Joined Cases C-455/13 P, C-457/13 P and C-460/13 P: Judgment of the Court (Eighth Chamber) of 17 September 2015 — Confederazione Cooperative Italiane, Cooperativas Agro-Alimentarias, Fédération française de la coopération fruitière, légumière and horticole (Felcoop) (C-455/13 P), European Commission (C-457/13 P), Italian Republic (C-460/13 P) v Associazione Nazionale degli Industriali delle Conserve Alimentari Vegetali (Anicav) and Others (Appeals — Agriculture — Common organisation of the markets — Fruit and vegetable sector — Regulation (EC) No 1580/2007 — Article 52(2a) — Implementing Regulation (EU) No 543/2011 — Articles 50(3) and 60(7) — Aid to producer organisations — Products processed from fruit and vegetables — Flat rate covering certain processing operations — Eligibility of investments and actions connected with the processing — Actions for annulment — Admissibility — Whether directly concerned)
Date: 2015-09-17
Institutions: Court of Justice
Subjects: State aid, aid to agriculture, common organisation of markets, control of State aid, eligibility criteria, food processing, fruit, processed foodstuff, producer organisation, vegetable








C_2015381EN.01000201.xml










16.11.2015   


EN


Official Journal of the European Union


C 381/2





Judgment of the Court (Eighth Chamber) of 17 September 2015 — Confederazione Cooperative Italiane, Cooperativas Agro-Alimentarias, Fédération française de la coopération fruitière, légumière and horticole (Felcoop) (C-455/13 P), European Commission (C-457/13 P), Italian Republic (C-460/13 P) v Associazione Nazionale degli Industriali delle Conserve Alimentari Vegetali (Anicav) and Others
(Joined Cases C-455/13 P, C-457/13 P and C-460/13 P) (1)

((Appeals - Agriculture - Common organisation of the markets - Fruit and vegetable sector - Regulation (EC) No 1580/2007 - Article 52(2a) - Implementing Regulation (EU) No 543/2011 - Articles 50(3) and 60(7) - Aid to producer organisations - Products processed from fruit and vegetables - Flat rate covering certain processing operations - Eligibility of investments and actions connected with the processing - Actions for annulment - Admissibility - Whether directly concerned))
(2015/C 381/02)
Language of the case: English

Parties

(Case C-455/13 P)

Appellants: Confederazione Cooperative Italiane, Cooperativas Agro-Alimentarias, Fédération française de la coopération fruitière, légumière and horticole (Felcoop) (represented by: M. Merola and C. Santacroce, avvocati)
(Case C-457/13 P)

Appellant: European Commission (represented by: K. Skelly, A. Marcoulli and B. Schima, acting as Agents)

Interveners in support of the European Commission: French Republic (represented by: D. Colas and C. Candat, acting as Agents), Sociedad Cooperativa de Exportación de Frutos Cítricos Anecoop (Anecoop) S. Coop., Cooperativa Agrícola Nuestra Señora del Oreto (CANSO) Coop. V., Cooperativa Agrícola ‘Sant Bernat’ (Carlet) Coop. V., Cooperativa Agrícola SCJ (COPAL) Coop. V., Grupo AN S. Coop., Acopaex S. Coop., Las Marismas de Lebrija Sociedad Cooperativa Andaluza (Las Marismas), Associació de Cooperatives Agràries de les Terres de Lleida (ACTEL), Unió Corporació Alimentária (UNIO) SCCL, Union Coopérative Agricole France Prune (France Prune), Agrial SCA, Triskalia, Union Fermière Morbihannaise (UFM), VOG Products Soc. agr. coop., Consorzio Padano Ortofrutticolo (CO.PAD.OR.) Soc. agr. coop., Consorzio Casalasco del Pomodoro Soc. agr. coop., Agricoltori Riuniti Piacentini (ARP) Soc. agr. coop., Orogel Fresco Soc. agr. coop., Conserve Italia Soc. agr. coop., Fruttagel Soc. agr. coop. (represented by: M. Merola and C. Santacroce, avvocati), Unione Nazionale tra le Organizzazioni di Produttori Ortofrutticoli, Agrumari e di Frutta in Guscio (Unaproa) (represented initially by S. Crisci and subsequently by G. Coppo, avvocati)
(Case C-460/13 P)

Appellant: Italian Republic (represented by: G. Palmieri, acting as Agent, and S. Varone, avvocato dello Stato)

