Request for a preliminary ruling from the Curtea de Apel Pitești (Romania) lodged on 19 July 2021 — SC Avicarvil Farms SRL v Ministerul Agriculturii și Dezvoltării Rurale, Agenția pentru Finanțarea Investițiilor Rurale, Agenția de Plăti și Intervenție în Agricultură, Agenția de Plăți și Intervenție în Agricultură — Centrul Județean Vâlcea

(Case C-443/21)

(2021/C 452/07)

Language of the case: Romanian

Referring court

Curtea de Apel Pitești

Parties to the main proceedings

Applicant: SC Avicarvil Farms SRL

Defendants: Ministerul Agriculturii și Dezvoltării Rurale, Agenția pentru Finanțarea Investițiilor Rurale, Agenția de Plăti și Intervenție în Agricultură, Agenția de Plăți și Intervenție în Agricultură — Centrul Județean Vâlcea

Question referred

Does Article 143 of Regulation No 1303/2013, (1) in conjunction with Article 310 TFEU (principle of sound financial management) and Article 40(3) of Regulation (EC) No 1698/2005 (2) [reproduced in Article 33(3) of Regulation (EU) No 1305/2013 (3)], together with the principles of the protection of legitimate expectations and of legal certainty, preclude an administrative practice of the national authorities involved in the implementation of a non-repayable financial support measure which, as a result of a calculation error found by the European Court of Auditors, have issued acts ordering a reduction in the amount of the financial support granted in the PNSR, approved by European Commission Decision C(2012) 3529 of 25 May 2012, before the adoption of a new European Commission decision excluding from financing amounts exceeding the additional costs and income foregone resulting from the commitments made, as a result of those calculation errors?

(1)  Regulation (EU) No 1303/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 December 2013 laying down common provisions on the European Regional Development Fund, the European Social Fund, the Cohesion Fund, the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development and the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund and laying down general provisions on the European Regional Development Fund, the European Social Fund, the Cohesion Fund and the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund and repealing Council Regulation (EC) No 1083/2006 (OJ 2013 L 347, p. 320).

(2)  Council Regulation (EC) No 1698/2005 of 20 September 2005 on support for rural development by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) (OJ 2005 L 277, p. 1).

(3)  Regulation (EU) No 1305/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 December 2013 on support for rural development by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) and repealing Council Regulation (EC) No 1698/2005 (OJ 2013 L 347, p. 487).