ARCHIVESHISTORIQUES
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DOCUMENTS "COM"
COM(73)365
Vol.1973/0057

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COMMISSION OFTHEEUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
COM(73)365 final
Brussels ,20March 1973
Anended proposal foraRegulation (EEC)ofthe
Council concerning limitation periods for the
bringing ofproceedings andenforcement ofde­
cisions under the rules oftheEuropean Economic
Community relating totransport ortocompetition
(submitted totheCouncil bytheCommission )
i
i
COIH73 )365final

IV/523A2-E
AmendedproposalforaRegulation(EEC)oftheCouncilconcerninglimitation
periodsforthebringingofproceedings andenforcementofdecisionsunder
therulesoftheEuropeanEconomicCommunityrelatingtotransportorto
competition
•.1 ••. »
THECOUNCILOFTHEEUROPEANCOMMUNITIES, ,.
HavingregardtotheTreatyestablishingtheEuropeanEconomicCommunity,
andinparticularArticles75*79and87thereof;
HavingregardtdtheproposalfromtheCommission;
I&viiigregardtothe.OpinionoftheEuropeanParliament;
HavingregardtotheOpinionofth©Economicand.SocialCommittee;
Whereas -undertherulesoftheEuropeanEconomicCommunityrelatingto
transportandtocompetitiontheCommissionhaspowertoimposefines
(orpenalties)and;.peripdicpenaltypaymentsonundertakingsorassociations
of"undertakings whichinfringeitsrightofinformation andinvestigation ,
orWhichcontravene .the;prohibition :ondiscrimination ,restrictivepractices
andabuse'ofadominantposition;whereastherulesaforesaidmakeno
provisionforanyperiodoflimitation; .....
Whereasitisdesirableintheinterestsoflegalcertaintythatthe
principleoflimiationbeintroducedandthatrelevantimplementing rulesbe
laiddown;whereas^forthemattertobecoveredfully,itisnecessary
thatprovisionforlimitationbemadenotonlyasregardsthepowertoitcposefines(orpenalties)butalsoasregardsthepower;to ,*'.enforcedecisionsimposing -fines\orpenalties;orperiodicpenalitypayments;
whereastherelevantprovisions ,shouldspecifythelengthoflimitation
periods,thepointfromwhichtimesjjarts.torunandtheeventswhichhave
'theeffectofinterrupting orsuspendingthe.runningoftime;

-2-IV/523/72»E
Whereasinthisrespectregardshould "behad"bothtotheinterestsof
undertakings andassociations ofundertakings andtotherequirements
imposed "bytheadministrative practiceoftheCommission ;
Whereasitwouldseemappropriatetovaryaccordingtothetypeof
infringement concernedthelengthoftheperiodontheexpiryof
whichtheCommission'spowertoimposefines(orpenalties)"becomes
barred;whereastheprovisionsfromwhichtheCommissionderivesitspower
toimposefines(orpenalties)a.re"basedontheprinciplethatinfringements
oftheCommission'srightofinformation andinvestigation areofaless
seriousnaturethaninfringements oftheprohibitions ondiscrimination ,
restrictivepracticesandabuseofadominantposition;whereasitis
thereforepropertomakeasimilardistinctioninfixingthelengthofperiods
oflimitation ;whereasitwouldaccordingly seemappropriatetolaydown
athree-yearperiodoflimitationforinfringements oftheCommission's
rightofinformation andinvestigation andafive-yearperiodforallother
infringements towhichtheRegulationapplies;
Whereas,itisdesirableintheinterestsoflegalcertaintytoestablish
theprinciplethattheperiodoflimitationforthebringingofproceedings
shallrunfromthedateofCommissionoftheinfringement ;whereashowever
aslongasanyundertakingorassociationofundertakings remainsinbreach
ofanyruleoftheEuropeanEconomicCommunityconcerningtransportor
competition,nosuchperiodcanbeallowedtoruninitsfavour;whereas
itshouldaccordinglybeprovidedthatasregardscontinuingorrepeated
infringements timestartstorunonlyfromthedatewhentheundertakingor
association concernedputsanendtoitsinfringement ;
Whereasifproceedingsinrespectofinfringements aretobeeffective,it
isessentialthattherebeproperprovisionforinterruption oftherunning
ofthelimitationperiod;whereasproceedings maybecomebarredonlyin
caseswherethecompetentauthorityhasthroughouttherelevantlimitation
periodtakennoactioninrespectoftheinfringement ;whereas,consequently ,
timecannotbeallowedtoruninfavourofundertakings orassociations
wheretheaforesaidauthority,actinginconformitywiththeprovisions
applicable,isinthecourse

