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PARALLEL TEXTS
La Corte conferma la validità della decisione della Commissione secondo cui la Grecia doveva recuperare gli aiuti, concessi ai cantieri navali di Skaramangkas, incompatibili con il mercato comune
Inglese tratto da:
http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_CJE-13-22_en.htm
Italiano tratto da:
http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_CJE-13-22_it.htm
Data documento: 28-02-2013
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The Court of Justice confirms the validity of the Commission’s decision according to which Greece was required to recover the aid, granted to the Skaramangkas shipyards, which was incompatible with the common market
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La Corte conferma la validità della decisione della Commissione secondo cui la Grecia doveva recuperare gli aiuti, concessi ai cantieri navali di Skaramangkas, incompatibili con il mercato comune
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While the Treaty provides Member States with the means of safeguarding their essential security interests, it does not allow them to adversely affect competition with regard to products which are not intended for specifically military purposes
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Il Trattato offre agli Stati gli strumenti per salvaguardare gli interessi essenziali della propria sicurezza, senza peraltro consentir loro di alterare la concorrenza per i prodotti non destinati a fini specificamente militari
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Ellinika Nafpigia AE (Hellenic Shipyards, ‘EN’) is a large shipyard in Greece which, in 1985, was purchased by the State-owned Hellenic Bank of Industrial Development (Elliniki Trapeza Viomikhanikis Anaptixeos AE;‘ETVA’).
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La Ellinika Nafpigeia AE («EN») è un importante cantiere navale situato in Grecia il quale, nel 1985, è stato acquistato dalla Elliniki Trapeza Viomichanikis Anaptixeos AE (Banca greca di sviluppo industriale SpA;«ETVA»), di proprietà dello Stato.
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In the context of EN’s privatisation, in 2001, its shares were sold to the consortium of German companies Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft GmbH (HDW) and Ferrostaal GmbH, which, with a view to managing their holdings in EN, set up Elliniki Nafpigokataskevastiki AE Khartofilakiou (Greek Naval Shipyard Holding;GNSH).
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Nel contesto della sua privatizzazione, nel 2001, le azioni della EN sono state vendute al consorzio delle società tedesche Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft GmbH (laHDW») e Ferrostaal GmbH, che hanno creato la Elliniki Nafpigokataskevastiki AE Chartofylakeiou (Greek Naval Shipyard Holding;«GNSH») per amministrare le loro partecipazioni nella EN.
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In 2005, ThyssenKrupp AG acquired HDW and GNSH and has therefore 100% ownership and control of the shipyards.
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Nel 2005, la ThyssenKrupp AG ha rilevato la HDW e la GNSH e, pertanto, detiene la totalità delle quote sociali e il controllo dei cantieri navali.
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At present, the shipyards produce essentially military vessels.
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Attualmente, questi producono essenzialmente navi militari.
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As from 1992, the Greek Government granted the shipyards several amounts of aid, some of which, pursuant to a directive concerning operating aid to shipbuilding, were approved by the Commission.
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A partire dal 1992, il governo ellenico ha concesso ai cantieri navali vari aiuti, taluni dei quali, in applicazione di una direttiva concernente gli aiuti al funzionamento a favore della costruzione navale, sono stati approvati dalla Commissione.
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By contrast, in 2006, the Commission required Greece to recover from EN, within four months, sixteen amounts of aid, together with interest.
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Per contro, nel 2006, la Commissione ha imposto alla Grecia di recuperare dalla EN, entro il termine di quattro mesi, sedici aiuti, maggiorati degli interessi.
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In addition, Greece was required to notify, within two months, the amount to be recovered, a detailed description of the measures already taken, and also proof that the beneficiary had been ordered to repay the aid.
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Inoltre, la Grecia doveva comunicare, entro un termine di due mesi, l'importo da recuperare, la descrizione dettagliata delle misure già adottate nonché la prova della richiesta di rimborso degli aiuti.
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The Greek Government was also required to keep the Commission informed of the progress of the national measures taken to implement the decision.
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Il governo doveva altresì informare la Commissione dei progressi della procedura nazionale di attuazione della decisione.
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The shipyards challenged that decision before the General Court of the European Union, which, by a judgment delivered in 2012, rejected all of the arguments put forward.
