aid of an interrupting action
(Art. 108(2) TFEU; Council Regulation 2015/1589, Art. 17(2))
(see paragraphs 82-91)
7.
State aid – Commission decision to open a formal investigation procedure into a State measure – Obligation to give a decision within a reasonable time – Infringement – No impediment to the recovery of aid not notified in proper form – Limits – Infringement of the Commission’s duty of diligence
(Art. 108(2) TFEU)
(see paragraphs 92-99)
8.
State aid – Examination by the Commission – Administrative procedure – Obligation of the Commission to give notice to the interested parties to submit their comments – Right of the aid beneficiary to be sufficiently associated with the proceedings – Limits
(Art. 108(2) TFEU; Council Regulation 2015/1589, Arts 6(1) and 24(1))
(see paragraphs 100-105)
9.
State aid – Recovery of unlawful aid – Aid granted in breach of the procedural rules of Article 108 TFEU – Legitimate expectations entertained by the recipients – None save in exceptional circumstances
(Arts 107(1) and 108(3) TFEU)
(see paragraphs 118-124)
10.
State aid – Recovery of unlawful aid – Restoration of the prior situation – No breach of principle of proportionality
(Art. 108 TFEU; Council Regulation 2015/1589, Art. 16(1))
(see paragraphs 129-133, 135)
Operative part
The Court:
1.
Dismisses the action;
2.
Orders Sogia Ellas AE to bear its own costs and to pay those incurred by the European Commission;
3.
Orders Myloi Sogias AE to bear its own costs.
(
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)	OJ C 271, 17.8.2020.