The European Court of Justice advocate general upheld an earlier ruling by the European Court of First Instance in December 2005 that annulled a commission decision to approve the UK measures giving special status to television events of major importance.
The case focused on contracts between FIFA, and Kirch Media, now Infront, for the exclusive broadcasting rights for the 2002 and 2006 World Cup finals for the European continental countries, Russia, the other former soviet socialist republics and Turkey.
The Court found that Infront’s legal action, as holder of exclusive television broadcasting rights for an event included in the list of measures notified by the UK was 'admissible and well-founded’ because the measures has not been fully adopted.
“The Court of First Instance did not, in my view, err in law when finding that Infront had standing to bring the proceedings,” the EU Judge said.
