Brussels, 04/11/2010 (Agence Europe) - A spokesperson for the European Commission answered a question posed by a Spanish journalist during a press conference on 4 November 2010, confirming that the President of the EU General Court has decided to temporarily suspend the Commission's decision of 29 September 2010 allowing Spanish state aid to be granted to the electricity generation from Spanish coal (around €800 million was planned to be granted by 31 December 2014 - see EUROPE 10225).
Three Spanish gas and electricity generators - Endesa, Iberdrola and Fenosa Gas Natural - appealed at the European Court of First Instance against the Commission's decisions (Cases T-484/10, T486/10 and T-490-10) on the grounds that the aid distorts competition and would hold up the generation of electricity from renewable sources.
The suspension has been decided upon because the President of the General Court says that he needs more time to assess the requests for interim measures lodged by the three companies trying to get the Commission's decision suspended. The spokesperson said this was a routine suspension of the decision for several weeks simply to give time to check whether the interim measures are justified, and not to decide on the interim measures themselves or, for that matter, decide on the substance of the appeal. (F.G./transl/fl)