Press Release: State aid: Commission refers Germany to Court of Justice for failure to recover illegal aid to Kahla

The European Commission decided on 16 February 2005 to refer Germany to the European Court of Justice for failure to comply with a Commission decision of 30 October 2002. That decision had ruled that aid given by the German Land of Thuringia to German porcelain manufacturer Kahla Porzellan GmbH and its successor company Kahla/Thüringen Porzellan GmbH was incompatible with the EC Treaty because it was liable to distort competition within the Single Market and must be recovered from the beneficiaries (see IP/02/1588). More than two years after the decision had been adopted, it had not been fully implemented by Germany. The Commission therefore decided to apply to the Court in order to have its decision enforced.

Kahla/Thüringen Porzellan GmbH: Homepage http://www.kahlaporzellan.com/

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