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I cantieri navali hanno quindi proposto ricorso avverso la suddetta decisione dinanzi al Tribunale dell’Unione europea, che, con sentenza pronunciata nel 2012, ha respinto in toto gli argomenti addotti.
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In the present appeal, EN has challenged that judgment, submitting before the Court of Justice that the General Court erred in law in holding that the aid had benefited the production of civil material, without examining the aid on a case-by-case basis in order to ascertain what was necessary for operating a shipyard for military purposes.
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Nella presente impugnazione, la EN ha contestato tale sentenza, lamentando dinanzi alla Corte di giustizia che il Tribunale aveva commesso un errore di diritto allorché aveva ritenuto che gli aiuti avessero giovato all'attività di produzione di materiale civile, senza esaminarli caso per caso, per verificare quanto fosse necessario all'esercizio dell'attività dei cantieri a fini militari.
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EN has submitted that shipyards are a complex undertaking and that civil activity is necessary for the viability of the main, military activity.
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La EN ha affermato che i cantieri costituiscono un'impresa complessa e che l'attività a fini civili è necessaria alla redditività dell'attività, predominante, nel settore militare.
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Consequently, a total stoppage of the civil activity of the shipyards would endanger the continuation of military production.
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Di conseguenza, l'interruzione completa dell'attività civile dei cantieri navali comprometterebbe la prosecuzione della produzione militare.
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In its judgment delivered today, the Court of Justice notes that the Treaty allows Member States to take measures that are necessary for the protection of the essential interests of their security which are connected with the production of or trade in arms, munitions and war material.
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Nella sentenza odierna, la Corte ricorda che il Trattato consente agli Stati membri di adottare le misure necessarie alla tutela degli interessi essenziali della propria sicurezza e che si riferiscano alla produzione o al commercio di armi, munizioni e materiale bellico.
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The recognition of that protection must not, however, adversely affect competition in relation to products which are not intended for specifically military purposes.
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Il riconoscimento di tale tutela, peraltro, non deve alterare la concorrenza per quanto riguarda i prodotti che non siano destinati a fini specificamente militari.
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The Treaty draws a strict distinction between the production of or trade in war material and all other economic activity, which also applies in the case where the same undertaking carries out activities in both military and civil spheres.
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Il Trattato stabilisce una distinzione rigorosa tra la produzione o il commercio del materiale bellico e qualunque altra attività economica, e ciò anche allorché una stessa impresa svolga attività in entrambi i settori, militare e civile.
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The Court finds that the General Court was fully entitled, therefore, to reject EN’s argument that, when a civil activity is a ‘necessary corollary’ to the activity of military production, all aid measures should be excluded from the scope of the Treaty.
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La Corte rileva che, pertanto, a buon diritto il Tribunale ha respinto l'argomento con cui la EN aveva tentato di dimostrare che, quando un'attività a fini civili è un «corollario necessario» dell'attività di produzione militare, qualunque misura di aiuto dovrebbe essere esclusa dal campo di applicazione del Trattato.
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Similarly, the General Court acted correctly in concluding that only aid measures covering military activity must be assessed under the special procedure laid down by the Treaty.
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In modo analogo, esso ha giustamente concluso che solo le misure di aiuto riconducibili all'attività a carattere militare devono essere valutate secondo la procedura speciale prevista dal Trattato.
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In addition, the division between military and civil activities (75% and 25% respectively), established by the Commission, was confirmed by the Greek authorities; in any event, the General Court’s assessments are factual in nature and therefore excluded from review by the Court in the context of the present appeal.
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Peraltro, la ripartizione tra attività militari e civili (rispettivamente nella misura del 75% e del 25%), su cui si è fondata la Commissione, è stata confermata dalle autorità elleniche e, in ogni caso, le valutazioni operate dal Tribunale hanno natura fattuale e, quindi, esulano dal controllo giurisdizionale nell'ambito della presente impugnazione.
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Lastly, the Court goes on to say that the General Court was fully entitled to hold that, in the context of the administrative procedure conducted by the Commission, EN did not enjoy rights of defence (like a Member State), but merely the right to be involved (which is what actually occurred).
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Infine, prosegue la Corte, il Tribunale ha constatato a buon diritto che, nell'ambito della procedura amministrativa condotta dalla Commissione, la EN non godeva di diritti della difesa (al pari di uno Stato membro), ma solo del diritto di esservi associata (cosa che si è effettivamente verificata).
