Cases T-460/22, T-461/22, T-464/22, T-550/22, T-551/22 and T-553/22: Order of the General Court of 18 October 2023 — Somniare and Others 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 — Obligation to state reasons — Concept of ‘existing aid’ within the meaning of Article 1(b)(ii) of Regulation (EU) 2015/1589 — Reasonable time — Recovery — Legitimate expectations — Legal certainty — Right to a fair hearing — Action manifestly lacking any foundation in law)
Date: 2023-10-18
Institutions: General Court
Subjects: Madeira, Portugal, State aid, control of State aid, corporation tax, principle of legal certainty, reimbursement of aid, right to justice, tax exemption, tax relief








C_202400432EN.000101.fmx.xml












Official Journal of the European Union


EN
Series C













C/2024/432


3.1.2024





Order of the General Court of 18 October 2023 — Somniare and Others v Commission (Madeira Free Zone)
(Cases T-460/22, T-461/22, T-464/22, T-550/22, T-551/22 and T-553/22) (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 - Obligation to state reasons - Concept of ‘existing aid’ within the meaning of Article 1(b)(ii) of Regulation (EU) 2015/1589 - Reasonable time - Recovery - Legitimate expectations - Legal certainty - Right to a fair hearing - Action manifestly lacking any foundation in law)
(C/2024/432)
Language of the case: Portuguese

Parties


Applicant in Case T-460/22: Somniare, Unipessoal, Lda (Funchal, Portugal) (represented by: S. Gemas Donário and S. Soares, lawyers)

Applicant in Case T-461/22: Stratsirius, Unipessoal, Lda (Funchal) (represented by: S. Gemas Donário and S. Soares, lawyers)

Applicant in Case T-464/22: Horizon Industry Solutions SA (Geneva, Switzerland) (represented by: S. Gemas Donário and S. Soares, lawyers)

Applicant in Case T-550/22: Sapateia SA (Geneva) (represented by: S. Gemas Donário and S. Soares, lawyers)

Applicant in Case T-551/22: Augustea Oceanbulk Maritime Malta ltd. (Floriana, Malta) (represented by: S. Gemas Donário and S. Soares, lawyers)

Applicant in Case T-553/22: Thorn Investments LTD (Nicosia, Cyprus) (represented by: S. Gemas Donário and S. Soares, lawyers)

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

Re:

By their action under Article 263 TFEU, the applicants seek the annulment 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-460/22, T-461/22, T-464/22, T-550/22, T-551/22 and T-553/22 are joined for the purposes of the present order.










2.


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










3.


Somniare, Unipessoal, Lda, Stratsirius, Unipessoal, Lda, Horizon Industry Solutions SA, Sapateia SA, Augustea Oceanbulk Maritime Malta ltd. and Thorn Investments LTD shall pay the costs.






(1)  
            OJ C 368, 26.9.2022.


ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/C/2024/432/oj
ISSN 1977-091X (electronic edition)