Judgment;Information — ECLI:EU:T:2023:837
Date: 2023-12-20
Language of the case: German
Court formation: Fifth Chamber, Extended Composition
Subject matter: Competition;Concentrations between undertakings
Procedure: Action for annulment - unfounded;Action for annulment - inadmissible
Origin: Germany

Judgment of the General Court (Fifth Chamber, Extended Composition) of 20 December 2023 – Stadtwerke Hameln Weserbergland v Commission (Case T‑58/21) (1) ( Competition – Concentrations – German electricity and gas markets – Decision declaring a concentration compatible with the internal market – Obligation to state reasons – Concept of ‘single concentration’ – Right to effective judicial protection – Right to be heard – Definition of the market – Analysis period – Assessment of the effects of the transaction on competition – Manifest errors of assessment – Commitments – Duty of diligence ) 1. Concentrations between undertakings – Examination by the Commission – Single concentration – Concept – Conditions – Interdependent operations conferring on one or more undertakings direct or indirect economic control over the activities of one or more other undertakings – Acquisition by independent undertakings of the control of different targets in an asset swap – Precluded – No functional link between the operations at issue (Council Regulation No 139/2004, recital 20 and Art. 3(1)) (see paragraphs 79-83, 94-99) 2. Acts of the institutions – Statement of reasons – Obligation – Scope – Decision to apply rules on concentrations between undertakings – Decision authorising a concentration operation (Art. 296 TFEU; Council Regulation No 139/2004, Arts 2, 6(1)(c) and 8(2)) (see paragraphs 104-122) 3. Concentrations between undertakings – Administrative procedure – Obligations of the Commission towards qualified third parties – Right to be heard – Scope (Council Regulation No 139/2004, Art. 18(4); Commission Regulation No 802/2004, Arts 11(c) and 16(1)) (see paragraphs 128-134) 4. Concentrations between undertakings – Examination by the Commission – Commission decision declaring a concentration compatible with the internal market – Requirements arising from the principle of effective judicial protection – Obligation to publish – Scope – Publication of a résumé of the decision at issue one year after its adoption – No effect on the validity of that decision (Arts 15, 296 and 297(2) TFEU; Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, Art. 47; Council Regulation No 139/2004, Arts 6(1)(c), 8(2) and 20(1)) (see paragraphs 138-142) 5. Concentrations between undertakings – Examination by the Commission – Adoption of a decision finding a concentration transaction to be compatible with the internal market – Commitments of the undertakings concerned capable of rendering the notified operation compatible with the internal market – Margin of discretion – Judicial review – Limits (Art. 263 TFEU; Council Regulation No 139/2004, Arts 2, 6(1)(c) and 8(2)) (see paragraphs 145-151) 6. Concentrations between undertakings – Examination by the Commission – Account taken of data provided by the parties to the transaction – Whether permissible (Council Regulation No 139/2004, Arts 2, 6(1)(c) and 8(2)) (see paragraphs 159-167) 7. Action for annulment – Review of legality – Criteria – Account taken only of elements of fact and law existing at the date on which the contested measure was adopted – Line of argument of the applicant referring to an analysis drawn up by the Commission after the adoption of that measure but based on data existing on the date of adoption of that same measure – Admissibility – Conditions (Art. 263 TFEU; Council Regulation No 139/2004, Arts 2 and 8(2)) (see paragraphs 168-175) 8. Concentrations between undertakings – Assessment of the compatibility with the internal market – Creation or reinforcement of a dominant position significantly impeding effective competition in the internal market – Examination by the Commission – Prospective analysis – Definition of the period of analysis – Criteria (Council Regulation No 139/2004, Art. 2(2) and (3)) (see paragraphs 204-215, 380, 381) 9. Concentrations between undertakings – Examination by the Commission – Definition of the market in question – Criteria – Substitutability of products – Demand-side substitutability – Assessment of the substitutability of the retail supply of electricity and gas under basic supply and special contracts respectively (Council Regulation No 139/2004, Art. 2) (see paragraphs 226-248) 10. Concentrations between undertakings – Examination by the Commission – Definition of the market in question – Effect of Commission’s previous decision-making practice – None (Council Regulation No 139/2004, Art. 2) (see paragraphs 249-251, 282) 11. Concentrations between undertakings – Examination by the Commission – Definition of the market in question – Concentration between two energy-supplying undertakings providing for an asset swap – Burden of proof on the party challenging the definition of the relevant markets – Need to adduce serious indicia of the genuine existence of a competition concern requiring an examination by the Commission – Failure to produce sufficient evidence by the party challenging the approach adopted (Council Regulation No 139/2004, Arts 2, 6(1)(c) and 8(2)) (see paragraphs 287, 288) 12. Concentrations between undertakings – Examination by the Commission – Definition of the market in question – Possibility for the Commission to leave that definition open – Conditions (Council Regulation No 139/2004, Arts 2, 6(1)(b) and (c) and 8(2)) (see paragraphs 297, 303-310) 13. Concentrations between undertakings – Assessment of the compatibility with the internal market – Creation or reinforcement of a dominant position significantly impeding effective competition in the internal market – Examination by the Commission – Assessment of the anticompetitive effects of the transaction – Evidence – High market share (Council Regulation No 139/2004, recital 32 and Art. 2; Commission Notice 2004/C-31/03, paragraphs 17 and 18) (see paragraphs 330-333) 14. Concentrations between undertakings – Examination by the Commission – Commission decision declaring a concentration compatible with the internal market – Assessment of the anticompetitive effects of the transaction – Burden of proof on the party challenging the Commission’s analysis in that regard (Council Regulation No 139/2004, Arts 2, 6(1)(c) and 8(2)) (see paragraphs 365-369, 374, 375, 386, 387, 395, 397, 407-409, 414, 419, 428, 439, 441) 15. Concentrations between undertakings – Examination by the Commission – Economic assessments – Discretion – Duty of diligence – Scope (Council Regulation No 139/2004) (see paragraphs 463-467) Operative part The Court: 1. Dismisses the action; 2. Orders Stadtwerke Hameln Weserbergland GmbH to bear its own costs and to pay those incurred by the European Commission, E.ON SE and RWE AG. 1 OJ C 138, 19.4.2021.