Official Journal of the European Union

Judgment of the Court (First Chamber) of 6 October 2021 — Scandlines Danmark ApS, Scandlines Deutschland GmbH v European Commission, Kingdom of Denmark, Föreningen Svensk Sjöfart, Naturschutzbund Deutschland (NABU) eV (C-174/19 P), Stena Line Scandinavia AB v European Commission, Kingdom of Denmark, Föreningen Svensk Sjöfart (C-175/19 P)

(Joined Cases C-174/19 P and C-175/19 P) (1)

(Appeal - Action for annulment - State aid - Public financing of the Fehmarn Belt fixed rail-road link - Individual aid - Notified aid declared compatible with the internal market - Execution of an important project of common European interest - Decision not to raise any objections - Monopoly - Distortion of competition and effect on trade)

(2021/C 481/10)

Language of the case: English

Parties

(Case C-174/19 P)

Appellants: Scandlines Danmark ApS, Scandlines Deutschland GmbH (represented by: L. Sandberg-Mørch, advokat)

Other parties to the proceedings: European Commission (represented by: V. Bottka, S. Noë and L. Armati, acting as Agents), Kingdom of Denmark (represented: initially by J. Nymann-Lindegren, and subsequently by V. Jørgensen, acting as Agents, and R. Holdgaard, advokat), Föreningen Svensk Sjöfart (represented by: J.L. Buendía Sierra, abogado), Naturschutzbund Deutschland (NABU) eV (represented by: T. Hohmuth, Rechtsanwalt, and L. Sandberg-Mørch, advokat)

Interveners in support of the appellants: Aktionsbündnis gegen eine feste Fehmarnbeltquerung eV (represented by: L. Sandberg-Mørch, advokat, and W. Mecklenburg, Rechtsanwalt), Rederi Nordö-Link AB (represented by: L. Sandberg-Mørch and A. Godsk Fallesen, advokater), Trelleborg Hamn AB (represented by: L. Sandberg-Mørch, advokat, and J.L. Buendía Sierra, abogado)

(Case C-175/19 P)

Appellant: Stena Line Scandinavia AB (represented by: L. Sandberg-Mørch, advokat, and P. Alexiadis, Solicitor)

Other parties to the proceedings: European Commission (represented by: V. Bottka, S. Noë and L. Armati, acting as Agents), Kingdom of Denmark (represented: initially by J. Nymann-Lindegren, and subsequently by V. Jørgensen, acting as Agents, and by R. Holdgaard, advokat), Föreningen Svensk Sjöfart (represented by: J.L. Buendía Sierra, abogado)

Interveners in support of the appellant: Aktionsbündnis gegen eine feste Fehmarnbeltquerung eV (represented by: L. Sandberg-Mørch, advokat, and W. Mecklenburg, Rechtsanwalt), Rederi Nordö-Link AB (represented by: L. Sandberg-Mørch and A. Godsk Fallesen, advokater), Trelleborg Hamn AB (represented by: L. Sandberg-Mørch, advokat, and J.L. Buendía Sierra, abogado)

Operative part of the judgment

The Court:

1. Dismisses the main appeals and the cross-appeals;

2. Orders Scandlines Danmark ApS, Scandlines Deutschland GmbH and Stena Line Scandinavia AB to pay, in addition to their own costs, those incurred by the European Commission in connection with the main appeals;

3. Orders the European Commission to bear its own costs in connection with the cross-appeals;

4. Orders the Kingdom of Denmark, Föreningen Svensk Sjöfart and Naturschutzbund Deutschland (NABU) eV to bear their own costs;

5. Orders Nordö-Link AB, Trelleborg Hamn AB and Aktionsbündnis gegen eine feste Fehmarnbeltquerung eV to bear their own costs.

(1) OJ C 148, 29.4.2019.