The European Court of Justice has dismissed an appeal by JCDecaux Belgium against a European Commission decision that it refund illegally obtained state aid.
The Commission had concluded in June 2019 that the street furniture company had illegally received state aid between 2001 and 2010.
Following a complaint from competitor Clear Channel, the Commission found that JCDecaux had agreements with the city of Brussels in the 2000s, allowing it to provide bus shelters and other street furniture while using some of them for advertising purposes. JCDecaux offered certain benefits in kind to the city, but did not pay rent or other fees.
This contract was terminated in 1995 and replaced in 1999 by a new agreement under which the street furniture remained city property, while JCDecaux paid for advertising rights. However, some bus shelters continued under the old arrangement.
The Commission deemed the old arrangement illegal and ordered Belgium - specifically the City of Brussels - to recover the state aid, amounting to approximately €2.5 million.
The European Court of Justice has now upheld this decision.
