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PARALLEL TEXTS
La Corte conferma la sentenza del Tribunale che ha convalidato le decisioni della Commissione che qualificavano come illegittimo il prestito dello Stato italiano ad Alitalia, ma che autorizzavano la vendita dei suoi beni
Inglese tratto da:
http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_CJE-13-72_en.htm
Italiano tratto da:
http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_CJE-13-72_it.htm
Data documento: 13-06-2013
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The Court of Justice confirms the General Court’s judgment upholding the Commission decisions holding the Italian State’s loan to Alitalia to be unlawful, but permitting the sale of its assets
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La Corte conferma la sentenza del Tribunale che ha convalidato le decisioni della Commissione che qualificavano come illegittimo il prestito dello Stato italiano ad Alitalia, ma che autorizzavano la vendita dei suoi beni
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In 2008, the Italian State granted a loan of €300 million to the air transport company Alitalia and gave it also the option of counting that amount as part of its own capital.
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En 2008, lo Stato italiano ha accordato alla società di trasporto aereo Alitalia un prestito di EUR 300 milioni, riconoscendole altresì la facoltà di imputare tale somma in conto capitale.
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Alitalia, then in a situation of insolvency, was placed under extraordinary administration and a bank was appointed as independent expert, responsible for verifying that its assets would be sold at a price in line with the market price.
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Alitalia, a quel punto in situazione di insolvenza, è stata posta in amministrazione straordinaria ed è stata nominata una banca quale esperto indipendente, al fine di verificare la congruità del prezzo di vendita dei beni della compagnia rispetto al prezzo di mercato.
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The bid tendered by the Compagnia Aerea Italiana (‘CAI’) for the purchase of certain Alitalia assets, in response to the call for declarations of interest published for that purpose, was sent by the Italian authorities to the Commission.
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L’offerta della Compagnia Aerea Italiana («CAI»), per l’acquisto di alcuni beni di Alitalia, in risposta all’invito a manifestare interesse lanciato a questo scopo, è stata trasmessa dalle autorità italiane alla Commissione.
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The Commission initiated a formal investigation procedure in connection with the loan and the option of counting the amount thereof as part of Alitalia’s own capital.
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La Commissione ha avviato un procedimento d’indagine formale in merito alle misure relative al prestito ed alla facoltà di imputare la somma in conto capitale.
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By a first decision, the Commission declared that the loan constituted unlawful State aid incompatible with the common market, and ordered its recovery from Alitalia.
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Con una prima decisione, essa ha constatato che il prestito costituiva un aiuto di Stato illegittimo e incompatibile con il mercato interno e ne ha ordinato il recupero presso Alitalia.
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By a second decision, the Commission found that the measure concerning the sale of Alitalia assets did not involve the grant of State aid to the purchasers, subject to full compliance with the undertakings given by the Italian authorities that the sale would be made at market price.
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Con una seconda decisione, la Commissione ha ritenuto che la misura relativa alla cessione dei beni di Alitalia non implicasse la concessione di un aiuto di Stato agli acquirenti della compagnia, fatto salvo il rispetto integrale degli impegni presi dalle autorità italiane, in forza dei quali la cessione sarebbe stata realizzata al prezzo di mercato.
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Moreover, the Commission confirmed that the extraordinary administration procedure to which Alitalia had been subjected also did not result in the grant of State aid in favour of the purchasers.
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Inoltre, la Commissione ha confermato che neppure la procedura di amministrazione straordinaria alla quale era stata sottoposta Alitalia portava alla concessione di un aiuto a favore degli acquirenti.
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It concluded that the procedure implemented by Italy entailed no economic continuity between Alitalia and the buyers of its assets and that the sale did not have the effect of circumventing the obligation to recover aid.
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L’Istituzione ha concluso che la procedura attuata dall’Italia non implicava una continuità economica tra Alitalia e gli acquirenti dei suoi beni e che tale cessione non aveva come effetto di eludere l’obbligo di recupero dell’aiuto.
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By its judgment of 2012, the General Court dismissed Ryanair’s action and thereby upheld the Commission decisions holding the loan granted by Italy to Alitalia to be unlawful and permitting the sale of its assets.
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Con la sua sentenza del 2012, il Tribunale ha respinto il ricorso di Ryanair ed ha confermato così le decisioni della Commissione che qualificavano come illegittimo il prestito accordato dall’Italia ad Alitalia e autorizzavano la cessione dei suoi beni.
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By its judgment delivered today, the Court of Justice rejects all the arguments raised by Ryanair against the judgment of the General Court.
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Con la sua sentenza odierna, la Corte di giustizia respinge l’insieme degli argomenti sollevati da Ryanair contro la sentenza del Tribunale.
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The Court states, first, with regard to the action for annulment of the second decision, that the General Court was correct to hold that the Commission had the power lawfully to adopt a decision, whereby, while finding the absence of State aid, it took note of commitments entered into by Italy.
