Judgment of the Court (Third Chamber) of 15 October 2009 (reference for a preliminary ruling from the Tribunale Amministrativo Regionale per la Sicilia (Italy)) — Acoset SpA v Conferenza Sindaci e Presidenza Prov. Reg. ATO Idrico Ragusa, Comune di Comiso (RG), Comune di Modica (RG), Provincia Regionale di Ragusa, Comune di Acate (RG), Comune di Chiaramonte Gulfi (RG), Comune di Giarratana (RG), Comune di Ispica (RG), Comune di Monterosso Almo (RG), Comune di Pozzallo (RG), Comune di Ragusa, Comune di Vittoria (RG), Comune di Santa Croce Camerina (RG), Comune di Scicli (RG)

(Case C-196/08) (1)

(Articles 43 EC, 49 EC and 86 EC - Award of public contracts - Award of water service to a semi-private company - Competitive procedure - Appointment of the private partner responsible for operating the service - Award made without regard to the rules governing the award of public contracts)

2009/C 297/07

Language of the case: Italian

Referring court

Tribunale Amministrativo Regionale per la Sicilia

Parties to the main proceedings

Applicant: Acoset SpA

Defendants: Conferenza Sindaci e Presidenza Prov. Reg. ATO Idrico Ragusa, Comune di Comiso (RG), Comune di Modica (RG), Provincia Regionale di Ragusa, Comune di Acate (RG), Comune di Chiaramonte Gulfi (RG), Comune di Giarratana (RG), Comune di Ispica (RG), Comune di Monterosso Almo (RG), Comune di Pozzallo (RG), Comune di Ragusa, Comune di Vittoria (RG), Comune di Santa Croce Camerina (RG), Comune di Scicli (RG)

Intervening party: Saceccav Depurazioni Sacede SpA

Re:

Reference for a preliminary ruling — Tribunale Amministrativo Regionale per la Sicilia — Interpretation of Articles 43 EC, 49 EC and 86 EC — Award of water service to a semi-private company appointing, in accordance with a competitive procedure, a private partner to be responsible for operating the service — Award made without regard to the rules governing the award of public contracts

Operative part of the judgment

Articles 43 EC, 49 EC and 86 EC do not preclude the direct award of a public service which entails the prior execution of certain works, such as that at issue in the main proceedings, to a semi-public company formed specifically for the purpose of providing that service and possessing a single corporate purpose, the private participant in the company being selected by means of a public and open procedure after verification of the financial, technical, operational and management requirements specific to the service to be performed and of the characteristics of the tender with regard to the service to be delivered, provided that the tendering procedure in question is consistent with the principles of free competition, transparency and equal treatment laid down by the EC Treaty with regard to concessions.

(1)  OJ C 197, 2.8.2008.