EAGGF - Withdrawal of financial assistance - Article 24 of Regulation (EEC) No 4253/88 - Principles of proportionality and legal certainty - Statement of reasons - Right to be heard.

«(EAGGF – Withdrawal of financial assistance – Article 24 of Regulation (EEC) No 4253/88 – Principles of proportionality and legal certainty – Statement of reasons – Right to be heard)» Summary of the Judgment 1.. Economic and social cohesion – Structural assistance – Community funding – Decision to grant EAGGF financial assistance – Several parties responsible for implementation of the project – No express provision in the decision identifying the party responsible for repayment of the assistance in the event of irregularities – Demand for repayment of the assistance in full addressed to the party described as the beneficiary – Breach of the principle of proportionality (Council Regulation No 4256/88) 2.. Economic and social cohesion – Structural assistance – Community funding for national projects – Applicants for, and beneficiaries of, EAGGF financial assistance required to provide information and to act in good faith 3.. Community law – Principles – Proportionality – Financial assistance granted by the EAGGF withdrawn owing to the recipients' non-compliance with the financial conditions for the investment laid down in the decisions granting the assistance – Infringement – None (Council Regulation No 4253/88, Art. 24(2)) JUDGMENT OF THE COURT OF FIRST INSTANCE (Third Chamber)13 March 2003 (1) ((EAGGF – Withdrawal of financial assistance – Article 24 of Regulation (EEC) No 4253/88 – Principles of proportionality and legal certainty – Statement of reasons – Right to be heard)) applicant, intervener, v defendant, THE COURT OF FIRST INSTANCE OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES (Third Chamber), having regard to the written procedure and further to the hearing on 14 November 2002, gives the following On those grounds, THE COURT OF FIRST INSTANCE (Third Chamber) Lenaerts Azizi Jaeger H. Jung K. Lenaerts Registrar President 1 – Language of the case: Italian.