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For all those reasons, the Court dismisses EN’s appeal in its entirety and thus confirms the validity of the Commission’s decision.
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Per tutti questi motivi, la Corte respinge l'impugnazione della EN nella sua interezza e conferma pertanto la validità della decisione della Commissione.
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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. 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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Nel caso in cui la causa sia matura per essere decisa, la Corte stessa può pronunciarsi definitivamente sulla controversia; in caso contrario, rinvia la causa al Tribunale, vincolato dalla decisione emanata dalla Corte in sede di impugnazione.
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LISTEN WITH READSPEAKER
The Court of Justice confirms the validity of the Commission’s decision
according to which Greece was required to recover the aid, granted to the
Skaramangkas shipyards, which was incompatible with the common market
While the Treaty provides Member States with the means of
safeguarding their essential security interests, it does not allow them to
adversely affect competition with regard to products which are not intended for
specifically military purposes
Ellinika Nafpigia AE (Hellenic Shipyards, ‘EN’) is a large shipyard in
Greece which, in 1985, was purchased by the State-owned Hellenic Bank of
Industrial Development (Elliniki Trapeza Viomikhanikis Anaptixeos AE;‘ETVA’).
In the context of EN’s privatisation, in 2001, its shares were sold to
the consortium of German companies Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft GmbH (HDW) and
Ferrostaal GmbH, which, with a view to managing their holdings in EN, set up
Elliniki Nafpigokataskevastiki AE Khartofilakiou (Greek Naval Shipyard
Holding;GNSH).
In 2005, ThyssenKrupp AG acquired HDW and GNSH and has therefore 100%
ownership and control of the shipyards.
At present, the shipyards produce essentially military vessels.
As from 1992, the Greek Government granted the shipyards several
amounts of aid, some of which, pursuant to a directive concerning operating aid
to shipbuilding, were approved by the Commission.
By contrast, in 2006, the Commission required Greece to recover from
EN, within four months, sixteen amounts of aid, together with interest.
In addition, Greece was required to notify, within two months, the
amount to be recovered, a detailed description of the measures already taken,
and also proof that the beneficiary had been ordered to repay the aid.
The Greek Government was also required to keep the Commission informed
of the progress of the national measures taken to implement the decision.
The shipyards challenged that decision before the General Court of the
European Union, which, by a judgment delivered in 2012, rejected all of the
arguments put forward.
In the present appeal, EN has challenged that judgment, submitting
before the Court of Justice that the General Court erred in law in holding that
the aid had benefited the production of civil material, without examining the
aid on a case-by-case basis in order to ascertain what was necessary for
operating a shipyard for military purposes.
EN has submitted that shipyards are a complex undertaking and that
civil activity is necessary for the viability of the main, military activity.
Consequently, a total stoppage of the civil activity of the shipyards
would endanger the continuation of military production.
In its judgment delivered today, the Court of Justice notes that the
Treaty allows Member States to take measures that are necessary for the
protection of the essential interests of their security which are connected with
the production of or trade in arms, munitions and war material.
The recognition of that protection must not, however, adversely affect
competition in relation to products which are not intended for specifically
military purposes.
The Treaty draws a strict distinction between the production of or
trade in war material and all other economic activity, which also applies in the
case where the same undertaking carries out activities in both military and
civil spheres.
The Court finds that the General Court was fully entitled, therefore,
to reject EN’s argument that, when a civil activity is a ‘necessary corollary’
to the activity of military production, all aid measures should be excluded from
the scope of the Treaty.
Similarly, the General Court acted correctly in concluding that only
aid measures covering military activity must be assessed under the special
procedure laid down by the Treaty.
In addition, the division between military and civil activities (75%
and 25% respectively), established by the Commission, was confirmed by the Greek
authorities; in any event, the General Court’s assessments are factual in nature
and therefore excluded from review by the Court in the context of the present
appeal.
Lastly, the Court goes on to say that the General Court was fully
entitled to hold that, in the context of the administrative procedure conducted
by the Commission, EN did not enjoy rights of defence (like a Member State), but
merely the right to be involved (which is what actually occurred).
For all those reasons, the Court dismisses EN’s appeal in its entirety
and thus confirms the validity of the Commission’s decision.
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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