1. 

Action for annulment – Natural or legal persons – Measures of direct and individual concern to them – Commission decision finding State aid compatible with the internal market without opening the formal investigation procedure – Action by interested parties within the meaning of Article 108(2) TFEU – Action designed to safeguard the procedural rights of the persons concerned – Admissibility

(Arts 108(2) and 263, fourth para., TFEU; Council Regulation 2015/1589, Art. 1(h))

(see paras 32-64)

2. 

Judicial proceedings – Application initiating proceedings – Formal requirements – Identification of the subject matter of the dispute – Brief statement of the pleas in law on which the application is based

(Statute of the Court of Justice, Arts 21, first para., and 53, first para.; Rules of Procedure of the General Court, Art. 76(d))

(see paras 68-71)

3. 

Action for annulment – Natural or legal persons – Interest in bringing proceedings – Commission decision finding State aid compatible with the internal market without opening the formal investigation procedure – Interested party alleging the existence of other aid subject to another procedure – Whether abusive – None – Admissibility

(see paras 72-74)

4. 

Judicial proceedings – Production of evidence – Time limit – Evidence lodged out of time – Conditions

(Rules of Procedure of the General Court, Art. 85(1) and (3))

(see paras 77-98)

5. 

State aid – Planned aid – Examination by the Commission – Preliminary review and main review – Compatibility of aid with the internal market – Difficulties of assessment – Commission’s duty to initiate the main review procedure – Serious difficulties – Concept – Objective nature – Burden of proof – Circumstances enabling the existence of such difficulties to be established – Insufficiency or incompleteness of the examination carried out by the Commission

(Art. 108(2) and (3) TFEU; Council Regulation 2015/1589, Art. 4)

(see paras 100-110, 126, 140, 141, 148, 149, 162, 179, 196, 197, 203, 204, 211, 216, 219)

6. 

State aid – Prohibition – Exceptions – Discretion of the Commission – Adoption by the Commission of guidelines governing the compatibility of aid with the internal market – Consequences – Self-limitation of its discretion

(Art. 107(3) TFEU; Commission Notice 2014/C 99/03)

(see paras 184, 185)

7. 

State aid – Prohibition – Exceptions – Aid capable of being regarded as compatible with the internal market – Operating aid of an airport – Analysis of the existence of an objective of common interest – Requirement for a definition of the catchment area of the airport which is the beneficiary of the aid – Concept – Criteria for assessment – Failure to take account of all the relevant factors

(Art. 107(3) TFEU; Commission Notice 2014/C 99/03)

(see paras 186-195)

1.

Annuls Commission Decision C(2017) 5289 final of 31 July 2017, on State aid SA.47969 (2017/N) implemented by Germany concerning operating aid granted to Frankfurt-Hahn airport;

2.

Orders the European Commission to pay its own costs and bear those incurred by Deutsche Lufthansa AG;

3.

Orders the Federal Republic of Germany and the Land Rheinland-Pfalz to bear their own costs.