Case T-124/03: Action brought on 14 April 2003 by AES Drax Power Limited against the Commission of the European Communities
Date: 2003-06-07
Institutions: Court of First Instance
Subjects: European Commission, State aid, United Kingdom, action for annulment (EU), electrical energy, energy production

7.6.2003

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 135/37

equality of treatment as regards the use of English during the
selection procedure, in addition to other alleged defects in the
same procedure. The applicant also argues that insufficient
reasons were stated for the contested decision.

Action brought on 14 April 2003 by AES Drax Power
Limited against the Commission of the European Com-
munities

(Case T-124/03)

(2003/C 135/59)

(Language of the case: English)

An action against the Commission of the European Communi-
ties was brought before the Court of First Instance of the
European Communities on 14 April 2003 by AES Drax Power
Limited, Selby, United Kingdom, represented by K. P. E. Lasok
QC and Ms. E. Gibson-Bolton, Solicitor.

considerations are mistaken,
there would be no serious
social difficulties if British Energy became insolvent, and the
contested Decision is, therefore, in breach of paragraph 23 (c)
of the Guidelines. The applicant also claims that the aid in
question is not restricted to the amount needed to keep British
Energy in business, because if British Energy were placed into
administration, as provided for by English insolvency law, the
cost of keeping it in business might be smaller. For this reason
the applicant considers that the contested Decision is also
contrary to paragraph 23(e) of the Guidelines. The applicant
further claims that the contested Decision violated para-
graph 23 (a) of the Guidelines, by failing to take into account
that the contested aid takes the form of cash placed on deposit
by the government. According to the applicant these deposits
remove the market risk of dealing with British Energy and are
therefore not identical to loans or state guarantees of loans
provided for in paragraph 23 (a) of the Guidelines. Finally, the
applicant contends that the defendant exceeded the limits
placed upon the exercise of its discretion by the EC Treaty and
the general principles of EC law in failing to take account of
the impact of the contested aid on the competitors of British
Energy.

(1) OJ 1999 No C 288 p. 2.

The applicant claims that the Court should:

— Order any measures of enquiry necessary to resolve the

issues of fact in this case

Action brought on 14 April 2003 by Reckitt Benckiser
(España), S.L. against the Office for Harmonisation in the
Internal Market (Trade Marks and Designs) (OHIM)

— Annul the contested decision of 27 November 2002
authorising State Aid NN101/02 to British Energy plc.

— order the defendant to pay the applicant’s costs

(Case T-126/03)

(2003/C 135/60)

Pleas in law and main arguments

(Language of the case to be determined pursuant to Article 131(2)
of the Rules of Procedure — language in which the application was
submitted: English)

In September 2002 the United Kingdom Government awarded
a package of rescue aid to British Energy plc., one of the main
producers of electricity in the United Kingdom and a nuclear
stations operator. By the contested Decision the defendant
decided that this state aid was compatible with the EC Treaty.
The applicant, a competitor of British Energy, seeks the
annulment of that Decision, contending that the defendant
breached its own Guidelines on State Aid for Rescuing and
Restructuring firms in difficulty (1). The applicant disputes the
defendant’s findings that in the absence of the aid in question
British Energy would be insolvent and have to cease operating
and that if it did so there would be serious consequences both
for nuclear safety and for the security of power supply in
the United Kingdom. According to the applicant all these

An action against the Office for Harmonisation in the Internal
Market (Trade Marks and Designs) (OHIM) was brought before
the Court of First Instance of the European Communities on
14 April 2003 by Reckitt Benkiser (España), S.L., Barcelona,
Spain represented by Ms Monica Esteve Sanz, lawyer,

ALADIN Gesellschaft für innovative mikrobiologische Systeme
GmbH was also a party to the proceedings before the Board of
Appeal.