Other parties to the proceedings: Associazione Nazionale degli Industriali delle Conserve Alimentari Vegetali (Anicav), Agrupación Española de Fabricantes de Conservas Vegetales (Agrucon), Associazione Italiana Industrie Prodotti Alimentari (AIIPA), Campil-Agro-Industrial do Campo do Tejo Lda, Evropaïka Trofima AE, FIT — Fomento da Indústria do Tomate SA, Konservopoiia Oporokipeftikon Filippos AE, Panellinia Enosi Konservopoion, Elliniki Etairia Konservon AE, Anonimos Viomichaniki Etairia Konservon D. Nomikos, Italagro — Indústria de Transformação de Produtos Alimentares SA, Kopaïs AVEE Trofimon & Poton, Serraïki Konservopoiia Oporokipeftikon Serko AE, Sociedade de Industrialização de Produtos Agrícolas — Sopragol SA, Sugalidal — Indústrias de Alimentação SA, Sutol — Indústrias Alimentares Lda, ZANAE Zymai Artopoiias Nikoglou AE Viomichania Emporio Trofimon, AIT — Associação dos Industriais de Tomate (represented by: S. Estima Martins and R. Oliveira, advogados), Confederazione Cooperative Italiane, Cooperativas Agro-Alimentarias, Fédération française de la coopération fruitière, légumière and horticole (Felcoop), VOG Products Soc. agr. coop., Consorzio Padano Ortofrutticolo (CO.PAD.OR.) Soc. agr. coop., Consorzio Casalasco del Pomodoro Soc. agr. coop., ARP Agricoltori Riuniti Piacentini Soc. agr. coop., Orogel Fresco Soc. agr. coop., Conserve Italia Soc. agr. coop.

Operative part of the judgment

The Court:






1.


Sets aside the judgment of the General Court of the European Union in Anicav and Others v Commission (T-454/10 and T-482/11, EU:T:2013:282) in that it declared admissible the actions brought in Cases T-454/10 and T-482/11 which seek the annulment of the second subparagraph of Article 52(2a) of Commission Regulation (EC) No 1580/2007 of 21 December 2007 laying down implementing rules of Council Regulations (EC) No 2200/96, (EC) No 2201/96 and (EC) No 1182/2007 in the fruit and vegetable sector, as amended by Commission Regulation (EU) No 687/2010 of 30 July 2010, and Articles 50(3) and 60(7) of Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 543/2011 of 7 June 2011 laying down detailed rules for the application of Council Regulation (EC) No 1234/2007 in respect of the fruit and vegetables and processed fruit and vegetables sectors;










2.


Dismisses the actions for annulment brought in Cases T-454/10 and T-482/11 as inadmissible;










3.


Orders Associazione Nazionale degli Industriali delle Conserve Alimentari Vegetali (Anicav), Agrupación Española de Fabricantes de Conservas Vegetales (Agrucon), Associazione Italiana Industrie Prodotti Alimentari (AIIPA), Campil-Agro-Industrial do Campo do Tejo Lda, Evropaïka Trofima AE, FIT — Fomento da Indústria do Tomate SA, Konservopoiia Oporokipeftikon Filippos AE, Panellinia Enosi Konservopoion, Elliniki Etairia Konservon AE, Anonymos Viomichaniki Etaireia Konservon D. Nomikos, Italagro — Indústria de Transformação de Produtos Alimentares SA, Kopaïs AVEE Trofimon & Poton, Serraïki Konservopoiia Oporokipeftikon Serko AE, Sociedade de Industrialização de Produtos Agrícolas — Sopragol SA, Sugalidal — Indústrias de Alimentação SA, Sutol — Indústrias Alimentares Lda, and ZANAE Zymai Artopoiias Nikoglou AE Viomichania Emporio Trofimon to pay the costs incurred at first instance and/or in the appeals by Confederazione Cooperative Italiane, Cooperativas Agro-Alimentarias, Fédération française de la coopération fruitière, légumière et horticole (Felcoop), the European Commission in Case C-457/13 P, the Italian Republic, Sociedad Cooperativa de Exportación de Frutos Cítricos Anecoop (Anecoop) S. Coop, Cooperativa Agrícola Nuestra Señora del Oreto (CANSO) Coop. V., Cooperativa Agrícola ‘Sant Bernat’ (Carlet) Coop. V., Cooperativa Agrícola SCJ (COPAL) Coop. V., Grupo AN S. Coop., Acopaex S. Coop., Las Marismas de Lebrija Sociedad Cooperativa Andaluza (Las Marismas), Associació de Cooperatives Agràries de les Terres de Lleida (ACTEL), Unió Corporació Alimentária (UNIO) SCCL, Union Coopérative Agricole France Prune (France Prune), Agrial SCA, Triskalia, Union Fermière Morbihannaise (UFM), VOG Products Soc. agr. coop., Consorzio Padano Ortofrutticolo (CO.PAD.OR.) Soc. agr. coop., Consorzio Casalasco del Pomodoro Soc. agr. coop., Agricoltori Riuniti Piacentini (ARP) Soc. agr. coop., Orogel Fresco Soc. agr. coop., Conserve Italia Soc. agr. coop., Fruttagel Soc. agr. coop. and Unione Nazionale tra le Organizzazioni di Produttori Ortofrutticoli, Agrumari e di Frutta in Guscio (Unaproa);










4.


Orders AIT — Associação dos Industriais de Tomate and the French Republic to bear their own costs.






(1)  OJ C 325, 9.11.2013.

OJ C 344, 23.11.2013.

OJ C 352, 30.11.2013.