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In primo luogo, la Corte sottolinea, rispetto alla domanda di annullamento della seconda decisione, che il Tribunale ha correttamente concluso che la Commissione ha potuto legittimamente adottare una decisione con la quale, pur constatando l’assenza di un aiuto di Stato, essa ha preso atto degli impegni assunti dall’Italia.
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According to the Court, that decision was a ‘decision taking account of undertakings as to behaviour voluntarily entered into by the State during the phase of notification of the contested measure in order to clarify certain points’ and, therefore, the commitments form an integral part of the notified measure.
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Secondo la Corte, si tratta di una «decisione che tiene conto degli impegni di comportamento adottati volontariamente dallo Stato nella fase di notifica della misura controversa al fine di chiarire taluni punti» e, pertanto, tali impegni formano parte integrante della misura notificata.
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Second, the Court holds that the General Court was correct not to find that the Commission had carried out an incomplete examination of the reductions in burdens and other advantages allegedly granted by Italian legislation to CAI, since those measures were not relevant to the question whether an advantage might have been granted to the purchaser of the Alitalia group assets.
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In secondo luogo, la Corte considera che giustamente il Tribunale non ha contestato alla Commissione di aver svolto un esame incompleto delle riduzioni degli oneri e degli altri vantaggi asseritamente accordati a CAI dalla normativa italiana, poiché tali misure non erano rilevanti ai fini di sapere se all’acquirente dei beni del gruppo Alitalia avesse potuto essere riconosciuto un vantaggio.
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Third, the Court states that Ryanair did not dispute either the findings of the General Court that, in the context of the assessment of bids by the independent expert, the determinant criterion was that of price (that of continuity of service being secondary), or its findings that the continuity of service obligation did not necessarily imply the imposition of a public service obligation on the operator whose bid was accepted.
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In terzo luogo, la Corte sottolinea che Ryanair non ha rimesso in discussione né le constatazioni del Tribunale secondo cui, nell’ambito della valutazione delle offerte da parte dell’esperto indipendente, il criterio determinante era quello del prezzo (mentre era secondario quello della continuità del servizio), né quelle secondo le quali l’obbligo di continuità del servizio non aveva necessariamente come corollario l’esistenza di un obbligo di servizio pubblico a carico dell’operatore la cui offerta sarebbe stata accolta.
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In any event, Ryanair did not adduce evidence, before the General Court, that the need to ensure continuity of air transport service in the medium term resulted in a reduction of the price of Alitalia group assets below the market price.
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In ogni caso, Ryanair non ha dimostrato, dinanzi al Tribunale, che la necessità di garantire una continuità del servizio di trasporto aereo a medio termine avrebbe il risultato di ridurre il prezzo dei beni del gruppo Alitalia al di sotto del prezzo di mercato.
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Finally, concerning the identification of the undertaking obliged to repay the aid, the Court states that the General Court did not distort the evidence which was submitted to it by finding that CAI was not the economic successor of Alitalia:
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Per quanto riguarda infine l’identificazione dell’impresa tenuta a restituire l’aiuto, la Corte dichiara che il Tribunale non ha snaturato gli elementi che gli sono stati sottoposti constatando che CAI non era il successore economico di Alitalia:
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CAI’s bid covered only certain Alitalia assets and concerned only the passenger air transport business and certain assets relating thereto.
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infatti, l’offerta di CAI comprendeva solo alcuni dei beni di Alitalia e riguardava solo l’attività di trasporto aereo di passeggeri e taluni beni ad esso relativi.
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Furthermore, the bid covered all the timetable slots corresponding to the assets purchased in the procedure.
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Inoltre, l’offerta comprendeva la totalità degli slot corrispondenti ai beni acquistati nell’ambito del procedimento.
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It does not therefore follow that CAI’s bid covered 100% use of Alitalia’s timetable slots for passenger transport.
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Non ne risulta quindi che l’offerta di CAI coprisse il 100 % dell’uso degli slot di Alitalia per il trasporto dei passeggeri.
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Moreover, CAI’s bid concerned only one half of the 180 Alitalia aircraft.
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Per di più, l’offerta di CAI riguardava solo la metà dei 180 aeromobili di Alitalia.
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Consequently, the Court dismisses Ryanair’s appeal.
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Di conseguenza, la Corte respinge l’impugnazione di Ryanair.
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NOTE:
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IMPORTANTE:
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An appeal, on a point or points of law only, may be brought before the Court of Justice against a judgment or order of the General Court.
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Avverso le sentenze o ordinanze del Tribunale può essere presentata impugnazione alla Corte di giustizia, limitatamente alle questioni di diritto.
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In principle, the appeal does not have suspensive effect.
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In linea di principio, l'impugnazione non ha effetti sospensivi.
