Judgment of the General Court of 15 September 2021 — CAPA and Others v Commission

(Case T-777/19) (1)

(State aid - Individual aid in favour of the operation of offshore wind farms - Obligation to purchase electricity at a price higher than the market price - Preliminary examination procedure - Decision not to raise objections - Action for annulment - Article 1(h) of Regulation (EU) 2015/1589 - Status as an interested party - Fishing undertakings - Erection of wind farms in fishing zones - No competitive relationship - No risk of effects on the interests of fishing undertakings by the grant of the aid in dispute - Lack of direct individual concern - Inadmissibility)

(2021/C 462/43)

Language of the case: French

Parties

Applicants: Coopérative des artisans pêcheurs associés (CAPA) Sarl (Le Tréport, France) and the ten other applicants whose names are set out in the annex to the judgment (represented by: M. Le Berre, lawyer)

Defendant: European Commission (represented by: B. Stromsky and A. Bouchiagar, acting as Agents)

Interveners in support of the applicants: Comité régional des pêches maritimes et des élevages marins des Hauts-de-France (CRPMEM) (Boulogne-sur-Mer, France), Fonds régional d’organisation du marché du poisson (FROM NORD) (Boulogne-sur-Mer), Organisation de producteurs CME Manche-Mer du Nord (OP CME Manche-Mer du Nord) (Le Portel, France) (represented by: A. Durand, lawyer)

Interveners in support of the defendant: French Republic (represented by: E. de Moustier, P. Dodeller and T. Stehelin, acting as Agents), Ailes Marines SAS (Puteaux, France) (represented by: M. Petite and A. Lavenir, lawyers), Éoliennes Offshore des Hautes Falaises SAS (Paris, France), Éoliennes Offshore du Calvados SAS (Paris), Parc du Banc de Guérande SAS (Paris) (represented by: J. Derenne and D. Vallindas, lawyers), Éoliennes en Mer Dieppe Le Tréport SAS (Dieppe, France), Éoliennes en Mer Îles d’Yeu et de Noirmoutier SAS (Nantes, France) (represented by: C. Lemaire and A. Azzi, lawyers)

Re:

Application under Article 263 TFEU seeking annulment of Commission Decision C(2019) 5498 final of 26 July 2019 on State aid SA.45274 (2016/NN), SA.45275 (2016/NN), SA.45276 (2016/NN), SA.47246 (2017/NN), SA.47247 (2017/NN) and SA.48007 (2017/NN), implemented by the French Republic in favour of six offshore wind farms (Courseulles-sur-Mer, Fécamp, Saint-Nazaire, Îles d’Yeu, Noirmoutier, Dieppe et Le Tréport, Saint-Brieuc).

Operative part of the judgment

The Court:

1. Dismisses the action;

2. Orders the Coopérative des artisans pêcheurs associés (CAPA) Sarl and the other applicants whose names are set out in the annex to pay the costs;

3. Orders David Bourel and the other applicants in Case T-777/19 R, whose names are set out in the annex to pay the costs of the proceedings for interim measures;

4. Orders the French Republic, the Comité régional des pêches maritimes et des élevages marins des Hauts-de-France (CRPMEM), the Fonds régional d’organisation du marché du poisson (FROM NORD), the Organisation de producteurs CME Manche-Mer du Nord (OP CME Manche-Mer du Nord), Ailes Marines SAS, Éoliennes Offshore des Hautes Falaises SAS, Éoliennes Offshore du Calvados SAS, Parc du Banc de Guérande SAS, Éoliennes en Mer Dieppe Le Tréport SAS and Éoliennes en Mer Îles d’Yeu et de Noirmoutier SAS to bear their own costs.

(1) OJ C 27, 27.1.2020.