Order of the General Court (Third Chamber) of 1 December 2020 –

Danske Slagtermestre v Commission

(Case T‑486/18)

(Action for annulment – State aid – Contributions scheme for the collection of waste water – Preliminary examination stage – Decision finding that there is no State aid – Trade association – Locus standi – Status as an interested party – Objective of protecting the procedural rights guaranteed by Article 108(2) TFEU – Lack of individual concern – No substantial effect on the competitive position – Regulatory act – Lack of direct concern – Inadmissibility)

1. Action for annulment – Natural or legal persons – Measures of direct and individual concern to them – Action by a trade association set up to protect and represent its members – Admissibility – Conditions (Art. 263, fourth para., TFEU) (see paras 23-26)

2. Action for annulment – Natural or legal persons – Measures of direct and individual concern to them – Commission decision finding State aid compatible with the internal market without opening the formal investigation procedure – Action by interested parties within the meaning of Article 108(2) TFEU – Action designed to safeguard the procedural rights of the persons concerned – Requirement not met – Inadmissibility (Arts 108(2) and (3), and 263, fourth para., TFEU; Council Regulation No 2015/1589) (see paras 33-37, 42-54, 62)

3. Action for annulment – Natural or legal persons – Measures of direct and individual concern to them – Commission decision finding an aid compatible with the internal market – Action by an association acting in the collective interests of its members – Whether members of the association individually affected – Need for the association to demonstrate that its members are substantially affected – Requirement not met – Inadmissibility (Arts 108(2) and 263, fourth para., TFEU) (see paras 63, 68-70, 77, 78)

4. Action for annulment – Natural or legal persons – Concept of ‘regulatory act’ within the meaning of the fourth paragraph of Article 263 TFEU – Any act of general scope other than legislative acts – Commission decision declaring an aid scheme compatible with the internal market – Included (Arts 107 and 263, fourth para., TFEU) (see paras 89-96)

5. Action for annulment – Natural or legal persons – Measures of direct and individual concern to them – Whether directly concerned – Criteria – Decision of the Commission finding no State aid – Action by a trade association – Trade association not establishing that the right of its members not to be subjected to distorted competition is directly affected – Inadmissibility (Art. 263, fourth para., TFEU) (see paras 97-104)

Re:

Application based on Article 263 TFEU seeking annulment of Commission Decision C(2018) 2259 final of 19 April 2018 relating to State aid SA.37433 (2017/FC) – Denmark, declaring, after the preliminary examination stage, that the contribution introduced by the lov nr. 902/2013 om ændring af lov om betalingsregler for spildevandsforsyningsselskaber m.v. (Betalingsstruktur for vandafledningsbidrag, bemyndigelse til opgørelse af særbidrag for behandling af særlig forurenet spildevand m.v.) (Law No 902/2013, amending the law establishing the rules relating to contributions owed to waste water treatment operators (structure of the contributions for the drainage of waste water, authorising special contributions for the treatment of particularly polluted waste water)) does not confer an advantage on specific undertakings and does not therefore constitute State aid within the meaning of Article 107(1) TFEU.

Operative part

1. The action is dismissed.

2. Danske Slagtermestre shall bear its own costs and pay those incurred by the European Commission.