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Document 62016TJ0679

    Judgment of the General Court (Fourth Chamber) of 26 February 2019.
    Athletic Club v European Commission.
    State aid — Aid granted by the Spanish authorities to certain professional football clubs — Preferential tax rate on the income of the clubs authorised to operate as non-profit organisations — Decision declaring that the aid is incompatible with the internal market — Action for annulment — Interest in bringing proceedings — Admissibility — Infra-State measure — Selective nature — Distortion of competition — Effect on trade between Member States — Alteration to existing aid — Duty to state reasons.
    Case T-679/16.

    Court reports – general – 'Information on unpublished decisions' section

    Judgment of the General Court (Fourth Chamber) of 26 February 2019 –
    Athletic Club v Commission

    (Case T‑679/16)

    (State aid — Aid granted by the Spanish authorities to certain professional football clubs — Preferential tax rate on the income of the clubs authorised to operate as non-profit organisations — Decision declaring that the aid is incompatible with the internal market — Action for annulment — Interest in bringing proceedings — Admissibility — Infra-State measure — Selective nature — Distortion of competition — Effect on trade between Member States — Alteration to existing aid — Duty to state reasons)

    1. 

    Action for annulment — Natural or legal persons — Interest in bringing proceedings — Commission decision ordering the recovery of unlawful aid found to be incompatible with the internal market — Intention of national authorities not to recover de minimis aid — Inadmissibility

    (Art. 263 TFEU)

    (see paras 18-23)

    2. 

    Acts of the institutions — Statement of reasons — Obligation — Scope — Commission decision on State aid

    (Arts 107(1) and 296 TFEU; Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, Art. 41(2)(c))

    (see paras 28-30)

    3. 

    Judicial proceedings — Application initiating proceedings — Formal requirements — Brief summary of the pleas in law on which the application is based — Similar requirements for submissions made in support of a plea — Imprecise formulation of a claim — Inadmissibility

    (Rules of Procedure of the General Court, Art. 76(1)(c))

    (see paras 38-40)

    4. 

    State aid — Concept — Special tax regime conferring an advantage on an undertaking — Exact amount of aid which can only be determined by reference to certain factors unrelated to that regime — Irrelevant

    (Art. 107(1) TFEU)

    (see para. 53)

    5. 

    State aid — Concept — Selective nature of the measure — Measure conferring a tax advantage — Appropriate criterion for establishing the selectivity of the measure — Introduction between operators that are in a comparable factual and legal situation of a distinction that is not justified by the nature and general structure of a general tax system

    (Art. 107(1) TFEU)

    (see paras 59, 64-67, 70)

    6. 

    State aid — Effect on trade between Member States — Adverse effect on competition — Aid of little importance in a sector with lively competition — National professional sport sector

    (Art. 107(1) TFEU)

    (see paras 76-82)

    7. 

    State aid — Existing aid and new aid — Concept — Legislative amendments affecting an aid scheme — Treated as new aid — Conditions

    (Art. 108(1) and (3) TFEU; Council Regulation 2015/1589, Art. 1(c); Commission Regulation No 794/2004, Art. 4(2))

    (see paras 94-96)

    Re:

    Action under Article 263 TFEU for annulment of Articles 1, 4 and 5 of Commission Decision (EU) 2016/2391 of 4 July 2016 on the State aid SA.29769 (2013/C) (ex 2013/NN) implemented by Spain for certain football clubs (OJ 2016 L 357, p.1), in so far as they concern the applicant.

    Operative part

    The Court:

    1. 

    Dismisses the action;

    2. 

    Orders Athletic Club to pay the costs.

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