Agriculture - EAGGF - Reduction of financial aid - Statement of reasons - Error of assessment of the facts - Principle of proportionality.

«(Agriculture – EAGGF – Reduction of financial aid – Statement of reasons – Error of assessment as to the facts – Principle of proportionality)» Summary of the Judgment 1.. Acts of the institutions – Statement of reasons – Obligation – Scope – Commission decision entailing serious consequences for the beneficiary of Community aid (Art. 253 EC) 2.. Community law – Principles – Rights of the defence – Fundamental principle – Scope 3.. Economic and social cohesion – Structural assistance – Community funding – EAGGF financial assistance discontinued because of irregularities – Conditions – Compliance with the principle of proportionality (Art. 5, third para., EC; Council Regulation No 4253/88, Art. 24) 4.. Economic and social cohesion – Structural assistance – Community funding – Works forming the subject-matter of aid financed by the EAGGF – Impossibility of starting those works before the date on which the Commission receives the application – Fundamental character – Works begun some days before that date of receipt – Automatic discontinuance or reduction of the aid – None JUDGMENT OF THE COURT OF FIRST INSTANCE (Fifth Chamber)11 December 2003 (1) ((Agriculture – EAGGF – Reduction of financial aid – Statement of reasons – Error of assessment of the facts – Principle of proportionality)) applicant, v defendant, THE COURT OF FIRST INSTANCE OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES (Fifth Chamber), having regard to the written procedure and further to the hearing on 3 June 2003, gives the following On those grounds, THE COURT OF FIRST INSTANCE (Fifth Chamber) García-Valdecasas Lindh Cooke H. Jung P. Lindh Registrar President 1 – Language of the case: Italian.