Cases T-588/22 and T-660/22: Order of the General Court of 18 October 2023 — Renco Valore and Seopult v Commission (Madeira Free Zone) (State aid — Madeira Free Zone — Aid scheme implemented by Portugal — Decision finding that the scheme does not comply with Decisions C(2007) 3037 final and C(2013) 4043 final, declaring it to be incompatible with the internal market and ordering the recovery of aid paid under that scheme — Concept of ‘existing aid’ within the meaning of Article 1(b)(ii) of Regulation (EU) 2015/1589 — Recovery — Legitimate expectations — Legal certainty — Additional pleas put forward by the intervener — Admissibility — Action manifestly lacking any foundation in law)
Date: 2023-10-18
Institutions: General Court
Subjects: Madeira, Portugal, State aid, aid to undertakings, control of State aid, corporation tax, principle of legal certainty, reimbursement of aid, tax exemption, tax relief








C_202400451EN.000101.fmx.xml












Official Journal of the European Union


EN
Series C













C/2024/451


3.1.2024





Order of the General Court of 18 October 2023 — Renco Valore and Seopult v Commission (Madeira Free Zone)
(Cases T-588/22 and T-660/22) (1)

(State aid - Madeira Free Zone - Aid scheme implemented by Portugal - Decision finding that the scheme does not comply with Decisions C(2007) 3037 final and C(2013) 4043 final, declaring it to be incompatible with the internal market and ordering the recovery of aid paid under that scheme - Concept of ‘existing aid’ within the meaning of Article 1(b)(ii) of Regulation (EU) 2015/1589 - Recovery - Legitimate expectations - Legal certainty - Additional pleas put forward by the intervener - Admissibility - Action manifestly lacking any foundation in law)
(C/2024/451)
Language of the case: Portuguese

Parties


Applicant in Case T-588/22: Renco Valore SpA (Pesaro, Italy) (represented by: A. Gaspar Schwalbach, C. Pinto Xavier and M. Cotrim, lawyers)

Applicant in Case T-660/22: Seopult LTD (Limassol, Cyprus) (represented by: A. Gaspar Schwalbach, C. Pinto Xavier and M. Cotrim, lawyers)

Defendant: European Commission (represented by: I. Barcew and P. Caro de Sousa, acting as Agents)

Intervener in support of the applicant in Case T-660/22: Grapevine Investimentos e Serviços, Lda (Zona Franca da Madeira) (Funchal, Portugal) (represented by: A. Gaspar Schwalbach and C. Pinto Xavier, lawyers)

Re:

By their action under Article 263 TFEU, the applicants seek the annulment of Articles 1, 4 and 5 of Commission Decision (EU) 2022/1414 of 4 December 2020 on aid scheme SA.21259 (2018/C) (ex 2018/NN) implemented by Portugal for Zona Franca da Madeira (ZFM) — Regime III (OJ 2022 L 217, p. 49).

Operative part of the order







1.


Cases T-588/22 and T-660/22 are joined for the purposes of the order.










2.


The actions are dismissed as manifestly lacking any foundation in law.










3.


Renco Valore SpA and Seopult LTD shall pay the costs.










4.


Grapevine Investimentos e Serviços, Lda (Zona Franca da Madeira) shall bear its own costs and pay those incurred by the European Commission relating to its intervention.






(1)  
            OJ C 424, 7.11.2022.


ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/C/2024/451/oj
ISSN 1977-091X (electronic edition)