CELEX: 62019TN0238
Language: en
Date: 2019-04-09 00:00:00
Title: Case T-238/19: Action brought on 9 April 2019 — Wepa Hygieneprodukte and Others v Commission

24.6.2019   
            
            
               EN
            
            
               Official Journal of the European Union
            
            
               C 213/55
            
         
      Action brought on 9 April 2019 — Wepa Hygieneprodukte and Others v Commission
      (Case T-238/19)
      (2019/C 213/54)
      Language of the case: German
      
         Parties
      
      
         Applicants: Wepa Hygieneprodukte GmbH (Arnsberg, Germany), Wepa Leuna GmbH (Leuna, Germany), Wepa Papierfabrik Sachsen GmbH (Arnsberg) (represented by: H. Janssen and A. Vallone, lawyers)
      
         Defendant: European Commission
      
         Form of order sought
      
      The applicants claim that the Court should:
      
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                  annul the decision of the European Commission, notified under document C(2018) 3166 (OJ 2019 L 14, p. 1), of 28 May 2018 on aid scheme SA.34045 (2013/C) (ex 2012/NN) implemented by Germany for baseload consumers under Paragraph 19 of the Stromnetzentgeltverordnung (Regulation on electricity network charges); and
               
            
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                  order the defendant to pay the costs of the proceedings.
               
            
         Pleas in law and main arguments
      
      The application is based on one plea in law, arguing that the exemption from network usage charges is not aid within the meaning of Article 107(1) TFEU.
      In that regard, the applicants first claim that the exemption from network usage charges did not entail the use of State or State-granted resources. It is further claimed that the defendant erred when considering that the Paragraph 19 surcharge constitutes a ‘levy’ or ‘parafiscal levy’ imposed by the State on end-users within the meaning of the judgment of 17 July 2008, Essent Netwerk Noord and Others (C-206/06, EU:C:2008:413).
      It is further submitted that the baseload consumers were not granted a selective advantage.