EU Judgments in Case C-209/21 P Ryanair v Commission (aid to airline companies licenced in Sweden) and C-210/21 P Ryanair v Commission (aid to airline companies licenced in France)

Thursday 23rd November 2023

Judgments in Case C-209/21 P Ryanair v Commission (aid to airline companies licenced in Sweden) and C-210/21 P Ryanair v Commission (aid to airline companies licenced in France)

(State Aid)

In March 2020, France notified the European Commission of an aid measure in the

form of a moratorium on payment of the civil aviation tax and the solidarity tax on airline tickets. This moratorium, which benefited airlines holding a French licence, consisted of the deferral of the payment of these taxes until 1 January 2021 and then spreading the payments over a period of 24 months, i.e. until 31 December 2022.

In April 2020, Sweden notified the Commission of an aid measure in the form of a loan guarantee scheme of up to SEK 5 billion to support airlines holding a Swedish operating licence in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The European Commission approved the aid measures. Ryanair challenged these approvals before the General Court of the European Union, which dismissed the appeals after finding that the disputed aid measures complied with EU law.

It held that the Swedish aid scheme was presumed to have been adopted in the interests of the Union. Furthermore, the moratorium introduced by France was appropriate to remedy the economic damage caused by the Covid-19 pandemic and did not constitute discrimination.

Ryanair has appealed both of the General Court decisions.

Background Documents C-209/21 P

Background Documents C-210/21 P

Donnerstag, 23. November 2023

Urteil des Gerichtshofs in den Rechtsmittelsachen C-209/21 P und C-210/21 P Ryanair / Kommission

Staatliche Beihilfen

Am 11. April 2020 genehmigte die Kommission eine von Schweden angemeldete staatliche Beihilfe zur Unterstützung der vom Coronavirus-Ausbruch betroffenen Luftfahrtunternehmen (siehe Pressemitteilung der Kommission IP/20/647).

Ryanair legte gegen diesen Beschluss eine Klage vor dem Gericht der EU ein.

Mit Urteil vom 17. Februar 2021 wies das Gericht der EU diese Klage ab.

Ryanair hat dieses Urteil angefochten. Das Luftfahrtunternehmen macht u.a. einen Verstoß gegen den Grundsatz der Nichtdiskriminierung geltend, sowie Rechtsfehler und eine Tatsachenverfälschung.

In seinen Schlussanträgen schlug Generalanwalt Pitruzzella dem Gerichtshof vor, den ersten, den zweiten und den dritten Rechtsmittelgrund von Ryanair zurückzuweisen.

Weitere Informationen C-209/21

Weitere Informationen C-210/21