CELEX: 62007CA0431
Language: en
Date: 2009-04-02 00:00:00
Title: Case C-431/07 P: Judgment of the Court (First Chamber) of 2 April 2009 — Bouygues SA, Bouygues Télécom SA v Commission of the European Communities, French Republic, Orange France S.A., Société française du radiotéléphone — SFR (Appeals — State aid — Article 88(2) EC — Conditions for initiation of the formal investigation procedure — Serious difficulties — Criteria for establishing the existence of State aid — State resources — Principle of non-discrimination)

20.6.2009   
            
            
               EN
            
            
               Official Journal of the European Union
            
            
               C 141/12
            
         Judgment of the Court (First Chamber) of 2 April 2009 — Bouygues SA, Bouygues Télécom SA v Commission of the European Communities, French Republic, Orange France S.A., Société française du radiotéléphone — SFR
   (Case C-431/07 P) (1)
   
   (Appeals - State aid - Article 88(2) EC - Conditions for initiation of the formal investigation procedure - Serious difficulties - Criteria for establishing the existence of State aid - State resources - Principle of non-discrimination)
   2009/C 141/18
   Language of the case: French
   
      Parties
   
   
      Appellants: Bouygues SA, Bouygues Télécom SA (represented by: F. Sureau, D. Théophile, S. Perrotet, A. Bénabent, J. Vogel and L. Vogel, avocats,)
   
      Other parties to the proceedings: Commission of the European Communities, (represented by: C. Giolito, Agent), French Republic (represented by: G. de Bergues, O. Christmann and A.L. Vendrolini, Agents), Orange France SA (represented by: S. Hautbourg, S. Quesson and L. Olza Moreno, avocats), Société française du radiotéléphone — SFR (represented by: A. Vincent, avocat and by C. Vajda QC)
   
      Re:
   
   Appeal against the judgment of the Court of First Instance (Fourth Chamber) of 4 July 2007 in Case T-475/04 Bouygues and Bouygues Télécom v Commission in which the Court of First Instance dismissed the applicants’ action for annulment of the Commission Decision of 20 July 2004 (State Aid NN 42/2004 — France) concerning alteration of the fees payable by Orange and SFR for UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunication System) licences — State aid — Conditions for initiation of the formal investigation procedure under Article 88(2) EC — Criteria for State aid — Concepts of State resources, competitive advantage and non-discrimination.
   
      Operative part of the judgment
   
   The Court:
   
               1.
            
            
               Dismisses the appeal;
            
         
               2.
            
            
               Orders Bouygues SA and Bouygues Télécom SA to pay the costs;
            
         
               3.
            
            
               Orders the French Republic to bear its own costs.
            
         
      (1)  OJ C 269, 10.11.2007.