3 IV/523/73-E
ofconductingenenquiryortakingproceedingsinrespectofthe
infringement ;whereasitshouldaccordinglyheprovidedthatanyaction
• i
taken "bytheCommission,orbyaMemberStateattherequestofthe
Commission,forthepurposeofestablishing theexistenceofaninfringement
andnotifiedtooneofthepartiesconcernedshallinterrupttherunning
oftime;whereasitshouldmoreoverbeexpresslyspecifiedthatthe
takingofanysuchactionshallinterrupttherunningoftimeasregards
alltheundertakings orassociations ofundertakings participating inthe
infringement ;
Whereas,byvirtueofthefirstparagraphofArticle192oftheTreaty
establishingthe EuropeanEconomicCommunity,decisionsoftheCommission
imposingfines(orpenalties)orperiodicpenaltypaymentsonundertakings
orassociations ofundertakings arefullyenforceable ;whereasitwould
seemappropriatetoprovidethatthepoweroftheCommissiontoenforce
suchdecisionsbesubjecttoafivo-yearlimitationperiod,runningfromthe
dateuponwhichthedecisionbecomesfinal;
Whereas,however,itshouldbeprovidedthattherunningoftheperiod
forenforcementofdecisionsmayalsobeinterrupted ;whereasanyvariation
ofadecisionoranyrefusalofcmapplicationforvariationmustprevent
timefromrunning;nor,moreover,cantimebeallowedtoruninfavour
ofanyundertaking orassociationofundertakings uponwhiohapecuniary
obligationhasbeenimposedwherethecompetentauthorityisacting,in
conformitywiththerelevantproceduralrules,toenforcethedecision;'
whereasitshouldthereforebeprovidedthatanydecisionofthe
Commissionvaryingtheoriginalamountofthefine(orpenalty)or
periodicpenaltypa.ymentorrefusinganapplicationforvariation,and
likewiseanyactiontakenbytheCommission,orbyaMemberStateatthe
requestoftheCommission,toenforcepaymentofafine(crpenalty)or
periodicpenaltypayment,shallinterrupttherunningoftime;
Whereas,lastly,thereshouldalsobeprovisionasregardstheenforcement
ofdecisionsforsuspensionoftherunningoftime;whereastimecannot
boallowedtoruninfavourofanyundertakingorassociationofundertakings
onwhichapecuniaryobligationhasbeenimposedwheretheCommissionis
preventedfromtakingstopstoenforcepaymentofthesumsduetoit;
whereasitshouldaccordinglybeprovidedthattherunningoftimebe
suspendedforsolongasanyreliefastopaymentisallowed,orthe '
enforcementofpaymentissuspended,pursuanttoadecisionofthecourt
ofjusticeoftheEuropeanCommunities ;

HASADOPTEDTHISDECISION:-4- IV/§23/72-E
Article 1
Limitationperiodsfortho"bringingofproceedings
1.ThepoweroftheCommissiontoimposefines(orpenalties)forinfringements
therulesoftheEuropeanEconomicCommunityrelatingtotransportorto
competitionshall "besubjecttolimitationperiods..Suchlimitation
periodsshallbeasfollowss
(a)threeyearsinthocaseofaninfringementofanyofthe
provisionsconcerningapplicationscrnotifications ,requests
forinformation ,orthecarryingoutofinvestigations ;
(b)fiveyearsinthecaseofallotherinfringements towhich
thisRegulationapplies.
2.Timeshallrunfromthedateonwhichtheinfringementiscommitted,
saveinthecaseofcontinuingorreportedinfringements ,inrespectof
whichtimeshallrunfromthedateuponwhichtheinfringementisterminated.
Article2
Interruption oftherunningoftheperiodforthebringingofproceedings
1.AnyactiontakenbytheCommission,orbyanyMemberStateattho
requestbftheCommission,forthepurposeofestablishingtheexistence
ofaninfringement andnotifiedtooneoftheundertakings orassociations
ofundertakings concernedshallinterrupttherunningofthelimitation
period.
Actionswhichinterrupttherunningoftheperiodinparticularinclude
thefollowing;
(a)thesendingbythoCommission,orbythecompetentauthority
.ofaMemberStateattherequestoftheCommission,ofa
-requestforinformation ;.orthenotification ofadecision
oftheCommissionrequiringthattheinformationrequested
besupplied;

-5- IV/523/72-E
\o)thesendingorproduction laytheCommission,orbythe
competentauthorityofanyMemberStateattherequestofthe
Commission,ofawrittenauthorisation ofinvestigation ;or
thenotification ofadecisionoftheCommissionordering
aninvestigation !" ""
(c)thegivingofwrittennotice'ofthecommencementof"a"procedure
"bytheCommission; "
(d)thegivingofwrittennoticeofthematterstowhichthe
Commissionhastakenobjection *
2.Anyactionwithinthemeaningofparagraph1shallinterruptthe
runningoftimeasregardsalltheundertakings orassociations of
undertakings whichparticipateintheinfringement .
3.Eachinterruption shallstarttimerunningafresh.
Article3
Limitationperiodfortheenforcementofdeoisions
1.ThepoweroftheCommissiontoenforcedecisionsimposingfines
(orpenalties)orperiodicpenaltypaymentsforinfringements ofthe
rulesoftheEuropeanEconomicCommunityrelatingtotransportorto
competitionshallbesubjecttoalimitationperiod.Thelimitation
periodshallbefiveyears.
2.Timeshallrunfromthedateuponwhichtherelevantdecisionofthe
Commission becomesfinal.
Article4
Interruption andsuspensionoftherunningofthelimitationperiodforenforcement
ofdecisions
1.Thefolloidngeventsshallberegardedasinterrupting therunning
oftime:
(a)notification ofadecisionoftheCommissionvaryingthe
originalamountofthefine(orpenalty)orperiodicpenalty
paymentsor^refusinganapplicationforvariation;
(b)anyactiontakenbytheCommission,orbyaMemberStateat
therequestoftheCommission,forthepurposeofenforcing
paymentofafine(orpenalty)orperiodicpenaltypayment.
2.Eachinterruption shallstarttimerunningafresh.(*)
(c)
(d)

~6- IV/523/72-E
3.Therunningof*timeshall"bosuspendedforsolongas:
(a)anyreliefastopaymentis.allowed;or
(b)enforcementofpaymentissuspendedpursuanttoadecision
oftheCourtofJusticeoftheEuropeanCommunities *
Article5
Entryintoforce
ThisRegulationshallenterintoforceon
ThisRegulationsha.ll"bebindinginitsentiretyanddirectly
applicableinallMemberStates.