Judgment_paragraph 24 · Sadam Zuccherifici, divisione della SECI - Società Esercizi Commerciali Industriali SpA, Sadam Castiglionese SpA, Sadam Abruzzo SpA, Zuccherificio del Molise SpA and Società Fondiaria Industriale Romagnola SpA (SFIR) v Council of the European Union (C-41/99 P)

24As regards the appellants' first ground of appeal, it must be observed, as the Court of First Instance rightly pointed out at paragraph 17 of the contested order, that the admissibility of an action for annulment brought by a natural or legal person against a Community regulation is subject to the condition that the contested regulation is in reality a decision which concerns the applicant directly and individually. The Court of Justice has explained in this respect that the criterion for distinguishing between a regulation and a decision must be sought in the general application or otherwise of the measure in question and that an act has general application if it applies to objectively determined situations and entails legal effects for categories of persons regarded generally and in the abstract (see, inter alia, Case 307/81 Alusuisse Italia v Council and Commission [1982] ECR 3463, paragraphs 8 and 9, and the order in Case C-447/98 P Molkerei Großbraunshain and Bene Nahrungsmittel v Commission [2000] ECR I-9097, paragraph 67).