Case T-102/03: Action brought on 14 March 2003 by Centro Informativo per la collaborazione tra le imprese e la promozione degli investimenti in Sicilia — CIS — in liquidation against the Commission of the European Communities
Date: 2003-05-10
Institutions: Court of First Instance
Subjects: European Commission, European Regional Development Fund, Sicily, action for annulment (EU), information centre, inter-company cooperation, investment promotion

C 112/46

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

10.5.2003

Action brought on 14 March 2003 by Maison de l’Europe
Avignon-Méditerranée against the Commission of the
European Communities

(Case T-100/03)

(2003/C 112/85)

(Language of the case: French)

— that the Commission, by encouraging the expansion of
actions and by making late payment (one and a half
years) of the amounts granted, in particular to the MEAM,
undermined the position of the latter. Consequently, by
adopting the contested decision, the defendant appears
to have avoided discussion which, doubtless, would have
shown it to be partially responsible for MEAM’s alleged
shortcomings; such a discussion is nevertheless essential
and must precede any decision to terminate the activities
of an IPE.

The applicant also alleges failure to provide a statement of
reasons.

An action against the Commission of the European Communi-
ties was brought before the Court of First Instance of the
European Communities on 14 March 2003 by Maison de
l’Europe Avignon-Méditerranée
established in
Avignon (France), represented by François Martineau, lawyer.

(MEAM),

(1) Not yet published.

The applicant claims that the Court should:

— annul the decision of 24 January 2003 of the Commission
of the European Communities terminating the agreement
on the setting up of an Info-Point Europe (IPE)
in
Avignon, signed on 23 October 2000;

Action brought on 14 March 2003 by Centro Informativo
per la collaborazione tra le imprese e la promozione degli
investimenti in Sicilia — CIS — in liquidation against the
Commission of the European Communities

— order the defendant to pay the ‘recoverable costs’ in their

entirety.

(Case T-102/03)

(2003/C 112/86)

Pleas in law and main arguments

(Language of the case: Italian)

The applicant association in the present case is the same one
as in Case T-43/03 Maison de l’Europe Avignon-Méditer-
ranée (1). The present action is directed against the termination
by the Commission of the agreement entered into with the
applicant on the setting-up of an Info-Point Europe (IPE).

The termination at issue of the agreement in question is
based cumulatively on an alleged ‘loss of confidence’ by the
Commission in the applicant and on certain provisions of the
new financial regulation.

In support of its claims, the applicant alleges:

— error of law in the present case, inasmuch as the grounds
for the conduct at issue were not among those which
could validly justify its adoption under the applicable
provisions. Neither the agreement in question, Annex I
thereto on the statutes of the IPE, nor the new financial
regulation provide for termination of an agreement on
the setting-up of an IPE in the event that the Commission
loses confidence in the other party.

An action against the Commission of the European Communi-
ties was brought before the Court of First Instance of the
European Communities on 14 March 2003 by Centro
Informativo per la collaborazione tra le imprese e la promo-
zione degli investimenti in Sicilia — CIS — in liquidation,
represented by Andrea Scuderi and Giorgia Motta, lawyers.

The applicant claims that the Court should:

— annul the contested decision

— order the Commission to pay the costs.

Pleas in law and main arguments

The present application has been brought against the decision
of the Commission of 15 November 2002 C(2002) 4155

10.5.2003

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 112/47

concerning the withdrawal of the contribution of the European
Regional Development Fund (ERDF) granted, in the form of a
global subsidy in support of the activities of an ‘Information
centre for collaboration between undertakings and the pro-
motion of investment’, by Commission Decision C(93) 256/4
of 16 February 1993 as part of the Community support
framework for Community structural operations in Sicily in
pursuance of Objective 1, and the recovery of amounts already
paid by the Commission by virtue of that contribution.

In support of its claims, the applicant alleges:

— Infringement of Article 24 of Council Regulation (EEC)
No 4253/88 (1) of 19 December 1988,
laying down
provisions for implementing Regulation (EEC) No 2052/
88 as regards coordination of the activities of the different
Structural Funds between themselves and with the oper-
ations of the European Investment Bank and the other
existing financial instruments inasmuch as the CIS did
not wilfully misuse the approved subsidy but was unable
to supplement it through no fault of its own, the fault
being exclusively that of the Sicilian regional adminis-
tration which delayed in drawing up the contract between
the defendant and the CIS.

— Infringement of clause 14 of the abovementioned agree-
ment inasmuch as the Commission should have acknowl-
edged the reimbursement of the expense incurred, par-
ticularly in view of the fact that in the present case the
intermediary was not able to carry out the planned
activities for unforeseeable reasons beyond its control.

The applicant also pleads breach of the principles of force
majeure, proportionality and legitimate expectations and, in
the present case, misuse of powers.

( 1) OJ 1988 L 374, p. 1.

The applicant claims that the Court should:

— annul Ms Dionyssopoulou’s definitive staff report dated

20 December 2002;

— order the Council to pay damages in the amount of

EUR 8 000;

— order the defendant to pay the costs.

Pleas in law and main arguments

The applicant in this case contests the assessments contained
in her definitive staff report for the period from 1 July 1999
to 30 June 2001.

She alleges in that respect breach of the Guide to Staff Reports
and a manifest error of assessment. These are apparent in
particular from the implied criticism that the applicant did not
participate fully in all the tasks of the service on medical
grounds.

Action brought on 14 March 2003 by Hans McAuley
against the Council of the European Union

(Case T-106/03)

(2003/C 112/88)

(Language of the case: French)

Action brought on 17 March 2003 by Triantafyllia
Dionyssopoulou against the Council of the European
Union

(Case T-105/03)

(2003/C 112/87)

(Language of the case: French)

An action against the Council of the European Union was
brought before the Court of First Instance of the European
Communities on 17 March 2003 by Triantafyllia Dionysso-
poulou, residing in Brussels (Belgium), represented by François
Renard, lawyer.

An action against the Council of the European Union was
brought before the Court of First Instance of the European
Communities on 14 March 2003 by Hans McAuley, residing
in Wezembeek-Oppem (Belgium), represented by Sébastien
Orlandi, Albert Coolen, Jean-Noël Louis et Étienne Marchal,
lawyers.

The applicant claims that the Court should:

— annul the decision finalising the applicant’s definitive staff
report for the period from 1 July 1999 to 30 June 2001;

— order the defendant to pay the costs.