Case C-293/23, ENGIE Deutschland: Judgment of the Court (Fifth Chamber) of 28 November 2024 (request for a preliminary ruling from the Bundesgerichtshof – Germany) – ENGIE Deutschland GmbH v Landesregulierungsbehörde beim Sächsischen Staatsministerium für Wirtschaft, Arbeit und Verkehr (Reference for a preliminary ruling – Internal market for electricity – Directive (EU) 2019/944 – Points 28 and 29 of Article 2 – Concept of distribution – Concept of distribution system operator – Concept of distribution system – Articles 30 to 39 – Distribution system operation – Undertaking operating an energy facility comprising a combined heat and power plant and an electric wiring system, supplying heat, hot water and electricity to the tenants of a residential complex – Simultaneous sale of the electricity generated – National legislation exempting the operator of such a facility from the obligations of distribution system operators under that directive)
Date: 2024-11-28
Institutions: Court of Justice
Subjects: electrical energy, electricity supply, energy grid, energy law, energy production, energy supply, power plant








C_202500368EN.000101.fmx.xml












Official Journal of the European Union


EN
C series













C/2025/368


27.1.2025






Judgment of the Court (Fifth Chamber) of 28 November 2024 (request for a preliminary ruling from the Bundesgerichtshof – Germany) – ENGIE Deutschland GmbH v Landesregulierungsbehörde beim Sächsischen Staatsministerium für Wirtschaft, Arbeit und Verkehr


(Case C-293/23,
                (1)
ENGIE Deutschland)

(Reference for a preliminary ruling - Internal market for electricity - Directive (EU) 2019/944 - Points 28 and 29 of Article 2 - Concept of ‘distribution’ - Concept of ‘distribution system operator’ - Concept of ‘distribution system’ - Articles 30 to 39 - Distribution system operation - Undertaking operating an energy facility comprising a combined heat and power plant and an electric wiring system, supplying heat, hot water and electricity to the tenants of a residential complex - Simultaneous sale of the electricity generated - National legislation exempting the operator of such a facility from the obligations of distribution system operators under that directive)
(C/2025/368)
Language of the case: German

Referring court

Bundesgerichtshof

Parties to the main proceedings


Applicant: ENGIE Deutschland GmbH

Defendant: Landesregulierungsbehörde beim Sächsischen Staatsministerium für Wirtschaft, Arbeit und Verkehr

Other parties: Zwickauer Energieversorgung GmbH, Bundesnetzagentur für Elektrizität, Gas, Telekommunikation, Post und Eisenbahnen

Operative part of the judgment

Points 28 and 29 of Article 2 and Article 30 to 39 of Directive (EU) 2019/944 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 5 June 2019 on common rules for the internal market for electricity and amending Directive 2012/27/EU
must be interpreted as precluding national legislation under which an undertaking which, by replacing the existing distribution system, constructs and operates an energy facility for the supply of electricity, generated by a combined heat and power plant, to several residential buildings with up to 200 dwellings and with an annual energy transfer of up to 1 000 MWh, is not subject to the obligations of a distribution system operator, since the costs of constructing and operating the energy facility are borne by the end consumers, who are the tenants of those dwellings, and the electricity generated is sold by that undertaking to those consumers, if that facility is used to transport electricity at high, medium or low voltage for sale to customers and if none of the exemptions or derogations from those obligations which are expressly provided for in that directive are applicable.


(1)  
            OJ C 286, 14.8.2023.


ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/C/2025/368/oj
ISSN 1977-091X (electronic edition)