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If the appeal is admissible and well founded, the Court of Justice sets aside the judgment of the General Court.
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Se essa è ricevibile e fondata, la Corte annulla la decisione del Tribunale.
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Where the state of the proceedings so permits, the Court of Justice may itself give final judgment in the case.
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Nel caso in cui la causa sia matura per essere decisa, la Corte stessa può pronunciarsi definitivamente sulla controversia;
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Otherwise, it refers the case back to the General Court, which is bound by the decision given by the Court of Justice on the appeal.
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in caso contrario, rinvia la causa al Tribunale, vincolato dalla decisione emanata dalla Corte in sede di impugnazione.
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•••••••••••••••
The Court of Justice confirms the General Court’s judgment upholding the
Commission decisions holding the Italian State’s loan to Alitalia to be
unlawful, but permitting the sale of its assets
In 2008, the Italian State granted a loan of €300 million to the air
transport company Alitalia and gave it also the option of counting that amount
as part of its own capital.
Alitalia, then in a situation of insolvency, was placed under
extraordinary administration and a bank was appointed as independent expert,
responsible for verifying that its assets would be sold at a price in line with
the market price.
The bid tendered by the Compagnia Aerea Italiana (‘CAI’) for the
purchase of certain Alitalia assets, in response to the call for declarations of
interest published for that purpose, was sent by the Italian authorities to the
Commission.
The Commission initiated a formal investigation procedure in connection
with the loan and the option of counting the amount thereof as part of
Alitalia’s own capital.
By a first decision, the Commission declared that the loan constituted
unlawful State aid incompatible with the common market, and ordered its recovery
from Alitalia.
By a second decision, the Commission found that the measure concerning
the sale of Alitalia assets did not involve the grant of State aid to the
purchasers, subject to full compliance with the undertakings given by the
Italian authorities that the sale would be made at market price.
Moreover, the Commission confirmed that the extraordinary
administration procedure to which Alitalia had been subjected also did not
result in the grant of State aid in favour of the purchasers.
It concluded that the procedure implemented by Italy entailed no
economic continuity between Alitalia and the buyers of its assets and that the
sale did not have the effect of circumventing the obligation to recover aid.
By its judgment of 2012, the General Court dismissed Ryanair’s action
and thereby upheld the Commission decisions holding the loan granted by Italy to
Alitalia to be unlawful and permitting the sale of its assets.
By its judgment delivered today, the Court of Justice rejects all the
arguments raised by Ryanair against the judgment of the General Court.
The Court states, first, with regard to the action for annulment of the
second decision, that the General Court was correct to hold that the Commission
had the power lawfully to adopt a decision, whereby, while finding the absence
of State aid, it took note of commitments entered into by Italy.
According to the Court, that decision was a ‘decision taking account of
undertakings as to behaviour voluntarily entered into by the State during the
phase of notification of the contested measure in order to clarify certain
points’ and, therefore, the commitments form an integral part of the notified
measure.
Second, the Court holds that the General Court was correct not to find
that the Commission had carried out an incomplete examination of the reductions
in burdens and other advantages allegedly granted by Italian legislation to CAI,
since those measures were not relevant to the question whether an advantage
might have been granted to the purchaser of the Alitalia group assets.
Third, the Court states that Ryanair did not dispute either the
findings of the General Court that, in the context of the assessment of bids by
the independent expert, the determinant criterion was that of price (that of
continuity of service being secondary), or its findings that the continuity of
service obligation did not necessarily imply the imposition of a public service
obligation on the operator whose bid was accepted.
In any event, Ryanair did not adduce evidence, before the General
Court, that the need to ensure continuity of air transport service in the medium
term resulted in a reduction of the price of Alitalia group assets below the
market price.
Finally, concerning the identification of the undertaking obliged to
repay the aid, the Court states that the General Court did not distort the
evidence which was submitted to it by finding that CAI was not the economic
successor of Alitalia:
CAI’s bid covered only certain Alitalia assets and concerned only the
passenger air transport business and certain assets relating thereto.
Furthermore, the bid covered all the timetable slots corresponding to
the assets purchased in the procedure.
It does not therefore follow that CAI’s bid covered 100% use of
Alitalia’s timetable slots for passenger transport.
Moreover, CAI’s bid concerned only one half of the 180 Alitalia
aircraft.
Consequently, the Court dismisses Ryanair’s appeal.
NOTE:
An appeal, on a point or points of law only, may be brought before the
Court of Justice against a judgment or order of the General Court.
In principle, the appeal does not have suspensive effect.
If the appeal is admissible and well founded, the Court of Justice sets aside
the judgment of the General Court.
Where the state of the proceedings so permits, the Court of Justice may itself
give final judgment in the case.
Otherwise, it refers the case back to the General Court, which is bound by the
decision given by the Court of Justice on the appeal.
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