10/05/2010 (Agence Europe) - In its judgement T-388/07, the Court of First Instance ruled out a plea made by the Comune di Napoli which had called upon the Court to: - annul Decision C(2007)3893 of the European Commission to reduce the amount of European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) intervention in favour of the town of Naples in order to develop “Rete di piazza Telematiche”, due to “major irregularities”; - and order the Commission to make good the damage. The town of Naples mainly reproached the Commission saying: - its decision was not based on legal or factual grounds, there was misinterpretation and misapplication of the concept of irregularity, it was responsible for the initial delay incurred in the project, there was breach of the principle of proportionality by reducing, in an exaggerated manner, the ERDF's intervention in the project compared to the nature and gravity of presumed irregularities, and there was breach of the obligation to state reasons for the decision and damage caused because of this. The Court did not accept these arguments and rejected the plea, condemning the Comune di Napoli to pay the costs of the proceedings. (F.G./transl.jl)