Case C-449/14 P: Judgment of the Court (First Chamber) of 10 November 2016 — DTS Distribuidora de Televisión Digital SA v European Commission, Telefónica de España SA, Telefónica Móviles España SA, Kingdom of Spain, Corporación de Radio y Televisión Española SA (RTVE) (Appeal — State aid — State aid scheme in favour of the national public broadcast organisation — Public service obligations — Set-off — Article 106(2) TFEU — Decision declaring the aid scheme compatible with the internal market — Alteration of the method of financing — Tax measures — Tax imposed on pay-television operators — Decision declaring the amended aid scheme compatible with the internal market — Taking into account of the method of financing — Existence of hypothecation between the tax and the aid scheme — Direct impact of the revenue from the tax on the amount of the aid — Coverage of the net costs of fulfilling the public service mandate — Competitive relationship between the person liable to pay the tax and the beneficiary of the aid — Distortion of national law)
Date: 2016-11-10
Institutions: Court of Justice
Subjects: Spain, State aid, aid recipient, broadcasting, control of State aid, national law, quasi-fiscal charge, services of general interest, television, terms for aid








C_2017014EN.01000201.xml










16.1.2017   


EN


Official Journal of the European Union


C 14/2






Judgment of the Court (First Chamber) of 10 November 2016 — DTS Distribuidora de Televisión Digital SA v European Commission, Telefónica de España SA, Telefónica Móviles España SA, Kingdom of Spain, Corporación de Radio y Televisión Española SA (RTVE)
(Case C-449/14 P) (1)

((Appeal - State aid - State aid scheme in favour of the national public broadcast organisation - Public service obligations - Set-off - Article 106(2) TFEU - Decision declaring the aid scheme compatible with the internal market - Alteration of the method of financing - Tax measures - Tax imposed on pay-television operators - Decision declaring the amended aid scheme compatible with the internal market - Taking into account of the method of financing - Existence of hypothecation between the tax and the aid scheme - Direct impact of the revenue from the tax on the amount of the aid - Coverage of the net costs of fulfilling the public service mandate - Competitive relationship between the person liable to pay the tax and the beneficiary of the aid - Distortion of national law))
(2017/C 014/02)
Language of the case: Spanish

Parties


Appellant: DTS Distribuidora de Televisión Digital SA (represented by: H. Brokelmann and M. Ganino, abogados)

Other parties to the proceedings: European Commission (represented by: C. Urraca Caviedes, B. Stromsky and G. Valero Jordana, acting as Agents), Telefónica de España SA, Telefónica Móviles España SA (represented by: F. González Díaz, F. Salerno and V. Romero Algarra, abogados), Kingdom of Spain (represented by: A. Sampol Pucurull, acting as Agent), Corporación de Radio y Televisión Española SA (RTVE) (represented by: A. Martínez Sánchez and J. Rodríguez Ordóñez, abogados)

Operative part of the judgment

The Court:






1.


Dismisses the appeal;










2.


Orders DTS Distribuidora de Televisión Digital SA to bear its own costs and to pay those incurred by the European Commission in respect of the appeal in the main proceedings;










3.


Orders Telefónica de España SA and Telefónica Móviles España SA to bear their own costs and to pay those incurred by the European Commission in respect of the cross-appeal;










4.


Orders Corporación de Radio y Televisión Española SA (RTVE) and the Kingdom of Spain to bear their own costs.






(1)  
            OJ C 395, 10.11.2014.