12.12.2016

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 462/9

(Case C-510/16)

(2016/C 462/12)

Language of the case: French

Referring court

Parties to the main proceedings

Applicants: Carrefour Hypermarchés SAS, Fnac Paris, Fnac Direct, Relais Fnac, Codirep, Fnac Périphérie

Defendant: Minister for Finance and Public Accounts

Questions referred

1.In a situation in which an aid scheme is financed by allocated resources, where a Member State has regularly notified the Commission of legal changes having a significant impact on that scheme prior to their implementation, and in particular of changes relating to the method by which the scheme is financed, does a substantial increase in revenue from fiscal resources allocated to the scheme, compared to the projections submitted to the European Commission, constitute a significant change within the meaning of Article 88(3) of the EC Treaty, now Article 108 TFEU, which would require a new notification to be made?

2.In the same situation, how is Article 4 of Commission Regulation (EC) No 794/2004 to be applied, pursuant to which an increase in the original budget of an existing aid scheme exceeding 20 % constitutes a change to that aid scheme and, in particular:

(a)how does it combine with the obligation to notify the Commission in advance of an aid scheme, laid down in Article 88(3) of the EC Treaty, now Article 108 TFEU?

(b)if exceeding the 20 % threshold of the original budget of an existing aid scheme provided for under Article 4 of Commission Regulation (EC) No 794/2004 requires a new notification, must that threshold be assessed in relation to the amount of expenditure allocated or to the expenditure actually granted to the beneficiaries, excluding the sums placed in the reserve or those having been made subject to a levy for the benefit of the State?

(c)assuming that compliance with the 20 % threshold must be assessed in relation to the expenditure dedicated to the aid scheme, must such an assessment be made by comparing the overall level of expenditure in the approval decision with the overall budget subsequently allocated to all aid schemes granted by the body responsible for such allocations, or by comparing the levels notified under each of the categories of aid identified in that decision with that body’s corresponding budget line?

Commission Regulation (EC) No 794/2004 of 21 April 2004 implementing Council Regulation (EC) No 659/1999 laying down detailed rules for the application of Article 93 of the EC Treaty (OJ 2004 L 140, p. 1).