CELEX: 62020CN0343
Language: en
Date: 2020-07-23 00:00:00
Title: Case C-343/20 P: Appeal brought on 23 July 2020 by easyJet Airline Co. Ltd against the judgment of the General Court (First Chamber, Extended Composition) delivered on 13 May 2020 in Case T-8/18, easyJet Airline v Commission

7.9.2020   
            
            
               EN
            
            
               Official Journal of the European Union
            
            
               C 297/38
            
         
      Appeal brought on 23 July 2020 by easyJet Airline Co. Ltd against the judgment of the General Court (First Chamber, Extended Composition) delivered on 13 May 2020 in Case T-8/18, easyJet Airline v Commission
      (Case C-343/20 P)
      (2020/C 297/50)
      Language of the case: English
      
         Parties
      
      
         Appellant: easyJet Airline Co. Ltd (represented by: J. Rivas Andrés, avocat, A. Manzaneque Valverde, abogada)
      
         Other party to the proceedings: European Commission
      
         Form of order sought
      
      The appellant claims that the Court should:
      
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                  set aside the judgment under appeal and/or annul Commission Decision (EU) 2017/1861 (1) of 29 July 2016 on State Aid SA33983 (2013/C) (ex 2012/NN) (ex 2011/N) — Italy — Compensation to Sardinian airports from public service obligations (SGEI), to the extent that it concerns the appellant;
               
            
                  —
               
               
                  in the alternative, set aside the judgment under appeal and refer the case back to the General Court for reconsideration; and
               
            
                  —
               
               
                  order the Commission to pay the costs of the present proceedings and those in first instance.
               
            
         Pleas in law and main arguments
      
      The appellant submits that the judgment under appeal should be set aside on the following four grounds:
      First, the judgment under appeal erred in law by mixing the assessment of two conditions for the existence of State aid (state resources and advantage).
      Second, the judgment under appeal erred in law by considering that the MEO test could not be applied in the present case. The General Court erred in concluding that the airport operators did not contribute significant amounts of their own funds and did not act as private market economy operators. Furthermore, the reasoning in the judgment under appeal as to the non-application of the MEO test, infringed Article 345 TFUE, the principles of equal treatment and non-discrimination as well as easyJet's rights of defence.
      Third, the judgment under appeal erred in law by concluding that the airport operators acted as mere intermediaries of the Region of Sardinia.
      Fourth, the judgment under appeal erred in law regarding the identification of: (i) the final beneficiaries of the regional scheme; (ii) the indirect advantage; and (iii) the secondary effects of the scheme.
      
         (1)  OJ 2017, L 268, p. 1.