Joined Cases C-746/23 and C-747/23, Cividale and Flag and Others: Judgment of the Court (Third Chamber) of 13 March 2025 (requests for a preliminary ruling from the Consiglio di Stato – Italy) – Cividale SpA, Flag Srl (C-746/23), Duferco Italia Holding SpA, Duferco Sertubi SpA (C-747/23) v Ministero dello Sviluppo Economico, Direzione Generale per l’incentivazione delle attività imprenditoriali del Ministero dello Sviluppo Economico, Dipartimento per lo sviluppo e la coesione economica del Ministero dello Sviluppo Economico, Direzione Generale per l’incentivazione delle attività imprenditoriali del Ministero dello Sviluppo Economico-Divisione X (References for a preliminary ruling – Aid granted by a Member State – Concept of aid – National legislation providing for the grant of a measure in favour of undertakings active in the steel foundries sector in the event of the partial or total closure of their production sites – Financial contribution – Advantage)
Date: 2025-03-13
Institutions: Court of Justice
Subjects: State aid, aid to undertakings, control of State aid, financial aid, iron and steel industry








C_202502499EN.000101.fmx.xml












Official Journal of the European Union


EN
C series













C/2025/2499


12.5.2025






Judgment of the Court (Third Chamber) of 13 March 2025 (requests for a preliminary ruling from the Consiglio di Stato – Italy) – Cividale SpA, Flag Srl (C-746/23), Duferco Italia Holding SpA, Duferco Sertubi SpA (C-747/23) v Ministero dello Sviluppo Economico, Direzione Generale per l’incentivazione delle attività imprenditoriali del Ministero dello Sviluppo Economico, Dipartimento per lo sviluppo e la coesione economica del Ministero dello Sviluppo Economico, Direzione Generale per l’incentivazione delle attività imprenditoriali del Ministero dello Sviluppo Economico-Divisione X


(Joined Cases C-746/23 and C-747/23,
                (1)
Cividale and Flag and Others)

(References for a preliminary ruling - Aid granted by a Member State - Concept of ‘aid’ - National legislation providing for the grant of a measure in favour of undertakings active in the steel foundries sector in the event of the partial or total closure of their production sites - Financial contribution - Advantage)
(C/2025/2499)
Language of the case: Italian

Referring court

Consiglio di Stato

Parties to the main proceedings


Applicants: Cividale SpA, Flag Srl (C-746/23), Duferco Italia holding SpA, Duferco Sertubi SpA (C-747/23)

Defendants: Ministero dello Sviluppo Economico, Direzione Generale per l’incentivazione delle attività imprenditoriali del Ministero dello Sviluppo Economico, Dipartimento per lo sviluppo e la coesione economica del Ministero dello Sviluppo Economico, Direzione Generale per l’incentivazione delle attività imprenditoriali del Ministero dello Sviluppo Economico-Divisione X

Intervening party: Fonderia di Torbole SpA

Operative part of the judgment

Article 107(1) TFEU must be interpreted as meaning that the financial contributions provided for in the context of a rationalisation programme from which undertakings in the iron and steel foundries sector may benefit, which amount to either 100 % of the book value of the production facilities dismantled by the applicant undertaking, after deduction of depreciation already implemented, or of the current value of the fixed cost contribution margin of the output of those facilities for a period prior to the adoption of that programme, if that latter value is higher, where the reduction in production capacity is accompanied by a merger or agreements between undertakings in that sector, one of which is that applicant undertaking, providing, inter alia, for an appropriate solution to the employment problems, or 60 % of the highest of those two values in the event of the simple dismantling of the production facilities of that applicant undertaking, confer an advantage which is liable to affect trade between Member States and competition, provided that it is established, first, that the same undertaking would not have been able to obtain the same advantage in circumstances corresponding to the normal conditions of the market concerned and, second, that there is effective competition on that market.


(1)  OJ C C/2024/1400.


ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/C/2025/2499/oj
ISSN 1977-091X (electronic edition)