Judgment of the General Court of 2 February 2022 — Pilatus Bank and Pilatus Holding v ECB

(Case T-27/19) (1)

(Economic and monetary policy - Prudential supervision of credit institutions - Specific supervisory tasks conferred on the ECB - Decision to withdraw a credit institution’s authorisation - Indictment of the main shareholder in a third country - Criterion of good repute - Perception of good repute by the market - Presumption of innocence - Proportionality - Rights of the defence)

(2022/C 128/22)

Language of the case: English

Parties

Applicants: Pilatus Bank plc (Ta’Xbiex, Malta), Pilatus Holding Ltd. (Ta’Xbiex) (represented by: O. Behrends, lawyer)

Defendant: European Central Bank (represented by: E. Yoo, M. Puidokas and A. Karpf, Agents)

Intervener in support of the defendant: European Commission (represented by: D. Triantafyllou, A. Nijenhuis and A. Steiblytė, Agents)

Re:

Application based on Article 263 TFEU seeking annulment of the decision of the ECB of 2 November 2018 withdrawing the authorisation of Pilatus Bank to take up the business of a credit institution.

Operative part of the judgment

The Court:

1.	Dismisses the action;

2.	Orders Pilatus Bank plc and Pilatus Holding Ltd. to bear their own costs and to pay those incurred by the European Central Bank (ECB);

3.	Orders the European Commission to bear its own costs.

---

(1)  OJ C 72, 25.2.2019.