European Union – National legislation. Articles 9, 10, 13 and 14 of Directive (EC) 2009/72, art 3 of Regulation (EC) No 714/2009, art 2(3) in conjunction with recital 3 of Regulation (EU) No 1227/2011, and art 1(3) of Commission Regulation (EU) 2015/1222 did not preclude, in circumstances such as those of the main proceedings, national legislation limiting the number of holders of electricity transmission licences for a particular territory. The Court of Justice of the European Union so held in a preliminary ruling in proceedings concerning the refusal to grant the applicant company a licence for electricity transmission and as balancing group coordinator and independent transmission system operator.