14.12.2013
EN
Official Journal of the European Union
C 367/14
Judgment of the Court (Second Chamber) of 24 October 2013 — Land Burgenland, Grazer Wechselseitige Versicherung AG, Republic of Austria v European Commission
(Joined Cases C-214/12 P, C-215/12 P and C-223/12 P) (1)
(Appeal - Competition - State aid - Aid declared illegal and incompatible with the common market - Aid granted to the Grazer Wechselseitige group (GRAWE) at the time of the privatisation of Bank Burgenland AG - Determination of the market price - Tender procedure - Unlawful conditions with no impact on the highest offer - ‘Private vendor’ test - Distinction between a State’s obligations in cases where it acts as a public authority and where it acts as a shareholder - Distortion of evidence - Obligation to state reasons)
2013/C 367/22
Language of the cases: German
Parties
Appellants: Land Burgenland (represented by: U. Soltész, P. Melcher and A. Egger, Rechtsanwälte), Grazer Wechselseitige Versicherung AG (represented by: H. Wollmann, Rechtsanwalt), Republic of Austria (represented by: C. Pesendorfer and J. Bauer, acting as Agents)
Other parties to the proceedings: European Commission (represented by: L. Flynn, V. Kreuschitz and T. Maxian Rusche, acting as Agents), Republic of Austria, Land Burgenland
Interveners in support of Land Burgenland and the Republic of Austria: Federal Republic of Germany (represented by: K. Petersen, T. Henze and J. Möller, acting as Agents)
Re:
Appeal against the judgment of the General Court (Sixth Chamber) of 28 February 2012 in Joined Cases T-268/08 and T-281/08 Land Burgenland and Austria v Commission, by which that Court dismissed the action for annulment of Commission Decision 2008/719/EC of 30 April 2008 on the State aid granted by Austria as part of the privatisation of the Bank Burgenland (OJ 2008 L 239, p. 32) — Breach of European Union law and, in particular, of Article 107(1) TFEU — Incorrect assessment of the performance bond (‘Ausfallshaftung’) of the Land Burgenland in favour of Bank Burgenland
Operative part of the judgment
The Court:
1.
Dismisses the appeals;
2.
Orders Land Burgenland, Grazer Wechselseitige Versicherung AG and the Republic of Austria to pay the costs;
3.
Orders the Federal Republic of Germany to bear its own costs.
(1) OJ C 194, 30.6.2012.
OJ C 184, 23.6.2012.
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