A ruling is due today in one of the longest-running legal cases to ever come before EU’s highest court, which involves Europe’s largest alumina plant.
The Aughinish alumina refinery in Askeaton, Co Limerick, is at the centre of the marathon legal battle over alleged illegal state aid granted to the aluminium industry in Ireland, France and Italy.
Today’s ruling by the European Court of Justice is the third time that a case which began in 2006 has come before the Luxembourg-based court.
The European Commission claims that Aughinish, which is now owned by Rusal, the Russian aluminium giant, received €10 million in illegal state aid between 2002 and 2004 when it was owned by Glencore, the Swiss commodities group.
There are fears that a demand