Social policy - European Social Fund - Reduction in financial assistance - Rights of the defence - Article 24 of Regulation (EEC) No 4253/88 - Statement of reasons.

«(Social policy – European Social Fund – Reduction in financial assistance – Rights of the defence – Article 24 of Regulation (EEC) No 4253/88 – Statement of reasons)» Summary of the Judgment 1.. Social policy – European Social Fund – Financial assistance for vocational training – Decision reducing assistance originally granted – Rights of defence of the beneficiaries – Scope 2.. Social policy – European Social Fund – Financial assistance for vocational training programmes – Decision reducing assistance originally granted – Opportunity for the Member State concerned to comment prior to the adoption of the decision – Essential procedural requirement – Breach – Illegality 3.. Acts of the institutions – Statement of reasons – Obligation – Scope – Commission decision reducing assistance from the European Social Fund for vocational training (Art. 253 EC) JUDGMENT OF THE COURT OF FIRST INSTANCE (Fourth Chamber)9 July 2003 (1) ((Social policy – European Social Fund – Reduction in financial assistance – Rights of the defence – Article 24 of Regulation (EEC) No 4253/88 – Statement of reasons)) applicant, v defendant, THE COURT OF FIRST INSTANCE OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES (Fourth Chamber), having regard to the written procedure and further to the hearing on 29 January 2003, gives the following On those grounds, THE COURT OF FIRST INSTANCE (Fourth Chamber) Tiili Mengozzi Vilaras H. Jung V. Tiili Registrar President 1 – Language of the case: Dutch.