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20.6.2009 |
EN |
Official Journal of the European Union |
C 141/12 |
Judgment of the Court (First Chamber) of 2 April 2009 — Bouygues SA, Bouygues Télécom SA v Commission of the European Communities, French Republic, Orange France S.A., Société française du radiotéléphone — SFR
(Case C-431/07 P) (1)
(Appeals - State aid - Article 88(2) EC - Conditions for initiation of the formal investigation procedure - Serious difficulties - Criteria for establishing the existence of State aid - State resources - Principle of non-discrimination)
2009/C 141/18
Language of the case: French
Parties
Appellants: Bouygues SA, Bouygues Télécom SA (represented by: F. Sureau, D. Théophile, S. Perrotet, A. Bénabent, J. Vogel and L. Vogel, avocats,)
Other parties to the proceedings: Commission of the European Communities, (represented by: C. Giolito, Agent), French Republic (represented by: G. de Bergues, O. Christmann and A.L. Vendrolini, Agents), Orange France SA (represented by: S. Hautbourg, S. Quesson and L. Olza Moreno, avocats), Société française du radiotéléphone — SFR (represented by: A. Vincent, avocat and by C. Vajda QC)
Re:
Appeal against the judgment of the Court of First Instance (Fourth Chamber) of 4 July 2007 in Case T-475/04 Bouygues and Bouygues Télécom v Commission in which the Court of First Instance dismissed the applicants’ action for annulment of the Commission Decision of 20 July 2004 (State Aid NN 42/2004 — France) concerning alteration of the fees payable by Orange and SFR for UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunication System) licences — State aid — Conditions for initiation of the formal investigation procedure under Article 88(2) EC — Criteria for State aid — Concepts of State resources, competitive advantage and non-discrimination.
Operative part of the judgment
The Court:
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1. |
Dismisses the appeal; |
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2. |
Orders Bouygues SA and Bouygues Télécom SA to pay the costs; |
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3. |
Orders the French Republic to bear its own costs. |