Judgment of the Court (Tenth Chamber) of 14 January 2021 – ERCEA v Aristoteleio Panepistimio Thessalonikis
(Case C‑280/19 P)(1)
(Appeal – Arbitration clause – Minatran contract concluded under the Seventh Framework Programme – Eligible costs – Debit note issued by the ERCEA – Recovery of amounts advanced – Personnel costs and indirect expenditure relating to those personnel costs – Obligation to carry out work solely on the premises of the beneficiary of the grant – Supervision by the beneficiary – Normal practices of the beneficiary)
1.      Appeal – Grounds – Incorrect assessment of the facts – Inadmissibility – Review by the Court of the interpretation of a contract term – Not included
(Art. 256(1) TFEU; Statute of the Court of Justice, Art. 58, first para.; Rules of Procedure of the Court of Justice, Art. 169)
(see paras 43, 44, 56, 67)
2.      Appeal – Grounds – Incorrect assessment of the facts and evidence – Inadmissibility – Review by the Court of the assessment of the facts and evidence – Possible only where the clear sense of the evidence has been distorted – Requirement that the distortion be obvious from the documents in the file – Ground alleging a divergence of interpretation of a document – Inadmissibility
(Art. 256(1) TFEU; Statute of the Court of Justice, Art. 58, first para.)
(see paras 45, 46, 59, 81)
3.      Appeal – Grounds – Plea raised for the first time in the context of the appeal – Inadmissibility
(Art. 256(1) TFEU; Statute of the Court of Justice, Art. 58, first para.; Rules of Procedure of the Court of Justice, Art. 170(1))
(see para. 54)
4.      Appeal – Grounds – Inadequate statement of reasons – Reliance by the General Court on implied reasoning – Whether permissible – Conditions
(Art. 256(1) TFEU; Statute of the Court of Justice, Arts 36 and 53, first para.)
(see paras 83, 84)
Operative part
The Court:
1.
Dismisses the appeal;
2.
Orders the European Research Council Executive Agency (ERCEA) to pay the costs.
1 OJ C 182, 27.5.2019.