Case C-28/23, NFŠ: Judgment of the Court (Fourth Chamber) of 17 October 2024 (request for a preliminary ruling from the Okresný súd Bratislava III – Slovakia) – NFŠ a.s. v Slovenská republika konajúca prostredníctvom Ministerstva školstva, vedy, výskumu a športu Slovenskej republiky, Ministerstvo školstva, vedy, výskumu a športu Slovenskej republiky (Reference for a preliminary ruling – Public procurement of works, supplies and services – Directive 2004/18/EC – Concept of public works contracts – Collection of agreements comprising a grant agreement and an undertaking to purchase – Direct economic interest for the contracting authority – Work corresponding to the requirements specified by the contracting authority – Grant and undertaking to purchase constituting State aid compatible with the internal market – Directive 89/665/EEC – Directive 2014/24/EU – Consequences of a finding that a public contract is ineffective – Absolute invalidity ex tunc)
Date: 2024-10-17
Institutions: Court of Justice
Subjects: Slovakia, State aid, award of contract, building, ministry, option contract, public procurement, tendering, works contract








C_202407136EN.000101.fmx.xml












Official Journal of the European Union


EN
C series













C/2024/7136


9.12.2024






Judgment of the Court (Fourth Chamber) of 17 October 2024 (request for a preliminary ruling from the Okresný súd Bratislava III – Slovakia) – NFŠ a.s. v Slovenská republika konajúca prostredníctvom Ministerstva školstva, vedy, výskumu a športu Slovenskej republiky, Ministerstvo školstva, vedy, výskumu a športu Slovenskej republiky


(Case C-28/23,
                (1)
NFŠ)

(Reference for a preliminary ruling - Public procurement of works, supplies and services - Directive 2004/18/EC - Concept of ‘public works contracts’ - Collection of agreements comprising a grant agreement and an undertaking to purchase - Direct economic interest for the contracting authority - Work corresponding to the requirements specified by the contracting authority - Grant and undertaking to purchase constituting State aid compatible with the internal market - Directive 89/665/EEC - Directive 2014/24/EU - Consequences of a finding that a public contract is ineffective - Absolute invalidity 
ex tunc
)
(C/2024/7136)
Language of the case: Slovak

Referring court

Okresný súd Bratislava III

Parties to the main proceedings


Applicant: NFŠ a.s.

Defendants: Slovenská republika konajúca prostredníctvom Ministerstva školstva, vedy, výskumu a športu Slovenskej republiky, Ministerstvo školstva, vedy, výskumu a športu Slovenskej republiky

Operative part of the judgment







1.


Article 1(2)(b) of Directive 2004/18/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 31 March 2004 on the coordination of procedures for the award of public works contracts, public supply contracts and public service contracts
must be interpreted as meaning that a collection of agreements binding a Member State to an economic operator and including a grant agreement and an undertaking to purchase, concluded with a view to building a football stadium, constitutes a ‘public works contract’ within the meaning of that provision, where that collection of agreements creates reciprocal obligations between that State and that economic operator, which include the obligation to construct that stadium in accordance with the conditions specified by that State and a unilateral option in favour of that economic operator corresponding to an obligation on the part of that State to purchase that stadium, and grants the same economic operator State aid recognised by the European Commission as being compatible with the internal market.










2.


Council Directive 89/665/EEC of 21 December 1989 on the coordination of the laws, regulations and administrative provisions relating to the application of review procedures to the award of public supply and public works contracts, as amended by Directive 2014/23/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 February 2014, and Directive 2014/24/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 February 2014 on public procurement and repealing Directive 2004/18/EC,
must be interpreted as meaning that they do not preclude the application, on the basis of a plea of nullity raised by the contracting authority, of national legislation which provides that a contract concluded in breach of the rules on public procurement is to be declared null and void ex tunc, provided that, in the case of a public contract falling within the material scope of Directive 2014/24, the legislation providing for such a plea of nullity complies with EU law, including the general principles of EU law.






(1)  
            OJ C 173, 15.5.2023.


ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/C/2024/7136/oj
ISSN 1977-091X (electronic edition)