Case C‑492/17

Südwestrundfunk

v

Tilo Rittinger and Others

(Request for a preliminary ruling from the Landgericht Tübingen)

(Reference for a preliminary ruling — State aid — Article 107(1) TFEU — Article 108(3) TFEU — Public broadcasting institutions — Financing — Legislation of a Member State under which all adults possessing a dwelling within the country are required to pay a contribution to public broadcasters)

Summary — Judgment of the Court (Fourth Chamber), 13 December 2018

1. Questions referred for a preliminary ruling — Reference to the Court — Conformity of the decision to refer with the rules of national law governing the organisation of the courts and their procedure — Not a matter for the Court to determine

   (Art. 267 TFEU)

2. Questions referred for a preliminary ruling — Admissibility — Need to provide the Court with sufficient information on the factual and legislative context — Extent of the obligation in the sphere of competition

   (Art. 267 TFEU; Rules of Procedure of the Court of Justice, Art. 94)

3. Questions referred for a preliminary ruling — Jurisdiction of the Court — Limits — General or hypothetical questions — Abstract and purely hypothetical question with respect to the subject matter of the dispute in the main proceedings — Inadmissibility

   (Art. 267 TFEU)

4. State aid — Existing aid and new aid — Measure amending an existing aid scheme — Modification not affecting the substance of the scheme — Obligation to notify —None

   (Art. 108 TFEU; Council Regulation No 659/1999, Art. 1(c))

5. State aid — Existing aid and new aid — Measure amending an existing aid scheme — Modification not affecting the substance of the scheme — National legislation allowing public broadcasters themselves to enforce unpaid claims — Lawfulness

   (Arts 107 and 108 TFEU)

1.  See the text of the decision.

   (see paras 29-34)

2.  See the text of the decision.

   (see paras 37-39, 45-47)

3.  See the text of the decision.

   (see paras 37, 40-44, 48-51)

4.  Article 1(c) of Council Regulation No 659/1999 of 22 March 1999 laying down detailed rules for the application of Article [108 TFEU] must be interpreted as meaning that an alteration to the system of financing the public broadcasting of a Member State which, like that at issue in the main proceedings, consists in replacing a broadcasting fee payable on the basis of possession of a receiving device by a broadcasting contribution payable in particular on the basis of occupation of a dwelling or business premises does not constitute an alteration to existing aid within the meaning of that provision which should be notified to the Commission under Article 108(3) TFEU.

   (see para. 1)

5.  Articles 107 and 108 TFEU must be interpreted as not precluding national legislation, such as that at issue in the main proceedings, which confers on public broadcasters powers, as exceptions to the general law, allowing those broadcasters themselves to enforce claims in respect of unpaid broadcasting contributions.

   (see para. 2)