Case C-167/04 P: Judgment of the Court (Second Chamber) of 21 September 2006 — JCB Service v Commission of the European Communities, (Appeals — Cartels — Article 81 EC — Distribution agreements — Concerted practices — Notification — Form A/B — Application for exemption — Rejection — Duration of the assessment of the notification procedure — Rights of the defence — Presumption of innocence — Complaint — Infringement — General prohibition on passive sales — Limitation of the sources of supply — New pleas in law — Fines — Guidelines — Gravity of the infringement — Duration — Attenuating circumstances — Cross-appeal — Aggravating circumstances)
Date: 2006-11-18
Institutions: Court of Justice
Subjects: European Commission, action for annulment (EU), appeal, exclusive distribution agreement, mechanical engineering, restriction on competition

18.11.2006

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 281/3

Judgment of the Court (First Chamber) of 14 September
2006 (reference for a preliminary ruling from the Diikitiko
Protodikio Ioanninon — Greece) — Alfa Vita Vassilo-
poulos AE, formerly Trofo Super-Markets AE v Elliniko
Dimosio, Nomarkhiaki Aftodiikisi Ioanninon (C-158/04),
Carrefour Marinopoulos AE v Elliniko Dimosio, Nomar-
khiaki Aftodiikisi Ioanninon (C-159/04)

(Joined Cases C-158/04 and C-159/04) (1)

(Free movement of goods — Article 28 EC — Quantitative
effect —
restrictions — Measures having equivalent

Marketing of frozen ‘bake-off’ products)

(2006/C 281/04)

Language of the case: Greek

Referring court

Diikitiko Protodikio Ioanninon — Greece

Judgment of the Court (Second Chamber) of 21 September
2006 — JCB Service v Commission of the European
Communities,

(Case C-167/04 P) (1)

(Appeals — Cartels — Article 81 EC — Distribution agree-
ments — Concerted practices — Notification — Form A/B
— Application for exemption — Rejection — Duration of
the assessment of the notification procedure — Rights of the
defence — Presumption of innocence — Complaint — Infrin-
gement — General prohibition on passive sales — Limitation
of the sources of supply — New pleas in law — Fines —
Guidelines — Gravity of the infringement — Duration —
Attenuating circumstances — Cross-appeal — Aggravating
circumstances)

(2006/C 281/05)

Language of the case: English

Parties

Appellant: JCB Service, (represented by: E.Morgan de Rivery and
E. Friedel, lawyers)

Other party to the proceedings: Commission of the European
Communities, (represented by: A. Whelan, Agent)

Parties to the main proceedings

Re:

Applicants: Alfa Vita Vassilopoulos AE, formerly Trofo Super-
Markets AE (C-158/04), Carrefour Marinopoulos AE (C-
159/04)

Defendant: Elliniko Dimosio, Nomarkhiaki Aftodiikisi Ioanninon

Re:

Reference for a preliminary ruling — Diikitiko Protodikio Ioan-
ninon — Marketing of ‘bake-off’ bakery products — Require-
ment for a licence — Compatibility with Article 28 EC

Operative part of the judgment

Article 28 EC is to be interpreted as precluding national legislation
which makes the sale of
to the same
requirements as
those applicable to the full manufacturing and
marketing procedure for traditional bread and bakery products.

‘bake-off’ products subject

Appeal against the judgment of the Court of First Instance
(First Chamber) of 13 January 2004 in Case T-67/01 JCB Service
v Commission partially annulling the Commission Decision of
21 December 2000 relating to a proceeding under Article 81
of the EC Treaty (COMP.F.1/35.918 — JCB

Operative part of the judgment

The Court

1. Dismisses the appeal.

2. Allows the cross-appeal of

the Commission of

the European

Communities.

3. Sets aside paragraph 2 of the operative part of the judgment of
the Court of First Instance of the European Communities of 13
January 2004 in Case T-67/01 JCB Service v Commission.

4. Fixes the amount of the fine imposed on JCB Service under Article
4 of Commission Decision 2002/190/EC of 21 December 2000
relating to a proceeding under Article 81 of the EC Treaty (Case
COMP.F.1/35.918 –JCB) at EUR 30 864 000.

5. Orders JCB Service to bear all the costs of these appeal proceed-

ings.

(1) OJ C 106, 30.04.2006.

(1) OJ C 156, 12.06.2004.