EN Official Journal of the European Union C 22/4

Judgment of the Court (Grand Chamber) of 14 November 2017 (request for a preliminary ruling from the Cour de cassation — France) — President of the Autorité de la concurrence v Association des producteurs vendeurs d’endives (APVE) and Others

(Case C-671/15) (1)

((Reference for a preliminary ruling - Common agricultural policy - Article 42 TFEU - Regulation (EC) No 2200/96 - Regulation (EC) No 1182/2007 - Regulation (EC) No 1234/2007 - Anticompetitive practices - Article 101 TFEU - Regulation No 26 - Regulation (EC) No 1184/2006 - Producer organisations - Associations of producer organisations - Responsibilities of those organisations and associations - Practice of fixing minimum sale prices - Practice of concertation on quantities placed on the market - Practice of exchanges of strategic information - French endive market))

(2018/C 022/05)

Language of the case: French

Referring court

Cour de cassation

Parties to the main proceedings

Applicant: President of the Autorité de la concurrence

Defendants: Association des producteurs vendeurs d’endives (APVE), Comité économique régional agricole fruits et légumes de Bretagne (Cerafel), Fraileg SARL, Prim’Santerre SARL, Union des endiviers, formerly Fédération nationale des producteurs d’endives (FNPE), Soleil du Nord SARL, Comité économique fruits et légumes du Nord de la France (Celfnord), Association des producteurs d’endives de France (APEF), Section nationale de l’endive (SNE), Fédération du commerce de l’endive (FCE), France endives société coopérative agricole, Cambrésis Artois-Picardie endives (CAP’Endives) société coopérative agricole, Marché de Phalempin société coopérative agricole, Primacoop société coopérative agricole, Coopérative agricole du marais audomarois (Sipema), Valois-Fruits union de sociétés coopératives agricoles, Groupe Perle du Nord SAS, Ministre de l’Économie, de l’Industrie et du Numérique

Operative part of the judgment

Article 101 TFEU, read in conjunction with Article 2 of Regulation No 26 of the Council of 4 April 1962 applying certain rules of competition to production of and trade in agricultural products, Article 11(1) of Council Regulation (EC) No 2200/96 of 28 October 1996 on the common organisation of the market in fruit and vegetables, Article 2 of Council Regulation (EC) No 1184/2006 of 24 July 2006 applying certain rules of competition to the production of, and trade in, agricultural products, as amended by Council Regulation (EC) No 1234/2007 of 22 October 2007, Article 3(1) of Council Regulation (EC) No 1182/2007 of 26 September 2007 laying down specific rules as regards the fruit and vegetable sector, amending Directives 2001/112/EC and 2001/113/EC and Regulations (EEC) No 827/68, (EC) No 2200/96, (EC) No 2201/96, (EC) No 2826/2000, (EC) No 1782/2003 and (EC) No 318/2006 and repealing Regulation (EC) No 2202/96, as well as the first paragraph of Article 122 and Articles 175 and 176 of Regulation No 1234/2007, as amended by Council Regulation (EC) No 491/2009 of 25 May 2009, must be interpreted as meaning that:

— practices that relate to the collective fixing of minimum sale prices, a concertation on quantities put on the market or exchanges of strategic information, such as those at issue in the main proceedings, cannot escape the prohibition of the agreements, decisions and concerted practices laid down in Article 101(1) TFEU if they are agreed between a number of producer organisations or associations of producer organisations, or are agreed with entities not recognised by a Member State in order to achieve an objective defined by the EU legislature under the common organisation of the market concerned, such as professional organisations not having the status of producer organisation, association of producer organisation or interbranch organisation, within the meaning of EU legislation, and

— practices that relate to a concertation on prices or quantities put on the market or exchanges of strategic information, such as those at issue in the main proceedings, may escape the prohibition of agreements, decisions and concerted practices laid down in Article 101(1) TFEU if they are agreed between the members of the same producer organisation or the same association of producer organisations recognised by a Member State and are strictly necessary for the pursuit of one or more of the objectives assigned to the producer organisation or association of producer organisations concerned in compliance with EU legislation.

(1) OJ C 90, 7.3.2016.