CELEX: C1998/184/25
Language: en
Date: 1998-06-13 00:00:00
Title: Action brought on 6 April 1998 by Sardegna Lines - Servizi Marittimi della Sardegna SpA against the Commission of the European Communities (Case T-58/98)

C 184/14             EN                  Official Journal of the European Communities                                    13.6.98
suffered by him, since he considers that he has adequately          According to the contested decision, the above system
demonstrated the service-related fault and the causal link          contains provisions which involve discrimination on the
between that fault and the damage suffered by him.                  grounds of nationality, conflict with the principle of
                                                                    freedom of establishment and constitute aid to encourage
                                                                    investment in ships in a way which is liable to infringe
(1) OJ C 387, 20.12.97, p. 25.
                                                                    Community rules and grants aid for the leasing of ships,
                                                                    which constitutes operating aid of the type not allowed by
                                                                    Community guidelines.
                                                                    In support of its claims, the applicant alleges:
Action brought on 6 April 1998 by Sardegna Lines Ð
Servizi Marittimi della Sardegna SpA against the                    Ð infringement of Council Directive 90/684/EEC of
         Commission of the European Communities                         21 December 1990 on aid to shipbuilding (1), which
                                                                        forms part of a system of incentives in the industry
                        (Case T-58/98)
                                                                        which has not been taken into consideration at all in
                         (98/C 184/25)                                  the procedure in question;
                (Language of the case: Italian)                     Ð error of assessment and misuse of power in that the
                                                                        legal and factual elements used to support the
                                                                        contested decision are absent. In this respect, the
An action against the Commission of the European                        Commission made an error of assessment with regard
Communities was brought before the Court of First                       to the alleged substantial amendments which Law 11/
Instance of the European Communities on 6 April 1998                    1988 made to Law 20/1951, which led the
by Sardegna Lines Ð Servizi Marittimi della Sardegna                    Commission to characterize the system of regional
SpA, represented by Francesco Caruso, Ugo Iaccarino,                    incentives at issue as new aid' and to consider it
Beniamino Carnevale and Claudia Caruso, of the Naples                   subject to the obligation to give prior notice pursuant
Bar, with an address for service in Luxembourg at the                   to Article 93(3) of the Treaty;
Chambers of Francesco Caruso, 2A Rue Van Moer,
Brussels.
                                                                    Ð infringement and erroneous application of Article 92(1)
                                                                        of the Treaty inasmuch as trade between the Member
The applicant claims that the Court should:                             States is not affected and competition is not distorted;
                                                                    Ð that the conditions for the application of
Ð annul Commission Decision 98/95/EC of 21 October                      Article 92(3)(a) and (c) of the Treaty are met in that
    1997 concerning aid granted by the Region of Sardinia               Sardinia is an underdeveloped Italian region, and the
    (Italy) to shipping companies in Sardinia (OJ L 20 of               defendant should have taken account of the isolation
    27.1.1998, p. 30);                                                  and remoteness of the region;
Ð order the Commission to pay the costs.                            Ð breach of essential procedural requirements inasmuch
                                                                        as the statement of reasons for the decision is
                                                                        inadequate.
Pleas in law and main arguments adduced in support:
                                                                    (1) OJ L 380, 31.12.1990, p. 27.
The applicant contests the Commission's decision of
21 October 1997 inasmuch as it considers a system of aid
granted by the region of Sardinia to shipping line to be
unlawful.
                                                                    Action brought on 8 April 1998 by Volkswagen AG
The allegedly unlawful aid was introduced by Sardinian
                                                                       against the Commission of the European Communities
Regional Law No 20 of 15 May 1951 which established a
fund at the Credito Industriale del Banco di Sardegna for                                   (Case T-62/98)
the grant of loans to shipping companies intending to
                                                                                             (98/C 184/26)
build, purchase, convert or repair vessels. The grant of
such loans was subject to the condition that the
beneficiary undertaking had its head office, country of                            (Language of the case: German)
domicile for tax purposes and port of register in the
region of Sardinia. A number of amendments, which the
applicant claims were substantial, were made to that                An action against the Commission of the European
system of aid subsequently by Regional Law No 11/98.                Communities was brought before the Court of First